**update**First Timer Food Plot

Very excited to say that I finally pulled the trigger a few weeks ago on clearing a spot on my family hunting property for a food plot. It's approximately a 2-3 acre valley in between 1-4 year old planted pines that once was a hardwood forrest before a tornado came through in 2013. It has a small creek that flows down the left hand side that is surrounded by thick brush that typically has running water half of the year. Just behind and to the right of the picture below, I have a large 15ft shooting house that overlooks the entire plot as well as the majority of the young pines.

The bulldozing was finally finished last weekend and I finally got a chance yesterday to get out and start spreading the Athen's Summer/Spring food plot mix I had purchased earlier in the week. With all the rain we've had lately I was forced to use much less conventional methods to plow in the seed, as shown in the picture below. I had also saved up and purchased a large disc harrow to work the ground with but my tractor would have gotten stuck in one of the muddy low spots throughout the plot (ask me how I know). None-the-less, I was able to get the seed in the ground yesterday just in time for the rain today. I will try to post updates on how well of a turn out I get with it being my first attempt and having limited time to prep the soil. Can't wait for the upcoming season and planting again in the fall.

Nice!!! Keep us posted on how it comes up!! Good luck!!

Each year, it gets easier as the roots, etc die out.

That will be a beautiful spot in a few years when the trees grow up a little and the he food plot is established. Take some pics this fall

Looks like you will have a real hot spot there.

If you haven't done so already do a soil test to see what is needed to give your crop its full potential.
Since it was in woods it is sure to be low PH. Your county Agent will help with that.

The good news is your plot looks to be accessible by truck. Bulk truck is the easiest and least costly when large amounts of lime or fertilizer is needed.

You've caught the food plotting bug .... I'm sorry, but there is no cure. First it will be getting your soil right, then you'll want more tonnage per acre along with expansion, then heavens forbid, hard and soft mast tree's. The only thing I can suggest is that you come to our daily meetings here and listen to our sermons on patience ...... it's your only hope!

And don't listen to T.P. or Triple C, they will look at your plot and say "my, that wet spot, is a mighty fine place for a watering hole!"

That wet spot, is a mighty fine place for a watering hole!

Canuck5 said:

And don't listen to T.P. or Triple C, they will look at your plot and say "my, that wet spot, is a mighty fine place for a watering hole!"

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Lol. According to the guy doing my bulldozer work he thinks that there is a spring in one of the spots, so a little watering hole may be in my future!

You might have lucked out there!!! Keep us posted!

I don't see a pile. Did you bury or burn the debris?

Be prepared for an onslaught of weeds (many which may not have been present there before you cleared it). You will have exposed a lot of seed that was dormant to the germination zone; & the 1st couple of years you may very well have more weeds than crop... For warm season, I would begin with a roundup tolerant crop for that reason. And planting single species (or similar groups: like either all legumes or all grass crops) will facilitate the use of herbicides to control weed competition. In cool season, that is less of a problem, but still: expect weed pressure.

And definitely do the soil test & lime accordingly as suggested previously. Best money you will ever spend for return on investment.

Do your best to stay off it whenever it is wet in the future. Never work it when it is wet enough that you think there is a risk you could get stuck. The compaction & nutrient loss you create will be far worse than just bogging the tractor up (although that is no fun either ).

Forest Grump said:

Be prepared for an onslaught of weeds (many which may not have been present there before you cleared it). You will have exposed a lot of seed that was dormant to the germination zone; & the 1st couple of years you may very well have more weeds than crop... For warm season, I would begin with a roundup tolerant crop for that reason. And planting single species (or similar groups: like either all legumes or all grass crops) will facilitate the use of herbicides to control weed competition. In cool season, that is less of a problem, but still: expect weed pressure.

And definitely do the soil test & lime accordingly as suggested previously. Best money you will ever spend for return on investment.

Do your best to stay off it whenever it is wet in the future. Never work it when it is wet enough that you think there is a risk you could get stuck. The compaction & nutrient loss you create will be far worse than just bogging the tractor up (although that is no fun either ).

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Thank your you for the pointers! And the spot is actually dry besides the 2-3 low areas which I avoided as much as possible.

Milkman said:

I don't see a pile. Did you bury or burn the debris?

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Wasn't much to pile up because a wild fire came through the area and burnt up most of the pines and under brush almost a year ago. And there's is a line of debri along the left side of plot and a larger pile of stumps in the far left corner which is difficult to see because of the land contour.

Went back today to check on the progress and to collect soil for a sample. The weeds are loving the new cleared out area I created lol and there is minimal growth of the seeds I planted. Only thing I notice coming up is an occasional corn stalk and lots of millet. Didn't see a single pea or sunflower in the entire plot. Hopefully the soil sample will shed some light on what is lacking.