them, especially during the first growing season. One issue you’ll face is weed control. When most of us think about spring, it’s usually with anticipation near the end of winter, when we’re ready for an end to the long winter cold. Our minds eagerly conjure up visions of the green color that will return to the barren landscape, signaling the arrival of new foliage. Some of that new foliage, though, will be weeds, and if you’re planning on planting a new area in spring, you’ll be better off if you can address weed competition before planting.
Weed Control During Seedbed Preparation Herbicides such as glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundupbrand herbicides and similar generics, are a superb tool for removing most kinds of weeds and grass from a fallow site. Keep in mind, though, that glyphosate is a foliar-uptake herbicide, meaning that a weed must be actively growing to take in glyphosate. As a result, if you’re considering using glyphosate as part of seedbed preparation for a spring planting, you’ll need to compare the Whitetail Institute’s planting dates for the product you’ve selected to the arrival of spring green-up in your area. In the Deep South, for example, spring planting dates for Whitetail Institute perennials and No-Plow lie well before spring green-up, so spraying glyphosate before planting perennials in spring isn’t an option unless the site is sprayed the previous fall before weeds go dormant. The planting dates for some areas in the far north, though, occur late enough that you have time after spring green-up to spray, wait seven days after spraying (required by glyphosate labels) and still plant within your planting dates.
With PowerPlant, though, spraying glyphosate before planting is possible in almost all areas. The reason is that PowerPlant should not be planted until soil temperatures are warm — at least 65 degrees, day and night, and by that time, spring green-up is well underway. Here’s how I use glyphosate as part of seedbed preparation before planting PowerPlant in a fallow site: Well before spring green-up, I perform a laboratory soil test to determine my lime and fertilizer requirements. As soon as I get the report back from the lab, I add lime to the seedbed and disk or till it thoroughly into the top few inches. Then, I wait for spring green-up to arrive. When grasses and other weeds have started to actively grow, I spray glyphosate. After spraying, I wait at least seven days, or later if necessary, for soil temperatures to warm to at least 65 degrees, and then fertilize and plant. One of the most important steps you can take to keep weeds from invading your food plot later is to make sure you address soil pH and fertility during seedbed preparation. That’s because weeds tend to show up in spots where the stand is thin, so the more lush, thick and healthy you can keep the forage stand, the less room weeds will have to invade. Soil pH and soil nutrients — such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium — are also critical factors in making sure your perennials grow vigorously. Whitetail Institute forage products grow best in soils with a soil pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Most fallow soils, though, are acidic (with a soil pH lower than 6.5), and the soil pH should be raised by adding lime. Making sure that soil pH is 6.5 or higher is the most important thing you can do to assure food plot success. It can make the difference between the best food plot you can imagine and total failure. Yes, it’s that important. Levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in the soil should
Spring plantings require some preparation and maintenance. Conduct a laboratory soil test to determine your lime and fertilizer requirements. Periodic mowing is also important to control grass and weed competition in perennial plots. For the latest promotions, sales and news visit www.Facebook.com/WhitetailInstitute
Vol. 25, No. 3 /
WHITETAIL NEWS 11