What is the best seed for sandy/semi sandy soils? We have grown oats in the field with success but I think I want something higher protein. Also cows are in an adjacent pasture , so I don't want to put anything out that could be toxic to them in case one slipped through the fence. I have a seed drill and sprayer. Thanks

peanuts love sand. need water too though.
we used a bunch of the plot mix...planted on labor day..took a pump to water it for the 4 day weekend...it was germinated and had a green haze before we left. the areas where the rain washed out wernt too good, but everything, but the peas, made it and grew strong. it even , most of it, came back the next year. even had a small area of peas make it..guess the deer never found them, cause i found them under the snow.
this was at lake o' the pines, nothing but sand.

peanuts do love sandy soil...but i would look into a a clay iron pea or lab-lab.

Call the guys at Turner Seed Co. and visit with them about what you have to work with and what you are wanting to do. Get you a soil sample done if you haven't already.

FYI watermelons also do great in sandy soils

Can food plots be sprayed with graze-on or pasture-pro?

Lyssy and Echol 20% protein; much easier and dependable than rain, cost of diesel, fencing, and time..... just say'n

I wonder which one would be more cost effective, food plot vs feeding? With the payoff of a healthy low fence herd

low or high fence doesn't matter, you are going to have higher pressure on either food source if you have a low fence. We put out 36,000 pounds of protein last year and are doing it again this year. rain is unpredictable and this year is looking to be thin so the risk is too high. the soil isn't that great in our part of Kinney Co, which is similar to SA hill country. Much better ROI for us as far as buying vs planting.

but if I had rain or a pivot and good soil I'd rather plant

If you have the good soil in enough acres to plant and the farming equipment then you can grow it much cheaper than buying it. But if you don't have those things then feed will be your better rate of success. But a lot of your success will depend on what you can do as far as management of the deer herd along with the supplemental feed/plots.

Good info, thanks everyone. May kinda do a hybrid thing with food plot , plus protein supplement. Anything wrong with this?

Nothing wrong at all. If you own the ranch what I would look into is perennial native plants for your area to plant. They are more expensive but once they are established they will have the root system to fight the drought. They do not produce the amount of forage that a farmed plot can but once established you don't have to replant every fall or spring.

I don't have a pivot but I do have a water source and farm equipment . I'm sure I can put something together to get the seeds started. And this my families personal land purchased 2 years ago.

I would talk to Turner Seed Co then. My first choice if you have enough tillable acres would be Lab Lab mixed with a cowpea variety-either Iron and Clay or Red Ripper this spring. Lab Lab put down a pretty good rot system. Those plants will do ok in sandy soils if you get enough rain pre-plant to get some deep soil moisture and then a timely rain or two after the plants start to grow. I would still start a protein feeding program also. If you get enough rain plots or pellets won't be an issue.

Will say that brassicas are terrible in our sand.

Don't overlook a good quality alfalfa....it will grow well in sandy soil and once established, will be there for a good period of time.

Yep.

I'm doing watermelons, pinto beans, and purple hull peas. They eat the pintos while they're green but once they dry up and need to be picked. They will eat the purple hulls from when they hit the ground to when they are busting out of the pods.