Summer Food Plots

[Goosepond Monster]

I have been told that the first step in starting a food plot is having a soil test done.

[Lil Silver]

Like Wtretreivers said...lime. You can get the quick release lime from most feed stores. Brown colored and grainy with a sweet smell, not the white powder. Sounds like your in the piney woods. Usually low PH dirt unless it's been brought up to snuff. My recomendation for a 1/4 acre plot, if the dirt is poor, work your dirt up ready to plant. Spread 50 lb. of quick release lime and 50 lb. of 8-8-8 or 13-13-13. Come back and disk that in a little and plant your vetch seeds. Used to order this out of Florida. Buy the hulled instead of the unhulled. Kind of pricey stuff but it's small seeds. Looks like seaseme seeds sorta. American joint vetch is high in protein and I think it has some sugar content. Looks kinda like a little fern. After it's up about 8" and it looks like it could use some more fertilizer you can top dress a 1/4 acre with 25 lbs. of 8-8-8.

When your fall plot comes around, leave enough joint vetch growing. It will grow until a hard frost or freeze gets it. The deer like to eat the tender little tops on this stuff and they won't clip it away like soybeans.