Originally Posted by doubleDs55
How do you get seeds to germinate with out hitting the soil?
To me OP has to start over if he wants anything decent for a food plot.
That means Killing the crap that's growing on them now, then disking until dirt and replanting.
The seeds have to hit the soil to germinate. The spraying, cultipacking, and rain will move seeds down through thatch to the soil for germination. The dead weeds become a mulch to hold moisture and provide some protection for getting stuff growing. Nature grows a lot of stuff without starting with bare dirt... Not saying that turning soil can't or won't work, but I had many years of successful food plots without turning an ounce of dirt as I didn't have access to equipment.

The clover patch these two does were shot out of looked just like the what you see behind them. Spread clover and cereal rye, sprayed the weeds, and packed 'em flat. The plot wouldn't make the cover of a magazine or a seed bag, but my boys and the deer didn't mind...

[Linked Image from live.staticflickr.com]DSCN2202 by Tyler Staggs, on [bleep]


Originally Posted by old_willys
So I seed then spray weed killer?
If you use glyphosate (Roundup) that will work. Some other weed killers can have a residual effect and can hamper germination. If you don't have a cultipacker or a lawnroller, just ride over the weeds until they are flat, but only AFTER spraying. You'll get stuff to grow, especially if you plant cereal rye, it's very easy to grow.

Last edited by pointer; 07/19/21.