OUTDOOR LOGIC WITH BIOLOGIC
No-Till Kill Plots
Increased Results with Fewer Steps By not turning the soil, we’re eliminating an important step in the planting process, so certain other steps must be carried out if you wish success. Clovers, like these bucks are browsing through, can make a great choice for a kill plot from opening day until the plants go dormant. (Photo Credit: Linda Arndt)
The terms “no-till” or “no-plow” can be very misleading when it comes to food plot products. I believe when companies use these terms it gives “newbies” a false sense of hope — it tells them that it’s acceptable to cut out an important step in the planting process and everything will be fine. The problem being that these types of products are often sold to first-timers or food plot farmers that don’t have the equipment necessary to complete all the planting steps according to the book. For those reading this publication, likely you have the equipment to accomplish the task. However, it’s still a good idea to know these tactics, because the truth is, if a few key steps are followed, a little “honey-hole”-type plot back off the beaten trail can be created and is very effective at attracting mature bucks during legal shooting light. The more steps you skip in the planting process, the more you will sacrifice in attraction, yield and palatability until you get to a point where you have a total failure. Is it possible to plant a food plot without working or turning the soil? Absolutely; however, if you’re going to skip this very important action, some of the remaining steps become much more essential and must be completed correctly. Remember, too, these small kill plots don’t need to be “picture perfect”; they only need to be effective. To begin, choosing a crop that will do well in often less than desirable planting conditions is crucial. These 36
Cooperative Farming News
small hidey-hole-type plots are often located within, and/or very close to timber. Will it get full sun … partial sun … not all crops are suited for this? Areas back off the beaten track that haven’t been farmed before will often have acidic soil. Without the ability to incorporate lime into the soil to reduce the soil’s acidity, in this case you should choose a crop that will do well in a lower pH. The size of the seeds must also be taken into consideration. For the most part, you’ll need to use small seeds that have a planting depth of one-half inch or less. If you aren’t working the soil to prepare a deeper seedbed, you’ll have to utilize what Mother Nature left you. So that means large seeds like corn, beans and peas with a planting depth of an inch or more will likely need to be passed on unless you do have an implement that will bury the seeds the appropriate depth, or an awful lot of “elbow grease.” Instead, small seeds like clovers, brassicas, chicory and some cereal grains will need to be your choices. For late summer/fall planting, there are numerous choices — products with cereal grains like Outfitter’s Blend or Last Bite or brassica blends like Maximum, Deer Radish or Winter Bulbs & Sugar Beets should produce good stands in a no-till situation. Clover blends like Clover Plus and Non-Typical are also good choices; but, again, you’ll want a somewhat neutral pH for these legumes. There are many other blends that will turn out if you follow the necessary steps.
