Planted oats, rye and clover this week. We're supposed to get 3-4". Will that hurt my food plot? We didn't disc in the seeds. We disced then seeded and planned on letting the rain cover them. Two of the plots are on inclines, so they should drain nicely. I'm more worried about the clover getting too deep now.

Tis better to have the rain than not, planted mine in a dust bed Monday.

A lot of how much it might hurt is how hard it rains, runoff can wash away some seed and more if they were not covered but had a good stand including clover when it started raining as I was finishing up planting one a few years ago and covered nothing just let the rain do it. That was the best food plot I ever had at that location.

Same boat here. They should be fine unless they have standing water for an extended time, as they case with my food plot that sits in a area prone to flooding.

The way I look at it, heck if all the seed goes to one place and grows, they will still munch on what is there when there aint nothing else anywhere. That is how it is here.

My plots are on inclines. You'll be fine. Better to have all this rain than not.

It's been so dry you'll be fine. Might move it around to bunches instead of nice rows, but be very glad of that kind of problem, rather than a dust bowl.

Last year I planted middle of September and then 4 days later I got 6 inches, then 5 days later I got 4 inches. It ended up the best oat plot that I ever had. Heres my wife standing in it in late March. Oh, and I broadcast my oats for planting.

Seeds are designed to grow and to remain in place when it rains. A lot of rain will wash some away, but the majority of them will stay in place and love the rain

That is a heck of an oat field. You must have a green thumb.

Talked with an agronomist and he said studies show it takes about 8 consecutive inches of rain to show a significant impact from runoff.

If true, that is probably on flat test parcels of land. I can get runoff and seed removal in a 1" rain if it comes down fast enough.

Seed always will fair better if buried to it's correct depth, of course small seed, need far less and a good rain can be enough to get there. Even some ground cover like fallow or straw will supply enough to get germination and root set.

Rain hurting a food plot.....

Nope, just got the right amount at the right time of rain and sun. Amazing what that will do for your plot. And I plan to get the right amount of rain and sun at least once every 10 - 15 years.

If it's no more than 3-4" at a time, you should be fine. You'll get some run off and some bunched up areas of growth where seeds wash up into bunches, but otherwise I bet you'll be ok. It does't take long for rooting to start and hold the seeds in place...way faster than you think once they're wet. Nature has designed them to not wash away with normal rain.

so with the 12" we're supposed to get, your plot should come up nice and green, but maybe a mile down the hill on your neighbors place

so with the 12" we're supposed to get, your plot should come up nice and green, but maybe a mile down the hill on your neighbors place