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corn plots

at1010

*Supporting Member*
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I know a few of you have used corn as your food plot source. I was wondering when you planted?

I am going to do some corn/beans this coming year. I did beans last year, and boy did it turn out great!
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
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18,060
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Ohio
Mid-May to early-June. Just play the weather once soil temps are up. You have a wide window to plant so just try to time it with a good rain.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
How cost efficient is a corn plot of say 1 acre? Would it be cheaper to buy whole corn and dump rather than prepare soil, plant and weed? I have considered planting corn but I have had farmers tell me not to.
 

Bigslam51

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25,778
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Stark County
I'm paying the farmer to plant a 2 acre field in corn thats right next to my in-laws woods. Should provide for some good action.
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
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139
Spencie I'm doing it more for a road screen but also know deer plain love corn.

Half the fun of plotting is well playing farming and growing stuff
 

jagermeister

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Ohio
I probably wouldn't do it unless it was at least a couple acres worth. Any smaller than that, they're going to eat it all and you'll end up hauling in bags anyway.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I probably wouldn't do it unless it was at least a couple acres worth. Any smaller than that, they're going to eat it all and you'll end up hauling in bags anyway.

This. The farmer left me roughly 1/10 an acre this year and they destroyed it in about 5 weeks. If you're going to do it, make it worth while.
 

Gern186

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10,171
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NW Ohio Tundra
I plant about 1 acre every year at my house and it works great for attracting deer. First of all they love the cover it provides when all the other crops are gone, second, it provides much desired food source in the late winter. I usually don't plant it too early, somewhere around Mid to late May if possible. There has been wet years where we didn't get it out til June and it did just fine, and then was still a little green when the surrounding fields were turning brown. I add fertilizer to it when planting, then when its about 6 inches tall spread about 200 lbs of urea on it right before a rain event. That will make it shoot up. Also, use roundup ready corn and make sure you spray it once or twice before it gets too tall. I use an ATV with sprayer attached to the back, works great.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
I plant about 1 acre every year at my house and it works great for attracting deer. First of all they love the cover it provides when all the other crops are gone, second, it provides much desired food source in the late winter. I usually don't plant it too early, somewhere around Mid to late May if possible. There has been wet years where we didn't get it out til June and it did just fine, and then was still a little green when the surrounding fields were turning brown. I add fertilizer to it when planting, then when its about 6 inches tall spread about 200 lbs of urea on it right before a rain event. That will make it shoot up. Also, use roundup ready corn and make sure you spray it once or twice before it gets too tall. I use an ATV with sprayer attached to the back, works great.

Can you give an approximate cost for your one acre?
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,943
139
I probably wouldn't do it unless it was at least a couple acres worth. Any smaller than that, they're going to eat it all and you'll end up hauling in bags anyway.

I agree on this. I plan on doing about 3 acres. Ill have about 2+ acres of beans as well. Plus my smaller plots with clover, oats,etc. It will hopefully work out for me!

thanks for feedback guys!
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
Can you give an approximate cost for your one acre?


Well not counting the 6 Row planter we bought a few years ago and my uncles tractor, I split a bag of seed corn with my uncle, the roundup (glyphosate) and the starter fertilizer and Urea...I am guessing about $125.
 

jagermeister

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Ohio
Just an FYI... Fertilizer prices are pretty low right now. I just priced sunrise coop last week... 50# bag of urea (46-0-0) was $10.50 and a 50# bag of 20-10-10 was only $9.78. And generic glyphosate can usually be found for less than $20 /gal of concentrate. So of you have the equipment available, planting corn is not all that expensive.
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
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NW Ohio Tundra
Jim, for 1 acre you are looking at $42 for urea, $20 for triple 10 or 12 starter fertilizer, a $20 dollar jug of glyphosate...

and don't forget your most expensive cost....the roundup ready corn itself sells for between 160 and 200 dollars per bag...that will seed between 2.5 and 3 acres...so if you are conservative and divide 160 by 3..that's a little over $50 per acre just for the seed.

Adding those costs up I came up with $135 to plant 1 acre. Of course you wouldn't have to add as much urea...but if you are going to the trouble of planting it..you might as well give it plenty of fertilizer.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
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Ohio
Jim, for 1 acre you are looking at $42 for urea, $20 for triple 10 or 12 starter fertilizer, a $20 dollar jug of glyphosate...

and don't forget your most expensive cost....the roundup ready corn itself sells for between 160 and 200 dollars per bag...that will seed between 2.5 and 3 acres...so if you are conservative and divide 160 by 3..that's a little over $50 per acre just for the seed.

Adding those costs up I came up with $135 to plant 1 acre. Of course you wouldn't have to add as much urea...but if you are going to the trouble of planting it..you might as well give it plenty of fertilizer.
Yep, not bad at all. And if you contact your local Pheasants Forever chapter there's a really good chance you'll get some RR seed for free.