Food plot recommendations for Western NC?

Lkb1450

Button Buck
Hi all, had a very slow season all in public land here in Henderson County, but learned a lot and got out a bunch! Now I'm turning my focus to scouting for next year and creating a food plot on my 10.5 acres. Does anyone have recommendations for seed mixes or things to grow? I have a big 150' x 150' silage tarp to kill off the grass and plant into, gonna be going no-till because I don't have any farm equipment yet.
Anyone have some good low tech recommendations?
Thanks!
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I'd start with a soil test or if not then add the equivalent of 2000 pounds of lime per acre and then cover with the tarp. That small of an area could be tilled with a garden tiller and that's what I'd use if I didn't have a drag harrow or similar to at least scratch the ground to make sure the seed had decent soil contact.
Wait until green-up and kill the area with Glysophate , give it a month or so and kill it again, then wait until a few weeks before planting and spray it again. Wait a few days, put balanced fertilizer at the equivalent of 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre if no soil test and break up the ground. If planting brassicas I'd look at late August/early September and then overseed with winter wheat in early October. If planting clover I'd probably start in February or March and top sow it , roll over it with a roller or 4 wheeler tires and then come back near last frost and lightly overseed with oats.
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
Hard to get anything to grow if you can’t at least rough the ground up. Do you have a 4 wheeler or lawn tractor? Or can you drive a vehicle on it. I’d suggest getting a back pack sprayer and at least a drag mat. As stated above need to kill weeds at least once, 2x is better. Get a soil test, probably need lots of lime. Add as early as feasible, takes a while to work.

I’d plant clover and cereal rye or oats. Plant in September hopefully right before a rain.
 

Rubline

Twelve Pointer
I bet if you ask around there's somebody close by with a tractor and disc harrow that would scratch up a food plot for a small fee.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Thanks for the replies! I have a neighbor with a tractor, might be able to get him to disc it up for me!
Kill it before he discs it up ...twice is better. It's worth the time and effort in spades for future plots.
 

nchawkeye

Old Mossy Horns
You can plant clover without tilling, in fact that's how it should be done...

Shoot it with roundup, let it die back and plant clover, I used to plant in October or November for the next year...
 

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