Buddy cleared a food plot and tossed in some fertilizer and lime in the plot some things came up like then radish, clover and winter wheat planted I was shocked at the lack of topsoil with it being hardwood forest. In places the top of the places cleared only had a thin covering of dark soil and a lot of the area was sandy looking with no visible topsoil.

Took 2 samples to the extension office for sampling one sample from the black areas and one from the sandy soil areas. At $25 a pop I’ll just apply the results to similar soils on the property. I expect to get the results tomorrow or Monday just need to figure out the formula they provide me.

Anybody ever do soil samples and how did the treatments turn out when followed?

I am a former employee of servi-tech and did agronomy work with them. They have very good labs in Hastings NE and Dodge City KS. They have several options and prices to choose from. They will also generate a recommendation if you want. 1-800-557-7509

Gun Nut

Some State Universities Ag programs will it for a low cost. It is part of the criteria and program.

The samples are going through Missouri State University connected with the extension office $25 a sample is what they charged. They even had a food plot form if that matters.

Yes. University of Minnesota. They have done soil and water samples for me.

Osky

I bought some seed from Whitetail Institute and also got their soil sample analysis and recommended treatment for the seed. It worked out well for me. I also noticed that the local seed/fertilizer store offers soil sample analysis. I don't remember the cost exactly but it wasn't much, $10 maybe. It is well worth the time and cost to ensure you treat with what you actually need instead of guessing.

Food plots, never use them, I play the wind, save your money it’s just snake oil to me. The entire state is a food plot.

Great advice like always. Not.

The place we hunt is thick oak hardwood ridges with lots of deer with no point B to go so to the food plots are the destination they are lacking plus we are looking to hold the turkeys all year so the food plots should do that for us. Again always helpful. LOL

Iowa don't do it anymore. Send them to Minnesota
just

I saw that advise on the Buck Lure post. I thought maybe it was good here too. But I guess not.

You know what they say about opinions.

Send ours through our local feed mill $10.00 each. Just did 13 of them we test every couple years.

I do a soil test in our veggie garden every year. No sooner than I get my test results back, the wife buys bags of stuff and spreads it everywhere.
After several years of maintaining the garden in accordance with its nutrient and pH needs, it now rarely needs anything except Nitrogen.

In MO, take it to the nearest MFA fertilizer place. They will do soil test for free if you buy from them.

They have a new electronic probe out now that you stick in the ground and it will give you your soil sample. I saw a farmer in Illinois using it. I was interested in buying one until I found out the price was $10,000. Lol

Ol dad

Not really too surprising to me to find limited top soil in a hardwood forest. Forest materials decay more slowly and in your case in SD there is less moisture and less humidity generally as well. Also in mature hardwoods the roots are deeper in the ground so the soil can be harder as well. Not as easy for soil organism to move around and digest the materials. Yes leaves would be easy and fast to decompose but if there are limited soil organisms that could take some time. Grass areas have much more shallow near the surface root systems and thus looser soil and typically far more soil organisms to help eat and decompose materials. Soil tests should tell a lot and also I hope it shows a soil structure and series so you know how deep the A1, A2 etc. are and that will help with managing the plot.

Bryce

BTW, about how many acres of foot plots are we talking about and is this the property in MO Ozarks?

Several smaller plots and a ridge top we are planting the biggest one is less than an acre one is a half acre and another 20 yards by 40 yards long. It’s North of the Ozark’s where they meet the prairie they say in the area.

At that size, we are not talking life and death, so two or three 40 pound bags of 12-12-12 (with inflation that might now be 13-13-13) from MFA ought to do it.

You are just south of where the glaciers ended. Sitting on top of weathered limestone......so a bit of dark leaf litter over rocks. Tough place for a food plot to grow, but it has been done. Since it is already limestone, you may not need to add any lime.

I've got a 20' x 50' plot of sunflowers, radish and turnips going in my garden. All off to a slow start due to lack of rain. Planted for the chickens but deer are hitting hard now nightly. Mostly does and fawns but went face to face with an 8 pointer a few nights back. They stop at the crabapples 50 feet from my front door, then swing on around to the garden. They have stripped all the leaves off the sunflowers. If forage turnips will grow, that seems to be the ticket. All fall and all winter.

BTW, it's not like they don't have something else to eat. There is ovre 100 acres of standing corn across the road. And clover and all manner of browse. They like what they like......and mostly that is what is in my garden.

Buddy planted turnips they are tiny, the clover is spotty like the winter wheat but the last rain sure greened it up more it has not reached its full potential yet maybe. Yes rocky as it can be in places I picked up some rocks for a friend to try to knapp with it the stuff is all over. One ridge is solid rock the next is not as rocky.

Just plan to see what they recommend for the soil treatment and apply it to the whole place I do have 200lbs of lime in the shop if needed.