Food plot in the woods

[Scoot]

I'm thinking about clearing a small area in a piece of woods of my mother-in-laws for a food plot. I know I need to make the opening big enough to allow light in for the growth of the food plot, but my main question is from what direction is the most important for me to get opened up?

If it matters, I'm planning on planting brassica later in the Summer. My assumption is that I want the primary light to be able to get in from the South and East, given that it'll be growing later in the Summer and early Fall. Is my thinking correct?

[LABS4ME]

Most of our 'woods' food plots have a definite southern exposure. A couple are on the north side of tall trees but one of those gets good western sun and the other gets good eastern sun. so even those are getting close to a half day of sun. After the first hard frost or two, the plants are shutting down growing so the sun is not as important after the middle of October.

Most food plots that get at least 3-4 hours of direct sun will do well. Remember to do a soil test, amend the soils accordingly and make sure you feritlize, use good quality seed planted at the right time and I'll bet you pull off a nice plot.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Scoot]

Thanks Labs!

[sticknstring]

You should try to get those brassicas in no later than the 3rd week of July for good root production. Get a soil test as recommended asap, spray the area with gly, and drop a few trees for adequate sunlight. Broadcast your seed and fertilizer into the dead thatch before a good rain and you'll be on your way to to a green field! Be sure to post up some pics of the process.

[PerchJerker]

Small food plots with a North-South orientation will get more sun than small food plots with an East-West orientation.

Depending on your situation, you might consider dropping a tree or two on the edge of your foodplot ---- but leave the tree after you drop it, don't clean it up ---- it provides ground cover, can help control deer movement, and opens up the canopy for more sunlight.

[Jason_Gundersen]

Id recommend going out to your foodplot location midday and see where the sunlight hits and then fire your chainsaw to get more light if needed... and one thing you can do is strategically cut down your trees to create funnels

[nbadger23]

I'm wondering what folks might recommend for a food plot in NW Wisconsin that will be in the woods and be about 1/3 of an acre. The 80 acres of woods has a large corn field on one side of it and a large bean field on the other side. My Dad will be bowhunting it and and gun hunting it but it won't see any use after thanksgiving so no need to worry about plants for late season other than just extra food for them.

He put round up down last week and did the necessary chainsawing, etc. He'll be tilling it up in a week or so after the round up does it's job. I'm pretty sure it will get 3-4 hours of sun.

I was thinking about oats and/or beans but now I'm not sure. I know we did a real small plot of brassicas a few years ago (i.e. about 10x10 ft) and they demolished it before it even grew, and continues to come back to that spot for 3 years and dig the dirt up to get to whatever seedlings were left. Would it be ok to mix seeds together such as oats and brassicas or oats and soybean?

[LABS4ME]

Elk Mound Seed Company has a great blend of forage oats, canola, turnips... works great! Very reasonable price... no big name mark-up. Will do well on your land. Handles frosts well to get you into the gun season. Deer love it.

Make sure you lime and fertilize. The quickie soil tests are generally sufficient...

Good Luck!

Ken

[Jason_Gundersen]

Check out WI pure attraction its a oat/brassica mix... oats provide an excellent cover crop before the brassicas mature and that way you get early and late season attraction

[Jason_Gundersen]

Beans would get devoured even faster than the brassicas you planted... especially in a plot thats so small