Cutting Costs With Food Plots?

[keeruss8]

Right, that is my dilemma. my feed store seems to like selling red maples. I run them over with my Loader bucket along with the honeysuckle lol

Check out blue hills wildlife nursery out of PA. His name is Ryan. I bought 6 foot bare root trees from them. About $30 apiece. I ordered in February of 21 and received them in November. Apple, crabapple, persimmon or pears

 

[6 point 92]

All I know is that if we don't receive rain soon, all the food plots will turn brown or browner.

Ain't that the truth. All my corn fields look like pineapple. I cut hay truing to make it rain lol

 

[EasyE]

My long-term plan is persimmon, white oak, Burr oak, and Dunstan Chestnut.
I get seedlings by the hundred each year but id pay good money for some 5 gallon trees. It’s tough knowing that I’m not going to see the fruits of my labor till I’m 60 years old. Paying for a dozen trees that will produce in five years would be worth it to me

I have been planting or have all of the trees you mentioned except the burr oak. You should look into Dwarf Chinquapin oaks. They produce annually and they claim they start start in 3-5 years. Ancientrootnativenursery.com 25$ a tree she also sells strawberry bush, beauty berry, and red oiser dogwoods. Along with several others. Just placed a order before posting this. My goal is to not feed, eventually.

 

[EasyE]

As far as cutting costs this year, I’m not even gonna mow my clover plot this year. Plan to hinge cut more maples and poplars starting around mid July. I do have a acre plot of soybeans, buckwheat, sorghum, and cow peas that hopefully I’ll get to add a little pelletized lime and fertilizer to next chance of rain.

 

[carnivore]

Ain't that the truth. All my corn fields look like pineapple. I cut hay truing to make it rain lol

Ill drain my pond, and burn up my pumps, to keep my plots and garden going if i have to.
Also i know you asked about plots more than trees but hope you considered that relevant, if not my apologies for the derailment.
Last years clover is doing well but im irrigating and i do think the morning dew from my pond is keeping it green. When the turkey are done with the WW heads I’ll either mow it or driver over it to knock it down and let the clover take over.

I never plan to corn but will if things are quiet , neighbors cows get out, and/or the plots fail.

 

[Cornpile]

We put out right at 100 lbs of red,white,yellow
clover seeds in March,all over the open clear areas.
Buddy told me awhile ago that a big Hackberry tree
had got blown down out into the feild from the storm a couple of Fridays
ago. He said the deer had stripped every green leaf all that tree.
He said they were on it morning and evening till the leaves were gone...

 

[Stone Branch]

Ill drain my pond, and burn up my pumps, to keep my plots and garden going if i have to.
Also i know you asked about plots more than trees but hope you considered that relevant, if not my apologies for the derailment.
Last years clover is doing well but im irrigating and i do think the morning dew from my pond is keeping it green. When the turkey are done with the WW heads I’ll either mow it or driver over it to knock it down and let the clover take over.

View attachment 102436
I never plan to corn but will if things are quiet , neighbors cows get out, and/or the plots fail.

My bottom plots look much the same. I bought 2 bags yesterday, $9.50 per. Equipment is rolling in to clearcut 900 acre adjoining, my acorns may be more valuable this year.

G

 

[EasyE]

We put out right at 100 lbs of red,white,yellow
clover seeds in March,all over the open clear areas.
Buddy told me awhile ago that a big Hackberry tree
had got blown down out into the feild from the storm a couple of Fridays
ago. He said the deer had stripped every green leaf all that tree.
He said they were on it morning and evening till the leaves were gone...

I hinge cut 4 maple trees around the 1st part of May(they was fully leafed out). My feeder is 30 yards away and it’s right next to 3 acres of clover. Over the next 3 weeks they eat every leaf off the trees. As of right now there is just new growth on the trees. Last year my opinion was they liked ash and sassafras the best but now I think the maples are.

 

[6 point 92]

As far as cutting costs this year, I’m not even gonna mow my clover plot this year. Plan to hinge cut more maples and poplars starting around mid July. I do have a acre plot of soybeans, buckwheat, sorghum, and cow peas that hopefully I’ll get to add a little pelletized lime and fertilizer to next chance of rain.

How is the hinge cutting working for you? How much do you do at a time and what sizes?

 

[EasyE]

How is the hinge cutting working for you? How much do you do at a time and what sizes?

The maples I’ve been cutting are between 3-6”. I have done bigger but got started late in the hinge cutting game. I’ll usually start in January and cut until spring green up. The rabbits have exploded and I spotted a few quail this spring. I think it’s been one of the best things I’ve done yet.