Help me plan a food plot

[returnofsid]

Our family has 36 acres, in southern Pend Oreille County, divided into 3X12 acre plots.  I'm planning a food plot on one of these 12 acre sections.  This section consists of an upper portion that's treed, a lower treed portion, and old pasture in the middle.  I'd like to turn 1-2 acres of the old pasture into a food plot.  Currently, the area I'm considering, due to it's proximity to several trees that work well for tree stands, is old cattle pasture, though it hasn't held any cattle in several years, a lot of wild daisies and WEEDS...LOTS of WEEDS, including Knap Weed.

This is an old family farm but we no longer have any farm equipment, so I'd have to beg/borrow or rent any needed equipment.

Should I:

1. Round Up the 1-2 acre area then till it?
2. Round Up and burn it off?
3. Just till it?
4. Disc it?

Remember, I'd need to rent any equipment needed

As far as what to plant and when to plant it, I'm completely open to suggestions!

I'm considering, but open to suggestions:
Soybeans
Sainfoin
Clover
Some type of Brassica or something in the Beet root family

I'd like this to be a long term food plot and will eventually add a few apple trees as well.

I'd like the food plot to eventually benefit deer from spring through early winter, not just during hunting season.

I'm willing to plant multiple types of plant, even at multiple times of year, if it means that I'll have beneficial forage throughout spring, summer, fall and into early winter.

Any and ALL suggestions are welcome!

[returnofsid]

Are we talking like 12" high weeds or 4 foot high weeds? If its not too high and thick you should be ok with round up and tilling. What is the soil like? Good top soil, or lots of clay or something? Does it stay moist, or really wet, or dry out real bad? Do you plan on watering it if need be? I would try to plant something that does well in your soil conditions. You will get the best results if you test the ph level and add lime if need be to reach the ph levels that are best suited for what you are planting. At the very least I would add fertilizer when planting.

Right now, there's still some snow on the field.  In the middle of summer, the weeds grow to about 3' tall, the wild daisies, to about 3' as well. I figured, whatever I do, whether Round Up or till, or both, I'd do it as soon as the weeds start growing, while they're still short.

The soil has been quite productive in the past and I believe it to still be fertile, good soil.  It stays moderately moist until the heat of summer, but I do have the ability to run sprinklers.

In the past, this soil grew Clover and Timothy for hay, quite well.  I suppose I should get the soil tested and make any PH adjustments needed.  I do plan to fertilize while planting.

[jasnt]

I live just south of Pend Oreille county line. I been doing food plots for 4years now. Last year I switched to imperial white tail clover and also extreme.  The clover was a huge hit till about late November. Then they switched to the extreme. still eating on it but starting to go back to the clover now that snow is all gone. I recomend round up then till. Don't skip the soil test!!!!!!
It may be fine but just cause it grew good hay dosent mean it's ok for quality food plot. I had to add quite a bit of lime and nitrogen. I irrigate during the summer months.

[jasnt]

I have tried several bag mixes. So far the best results I've had have been from whitetail institute. My uncle turn me on to them after a very disappointment from bio-logic. He grows alpha rack alfalfa. His place is in elk.

[returnofsid]

Great suggestions and input so far!  Thanks so much!  Deer Park and Elk, environmentally, would be very similar to my location.  Success in both of those areas is great to hear! 

[jasnt]

With all the alfalfa fields around me, I was skeptical that a food plot would do anything to bring deer to my little 10 acre corner. But I was wrong. I watch deer walk right past the trails to the alfalfa fields and head straight to my plots!  I put in a water hole as well. It gets filled while sprinklers are on. In 2013 I ran 2 cams on my plots. On single pic mode I got over 30,000 pics of deer in my plots.  I have seen and improvement in deer health and way more deer than I thought were in my area. I have many year round deer I call residents and get some extras in late summer that I dont recognize.