Soybean food plots hold their own and have a significant role in food plot programs, however, every or or even 1-acre plot is often not that place. The best time to plant a spring food plot is typically in late-April to early-May, depending on your location. Kent began a 30-year career with Georgia DNR in 1976, most of it as a Senior Wildlife Biologist. Also, by keeping your food plots from growing too much during May, June and July, you can experience some outstanding herd building and hunting season success, that may create opportunities that you had previously never imagined. September historically has been the driest month of the year. Explodes growing environment with highly-desired nutritional supplements necessary to maximize growth and yield. and milk production of does, critical fawn birth weights and fawn rate of This dead matter acts as a mulch that helps seeds germinate without discing and is a great no-till option. Fuller and healthier plots for increased nutrients to grow bigger bucks. small woodland food plot. poor enough to cause nutritional stress for deer. Contact your local There are also some newer farming practices that allow winter grains to nearly mature in the spring. More >> More Episodes. These plantings explode out of the ground, so hunters can start hunting over those plantings within a month - if deer seasons are open. All potential food plot plantings apply to the North . While some may invest the time into doing the appropriate soil test, they often fail in amending the soil to which the food plot receives the benefits. Provide more essential nutrients for antler and body growth of deer. include alfalfa, white clover, red clover, arrowleaf clover, corn, grain I recommend grain sorghum mixed with soybeans, cowpeas (catjang, red ripper, These two times are in the spring before large-scale ag is planted, and the early fall, when soybeans turn and the summer food source pattern of deer switches to their fall home range. grazing pressure. Young tender leaves and leaves While I used this article to highlight some common problems youll face when planting summer food plots, my intent is not to deter you from summer planting. Plan for planting 60 to 90 days before the first frost. This distress comes in two forms, one competition with weeds and two individual plant health. This often ends in hunter frustration or worse, a failed food plot and hunting season. Email: info@deerassociation.com. Clover is probably the one, most favored, food plot seed (if you had to pick just one). in wildlife biology from University of Georgia in 1975. When to plant Clover Plus. and hold deer. | In 2000, he received the Southeastern Directors Wildlife Biologist of the Year award, being the first ever recipient from Georgia. PlotBoost, a food plot enhancement spray can be directly mixed into the tank with herbicides to prevent and boost plants beyond the yield drag effects of an application. Here at BioLogic, we have a blend called Guides Choice, which is a very economical choice for duck planting. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. down the road). Clermont, GA 30527, Palatability/Digestibility/Nutrient Content, www.messinawildlife.com/plotsaverplus.shtml. Bowhunters then are scurrying to put in some type of deep-woods plot that may become a honey hole for taking whitetails up close and personal during bow season. At this time, weed growth is waning, and prior to planting clover you can aggressively control weeds with a herbicide, namely glyphosate. Mossy Oak. Kent has published over 50 scientific articles and over 350 popular articles mostly on deer. on, especially large migrating flocks of blackbirds in August. To order order a signed copy of this book contact Kent at [emailprotected] or order through his website: Kent Kammermeyer Photography by Dr. Aaron Adams. this sorghum (4.5-5 feet) helps with both shading weed competition and Chufa can also be broadcast planted into a well prepared seed bed. The plants feed millions of buffalo, elk, antelope, deer, small game, birds and the many species of microorganisms in the soil. Take a stroll through your seed and feed store in early spring potential to increase deer numbers or condition and create a total quality deer The deer are absolutely hammering the plots, too. If you live in the South, youll plant those clovers in the fall, like September or October, but if you live in the North, youll want to plant them the previous spring. cowpeas (five or more species of cowpeas are appropriate), soybeans, corn, They also resist frost. More and more hunters are using food plots to enhance their hunting property and their hunting hot spots. This blend has a great tolerance for producing tonnage even while being heavily browsed. Members of the page began answering my question and, to my horror, its pigweed! Postal Stamps issued to celebrate successful conservation efforts carried out by state and federal governments. If you planted a cover crop, mid- to late-summer in the northern half of the country and late-summer to early fall in the southern half is the time to terminate this and plant your hunting season plot. When planting for ducks, the main thing to remember is timing. Then use a no-till seed drill to drill seed directly into the soil. forages. Do you know what you should plant? Again they can act as the small food plot king, filling in attraction to micro hunting areas like a staging plot just before a large soybean or corn food plot. Deer eat the leaves of sunflowers in early summer and all wildlife relish the high-energy seeds in fall. Jared Van Hees Cover crops require no maintenance in summer, but perennial stands like clover and. Somebody is buying and planting these, And I suspect many of you do the same, so that'll be our focus here. So, if youre just looking for rough estimates for the most popular plantings, here it is. To prepare for the soil, the groundwork needs to be done. This might mean, depending on your property and the surrounding food source, investing in a fence and enhanced soil amending products. on your own property year round. According to Jared Van Hees of the Vitalize Seed Company, if you really want to get a jump start, try frost seeding perennials. A good rule of thumb is to pant your food plots at least 30-45 days before the first frost. Timing your planting for the summer months will provide food for pregnant does and antler-building protein for bucks. For summer stress areas Cowpea Food Plots. However, below where I list individual seed species, Ive tried to ballpark when to plant, but when in doubt, check the seed labels for your region! Theres another 1/2 -acre plot of PowerPlant that could literally be a poster child for the blend. maintaining very high production (4 to 6 tons of hay per year) and quality (20- This combo planting of Durana Clover and Chicory makes an excellent summer crop choice but there are lots of varieties besides clover to choose from. Clover is often easy to manage with herbicides and if planted with a perennial like ladino, can last many years. However, unlike fall plots where most weed competition is killed off by the first frost, summer plots take a vigilant eye to look after them and it will take some flexibility to react once you do see a weed problem. Decline in quality is accelerated or accentuated by drought, All you need to do is unlock(bio-activate) and recycle nutrients in the soil and from plant matter/crop residue and they will begin to park in space that hydrogen is occupying. While the hot summer sun is great for forage crops like soybeans, it's also great for warm-season weeds. Use either a cultipacker or simply run over it with vehicle or ATV tires to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. Fortunately, my experience as a land manager has prepared me to answer this question. If you have a high deer density on your land than you might want to consider only planting plots that are several acres in size so they dont get mowed down. at least 1.5% of your acreage in high quality agricultural food plots. MADE IN THE U.S.A., PlotStart targets the soil providing the most beneficial growing environment possible. The very best time to plant these crops is the day before a rain or during a rain. Watching the Weather Channel and knowing when the rain is arriving will get your green-field plantings out of the ground to produce food for deer and turkeys. I love summer food plots. Mossy Oak offers more insight into the benefits [] Im not worried though, weve planted PowerPlant in the past and have had plots grow like this only to be suddenly hammered by deer. The company then turned to their trusted friend, Dr. Mike Chamberlain, a renowned wild turkey researcher, for advice on where to donate the proceeds. The video below covers one such scenario that can create the ultimate late-season plot. A hardier plant like chicory will perform better under dry, hot conditions and provide food for deer when clover can't. For that reason, James said to plant a mix of different varieties in a . So, if you have all your seed bought, soil test done and lime and fertilizer ready, then when you do see that rain coming, youre ready to plant. frustrating or more preventable than planting the wrong plant species on the What about cereal grains? For those that dont know, pigweed is one of the few plants out there that has made a great reputation for being resistant to glyphosate. We will be planting buck wheat, clover, soy beans, . *Dont forget to check out my trilogy of "Advanced Whitetail Hunting, Food Plot and Habitat Books". Soybeans (Glycine max) are a warm-season annual legume and perhaps the most preferred summer forage for white-tailed deer. For some, food plot programs and soil health play an even bigger role than the strategy itself but often produce more results as they maximize a huge element in deer hunting successFOOD. He compiled, analyzed and modeled deer harvest data for 59 WMAs in Georgia. .Unfortunately, these are all questions that you need to answer, but may not want to spend the effort on when considering planting spring and summer food plots. They include clover, chicory, oats and alfalfa. We planted PowerPlant (forage soybeans, peas, sunflower and sunn hemp seeds) in our smaller plots. Its time to plant and manage summer food plots! Glyphosate is used to terminate crops in the plot before summer planting and is also used with glyphosate-resistant crops. All three are Timing depends on where you are, but most fall plots are planted in August or September. Alfalfas deep root system is vulnerable to drowning and loss of Sunnhemp is a great legume with deep roots that will fix Nitrogen, feed deer and provide cover. PlotBoost is absorbed by the plant to increase water uptake, and nutrient uptake, and fight yield dragging effects of an herbicide application. Try applying a ton/acre of sodium to a small area,(not a good idea) this is proof that pH is an indicator, not a result! Successful deer managers weight gain (for them it is the first and most important year of buck growth, They finish up making jokes about having a doe factory. For the past several years of experimenting with summer plots, Ive noticed that grasses have been our biggest weed problem, so the clethodim has worked great. Afternoon turkey hunting is notably less popular than early mornings. In 2010, he published his second book co-authored by Reggie Thackston entitled Deer & Turkey Management Beyond Food Plots. Seeds should be planted at a depth of about . clay cowpeas can be wiped out by heavy early grazing pressure within 30 days of Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. There are several commercial mixes of grain sorghum/legumes on the market but Life thrived on land that received just a few inches of rain every . percentage of cool to warm season plantings is a myth. Varieties such as Generally, no-till drilled seeding Whitetail Institute's PowerPlant is a blend of forage soybeans, peas, sunflower and sunn hemp. But I also saw my arch nemesis of summer food plots WEEDS! While we reserve the right to remove or modify comments at our sole discretion, the Sportsman's Guide does not bear any responsibility for user comments. So when I went to check on this field in mid-July, I was disgusted to see the field full of broadleaf weeds. Their main functions are to draw deer for harvest and provide nutrition. incorporated in a deer management system where cooperative farming agreements water table. He is currently a wildlife consultant with over 50 clients in the Southeast. If you havent planted corn or beans by by mid-summer, you need to either get going right away or change plans and plant something that matures faster. Almost any food plot planted as a summer supplement is subject In this episode, were talking with Luke Resop of Mississippi State University about prescribed fire. Jeremiah Doughty, From Field to Plate If you're looking for a delicious wild game recipe that you can impress with, this stuffed meatloaf one is a great contender. We are planting summer food plots for deer. fiber builds, digestibility wanes, protein declines, palatability becomes In the Deep South, hunters may not plant any of these seeds until August or early September. legumes whenever possible because they are high protein, have the ability to The sunn hemp and sunflower have grown up tall and the vining forage beans are absolutely climbing all over each other. And even if you use blends, you may want some individual plots that feature certain species. aeschynomene and alyceclover or mid-summer plots of buckwheat or cowpeas will In northern states, soil may not reach 60 degrees until the end of May or into June, which should be plenty of time for annuals like corn and beans to mature before hunting season. food supply for deer. Similarly, commercial seed products recommend following a soil test to enhance plant growth. Managers who use both hunting plots and feeding plots may plant 10 percent or more. PlotStart and PlotBoost in combination allow your food plots to achieve their full potential and maximum yields. Sorghum makes a high-energy grain that matures and becomes palatable to deer in the fall - when you want it. One author I read likes to mix winter wheat with brassicas for fall plots. the warm season everywhere except in drought years. . The perfect Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. There is nothing more However, clethodim wont kill broadleaf weeds. RR Eagle soybeans are After all of the frost danger has passed and soil temperatures have warmed, chufa should be planted in late spring or early summer. quality crops which fill the void created by low quality native vegetation. clover family) in food plots contain 20-30%. it! Here is a quick guide to all the useful information available on the NDA website to help you decide what to plant, and how to plant it. "At the soil level, you've got nothing but stalks and exposed . get their N from the soil where it is often limited and lots of N fertilizer is lose body weight even when forage quantity is high. Just as critical as having the right type of food-plot plantings and planting that food at the right time of the year is the third important ingredient - the weather. Corn is a highly requires a heavy application of nitrogen or poultry litter for proper growth We planted Eagle Seed Glyphosate Resistant soybeans (forage soybeans) in some bigger plots and Whitetail Institute PowerPlant, which consists of forage soybeans, peas, and a small percentage of sunflower and sunn hemp seeds that grows taller and acts as a structure plant for the vining legumes to climb. Moisture is the single most important factor in establishing successful summer food plots; without it the plants simply will not survive. Winter wheat is also cold tolerant and many plotters use this seed. Weeds will be dying, moisture will be on the increase and food plotting practitioners have plenty of months to prepare their next great food plot planting. A neutral pH of between 6.5 and 7.5 is critical to optimize your plots. This varies greatly from hunter to hunter, and even from property to property. Help us continue producing great, educational content by joining the National Deer Association or making a tax-deductible donation. I suggest, too, that you decide what kind of planting you plan to plant for the fall and buy the seed and fertilizer now. We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. This will change your food plots pH much quicker than lime, however, your plot will not do well because of the imbalance of Nutrients. When to Plant Spring Protein Peas Spring Protein Peas can be planted anytime in the spring or summer months. In 2005, he was awarded the Deer Management Career Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to White-tailed Deer Management in the Southeastern U.S. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. To keep your wildlife plots rich and green lasting until May, fertilize again in January with 70 units of nitrogen per acre. Wrong! highly digestible and low in fiber. times when your deer herd needs you the most! Again, in the Midwest, soybeans, and corn dominate the landscape. Dave's Famous! Now is the time to plant your spring and summer food plots, but do you know why? there are new solutions for this old problem! 2023 Grand View Outdoors All Rights Reserved naturalized vegetation for a while, but not always high enough or long enough. Thats why were talking about green-field plantings in June - to help you get ahead of the rush for seed and fertilizer and know when to plant for early bow season. Copyright - Whitetail Forage Technologies LLC |, DeerGro Food Plot Short Film | Head Start, Corn Versus Soybean Food Plots | The Debate. Depending on where you are, plant clovers from March to May (when a lot of clover is planted), and mid-August to mid-September. Wild Game Meatloaf Ingredients: 2 pounds ground meat (wild turkey, venison, beef, etc.) However, alfalfa definitely has its drawbacks. 5 Herbicides Every Deer Steward Should Know, Photo Gallery: Identifying the Most Wicked Warm-Season Weeds. deep tap root. This applies to alfalfa. Then a week later, I used an ATV sprayer to spray a 2 percent mix of glyphosate (same chemical in Roundup) on the plots to terminate them. Chufa should be planted at 1.5-2 inches soil depth. Popular perennials like clover and chicory only need contact with the soil to germinate, so they can be cast while the ground is still somewhat frozen. The first step is working out a timeline for when to plant deer food plots, whether we are talking annuals or perennialsand, for that, weve got you covered. Many summer food plots can also be useful in predicting early-fall buck movements, giving you an advantage in early archery seasons. clover, and Japanese honeysuckle were planted in the greatest acreage. If youve got old fields to plant, then you need to start early using herbicides to eliminate weeds, fescue, etc. You will be amazed at the wide plants 1 acre 25 lbs. the property, the deer herd, habitat quality, access to nearby agriculture and Sure we can give the healthy dosage of information that explains that bucks and lactating do need a very nutrient and protein-rich food source in the summer from growing antlers and raising fawns respectively, but who are you kidding? growing plants (see Table 1). Your neighbors AG fields, the hundreds of acres of soybeans or alfalfa fields, and the nutritious early succession growth the spring flourish provide often times is more than enough. For example, if you want your soybeans to mature in early October and they have a 90-day maturity, then late June or early July is your planting window. It just keeps producing new leaves where the deer nipped it off. It seems as if Im going to have to look at using a pre-emergent, and perhaps try a soybean that can withstand a broadleaf herbicide. That said, a 60-degree soil temperature is a safe bet and can be measured with a simple soil thermometer or typing in your zip code to a soil temperature map. See more about this later in this article. If this is news to you then you are in for a treat, if its not, you will still learn how these top 3 spring and summer food plots work together, and where they can fit in your food plot program. VIDEO: The Benefits of Grain Sorghum in Summer Blends, Tips for Mixing Corn and Soybeans in the Same Food Plots. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. The videos below cover the how-to and why on small clover food plots. winter stress areas is 70% cool and 30% warm plots. You can check these in your browser security settings. We have a brand-new food plot that is close to an acre in size and we planted it with the Eagle Seed soybeans. peas or beans including cowpeas and/or soybeans or spring planted plots of Phone: 1-800-209-DEER (3337) forages which are actively growing in fall (portions of winter) and early Benji Lilly caught the strikingly pale stocked trout Canada has seen a staggering rise in the Everything you need to know before hunting raccoons, Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. sorghum seed may last until winter before it is consumed by deer and turkeys. This graph shows how the spring and summer food plot program is incorporated and how it works in terms of food plot attraction and food availability. Also, the heaving of the soil as it freezes and thaws this time of year helps give seeds better soil contact. Id like to get some help from food plot management services in order to know more what I can do with the soil surrounding my home. Rain kicks your food plot off and helps the seeds to germinate. They are already blended so stay with one blend per plot. Use That is four 50-lb. This is where DeerGro fits in. These are corn food plots, soybean food plots, and clover food plots. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments. Even at their peak in spring, native plants contain 15% or less PennGrain DR, Pioneer 83G66, Asgrow A571 or Dekalb DKS54-00 are tall growing When daytime high temperatures reach 63-65 degrees Fahrenheit, seed and plant can be planted in the spring. 2. About three weeks later, I came back and disked the sprayed fields. And it makes a great out-of-the-box wild turkey recipe, too. Once youve established that the soil is warm enough to accept seed, the steps are to add the lime, disc it into the soil (if you havent already), add your determined mix of fertilizer, and then use a smoothing implement like a cultipacker or simple drag to create a good seed bed. Much like a farmer maximizing yield for harvest, hunters want to maximize yield to maximize the attraction and effectiveness of the late season. agricultural extension service for advice about alfalfa varieties and of N in addition to weed suppression and vertical structure. Your goals for summer and spring should not necessarily be to feed deer unless your population is significantly overflowing the carrying capacity (unhealthy deer, browse line, and other symptoms of a high deer population). Ill use my other food plots to plant. Its the opposite. Of course corn and beans need to planted in the Spring, so if they are a part of your overall food plot strategy then these varieties already need to be growing well by the middle of the Summer. You cannot assume that you can I have several friends who always add somechicory to their fall clover plots because it extends the life of the plot. He was designated a Certified Wildlife Biologist in 1979. Once the pods grow and brown up, deer will also readily consume them long into the winter. So again, figure this time period and count backwards to get your timing just right. again are best formulated by mixing legumes and grasses for both efficient use He earned his journalism degree at the University of Georgia. protein (it drops to less than 10% in late summer) while legumes (pea, bean and No abusive comments, threats, or personal attacks. At the very end is a super summary of food plot species profiles that tells you about each preferred seed, and when to plant depending on where you live. If drilling, plant approximately 20 pounds per acre. Consequently, Food plot fanatics also plant most soybeans in the spring, but let the deer do the harvesting. Deer managers must Go with forage-grade blends, bred for use by deer. Clover, red or white, comes in many different species and qualities that can be selected to fit your situation. As you know, farmers plant it in the spring and harvest it in the fall. A good backup plan is a fast-growing cereal grain like rye or oats that you can quickly get in the ground in early fall. Lets start with a quick and dirty timeline for different plants depending on where you live, and then well get into the nitty gritty after that. I encourage anyone who has the means and equipment to start planting summer crops for deer. Editors Note: This page is updated regularly as new summer food plot content is added to the NDA website. What is your food-to-cover ratio? With many food plotters beginning to think about controlling their food plots as the summer and more weeds arrive they will begin to wonder about those herbicides effects. Drought is bad news land managers, especially those in dry climates. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. native forages are low in energy and minerals for at least seven months of the Concentrate on planting millet, sorghum, corn and rice. They are growing exceptionally well, and there isnt any weed trouble. Adam Lewis Weeds are often the number one headache of land mangers growing summer food plots. Its time to go fishing and turkey hunting and forget about With this in mind, Ideally, these tests should be done in the fall, but even doing it in the early spring can really boost your plots potential. more valuable in the Adirondacks and Appalachians due to poor soil, mature What are the fundamentals of PlotStart? Just winter is by far the most limiting season due to cold temperatures causing early He is Co-editor and Co-author of the 2006 Quality Food Plots book published by QDMA. For example, I didnt mention alfalfa, a great source of protein. Corn When developing your own seed If land ownership prevents the establishment of food plots in ideal locations . Always inoculate legumes, never While the food plot species, food plot design, and food plot strategies are paid attention to, the food plot health and yield are often forgotten. Investing time, land, and money into a food plot program that works for and with your hunting strategy is often the goal. during grape and acorn drop and resist early browsing. and that pH is not a result, only an indicator of the lack of nutrients or abundance of nutrients in the soil. rye, ladino clover, corn, oats, ryegrass, grain sorghum, soybeans, crimson equipment. And with blends, you lessen the chance for plot failure. What do you do then? One logical stands in the weather, it gradually loses its tannins and becomes more palatable "Advanced Whitetail Hunting, Food Plot and Habitat Books".