Maintaining food plots is similar to managing a large residential property. Quality equipment, property management know-how, and time are needed to create a food plot that meets your hunting goals.
You must also know when to plant and what vegetation best supplements the local game’s diet, leading them to your food plots. In this article about mastering food plots, you’ll learn the following tips:
- Managing weed control in food plots
- How to supplement the local deer diet with food plots
- Professional lawn equipment that helps you create successful food plots.
Managing Weed Control in Food Plots
Weed control is one of the biggest jobs of a land manager and you need to know the best tips for controlling it in your food plots.
DeerCreekSeed.com says that the first question you must ask yourself as a land manager is, do the weeds in your brassica patch serve to bring more deer to your food plot or detract from it?
The article also encourages land managers to name what a weed problem means to them. For example, is it the end of the world if you have clover and reseeded buckwheat growing in your food plot?
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A food plot doesn’t serve the same purpose as a manicured lawn, so depending on your purposes and weed tolerance, you may let certain weeds grow in your supplemental food plot.
Granted, you don’t want noxious weeds to get a foothold in your food plots, but excess clover and buckwheat may enhance your brassica and soybean crops. Again, you’re not looking for perfection but the best way to bring more game to your food plots.
As a land manager, you need to decide how much money you’ll invest in your food plots, considering the benefits of these non-noxious weeds and the overall environmental impact of the plots.
The DeerCreekCo.com article also states that many weed seeds lie dormant in the ground for decades but will be activated by deep tilling. You need to manage weeds by not activating them with deep tilling and not expecting to get rid of them completely.
Managing food plots involves more than tilling and planting on the land, hoping it’ll attract a 10-point buck on day one of hunting season. Instead, you must commit to working on land that provides a supplemental diet for deer.
How to Supplement the Local Deer Diet with Food Plots
If you’re an avid hunter with a large property, including woodlands, you may want to create food plots that attract white-tail deer, wild turkeys, and other game.
The Illusion Hunting Systems’ article, 12 Ways to Make Your Food Plots Better Right Now, includes tips for developing food plots that best supplement deer and other game diets. Here are 10 of those tips to consider:
- Test your soil
Growing a food plot is similar to tending to your lawn and garden. Test the soil to determine what nutrients must be added and what pH is needed for a productive food plot.
Aim for a pH level of 6.0-7.0. If the soil is below 6.0, add pelletized or ag lime to “sweeten” the soil closer to the ideal pH level. If the soil is above 7.0 pH, you’ll need to add elemental sulfur to “sour” the soil back to the 6.0-7.0 pH range.
- Plant seeds that will nourish white-tail deer when food is scarce
Your food plots are supplemental nutrition for white-tail deer and other game you hope to attract. Use plants that provide a varied diet throughout the year. Plant brassicas, such as turnips and radishes, chicory, clover, peas, soybeans, and a variety of grains.
- Employ better planting using professional lawn products
When you plant seeds, ensure that there’s good seed-to-soil contact. First, you must prepare the food plot to receive seeds with aeration and keeping the soil wet without making it soggy.
Use spreaders, including handheld spreaders, to broadcast seeds in your food plots. Handheld spreaders work well for small food plots. Drop spreaders and broadcast spreaders work well for larger food plots.
- Add perennials to complement your food plots
Perennials, such as alfalfa, ryegrass, and white-dutch clover, provide regular nutrition to keep deer returning to your food plots.
Annual plants provide food early on, and perennials will provide food throughout the season and come up again the following year.
- Plant cover crops
Cover crops, including perennial ryegrass and grains like oats and rye, prevent soil erosion, reduce weeds, and improve soil health over the winter. You can also till these plants during the spring to boost soil nutrition.
While brassica and other annuals are only available during specific seasons, perennials, such as oats and rye, provide food all year.
- Overseed your food plots
Depending on where you live, you’ll overseed your lawn every fall or spring. The same timetable applies to your food plots—plant cool season plots in the fall and warm season plots in the spring.
Overseeding helps revitalize your food plots while filling in any bare spots. Before applying fresh seeds, you can mow or lightly till them. Spreaders will help you when overseeding your food plots, and lawn rollers improve seed-to-soil contact.
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- Go native to promote biodiversity
Planting natives and wildflowers will benefit your food plots and preserve biodiversity on your land. Not only do you want to attract pollinators and beneficial insects to your food plots, but the natives and wildflowers also add additional food sources.
Read more about the benefits of native plants for promoting biodiversity in this article.
- Break up a larger plot into smaller food plots
Maintaining smaller food plots is more accessible than maintaining one large plot, and you can strategize where to add them throughout your property.
When you spread out smaller food plots across your property, you’ll attract more deer because any hedges provide safety for them when entering grazing areas.
- Add water sources
When you build water sources near your food plots, you’ll attract thirsty deer. Your deer populations will grow, providing an improved hunting opportunity.
- Employ regular mowing and maintenance
Mow your food plots to keep weeds in check and to control plant heights. However, avoid mowing during early spring when deer need new plant growth for nutrition.
Professional Lawn Equipment That Helps Land Managers Create Successful Small Food Plots
If you grow many food plots scattered across your property to attract deer and other wild game, you’ll need professional lawn care equipment to help you build and maintain them.
Granted, you’ll need garden equipment, such as a chainsaw, cultipacker, disk, and a plow. Consider, however, using professional landscaping equipment that helps you with creating and maintaining food plots:
- Lawn rollers
Lawn rollers can be used instead of cultipackers for small food plots because they also break down soil clumps and provide a better seed-to-soil effect.
Spyker lawn rollers come in two sizes: the 18”x24” push/tow lawn roller and the 24”x36” tow-behind lawn roller. Both rollers have a heavy-duty, extra-thick poly drum that won’t dent or rust.
The 18”x24” lawn roller quickly switches from pushing to towing without needing any tools—the 24”x36” lawn roller repairs packed down sod, seed, and dirt.
- Sprayers
Our Spyker sprayers come in two models: a 9-gallon sprayer with a 62” boom and an 80” spray width that covers up to 30,000 sq. ft. per fill.
Our second sprayer is a 9-gallon drop-in sprayer with a 15” wand for hard-to-reach areas. Both sprayer models are compatible with Spyker and Lesco Spreaders.
- Spreaders
We have two types of Spyker spreaders to help you maintain your food plots: The Ergo-Pro spreaders, which have ergonomic adjustable handles, are impact-resistant and have a bridge-free hopper design.
Our Pro-Series spreaders include
- Handheld spreader
- 50 lb. Light-duty broadcast spreader
- Commercial drop spreader
- Ride-on spreader with Honda engine
- 120 lb. Commercial broadcast spreader
- 120 lb. Electric spreader
- 200 lb. Tow behind broadcast spreader.
Summing Up
The three most essential parts of managing a food plot on your property include
- Managing weed control
- How to plant supplemental nutrition for white-tail deer
- Professional lawn equipment that helps you manage small to large food plots.
It’s also better to break down a large plot into smaller food plots scattered throughout your property. Deer feel more secure going to a smaller food plot when hedges provide easy access for protection.
It’s also easier to maintain small food plots over a large one. You can buy professional landscaping equipment to control weeds and plant seeds in your food plots.
Buy Your Spyker Spreader Professional Landscaping Equipment to Manage Productive Food Plots
If you want to buy any Spyker Spreader lawn care equipment, you can find our products at a Spyker Spreader dealer near you, shop online, or visit the Spyker store.
If you have questions about your Spyker product, contact our customer service by filling out our contact form or by calling us at 1-800-972-6130, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
Sources:
DeerCreekSeed.com, Food Plots for Pros: Weed Management for Peak Production.
IllusionHuntingSystems.com, 12 Ways to Make Your Food Plots Better Right Now.
OhioLine.edu, Equipment Needed for Planting and Maintaining Food Plots.
PGC.PA.gov, Food Plots: Fall Food Plot Management.
