Food Plot Timing

Ok this is my first time planting a food plot and need some THF input.

I have 3 small areas and here is my plan, on my 40 acre place.

1. 1/2 acre of field corn at feeder location 200 yards behind the house. Corn will back up to timber tree line.
2. 1/4 acre of open ground at back of place. I was thinking of oats and Austrian peas. (Hidie Hole location)
3. 1/4 acre trail approx 12-14' wide cut through the timber and also plant oats & Austrian peas. (Hidie Hole location)

I took my GPS and using the area calculations I have 1 acre, so sizes are correct.

My question is when should I plant to have maximum benefit during hunting season ( i know i have to time planting with rain). Here in Southern Oklahoma archery begins in October and rifle season is always the first Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Thanks,

if you want to do it right the first time, it is going to take a little work. Others will have their way but this always works for me.
Till the ground, wait a week and spray anything that is coming up, wait a week or two for everything to die that you have sprayed and then till again
and you can use your hand spreader the same day, drag something over the plot to cover the seeds. I use a wooden pallet pulled behind my truck.
I also use a hand spreader for my plot. it's a pain, but can be done. Any feed store will have the oats. You might have to
look for the peas at a couple of places or see it they will order you a bag. I'm old and so it depends on how tired I am as to whether I spread the
fertilizer with the seed or wait until it comes up about two inches and the top dress the plot. I did not use any fertilizer this year on the Arkansas
plot as I planted with no rain in the forecast and I did not want to burn up the seed. When it did rain, it never stopped and rained about every 3 or
4 days and the plot came up great without any. So, I'm saving it for next year.
Also, remember that if you plant it when you still have 100 degree days, you have a good chance of loosing everything to Army Worms. Just me,
but I would not plant until the 3rd week of September. If you get rain, you will have a nice plot by the 2nd week of October.
Also, just me....but I would forget about the corn and just use oats and peas. I would use 100lbs of oats and 50lbs of peas per acre. I also use
100lbs of 13-13-13.
This is one of my Arkansas plots 21 days after getting rain last deer season. .

Because feeders and food plots should be viewed as providing a supplemental food source, that's the best approach. Time your plots so they provide deer with something to eat just before and during the months when natural browse is far more limited. Using them as a harvest aide is an added benefit. And don't overlook adding a little fertilizer to help natural browse they'll enjoy during the Spring and Summer.

Mr. T is pretty spot on my way of thinking also ... a LOT depends on rain and timing. I usually shred as low as I can late Aug. to early Sept., and plow to break up the ground and till in the clippings. Mid to late Sept. I start watching weather forecasts for a cool front that has higher percentages of decent moisture being involved. I spread the seeds and then lightly plow in the seeds or use a drag (old gate or chain link works) enough to cover (this also helps prevent birds from eating all the seeds). Then pray for rain. I have done this year after year with decent success as long as we got rain. I do recall one year doing all the prep in late Sept. and no rain until early Dec., and food plots looks great by the end of deer season.

I usually do mostly oats but also will include clay or cow peas (depends on what the feed store has available). My old feed store (no longer in business) used to mix a deer food plot blend that contained about 8 or 9 different seeds (oats, wheat, chicory, clover, milo, etc.) that worked great as the seeds germinated at different times giving more length to growing season of the plots. Also depending on the year and costs, feed oats are usually considerably cheaper than seed oats and have a pretty decent germination percentage to cover more ground.

With the seed you are wanting to plant, it can sit in the ground covered by as much as an inch or so of dirt and still come up with first rain. So getting it into dirt and waiting for rain can work well. A lot of the timing of this depends on your equipment and time ability. If you have all you need on site then try to plan around a rain system as best you can and hope for rain. The last couple of falls have been bad in south central OK, but rain regularly hits eastern OK better, so depends where you hunt.

If you are like me and time is the worst variable, then just do what you can and get seed into dirt anytime in mid to late september. Then as rains come it will sprout. Clearing ground and tilling will be important and then covering seed that you plan to let sit for a while is utmost importance as birds will clean out a field pretty quick if the seed isn't covered.

Lots of ways to skin the cat, just depends on what the limiting variables are for your situation. It always boils down to one of either equipment, time, or rain. Make do with what you can, and hope for the rest to come into play...

edit: I agree with getting rid of the corn and just go oats or wheat or some other combo. Corn would need to be put in now, and will likely get zapped without reliable irrigation in the summer. But it can be used as a trial and then in the fall put something else in.

Time and equipment isn't an issue. Being retired and having all equipment on-site will make it EZ. For now I'll disk and spray all areas and spray as needed till planting time while praying for rain.

For your #1 plot of Field Corn, you will be looking at a July 15th planting date to get a fall crop. If you are looking for EAR CORN, remember it takes about 100 days to make. Also planting depth is between 1.5 and 2 inches deep and hopefully you will have a way to water it being in the middle of summer.
Now if you are just wanting it for browse, I guess you could plant it similar to other winter food plots, but he first frost will kill it.

Tetraploid rye, oats, turnips,peas, crimson and Apache clover, vetch. Camera is about 5.5’ off the ground.


I plant based on rain. This yr was a little later than I like (1st weekend of Oct). I drag in triple 13 with the seed. That blend is offered by East Tx seed co, pre inoculated.
Here is one of them in early Dec.