I had the opportunity to plant some Plot Spike seed in my food plots this year. With their Forage Feast blend and Forage Oats, Louisiana Sportsman editor Todd Masson and I planted our two plots featured in Postage Stamp Plots that appeared in the August issue.
Plot Spike Forage Feast
These two plots are about an acre each, but last year they were nothing more than a few rake marks in the ground. We thought we learned something last year, but our knowledge gained then doesn’t compare with what we’re learning this season.
First off, we eschewed mass-marketed seed blends in favor of the local Plot Spike company. They are located in Pontchatoula, and the Plot Spike brand is operated and owned by Ragan & Massey, Inc., a company 14 years in the seed business. Their seeds are sold all over the country, but it is my understanding that the Forage Oats were developed at LSU, and that they grow especially well in Louisiana.
We planted on Saturday, September 19 only to experience a gully washer the following Tuesday. Five inches of rain essentially destroyed my low-lying “Cemetery” plot, but the “House” plot fared far better because it is on higher ground at the edge of a clear cut.
Plot Spike Forage Feast three weeks after planting
Both plots were already sprouting by Thursday, September 24. Some puddling on both plots washed some of our seed into big piles even though we covered it by dragging the harrow. Two days later, I filled in the bare spots at the “Cemetery” plot with 50 pounds of Forage Oats.
By Wednesday, September 30, the “House” plot had some very good, green patches that already showed some signs of passing deer getting a nibble or two. Unfortunately, the “Cemetery” plot had very sparse growth. These two plots were identical in that we put 400 pounds of pelletized lime on each plot along with 200 pounds of 13-13-13.
The only difference that I can tell is that I had to do a lot of dirt work on the “Cemetery” plot before planting, and I must have brought up a lot of clay soil to the surface. It also drains a lot of water off the side of a hill, and the seed and fertilizer from our initial planting must have washed away or got soaked so bad that it rotted.
I totally replanted the “Cemetery” plot on Friday, October 2 with 40 pounds of Forage Feast and 100 pounds of Forage Oats. Rather than drag the harrow this time I simply ran the ATV over and over it to press the seed into the soft soil. I also put out another 200 pounds of 13-13-13 to make up for any that might have washed away.
A whitetail doe with a mouth full of my mineral stump
By this time, the “House” plot was starting to come together, but it also had some bare spots in what was some low, wet areas. I reseeded it with 50 pounds of Forage Oats and hoped that the rain, which had relentlessly continued since our initial planting, would ease up for a few days.
On Saturday, October 10, the “Cemetery” plot was starting to look like the “House” plot did a week after its initial planting. There are still some bare areas, but the spots that didn’t hold too much water have sprouted well. Now if I can only keep myself from checking it every day, I may be surprised if I can stay away for a week or two.
All the experience we’re gaining from continuing our deer plot projects will be compiled and revealed in a continuation to Postage Stamp Plots next August when hunters will be well into working on their plots for 2010. Personally, I can’t wait until then to put it to good use.
