New plot

[WIDeer4Life]

Hey guys, Im new to this food plot stuff and was just seeking some info from you guys. I just went back to the 1/2 acre area today that I plan on putting a small plot in. I dug out a bunch of the small pine trees but theres a lot of grass and weeds still there. I was just wondering if I should probably spray some roundup on that or what else I should do. I also plan on planting Imperial Clover and was wondering what I should add to the ground as far as fertilizers and limes (I have no way of testing the pH so i just want to know what to add just to be safe) ANy info you guys could give me would be awesome, thanks.

[slughunter]

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Hey guys, Im new to this food plot stuff and was just seeking some info from you guys. I just went back to the 1/2 acre area today that I plan on putting a small plot in. I dug out a bunch of the small pine trees but theres a lot of grass and weeds still there. I was just wondering if I should probably spray some roundup on that or what else I should do. I also plan on planting Imperial Clover and was wondering what I should add to the ground as far as fertilizers and limes (I have no way of testing the pH so i just want to know what to add just to be safe) ANy info you guys could give me would be awesome, thanks.

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Im in the exact same situation as you, im about to plant some prograze and need help with what to use as far as lime, im down in madison WI so any infor they give you will proble be helpful to me.

[WIDeer4Life]

This plot will be on my mom's land which is actually outside Lavalle, which is about an hour from madison. I had a friend of mine tell me that you can just use regular old barn lime but i dont know if thats right or not. any info would be appreciated

[Indianscout]

Without a soil test there's no way to tell for sure how much lime to put on your 1/2 acre. So for starters you should put anywhere from 1000 to 1500 lbs of lime. You should also apply lime well far enough ahead of planting because it takes time to neutralize the soil. Also lime is most efficient at neutralizing the pH when it has maximum contact with soil, you should till the soil soon after liming. So if your going to wait to plant your clover for this fall (I think Imperial clover recommended planting date for your area is Aug 1 to Sept) plow your lime in, your grass will come back and 2 weeks before Aug 1 use round-up or a cheaper brand (which works just as good) then get your seedbed ready for your fall planting. I've been planting food plots for 15 years now and there's one thing i know LIME IS PRIME.

[wtnhunt]

Welcome to the forums. Would start with suggesting a soil sample. You can get away with a fast acting pelletized lime, but really without knowing the ph you will not know how much you need.

For eliminating the grass and weeds an application or two of roundup or similar product. I use a generic glyphosate made by eliminator, about half the price of roundup.

I fertilize usually at planting.

[QDMAworks4me]

WIDeer4Life,

I had a lot of the same questions when I started thinking about food plots and I asked a lot of people what to do as you are. The best advice that I heard was "Give it a shot, if it does not work exactly the way you want it to there is always next year!!!" It made me a little more relaxed and I have done what I thought was right and the best thing is clover is not real expensive and if it does not work this year try again next year!!

Good luck
QDM

[Indianscout]

Clover is a great product and Imperial whitetail I believe has the best clover mix. The best thing about it is add your lime plow your ground prepare a good seed bed add your fertilizer 0-20-20 ( you don't need nitrogen because clover fixes its own) plant, cover your seed, 1/2 inch is best no more than a inch and get your rain and you will have a very good clover plot.. The best thing about imperial clover is with care it will last 3 to 5 years.