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Wildlife Food Plot
Planting Tips
Take a Soil Sample:
It is very important to have your soil professionally tested.
This service is available through the County Agriculture Agent in most areas of
the United States.
1. You will need a different sample for each food plot area. A separate test
should be performed when soil changes color or consistency.
2. Each sample should be a made up of three or more samplings from the same food
plot area.
3. Dig just below the mulch layer and take a clump of soil that does not contain
mulch. Repeat several times in each area; mix the samples together to get a good
representation of the soil in the food plot area.
4. Have both pH and fertilizer test done so that you can target your problems.
Clearly note that you are planting a Food Plot for Wildlife or list the
ingredients in the mix selected
(Brassicas, Clovers &
Chicory).
Soil pH and Fertilizer:
In order to grow strong and healthy... plants need food! The main
method of providing food to your plants is achieved by adding fertilizer to the
soil. Soil pH regulates how much of the food the plants can eat by locking up
the food in a strong chemical bond when the pH is low (below 6) or when the pH
is high (above 8). Soil pH is extremely important since the pH of the soil helps
determine if the plants can metabolize the fertilizer in the soil and therefore
determines if the plants can grow.
Many people continue to fertilize a poorly performing food plot by simply adding
more fertilizer! Actually what is needed is to release the food by solving the
pH problem. Over time, low pH problems can be resolved by adding 2,000 lbs of
lime per acre, which will raise the pH one point. Unfortunately lime does not
immediately fix low pH problems. It often takes up to 6 months to achieve its
full effect. High pH problems are not very common but can be corrected by adding
Sulfates to the soil. It is important to read the planting instructions for each
seed mixture to find the fertilizer recommendations and the recommended pH
levels for each Harvest seed mix.
For a quicker way to raise the ph of your soil you can use
Gain Soil Neutralizer
This product is used either before or after you plant your wildlife food plot.
It will last one application and it is dispersed using an
ATV Sprayer mixed
with water. This is a very lost cost alternative to liming a food plot.
Knowing How Deep To Plant Your
Seeds:
Many times seeds do not get the opportunity to grow because they
are planted too deep. It is very important to read the planting instructions on
the back of all Harvest packages or in each product section in the catalog to
determine the proper planting depth for your seed mixture. It is easy to plant
too deep unintentionally, since small seeds tend to work their way deep into
loose soil. Once small seeds fall deep into the soil, they cannot germinate.
This can be prevented by lightly packing your soil before planting using a culti-packer
or by running over the plot with an ATV. Always pack the seed bed after disking
and before planting. Poorly disked seed beds with large clumps of dirt should
still be packed and smoothed before planting. This will reduce the natural
tendency of the small seeds to move deeper into the soil.
Preparation of the soil or seed bed is crucial to the success of your food plot.
The objective for every food plot should be to achieve a seed bed that is
1. Free from weeds
2. Disked 4 to 6 deep
3. Has all large soil clumps broken down
Click Here For Food
Plot Seed
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