Management Keys To Long Term Food Plots | OutDoors Unlimited Media and Magazine

Enhance the wildlife selection or improve the hunting ground in your pasture by following some key steps to developing a food plot. Considering seedbed preparation, seed selection and planting schedule will provide quality forages to wildlife through all hunting seasons. “Food plots take year-round maintenance and management,” explained Mike Massey with Ragan & Massey. “When I work with customers wanting to start or rehabilitate a food plot, the first thing I tell them is that this is not an area you plant and forget.”

Food Plot Seedbed Preparation
“It’s not hard to prepare a seedbed for a food plot, but it’s just as easy to make mistakes that can cost you quality forage production,” said Massey.

Once the area has been cleared of major limbs or other material, a soil test is one of the first elements to complete. Massey said a soil test will tell you the amount of fertilizer needed to gain the most forage production. He added that when working with landowners and the budgets allocated for food plots, he counsels them to spend the majority of the budget on fertilizer, ensuring there are adequate nutrients available to the plant.

“A good fertilization program is one key to food plot success,” stated Massey. “We recommend working with your local extension office to ensure you have adequate nutrients available and are applying the right type of fertilizer for the soil type.”

One of the most common issues Massey reported seeing in food plots was the seed being planted too deep. The soil in a food plot typically is worked with a small harrow, but that soil can be overworked, causing the seedbed to become too deep.

“The seed only needs about a half-inch-deep seedbed,” stated Massey. “Working the soil once with a small harrow behind an ATV or other small vehicle is all that is needed to prepare the seedbed. There is no need to harrow in the seed after it has been planted as this only increases the depth of the seedbed, making it too soft and essentially burying the seed.”

Adequate soil moisture is another consideration when preparing the seedbed. Massey recommends that once the seedbed is prepared, producers should go ahead and sow the seed, even if it appears the ground is dry and there is no moisture in the forecast. The seed will be safe on the ground until the next rain, giving it the edge it needs to germinate properly.

Seed Selection
When looking for a seed for your food plot, find a brand such as PlotSpike^® from Ragan & Massey that has proven forage growth capabilities and contains no fillers. Often, seed will be advertised to have an inoculant coating, which may add up to 50 percent of the seed weight. Massey recommends looking at the weight inoculants make up in the bag of seed, as the weight of these fillers ultimately reduces the amount of seed.

Planting Schedule
“We receive a lot of questions about whether a perennial or annual seed should be used and when to plant a food plot,” commented Massey. “We suggest using an annual seed as it adds more forage (feedstuff) to the plot, and regularly planting seed to keep the food plot lush.” Massey added that several of the PlotSpike varieties are cold tolerant in certain regions of the country, meaning they will continue to produce through cold weather conditions. In addition, PlotSpike varieties have been grown in all regions of the country.

In the late summer and early fall months, PlotSpike Forage Oats is a high-quality seed that can be planted in food plots. This seed produces large amounts of quality forage, continuing to grow until consecutive days of below freezing temperatures.

“The PlotSpike Forage Oats seed is produced specifically for food plots, producing a high-quality forage that wildlife eat and enjoy really well,” stated Massey. “It’s also cold tolerant, so it will continue to produce well into the fall when colder temperatures prevail.”

Whether you’re looking to enjoy increased wildlife on your small acreage or improve a deer hunting food plot, following a few key management tips will keep the wildlife coming to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

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