Food Plot Basics

[dennishoddy]

I'm going to start reading this thread from post #1, but in the meantime I have a question.

What is the best clover or clover mix to plant this time of year?

Thanks!

I'm not a fan of clover unless one wants to spend a lot of time mowing, and spraying it with herbicides that are not cheap.
If you're hell bent on clover, it's a fall planting product. You can plant it in the spring, but will have to supplement the water requirements until it becomes well established.
i strongly recommend wheat as its freeze tolerant. You can also use buck forage oats if you want.

 

[Deer Slayer]

Old Phart - I do not know where you live in the state, therefore I do not know what your annual rainfall is. Can you irrigate it, if need be? What is your soil Ph? Have you performed a GOOD soil analysis? OSU, in my opinion, does not provide an adequate analysis. If I had this information I can better answer whether you will be successful with a clover plot.

Specifically, I reccomend that you plant ladino clover. 4-5#/acre of pure seed, preferably with an innoculant. Many bags of clover contain a 35% coating of clay with some fertilizer and possibly some lime. If you buy one of these bags then you need to add 2-3#/acre more seed to get the equivalent amount of seed. Johnson Seed in Enid carries the ladino clover that I use. It comes in a 50# bag for approx $140.00 or they have a plastic jar with, I think, 5# of ladino clover for maybe $16.00. Ross Seed in Chickasha and El Reno has carried a ladino clover but it was a coated seed which gives you approx. 34# of pure seed.

Other clovers will work, but I have had my best luck with a ladino. Johnson's clover is a hybrid and it has served me well. I am planting approx 9 acres this Spring in it along with some additional drought tolerant chickory and plantain. These three will supplement my summer planting to set nitrogen in the soil which will be utilized this Fall by my BFO's and provide forage if the summer crop is consumed and the clover becomes dormant.
Hope this answers your question, if not shoot me a pm.

BTW, the deer finished off the deer block and have transitioned to my spring growth of BFO's and clover. These warm days and some rain have started both to grow and the deer are loving it.

The pig attractant was hit by the pigs on a property that contained a good number, but there were more deer than pigs and the deer wiped out the attractant.

 

[Deer Slayer]

I worked the Backwoods show today and ran into my Johnson Seed Co rep. He said the clover variety is "S1" if anyone is interested.

 

[CBarCRanch]

Do you get the chicory from Johnson also?

 

[Okie4570]

Johnson or Johnston DS?

 

[Deer Slayer]

Johnston. I believe Johnston carries the chicory. I mail ordered the last big batch from Nebraska.

 

[CBarCRanch]

No shortage on moisture this spring. Alfalfa fields look great. Having a tough time getting hay rolled up because of rain.

 

[retrieverman]

Nope, there is definitely no shortage of moisture.

 

[Okie4570]

Nope, there is definitely no shortage of moisture.

Rice plot?

 

[retrieverman]

Looks that way doesn't it...