food plot help

[wheres_the_fish]

Last year I put in two 1/4 acre size food plots. Both were put in the woods after I made a clearing. I tilled the land and put down and organic 3-3-3 fertilizer. My soil pH was 6.7 so I figured there was no reason to put down lime.

In one plot I put down clover and in the other I put down brassicas. Both plots took off right away and did very well. The clover plot grew well all season, but eventually the brassicas stopped growing turning yellow and crimson in color.

I wanted to see what you guys thought. My only guess is that I did not put down enough fertilizer and the brassicas "starved."

I want to get my food plots right this next year. Any suggestions or help? Someone needs to right a book on "Food Plots for Dummies".

(There was pleanty of water! Water was not the issue)

[Jameson]

When did you plant?

Perhaps you planted the brassica too early, and they matured on you.

[Mark Christianson]

You need Ed Spinazzolas Ultimate Deer Food Plots. It is the Food Plot for Dummies book.

What area of the state are you in?

When did you plant?

[BLACKJACK]

blb, do you have that book? Can I borrow it?

wheres, it was a dry summer, maybe your brassicas matured and dried down?? Go out to the QDM site, those guys are the masters at food plots.

[sticknstring]

I got that book for Christmas. I'm looking forward to reading it this winter.

[Mark Christianson]

No you cant borrow it. I need it in my pocket at all times!

The other thing with the brassicas, is there seems to be a lot of press on doing a late summer planting on them, versus a spring planting(if thats when it was planted).

Yea, as Blackjack noted... The QDMA forums are out of this world with people that "KNOW" food plots. Several guys on there that do it for a living. Any question will be answered in detail there.

[Muskie456]

We have been actively planting differant food plots for three years now. We have planted brassica in the late summer and in the spring with everything else. We believe the fall planting applies more to people that live further south than MN. We just didn't get enough growing season when we planted later. We have also found less water that time of year. We have also found that planting less seed on the plot keeps the plants greener longer. There are less plants taking nutrients and water from the soil and that is producing nicer plants. What we have been told (by a sugar beet farmer from ND)that once it starts to turn red and yellow to spread potash on the plot. That will keep it green until fall. We have not tried this yet but we will next year. We have also found the plots that are annuals that are a mix with bassicas in it, the brassicas keep all year and into the fall. Our most productive mix annual food plot has been Monster magnet from fridgid forage. They are a seed company out of Bemidji. Good luck

[Jody]

wheres_the_fish,

I have been planting brassicas for 7 years now, both spring and late summer and personally I prefer the late summer(late July or early August)because I have had a lot more deer activity in my plot in the fall and winter with the late summer planting compared to the spring planting because I feel the deer prefer the younger more tender plant compared to the old stalky plant of a spring planting. Another reason I prefer the late summer planting is you have very little weed competition compared to a lot of weeds with the spring planting. The one risk factor that you have with the late summer is rainfall but in the 7 years that I have planted in late summer I have always gotten growth of 1-2 feet by October depending on the year. As far as your brassicas stop growing and turning color that is a sure sign that you are lacking a nutrient in the soil that the plant needs. One of the most important steps in planting a food plot is getting a soil test done and following the results. You can get a soil test done at the U of MN for $9 and you can go online and print out a soil sample info sheet that you fill out and send in with the soil that you have collected. I hope this helps and if I can help you with anything else let me know and I will try to do so.