When you decide where to put a foodplot the first thing I recommend is to spray the site with Roundup to kill all the weeds and grass. You will need a hand sprayer ($20.00) or a rig for an ATV like the one pictured above. After spraying give the weeds about 10-14 days to die. Now, if you don't have a rototiller or a disk you should rake the dead debris of the surface. Once raked you can spread the seed evenly over the site. You need to roll the plot to press the seed into the dirt. A lawn roller will work if you don't have a cultipacker. If you have tillage equipment (rototiller, disk or plow) till the soil after waiting the 10-14 days from spraying. Once you have it tilled, you need to cultipack the plot to firm up the soil for a good seedbed. You don't want your seed to deep. Next, spread the seed and pack the plot again to press seed into the soil. During planting I recommend spreading 19-19-19 fertilizer. (50lbs. per 1/4acre) Before any of this I highly recommend getting a soil test to see what is in your soil, what it needs and what the pH is. Optimum pH level is 6.5-7.0 This is a measure of the soil's acidity, the lower the number the more acidic and the higher the number the more alkaline. 7.0 is neutral. If pH is to low, plants cannot uptake nutrients from the soil so this step should not be skipped. You can send your soil to a lab through your local County Extension Agency. Thats enough for now, it's time to get to work. Spring planting is right around the corner, usually the first part of May. Stay tuned for more on when to plant. P.S. If you haven't started or refreshed your mineral station, now is the time. Most bucks have droppped their antlers meaning it's time to start growing new ones. This is when they need the mineral supplementation the most. Team Pass-Through uses Lucky Buck Deer Mineral- This stuff works!!! Put your trail camera over it and you'll see for yourself. Good Luck!
