I have poor ground for a plot but am interested to see if there’s anything out there that I might be able to use with some success.

Pretty thick timber-not a lot of sunshine and I have about zero tools to work the ground.

I’ve thought about turnips but past that I don’t know.

My usable, hunting area is all timber (I’m not complaining)

Thanks

I've had good results with the Whitetail Institute's "No-Till" mix.
Says it's annual seed, but we get growth the 2nd year out of it if we spring/fall spread it on a 1/4 acre of semi-woodsy, partially open area around one of our stands.. The beets in it come up nice after the first freeze.

We have another stand that started with a tilled plot, now well-established red clover and chicory. We'll still throw 5-10lbs of the No-Till on it around Labor Day to give it a little kick.

Thanks

Not exactly thro and gro, but turnips have done well for me with minimal prep.

One piece of advice.  Even if you won't do a full soil test, do at least a basic soil acid test.  Trust me. Ive seen more than a few places and soils where the test results show a VERY acid soil.  If that is the case, you have two options:  Invest a ton of time, money and sweat into changing soil acidity with a ton (literally, usually more) of lime.  Or simply walking away and finding another plot with better soils.  If your soils are super acidic, don't bother trying a food plot.  Its purely a waste of time and money....

Good advice.  Thanks.

It’s very very rocky where I’m at.

Not a lot of sunlight.

Don’t know how conducive my ground would be for a plot.

If its exceptionally rocky, and soils are "thin", its really not unusual to have highly acid soils.  I had mine tested.   Once the recommendations came in, and I saw what sort of insane amounts of lime I would have needed, I simply abandoned that site and looked elsewhere.  The  acidity explained why all previous efforts at food plots were a failure.

For what its worth, I moved to another site, maybe 90 yards away.  Not as pretty, not as "this would be awesome for deer" looking.  However, soils were almost neutral. Instead of the top of a rocky knoll, this new plot was predominantly clays and silts and much lower.  And instead of failures, I had bumper crops of wonderful brassicas and turnips...

It sounds to me like you intended site is a total looser, from a food plot perspective.  No soils, rocky, treed, no sunlight.  I know a bag of seed is only $40, but I suspect its wasted effort.  Find somewhere else where plants can actually grow. The deer will find it...

If you do find decent soils, an afternoon with a chainsaw can really open it up...

Like stated above, you could probably find a suitable spot within 100-200 yards.
As long as that spot is along an established route between bedding, good cover, water, etc, you can setup along the transit routes and not the plot itself.
Ideally, you'd want to be able to see the route(s) and the plot, but in many cases, being along the path works just as well.

I've had luck in one location setting a stand up on a rocky knoll overlooking several small "plots" that were nothing more than 30' circles of green scattered in 3 directions around it.
Kinda like little snack bars for any deer cruising by.

All good advice.   Appreciated.

I may in fact be chasing a lost cause based on what I’m reading from you fellas.

Thin soil, rocky, not a lot of light.   May just stick with minerals and my corn, protein pellet feeders until season hits.

First step is to get a soil sample. Free or very inexpensive from most university extension offices.

This article from QDMA will be a good start for the following.

Roundup followed by clover broadcast seeding would require minimal equipment to get things started. Leaf blowing before seeding would be even better for soil contact. Once the clover sprouts, hit the plot with Sethoxydim or Clethodim to kill off any pop up grass weeds when they hit about 8”.

White clover & brassica (rape, radish, turnip) thrive in shade.

Get on Dr Grant Woods YouTube channel GrowingDeerTV. Watch a few of his clover food plot videos for more info.

I suggest giving winter rye a shot.  It is inexpensive and is literally throw and grow.  it is nothing fancy but the wildlife do like it.

WE make our little “kill plots” about 30 yds by 30yds with winter wheat, and some 12-12-12. Throw in some lime once in a while. This is in the Missouri Ozarks, basically grows in rock. Nothing but dense forest no ag for miles.  Plant sept 15 and pray for rain. Some years they work great some years ok.

They always have deer  sign around them so I believe in them.