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What to plant without heavy equipment??

Iowabowtech

Iowabowtech

New Member
What do you guys recommend doing for food plots if you don't have farm implements at your disposal? Basically, I have a chainsaw, garden tiller and broadcast lawn spreader. I have a lot of timber which I can do with what I want and a few areas that I would classify as "old field" which are comprised mainly of native grasses and a bunch of small trees in the neighborhood of 1" or so. I'm willing to spend the time and effort but just lack the big open spaces and high end equipment. Any suggestions?
 
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What do you guys recommend doing for food plots if you don't have farm implements at your disposal?

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Planting a very very small plot!
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Actually clover is one that comes to mind that is perfect for small plots
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If you could burn or mow an area yet this winter then you could frost seed clover with no tillage.

You would have to toast it with Poast or Select when the grass started coming up but you could make it work!

Just clip it with a lawnmower or weedwacker if needed.

If you want a workout...you coud kill yourself with the garden tiller and plant any of the other "crops"...but unless your glutton for punishment I would try to avoid that
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Check out the clover post for frost seeding ideas and herbicides which you can spray with a hand sprayer BTW
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Start managing your land with timely prescribed fire ... you will produce more food with an annual prescribed burn program than any foodplot in the situation you have described.

In addition to the tools you already have, I would suggest a driptorch, ATV w/spray tank, and a backpack sprayer.

Fire is one of the best tools for producing food for deer but few Iowans use it.
 
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If you want a workout...you coud kill yourself with the garden tiller and plant any of the other "crops"...but unless your glutton for punishment I would try to avoid that
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Been there, done that, and it SUCKS!!
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I have a small area in a flat spot in my timber, maybe 15 yards by 50 or 60 yards that I put into clover in 2003. All I had was a couple of hand tools to remove multiflora rose, an ATV pulling an old spike harrow, and a lawn spreader. It was a little bit of work but the plot came out great and the deer are still using it 4 years later. You really do need some way to mow it to reduce weed competiton. I may have to start over this year as some perennial weeds are creeping in, but for the money and space I had I couldnt beat clover.
 
Some great tips offered here, thanks. Timberpig, that sounds real close to something I can probably pull off and real close to the same type of setup I'd be looking at also. I can get a 4 wheeler in there. I thought of a few other questions though. Should I use any Roundup in a situation like that to get rid of the existing ground cover and if so, how long should a guy wait to seed afterward? May depend upon seed but that leads into my last question which is does anybody have any clover seed recommendations for me? Again, I'd be looking at small plots in the area of probably 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size at the most and they'd be tucked in old field growth locations and/or clearings within the timber. Thanks fellas.
 
If you have use of a 4 wheeler Happy Apple Archery in Norwalk has a small disk they will rent for a reasonable fee.
 
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Should I use any Roundup in a situation like that to get rid of the existing ground cover and if so, how long should a guy wait to seed afterward?
Does anybody have any clover seed recommendations for me? Again, I'd be looking at small plots in the area of probably 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size at the most and they'd be tucked in old field

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If your going to till it up I would kill the sod with Roundup early this spring.

Spray and wait 3-7 days (longer is better) and then till it up.

Here is one good clover variety but they have several at Welters: Kopu White Clover

Jumbo Ladino is another one they carry that will work well.

Welters will sell seed by the pound in small quanities...just call them for amount and shipping.

There are more types of clover and planting info in the clover thread.

Pg 2 clover thread
 
Go to QDMA web site and buy food plot book by Ed Spinnazola. He dedicates a whole section to food plots with only hand held equipment. I am about a year and a half into the process and it seems to be working. Uses lots of round-up and frost seeding clover. Book is worth the money.
 
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Should I use any Roundup in a situation like that to get rid of the existing ground cover and if so, how long should a guy wait to seed afterward?

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Yes, I forgot to mention that I sprayed with roundup first, twice if I remember right. RU wont affect your seed at all, but you should probably wait a week or two to allow it to work before trying to work up the ground. A small disk would have been better than just the drag, but it did work.
Fall planting would probably reduce your battle with weeds.
 
dbltree or anyone for that matter,
Clearly I'm a beginner here so bear with me please but since I just realized I was going to be doing this now, is frost seeding still an option? Can a guy Roundup with the frost still in place if the ground is clear of snow? Seems like at this point that'd be my only option to frost seed this spring. Also, if I can determine my pH, does that play a factor as to how much and what type of fertilizer to use or what makes that decision? I told you I was a greenhorn when it comes to this.
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Timberpig,
Just wanted you to know that I saw your post about the Roundup, just wasn't sure when you'd done that and if it'd work with frost seeding.
 
Dbltree will be along with a pro answer, but I thought I would throw out the amateur answer first...
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Definitely not too late to frost seed this year. In fact, the best time is probably 2-4 weeks away. The best time is when the ground is freezing up at night and thawing out by day.

Roundup will do no good now, it only works on plants that are growing, not dormant. You could frost seed your clover though and then hit any fast emerging weeds/grass with Roundup, provided your clover has not also begun to grow/show.

If it is a small plot and pretty bare right now though... frost seed it here in a few weeks and then control your weeds by mowing them off later in the Spring. I did as much last year and it worked, not perfect, but it worked.
 
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Definitely not too late to frost seed this year. In fact, the best time is probably 2-4 weeks away. The best time is when the ground is freezing up at night and thawing out by day.


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Heck Daver sounds like a pro to me!
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You can frost seed all the way into March as Dave mentioned....freezing at night, thawing in the daytime.

Seed in the morning when it's froze. Little snow is alright but too much can carry the seed if it melts rapidly.

If you seed this winter...foregt the Roundup altogether...the clover will come up right along with everything else so you'll need to use Poast Plus or Select on green growing grass later in the spring.

Or as Dave mentioned you can mow but a backpack sprayer is easier then mowing
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(not that I would ever try and avoid any work or anything...
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Excellent, thanks guys. So now what about fertilizer for these types of setups? What blend and application rate do you use for food plots?
 
Let's just say I've "lernt" from the best Double!
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At this rate I should be able to "snatch the pebble" from your hand in about 10 years or so!
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What blend and application rate do you use for food plots?

[/ QUOTE ] You will only need to use a P&K mix for clover. If you go to a fertilizer dealer, which is cheaper than going to the store and buying bagged, you can get map (phosphate and nitrogen 11-52-0) and potash (potassium 0-0-60). For a food plot, you can use about any kind of mix, you really don't need to "pour it to it". Probably need to put 150-185 lbs. to the acre of a 50/50 mix of the p&k. If you have soil samples, I can give you the recomindations for clover. Dbltree could probably help you out better than me, I mainly deal with crop fields and hay fields, (larger area's than food plots), but the recommendations for the clover will be the same no matter what the area.
 
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You will only need to use a P&K mix for clover

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If you have a small plot you can buy bagged 6-24-24 and put on 200-300#s per acre just because it's "easy".

For larger amounts your better off to have your ag supply dealer mix up exactly what you need.
 
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If you have a small plot you can buy bagged 6-24-24 and put on 200-300#s per acre just because it's "easy".


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So on my micro plot (.15ac +/-) I could get by with about 1.5 bags of that 6-24-24 a year? If so, I'm thinking its a good think I skipped the fert last year. Might have went a tad heavy a couple years ago...
 
Why would you Frost seed Now? Wait til spring for the first growth then spray with Round Up, do a burn, no-till, or till. WAIT a few weeks Spray again, wait and THEN plant. Don't rush the planting that is the easy part!!
 
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Why would you Frost seed Now? Wait til spring for the first growth then spray with Round Up, do a burn, no-till, or till. WAIT a few weeks Spray again, wait and THEN plant. Don't rush the planting that is the easy part!!

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Your missing the "no equipment" part Koba
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Otherwise spring would be better in order to kill the exisiting grasses first.
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