So this is the first year I’ve ever decided to plant spring plots and just want some insight. What to plant and when? What has worked and hasn’t worked for y’all in the past? I’m really new to food plots all together so advice on ph levels and line and fertilizer would be helpful to. I plan on doing my own research on this but advice from experience is valuable! Plots sizes should be close to 1.5 acres a piece. I’m located in Cooke county. Thanks for the advice in advance

1) Take soil samples and send them to A&M.

I’m doing my first ones this spring as well, approx 5 scattered acres
I soil tested in the early winter, soon as it dries up having 2 tons of lime put on each acre.
Bought a mix from MB’s seed for the spring& summer

See how it goes

This is the most important. That will tell you exactly what fertilizer you need as well as any adjustments for ph levels. Can save you lots of $$$.

I'm planting Lablab and Sunflowers (peredovik) this year. Lablab is drought-resistant and provides plenty of protein. You may want to consider fencing in food plots under 2 acres in case the deer hit it hard before whatever you plant has a chance to grow.

My sunflowers got a late start when the rain stopped completely for part of the summer. Ended up growing decently but got annihilated by the deer/hogs. Showed up several weeks before dove season to mow and realized that almost every single sunflower had been gobbled up. So much for that, heh. With sunflower seed being as cheap as it is, this year I plan on tripling my sunflower plot sizes.

Planting time depends on what you plant, but generally around March/April/May when the soil temperatures rise and the rain starts. Suggest putting a plan together as it's not a single weekend event. You'll have to prep the soil and either spray herbicide or disc several times to help contain the weeds.

Food plots ( winter wheat, hairy vetch, sunflowers) are great when they work, I see a lot of money spent in west Texas on them and then it does not rain. Small patch burning or tilling to create soil disturbance can work in a lot of sites. Check out the mesonet for your location, before plant and pray for rain.

http://www.mesonet.ttu.edu/preciphistory.html

Agreed. I planted 2 falls ago and growth was minimal at best. I used what the feed store recommended. We sent off a sample to A&M. We got back that we were low on nitrogen. When I went to the feed store they told me what I wanted would not work. I said, I would like to be proven wrong. Needless to say A&M was right. Plots were excellent this year!

If you have a no-till or access to a no-till, then look at regenerative farming and how it can help the soil ecosystem.

Theres a lot out there on the subject and yes, some of it is somewhat granola-y, but there is some serious truth in the concept.

Biggest takeaway for me was applying fertilizers and herbicides and pesticides for food plots are a lot like giving folks welfare. It makes the soil lazy and eventually you have to keep giving it more and more, before you know it the soil won't work for you without the stuff. By allowing the soil to do what it is supposed to do, you can get away from all that stuff and still have good plots. Watch "carbonomics" on youtube and you will see what I am talking about.

edit: the lecturer in carbonics is a farmer and is not at all about climate change, very non-political, just talks about soil ecology. Didn't want to confuse anyone given the title.

I am just north of you across the Red River. I plant several acres of Clover/Alfalfa that last for years. The clover does better in early Spring and late Fall and the Alfalfa does better in late Spring and Summer. I fertilize them in early March, spray Clethodim herbicide end of May and sometimes spray Butyrac 200 for broad weeds in late June. I also strip mow them a couple times of year, so some grow to maturity to self re-seed and the other half continues to be young and better eating.

I also plant several acres of Soybean plots in early May that we disc in around first of September and plant Wheat/oat mix. If your plots are not lower/better soil, Lab Lab would be a better choice in the Spring.

I like to top dress some of my wheat plots with some throw and grows close to where I bow hunt as well. Winter Peas are also good to mix in the wheat.

But, for the most part, I hunt between bedding and food.