Secluded food plots

[USDA3]

Anyone ever use any of the current food plot/seed products for use in areas that don't get as much sunlight and require less soil preparation?

A couple different companies offer products to make smaller food plots (<1/2 acre)in areas like old logging roads and small opeanings within forested acreage. They also advertise that these products require less preparation and that you don't need to use tillers/discs/planters because of the smaller size and are made to take hold quickly. Just curious if anyone is familliar with any of these types of products and how they have grown in our climate.

thanks

[Bear55]

I've used a few of them with mixed results, trails and logging roads don't work all that well, you really need a small opening maybe around a 1/4 acre or more to lets some light in. You also need to kill all the native vegetation for it to have any chance to grow, otherwise it choked out pretty fast.

[USDA3]

Thanks for the advice Bear, the areas I am thinking about were turn-arounds (I think) roughly 10-15 yards across by 20-30 yards long, they let in a decent amount of light. Although they are advertised as a no till/no plow, the more you prep the soil (till,round-up,fertilize) the better results you would have. Then you need rain as well.

I guess for those that have had good growth in the plots, have you seen a difference in deer use?

thanks

[buckhunter21]

The size area you are talking about should be big enough to let in plenty of light for a shade tolerant crop like clover. With that small of an area clover would probably be your best option anyways because it has the best chance to make it without getting wiped out early on because it will just keep growing back.

As for the "special" seed that claims it is more shade tolerant and requires less soil work, I have a hard time believing it is any different that seed you can get at your local coop. It is still going to require the work you mentioned above at least to get a good stand.

I have a few plots deep in the woods about 15 by 15 yards, and all I did was clear the area by scraping up the sod with a skidloader and then just broadcast the seed and waited for rain. The first year it was a little thin but once it got a good hold the next year it was nice and thick with hardly any weeds.

I dont get alot of deer activity in those smaller plots but when deer do show up it is usually during daylight because the deer use them as staging plots to graze on before making their way up to our bigger plot after dark.

[hockeybc69]

Clover will do just fine in the area you described.

I have most of my trails in clover in very dense oak canopies. Some areas are definitely thin, but some areas its lush and thick.

The deer just graze as they walk the trails. I rarely have to mow my trails because the deer keep it in check for me.