Failed food plots

[greatlawn]

I have a farm in Emporia,ks. I put several food plots in early June and they failed lack of moisture. What would you do with them? Leave them, try to plant wheat or clover.

Greatlawn

[BritChaser]

Originally Posted by greatlawn

I have a farm in Emporia,ks. I put several food plots in early June and they failed lack of moisture. What would you do with them? Leave them, try to plant wheat or clover.

Greatlawn

Next month you could put some winter wheat in the plots. Good cover and feed.

[1GB]

How long before you work them under next? Are you going to let them go fallow for a few years?

If you're going to turn then under within the next year and a half, wheat isn't a bad idea. If you're going to leave them longer, overseeding some clover in areas isn't a bad choice either, but I wouldn't seed too heavily since it'd be good to have a variety of forbs coming up in addition to clover.

[greatlawn]

I think I will just leave them be for a year and move my efforts to edge feathering and covey headquarters. Do you think the sorgum and milo will dormant seed. I had horrible germination due to lack of water about 5%.

Thanks for your replies

Greatlawn

[Prairie Drifter]

If you got any weed response in the food plots, it would be best to just leave them for this winter. Food plots don't "make" birds, they carry them over. The weed response from the disturbance my be worth the work you did. Bare dirt going into fall is a bust for the birds.