Food Plot Question

[UPSTATEWATERFOWLER]

This has probably been covered in here at some point, but, here goes. Assuming you did all the stuff they tell you to do, soil test, spray, good seed bed, etc. how do you guys cover your wheat or oats for your food plots? Do you just run a disc harrow back over or do you simply drag them in? We usually chisel plow, go behind with a 5 foot tiller, spread our seed and drag in with ATV pull behind drag. I'm wondering if we are getting them deep enough. Has anyone had any luck spreading the seed then just barely scratching the surface with their tractor tiller. Thanks!

[Rabbitman09]

Disc, top sew, then drag and old box spring behind the four wheeler. Prettiest food plots you ever saw!

[jevans]

Oats do not need to be deep at all

[SCDEERE]

If you have access to a cultipacker that would be the way to go. Other methods I've seen is like mention before drag in with a drag on lightly disc back over them.

[Quackhead22]

Key to small grains is an even level seed bed. Cultipacker like mentioned above is ideal but fence drag or the like will also work great.


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[Spur hunter]

Only a limited experience with forage oats but the advice I got was great. Soaked the seed in water before broadcasting it and then lightly raked it in. It jumped quickly.

[Gut_Pile]

Drag them in

[2thDoc]

planting depth is your key.

pretty good advice above.

[UPSTATEWATERFOWLER]

Thanks guys. Basically keep doing what we're doing. I need to rig up a better drag and that will likely help the situation.

[Smilee]

I ran a test using the prefecta field cultivator last week to plant 2 acres. Ran it across oats that had been spread with spin spreader. I will report back with pictures of the stand once available. I will do the same with wheat a little later in the fall.

I used to drag everything in but recently build a field cultivator with l danish s tines, leveling bar and cultipacker in order. It worked great with brown top millet. It also has a grain drill box that I plan to drop seed with once I figure out the best drive mechanism. Leaning toward hydraulic motor right now.

[Featherduster]

run a tiller about an inch deep

[tprice]

run a tiller about an inch deep

Yep

[uga_dawg]

Thanks guys. Basically keep doing what we're doing. I need to rig up a better drag and that will likely help the situation.

The old mattress is an interesting idea. But pretty easy to find some scrap chain link and a couple of boards to stretch it out both front and back

[Smilee]

Checked yesterday and the oats and clay peas have sprouted. I covered with a Perfecta after broadcasting. Pictures once it greens up enough to see in a picture. Planted it Friday last week.

[2thDoc]

run a tiller about an inch deep

not possible unless prepared perfectly. i think that is what others are commenting with seed depth.

[gamecock1974]

Disc, top sew, then drag and old box spring behind the four wheeler. Prettiest food plots you ever saw!

We do this, but with two pallets behind a 4wheeler, vs a box spring. pallets typically fill up with dirt and seem to have enough weight to smooth it out. works well for us.

[Palmetto Bug]

I ran a test using the prefecta field cultivator last week to plant 2 acres. Ran it across oats that had been spread with spin spreader. I will report back with pictures of the stand once available. I will do the same with wheat a little later in the fall.

I used to drag everything in but recently build a field cultivator with l danish s tines, leveling bar and cultipacker in order. It worked great with brown top millet. It also has a grain drill box that I plan to drop seed with once I figure out the best drive mechanism. Leaning toward hydraulic motor right now.

Do you find the Perfecta needs a cultipacker in addition to the leveling bar? I've been using a spiked drag harrow and the perfecta has caught my eye. I never thought about one with a seed box.

[UPSTATEWATERFOWLER]

Thought I'd give an update on my original question about covering my oats in my food plot. We srayed the field, hit it with a chisel plow a week later, then hit it with a tiller another week later and planted that same day. With part of the field, we put out the wheat and oats and then lightly hit them with the tiller to cover them. On the other sections, we just drug in the wheat and oats with a drag behind the 4 wheeler. I'd have to say that the sections we tilled in are coming up much better than the sections we drug in with the pull behind drag. If you have access to a tiller, it did the trick for us.

[Smilee]

Do you find the Perfecta needs a cultipacker in addition to the leveling bar? I've been using a spiked drag harrow and the perfecta has caught my eye. I never thought about one with a seed box.

I’ve run a spiked tooth drag as well for years. Picture below is the oats I planted but the peas are mostly gone from browsing. I ran the disc, spread seed/fertilizer and finished with perfecta. 8-10” tall combine run oats. Deer are in them every evening.