food plot woes!

[MarylandQDMA]

well I planted my plot back in august 14th and have only goten a bit of rain sence (right after planting). well all was good the deer did not hit it, and it was well on it's way to getting estlabished. well the drout contunues and now the deer have found it. between the two the food plot looks destroyed. it has either wilted on has been eaten. i'm not sure, but i'd bet that grower mix wont be growing next year. i'll have to start all over in the spring. the deer have realy going after the purple tops too. they have wiped out them completly! which is funny cause we have not had a frost yet!
looks as if I need more FP's
Frank

[dogdoc]

Frank---sounds like to me you have some hungry deer or too many deer or both.

One of the hardest parts of food plotting is having to depend on mother nature for water. If you remember last spring I had the same problem. I planted a 100# of red ripper cowpeas and 2 days after planting they received a nice 1" rain. Within a week they were germinated and looking great. A month later they were all dead due to NO rain.

I wouldn't give up on the grower mix yet---you might be surprised how much actually survives your little drought. Didn't you plant a nurse crop with the grower mix?

Good luck and hope some of your plot survives the dry weather.

todd

[AaronS]

Like Todd says, hang in there. I planted an acre of Alfarack two years ago and ended up with the same dry conditions. It looked like I had wasted my time and money. The following spring I had a great looking plot that had 3 bucks feeding in it this past Saturday evening.

[MarylandQDMA]

DD I put in a nurse of oats they are only 8 to 10 inches now and are getting riped out fast because of the deer.
I had put purple top around the stumps in the field now there is a 2'dia. of bair ground where the PT once was.
i'm just amased at how quick the FP was wiped out. I hope now we get some rain SOON and the temps stay warm enough to let the plants grow some more prior to winter.
I guess i'll see what happens come spring and hope most of the grower mix survies.
I know onething i'll be cutting in some mad fields this winter! try and get two acres opened up devided into small 1/2 acre areas. we also are going to put in 2.5 acres in FP's on the ajoining properity (one I hunt )
Frank

[wtnhunt]

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I wouldn't give up on the grower mix yet---you might be surprised how much actually survives your little drought. Didn't you plant a nurse crop with the grower mix?


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Thought ours was in bad shape too last summer after planting and not getting much rain, but it has really done well and is very drought tolerant.

We planted rye with ours when we planted to kind of help.

[Thayer]

You might be able to go back over it with winter wheat before an upcoming rain. Don't give up! Good luck!

[bowhtr1]

I would overseed the area lightly with the same mix just before the next rain. I think you will be ok.

[Tominator]

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the deer have realy going after the purple tops too.

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Purple tops could be a signal of phosphorus deficiency.

[MarylandQDMA]

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the deer have realy going after the purple tops too.

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Purple tops could be a signal of phosphorus deficiency.

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Frank

[dogdoc]

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the deer have realy going after the purple tops too.

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Purple tops could be a signal of phosphorus deficiency.

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lol--Chris, I think he means purple top turnips---not a purple coloring to the top of the plant

[TOMSD5]

mdgc... put down some nitrate on it... it will absorbe the moisture from the dew and hold it there ...the plants will turn dark green and grow like crazy....it will help to aid againest frost also....did that to my plot 2 years ago and had drak green fields until janurary.... hope this helps....

[MarylandQDMA]

just may do that. I was thinking of stoping in the coop store for other stuff I'll add it to the list.