Posted: February 24, 2025 | Forestry Education
Planting food plots late summer into early fall is a big deal for hunters. It’s all about getting things ready for the season, attracting deer, and making sure they’ve got a steady food source. But, as with anything, it’s best to plan ahead so you don’t run into headaches when it’s go-time. Here’s a few things to keep in mind.
A lot of hunters only use their tractors and gear once or twice a year, and then it sits collecting dust (or weeds). If you wait until the weekend you’re planting to check things out, you’re asking for trouble. Bearings, tires, belts, fluids—check it all beforehand so you’re not dealing with a busted tractor when you should be planting.
Planting times depend on where you live. A hunter in Minnesota has a way different timeline than someone down in Mississippi. Brassicas, for example, should be planted in July up north but not until late September in the South. If you plant too early or too late, you’ll end up with a plot that doesn’t perform as well as it could.
If you’ve got warm-season crops like beans or peas that are still producing, but it’s time to get ready for fall, don’t tear everything up all at once. Try leaving a strip standing while prepping the rest of the field for cool-season crops. Once frost takes out the warm-season plants, you can come in with fast-growing grains like wheat or oats to keep food available.
A lot of guys show up to plant and find their plots full of tall weeds and grass. The issue isn’t really the weeds—it’s what happens when you try to till all that green material into the soil right before planting. The best approach? Cut and spray at least a few weeks ahead of time. A non-selective herbicide dries things out and makes tilling easier, plus it cuts down on weed competition.
A good seed bed can make or break a food plot. Small seeds like clover and brassicas need to be planted no deeper than ¼ inch, but if your soil is too loose, they’ll get buried too deep and won’t germinate well. After tilling, run a cultipacker over the field to firm up the soil. After broadcasting the seed, cultipack again to ensure good soil contact and moisture retention.
A lot of hunters ask, “What fertilizer should I use?” The answer starts with a soil test. If your pH is off, most of your fertilizer is going to waste. A soil with a pH of 5.0 is way too acidic, and you’ll lose 60-70% of the fertilizer’s effectiveness. Fixing soil pH with lime is a way better investment than dumping extra fertilizer into bad soil. Lime takes time to work, so the sooner you add it, the better.
Fertilizer, on the other hand, should be worked in right before or at planting time. Nitrogen-heavy fertilizers like 34-0-0 break down fast, especially in hot and humid weather, so waiting until planting to apply gives you the most bang for your buck.
Getting food plots in shape takes some planning, but a little effort upfront saves a ton of frustration later. Keep your gear running, time your planting for your region, handle warm-season plots smartly, and don’t ignore soil health. Do it right, and you’ll have better results when hunting season rolls around.