Do No-plow plots really work?

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comeback_kid
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Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby comeback_kid » Fri Jul 08, 2022 6:17 pm

I am planning on putting in a plot in August here in PA. Right now it's just grass and weeds they let get long and mow it a few times a year. I don't have any equipment, but could rent a walk behind rototiller if necessary, but 1 acre is a lot to rototill with that limited equipment.

So I am considering the Whitetail Institute no plow set up. Has anyone done this and does it really work in the first year? I am already behind schedule and have not done any liming yet, but will be getting the soil test next week.

I know some people spray the whole plot with roundup and then seed on top of the dead weeds. Is that advisable?

I was thinking of mowing the grasses down and then spraying with roundup so the herbicide concentration was not wasted on 18 inches of grass and therefore packed more of a punch.


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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby Ahawk116 » Fri Jul 08, 2022 7:24 pm

I’ve done it with success. Best practice imo is spray it a week or so before your going to plant. Broadcast right before a heavy rain then mow 4-5” high. The mowing helps. Throwing and growing is possible but it is totally dependent upon rain.

Wheat and clover/rape/turnips work best in my experience.
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby oldrank » Sat Jul 09, 2022 11:04 am

No till specials are a gimmick in my opinion. They usually prey on guys just starting out in plotting cause everyone thinks you got to till. In reality to get a nice food plot you need a lawn mower n some man power. If you are putting in a plot for fall I would spray now and hand broadcast in clover seed in a week or so later. Let that come up and fill empty spots with a cereal grain and some type of turnip or brassica. Get the specific seed that suits your soil and zone. Spend a couple days researching what you want. There are alot of engineered options out there. You can get a beautiful fall plot no problem but do it the right way and save time and money. Also research planting times. You don't want to plant to early or late.
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Sat Jul 09, 2022 12:16 pm

I owned a food plot company for ten years and have put in many no till plots that look as nice as any farm field you will see. If you want to chat on the phone send me a PM. It will be simpler, easier & quicker that way and you will get the best info.
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Sun Jul 10, 2022 3:27 pm

I have had best results by spraying a couple weeks ahead of time. Then one day spreading my seed (fertilizer too), mowing the tall dead stuff and spraying again to get the minimal stuff that didn’t get roundup due to length of weeds. I try to do it with rain in the near forecast.

It’ll be scorched earth and after some rain and a little time all the green you see coming up is what you planted.

When I till and plant I always end up with a crapload of weeds.

Also if you do clover after a couple seasons you can just spray it mid-late may to kill the weeds. The clover will also look dead but it comes back strong.
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Mon Jul 11, 2022 12:42 am

DEERSLAYER wrote:I owned a food plot company for ten years and have put in many no till plots that look as nice as any farm field you will see. If you want to chat on the phone send me a PM. It will be simpler, easier & quicker that way and you will get the best info.


You have added a crap-ton of value with your experience & knowledge Lance - Thank You!

Your apple tree post from, years past, should be a top tag item for this site (hint-hint)...

Maybe create another post for this type of methodology - call it "PLANTING PLOTS FOR DUMMIES".

I need help (now) too...
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Mon Jul 11, 2022 12:52 am

DEERSLAYER wrote:I owned a food plot company for ten years and have put in many no till plots that look as nice as any farm field you will see. If you want to chat on the phone send me a PM. It will be simpler, easier & quicker that way and you will get the best info.


Lance, you have added a crap-ton of experience & knowledge to the "Earth plantings & upkeep" on this site - Thank You for this!

Your "apple tree" post needs to be a top tag item (hint-hint, plz add).

Maybe do another called " Planting Plots for Dummies" (hint-hint).

I'm ready NOW, please help Buddy!
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby Swedishbowhunter » Tue Jul 12, 2022 11:40 am

This has worked very well for me:
1. Send in a soil test & make any necessary corrections to your soil. This is the cheapest most critical thing you can do, and the most overlooked thing. I usually send mine into biologic, they are super fast and cheap and they tell you exactly what your soil needs.
2. Spray plot with 41% Glyco right after green up.
3. After a month or so hit it with glyco again.
4. So after another month you will spray it again, & then broadcast whatever seed you want, I seed it at 1.5 to 2times the normal rate recomended. Ideally you want to do this a few days before a good rain.
5. After seeding the plot I will pull a cultipacker over the plot. This helps "shake" the seeds down thru the dead vegetation, if you dont have one, drive your atv back and forth or pull a lawn roller over the plot.
This technique works best for small seeds like clover and brassicas, but it will work with most any seed
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby HuntingParadise » Thu Jul 14, 2022 7:08 am

Swedishbowhunter wrote:This has worked very well for me:
1. Send in a soil test & make any necessary corrections to your soil. This is the cheapest most critical thing you can do, and the most overlooked thing. I usually send mine into biologic, they are super fast and cheap and they tell you exactly what your soil needs.
2. Spray plot with 41% Glyco right after green up.
3. After a month or so hit it with glyco again.
4. So after another month you will spray it again, & then broadcast whatever seed you want, I seed it at 1.5 to 2times the normal rate recomended. Ideally you want to do this a few days before a good rain.
5. After seeding the plot I will pull a cultipacker over the plot. This helps "shake" the seeds down thru the dead vegetation, if you dont have one, drive your atv back and forth or pull a lawn roller over the plot.
This technique works best for small seeds like clover and brassicas, but it will work with most any seed


Im currently going to be doing number 3 here soon. I do these same steps but I might beef up my equipment and borrow my uncles ATV disc to lighten up the ground some if I can. Results were looking good last year until we got 10 inches of rain in a week resulting in the plot flooding out when the growth was too young.
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Thu Jul 14, 2022 7:56 am

Edcyclopedia wrote:
DEERSLAYER wrote:I owned a food plot company for ten years and have put in many no till plots that look as nice as any farm field you will see. If you want to chat on the phone send me a PM. It will be simpler, easier & quicker that way and you will get the best info.


Lance, you have added a crap-ton of experience & knowledge to the "Earth plantings & upkeep" on this site - Thank You for this!

Your "apple tree" post needs to be a top tag item (hint-hint, plz add).

Maybe do another called " Planting Plots for Dummies" (hint-hint).

I'm ready NOW, please help Buddy!

We can talk anytime Ed and I can bring you up to speed on the options different techniques so you can decide what's best for you.
You cannot invade mainland America. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Thu Jul 14, 2022 10:24 am

In my experience no they don't work.
I had some grass come up in one but the deer never touched it. I had a tiny food plot behind my house in my teens I tried several different no till plots none ever was worth the money.


The best plot i ever had was just throwing out a few pounds of co op ladino clover came up for two years fairly well. .
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby Swedishbowhunter » Thu Jul 14, 2022 2:49 pm

HuntingParadise wrote:
Swedishbowhunter wrote:This has worked very well for me:
1. Send in a soil test & make any necessary corrections to your soil. This is the cheapest most critical thing you can do, and the most overlooked thing. I usually send mine into biologic, they are super fast and cheap and they tell you exactly what your soil needs.
2. Spray plot with 41% Glyco right after green up.
3. After a month or so hit it with glyco again.
4. So after another month you will spray it again, & then broadcast whatever seed you want, I seed it at 1.5 to 2times the normal rate recomended. Ideally you want to do this a few days before a good rain.
5. After seeding the plot I will pull a cultipacker over the plot. This helps "shake" the seeds down thru the dead vegetation, if you dont have one, drive your atv back and forth or pull a lawn roller over the plot.
This technique works best for small seeds like clover and brassicas, but it will work with most any seed


Im currently going to be doing number 3 here soon. I do these same steps but I might beef up my equipment and borrow my uncles ATV disc to lighten up the ground some if I can. Results were looking good last year until we got 10 inches of rain in a week resulting in the plot flooding out when the growth was too young.

Mine might be flooded now too, we got at least 2" since I planted on Saturday. The main reason I dont "run a disck" over it is that every time you scratch the surface it seems to bring up new weed seeds. When I turn to sharp on the wheeler and it tears up some dirt there will be more weeds in that spot than anywhere else.
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby todd4554 » Fri Jul 15, 2022 6:29 am

I’m a big fan of cereal rye in this type of plot. Wheat and oats work too. I spray and let it die. Then broadcast into the thatch and mow or roll it down.
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby HuntingParadise » Tue Jul 26, 2022 2:13 am

Swedishbowhunter wrote:
HuntingParadise wrote:
Swedishbowhunter wrote:This has worked very well for me:
1. Send in a soil test & make any necessary corrections to your soil. This is the cheapest most critical thing you can do, and the most overlooked thing. I usually send mine into biologic, they are super fast and cheap and they tell you exactly what your soil needs.
2. Spray plot with 41% Glyco right after green up.
3. After a month or so hit it with glyco again.
4. So after another month you will spray it again, & then broadcast whatever seed you want, I seed it at 1.5 to 2times the normal rate recomended. Ideally you want to do this a few days before a good rain.
5. After seeding the plot I will pull a cultipacker over the plot. This helps "shake" the seeds down thru the dead vegetation, if you dont have one, drive your atv back and forth or pull a lawn roller over the plot.
This technique works best for small seeds like clover and brassicas, but it will work with most any seed


Im currently going to be doing number 3 here soon. I do these same steps but I might beef up my equipment and borrow my uncles ATV disc to lighten up the ground some if I can. Results were looking good last year until we got 10 inches of rain in a week resulting in the plot flooding out when the growth was too young.

Mine might be flooded now too, we got at least 2" since I planted on Saturday. The main reason I dont "run a disck" over it is that every time you scratch the surface it seems to bring up new weed seeds. When I turn to sharp on the wheeler and it tears up some dirt there will be more weeds in that spot than anywhere else.


I am worried about that. Im about to spray the second time so Im going to base it on what the ground looks like and maybe not disc.
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Re: Do No-plow plots really work?

Unread postby Moose » Fri Jul 29, 2022 11:58 am

I tried it once. Throw and grow or something similar. It didn't work at all for me.


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