Planting Winter Wheat, and other food plots

[Mcfasio]

Hi, I hunt a 200 acre bush lot with some old pasture areas (near Smiths Falls) and this fall I plan is to broadcast winter wheat into a mowed field on Labour Day weekend. I chose that date based on this guide: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/...811/pub811.pdf I just have an ATV, and a grass seed spreader, with minimal budget... I also live 100 km from my hunting spot which makes actively maintaining it difficult. Has anyone had success broadcasting winter wheat, or would I need to disc the ground to expect it to grow properly?Without discing the land, is there anything else you would recommend trying to broadcast that might be a decent food plot for deer & turkey?

[Fox]

We rototilled the land at our camp not far from my place and broadcast seeded a deer mix, it contains a lot of clover, I do not think very much took, the existing grasses are all back in that area.

I think that you would have to get it turned over to properly seed it and not have it drowned out by the native grasses.

[js4fn]

Just remember your not planting wheat to harvest a 100bu crop
Deer will enjoy the green so get it on the ground now it’ll be 6”-10” by fall that is If your not in a drought area

Clovers should have been planted April early May

You could get some tillage radish and plant now I have some planted mid May that are producing seed pods and deer are eating
I was hoping they would reseed the ground but deer are picking pods off

[Fox]

Just remember your not planting wheat to harvest a 100bu crop
Deer will enjoy the green so get it on the ground now it’ll be 6”-10” by fall that is If your not in a drought area

Clovers should have been planted April early May

You could get some tillage radish and plant now I have some planted mid May that are producing seed pods and deer are eating
I was hoping they would reseed the ground but deer are picking pods off

You still have to have it tilled up enough to have the wheat or anything else take hold, planting over a bed of sod will not take in most cases.

[js4fn]

Don’t know about that fox sure you can’t expect to grow on heavy covered ground
Doesn’t take much for seed to soil contact it’s more in the timing



My seeder. March 28 spreading 10.5 pounds red clover



Today July 17



Tillage radish hand thrown in small areas







Clover hand thrown bush trails



Maybe I have a green thumb May 30

[jaycee]

Don’t know about that fox sure you can’t expect to grow on heavy covered ground
Doesn’t take much for seed to soil contact it’s more in the timing

You've got that one right, there are many times when farmers over seed crops without tilling, it is also done with lawns, timing is the issue.

[Fox]

Don’t know about that fox sure you can’t expect to grow on heavy covered ground
Doesn’t take much for seed to soil contact it’s more in the timing

Did not work for us on this new property, the old camp you could over seed and not have any issues, this one has such established grass that just came up and crowded out the new crop.

We spread seed after tilling once the snow was gone and the ground could be driven on.

[Deer Hunter]

Good job Js4fn, that looks mighty good.

[Ridger]

Seed quality is also a big factor as well, as I often wonder how good the seed is in some of the hunting commercial products vs farm supply.

That looks like a great plot with very little prep work! Where did you source your seed of you can share?

[js4fn]

Seed quality is also a big factor as well, as I often wonder how good the seed is in some of the hunting commercial products vs farm supply.

That looks like a great plot with very little prep work! Where did you source your seed of you can share?

Thompson’s local grain elevator
You can buy 50 pd bag of clover and a 50 bag of oil radish seed. For what they want for couple 15 pd bags of deer plot

Wish I would have priced alfalfa seed
Sunflowers would have been fun
But still check the date on the bags