food plot in sandy soil?

[ironman]

I'm moving onto a property with 7 acres...the property is mostly sandy...a nice oak ridge on the western side. Not alot of deer sign..but some. I would think that the oak ridge would get deer traffic when the acorns start dropping. Other than that doesn't look like much else would attract or hold deer. It's only 7 acres..so obvioulsy I'm not looking to manage a deer herd as they would just be passing through. I know very little on agriculture. My question is, if I were to till up 1-3 acres...what would you reccomend? the soil is very sandy! I'll know more once we close on the property and I can actually stomp around and get a better look at whats out there.

[jeffreyd]

if you can get some manure or other organic matter to incorporate into the soil when you till it that will help with nutrients and water holding capacity. there are some great sources online via the usda, various universities and others that can give you ideas on how to manage it. one thing you might consider is to take a soil sample and have it analyzed to find out how much nitrogen, and other minerals are going to be needed. there might be an area that is needing less than this one area. good luck

[Jameson]

I've heard alfalfa and chicory do O.K. in sandier soils.

If it were me, I'd start building up the organic matter in the soils using rye grain, sorghum, and/or buckwheat. Might be something to look into and study up on some.

Or, scrap the food plot idea and plant some trees/shrubs that handle the sandy soils. If you plant apple trees make sure to use a rootstock that does ok in the light soils.

[ironman]

I plan on planting trees and shrubs for sure. Rasberries are growing, I would think black berries would grow well too. Apple trees more than likely to be planted as well. Clover would be nice if it will grow...I'd rather have a perenial in there anyways than something I have to plant every year. thanks for the input guys...I've been reading some stuff online. No shortage of info there...now its a matter of sifting through it all and finding the good stuff through the junk.

[hockeybc69]

QDMA forums are your best bet for the best info.

There are people on there that make a living doing habitat/food plot management.

[Outdoor Authority]

Seems like your on the right foot, you may not be able to hold them but drawing them in works just as well. I planted 15 apple trees and 50 oaks on my property, I am glad I didn't wait, the apples are starting to produce and bring in a lot of deer. The oaks have a few years but when they start it should be an all you can eat with corn and beans planted around them.