I am starting two .25 ac food plots in some hardwoods. I took a soil sample for each location. One came back with a 4.9ph and 4 tn/ac lime recommendation. The other area came back at 5.2 ph and 2 tn/ac lime recommendation. The soil sample paper states that if I am not turning/tilling the soil that I need to do 1tn/ac lime per year till the amount recommended is reached.

If I only go spread 500lb of lime on each area, is there any hope for a successful plot this year? I was thinking a clover base with maybe some oats and rape.

How should I approach this? I would like it ready by archery opener this year. I can start work now.

You are wasting time with clover until the ph is right.

Soil can only process up to 2 tons of lime per acre at most at a time so disregard the 4 ton per acre rec at one time. The absolute best no till lime program is 1 ton per acre per year period. Crimson clover will be ok at a lower ph but you might want to think about soil builders like sun hemp or buckwheat too.

Be careful with the seeding rate if sunn hemp.....

Did you lose your tractor?

Cousin's tractor. Haven't seen him since.

You have to manage Sunn Hemp or it will get out of control.. If deer herd is not high and keep it ate down, I'd recommend bushhogging it down to around 10 inches after it gets a couple feet tall or the stalk will get like bamboo or cotton stalk which makes it tough on fall planting

Yes, we knew this but spent the summer with a busted bush hog and didn't get a new one until September/October.

So lime now at 1 ton per acre then you plant sun hemp or buckwheat sometime in spring?

What follows this? Spray to kill then sow fall seeds and mow it down?

Yep first year I grew SH it was over my tractor cab and that sucked. Most died when I cut due to it getting too big. But man it fixes poor ground something good. I’d mow it then spray in Sept early then plant fall crop accordingly. And yes plant SH or BW early May