Plant or wait?

jmharris23

Moderator
I got 3 plots planted before Irma hit but I still have several more to do, with the forecast calling for high temps and no rain would you go ahead and plant or wait?

I really hate to wait til mid-October to plant but I will if necessary.
 

Gut_Pile

Senior Member
I would wait if you can.

You can plant if you've already plowed, and if there is no moisture in the soil, it will just sit there. You leave risk for losing seed to crows, turkeys, deer, etc though the longer it sits.
 

Canuck5

Food Plot advisor extraordinaire !
I have not planted yet, so me just saying that, there will be a massive drought. Sorry guys ..... Likely, I will plant the weekend of 10/1, hoping to see some rain in the forecast, but right now there isn't.

Working up the ground now, will allow any moisture you have in there to dry out, unless you can cultipack, which will help some.

Cooler temps are starting, in particular the night time temps, which will help. If you were to plant your large grains like wheat, oats or cereal rye and then wait on your smaller seeds like clover, radishes, etc., till you see rain, you might be ok.

It's always a flip of the coin.
 

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jmharris23

Moderator
I have not planted yet, so me just saying that, there will be a massive drought. Sorry guys ..... Likely, I will plant the weekend of 10/1, hoping to see some rain in the forecast, but right now there isn't.

Working up the ground now, will allow any moisture you have in there to dry out, unless you can cultipack, which will help some.

Cooler temps are starting, in particular the night time temps, which will help. If you were to plant your large grains like wheat, oats or cereal rye and then wait on your smaller seeds like clover, radishes, etc., till you see rain, you might be ok.

It's always a flip of the coin.

Canuck would it be ok to put the fertilizer in this weekend and plow it in and then go back maybe next weekend and put the seed in?
 

Canuck5

Food Plot advisor extraordinaire !
The only problem with that, is you will lose the moisture you have in the soil, now. Normally working the fertilizer in to the ground a few weeks in advance is a good idea, but in this case, turning the soil will just make it drier.
 

jmharris23

Moderator
The only problem with that, is you will lose the moisture you have in the soil, now. Normally working the fertilizer in to the ground a few weeks in advance is a good idea, but in this case, turning the soil will just make it drier.

Thanks. I guess I'll just plant next weekend or the next and hope for the best!
 

1gr8bldr

Senior Member
According to what you plant???? Old farmer once said, plant oats in the dust. Amazing how they will come up in a dust bowl. If you assume rain within 2 weeks, I think oats will make it. Anything else, it's a gamble
 

elfiii

Admin
Staff member
Thanks. I guess I'll just plant next weekend or the next and hope for the best!

At this point the closer to October it gets before you plant the better your chances. Of course I've been wrong a lot before now.
 

Core Lokt

Senior Member
Wait as long as you can, if you can. You don't have to have plush green plots for the opener. Having them mid to late season is better IMO. Good luck.
 

GeorgeShu

Senior Member
I am waiting to plant until I get some rain. Got lime and fertilizer applied and turned under and smoothed the plots ready for seed.
May be the end of next week before we get rain, just have to wait and see.
 

Canuck5

Food Plot advisor extraordinaire !
Hey George ..... I left some medium red clover still standing ......from the 3 clover blend, so at least I have some deer food growing. How did yours do this year?
 

GeorgeShu

Senior Member
Canuck, I harvested my trees last year about this time, clear cut. My food plots became loading decks and really took a beating from the traffic. Just after the harvest was complete, hurricane Matthew came through and raised havoc on my remaining hardwoods. So, I didn't do much with my plots last year other than over seed with rye grain.

Glad your red clover is still producing. Its a crop that can fill the void in summer and early fall from a fall seeded crop. I love the stuff and glad it is still working for you.

This year I will be returning to the wheat, oats, rye grain, 3 clover mix along with some radishes and a smattering purple top turnips and rape. I am ready and waiting for moisture.
 

Canuck5

Food Plot advisor extraordinaire !
I will be planting the same too!!
 

jmharris23

Moderator
Canuck, you still plan to plant this weekend or wait a little longer?
 

DeucesWild

Senior Member
I am waiting to plant until I get some rain. Got lime and fertilizer applied and turned under and smoothed the plots ready for seed.
May be the end of next week before we get rain, just have to wait and see.



X's 2. next 10 days here around home look awful dry tho:cry:
 

Canuck5

Food Plot advisor extraordinaire !
Canuck, you still plan to plant this weekend or wait a little longer?

Yes, that's my plan, only because I won't be back down till after November first and the club members would use me as target practice, if I planted then.

My little seeds will just sit in and on top of the ground, till Mother Nature sends rain. I hate it, but my choices are limited. I have 24 plots to plant and last year I planted the end of September, just ahead of a nice 1 1/2" of rain. We didn't get any more rain till mid November, but most of my plots survived.

I lost 3 due to the logging trucks and 3 just up and died from heat, drought and poor soil. Now they weren't perfect, but I still fed the deer. Moisture conservation and minimum tillage, 3" or less, deep, will be my mantra this weekend. If you walk in the soil and your foot prints are 1" deep, you've tilled too deep.

Medium red clover is still growing for me down there and I will be leaving some of that, along with my other perennial clover. The deer will still have something to eat, just not as much.

The same clover has been planted in those plots for the last few years, so I am less worried about the inoculant dying off due to the heat and drought. But if this is the first time you're planting a specific clover, I would hold off and broadcast it ahead of the next rain. We still have time to plant!

If you have a cultipacker, use it. It will help seal the soil back up, to hold moisture.

Good luck everyone!
 

Canuck5

Food Plot advisor extraordinaire !
And if you work up the ground .... plant. Don't let it sit and dry out.
 

Jim Boyd

Senior Member
I have planted some wheat already but not gonna plant my clover til 7-8 October.

I have burned it up before from planting too early.

Forecast for rain and cool temps late next week


Good luck
 
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