Need help with my green patch

[wsjax4]

I hunt in East Texas on land leased from a timber company. I have a spot at the intersection of 2 fire breaks. The intersection itself is probably 150 yards off the road. Between my box and the road there is maybe a 1/3 to a 1/2 acre opening that was a log set at one time. I think it is ideal for a green patch.

It is part weeds, part pine bark, and part nothing. I disked most of it in March and had 60 pounds of triple-13 to put out with some food plot mixture. I think to maximize my efforts for the fall I want to get a dozer in there and clear it out flat. Not sure I need to go that far though. What about killing the weeds? Also, will the pine bark remnants be a problem?

We should have a cultipacker on scene in the coming weeks and I want to have a really nice patch that will catch and hold deer. Any ideas?

Many thanks.

[Bowhunters]

Welcome to the DHC forum.

To knock down the weeds I would use Roundup Pro, that should take out all the weeds, you need to wait about a week or so after spraying to make sure the weed roots are dead and then disk and prepair the seedbed for planting and then fertilize and plant your plot. It would be nice to also do a soil test to see if you need to put out lime to help neutralise the soil, some guys do it but some don't, if the soil needs lime but you don't add any it can make the difference in having a good plot or a great plot but thats your choice to make but chances are good you will still have a decent plot.

For the seed a mixture or blend with at least some clover and chickory would probably do well there, I know Tecomate’s 'Bucks and Bosses' perennial seed blend is really popular in Texas especially where you have deer and turkeys. After the seed is cast onto the ground then use a hand rake or if available a compactor pulled behind an atv or tractor to push the seed into contact with the dirt but make sure the seeds stay shallow (about 1/4" deep), if you cover too deep they can't push through.

If you use a mix with some perennials like clover then the plot could have some good deer food for 3-4 years providing you go in each summer to keep the weeds down and maybe throw a bit of fertilizer out. Herbicides Arrest and Stay are good to use on established plots to kill weeds in the food plot but they won't hurt clovers and most other food plot perennial plants. Arrest is for killing wild grass weeds and Stay will kill broadleaf weeds.

Small plant debree like dead weeds, tree bark, etc, may actually help enrich the soil over time as it breaks down.

I certainly wouldn't go in with a bulldozer and nocking down any tree's, brush, high weed shelter belts etc, the deer will notice when cover is destroyed and if they like and frequent that area it could mess that up so less disruption to the area and cover around a plot the better IMO and I if that road you mentioned gets any traffic on it the more cover between the road and your plot the better.

Also there is a sticky thread called 'Food Plot Info' at the top of the food plot page that you should look at for more info.