grass?

[swamp donkey]

lol, wrong grass ya hippies! I'm curious on what kind of long grasses to plant on my property this year. Se oklahoma shale and some clay, but I do have a good spot with some nice thick soil. and where's the best place to get it? I'm trying to provide some better bedding areas for the years to come for the deer.

oh, and I couldn't resist

 

[J.T.]

I would hit up the extension in your county, probably score some free seeds for the asking. I wonder is CRP would work in your situation?

 

[jbarnett]

Nothing. Then you just have to mow it.

 

[J.T.]

Nothing. Then you just have to mow it.

Ouch! I was assuming the land in question was a hunting lease or owned for hunting not something that had to be maintained. If you do have to keep it maintained I suggest you plant concrete.

 

[dennishoddy]

I'm confused. Is it on a hunting area or yard grass?

 

[swamp donkey]

I cant have deer on my lawn in the city lol. its for my hunting land

 

[possum skinner]

I planted a native mix several years ago that I picked it up at the local soil conservation office. It had both the tall grass and short grasses in it. Reallly did well with it.

 

[dennishoddy]

Yeah, I'd check with the county NRCS office. If there is a creek running thru it, or erodable land, they may do a cost share on planting grass and trees for a repairian buffer along the creek. There is also the quail initiative that GW Bush voted in before leaving office that does a cost share, and pays an annual stipend to the land owner.

 

[swamp donkey]

okay, so its not really grass, but do you think alfalfa and sorghum would attract the deer and give them some good cover?

 

[dennishoddy]

okay, so its not really grass, but do you think alfalfa and sorghum would attract the deer and give them some good cover?

Ok now we are getting specific.

Alfalfa is tough to plant as its a tiny seed and needs equipment designed for it to get it planted. Kind of like clover. You have to have a cultipacker or something like that to barely cover it.
That being said, if you have something to break-up the soil surface, no matter what it is, (a small plot) I've used my atv riding in circles to break it up or have dragged a pipe with railroad spikes welded to it, or what-ever. Scatter the seed and cover it with some chain link fence dragged over the top of it.
WAY before you do any of this. Take a soil sample and find out what the soil needs to put in the seeds you want to plant.
Go the NRCS, or soil conservationservice, or the National wild turkey federation and order one of their soil sample bags. Its less than $10. Tell them what you want to plant and they will provide you an analysis of the soil and tell you what to apply to make it happen. Good luck. A Good food plot has to be designed, and not just put in.

Planting Sorgum is no different. If the soil is not prepared correctly, and the PH is not correct, the plants will grow, and a head will develop, but it won't have much of anything in it for the critters.