Food Plot Enhancement Options

By Charles J. Alsheimer

To make a good thing better, four things can be practiced when it comes to maintaining clover food plots (along with Alfa-Rack Plus and Extreme) – fertilization, spraying for weeds, periodic mowing and frost seeding.

Fertilization: To maintain healthy plants with the highest protein level, clover food plots should receive a “fertilizer drink” at least once each growing season. For my food plots – in New York – this means mid-May (just after spring green-up) and/or mid-August. To eliminate fertilizer burn, it’s important to work the fertilizer applications around rainfalls. Be sure to match the fertilizer to the forage. Because clover fixes (makes) its own nitrogen, a 0-15-15 or 0-20-20 fertilizer is the most common. Because I want tonnage, I normally apply 400-plus pounds to the acre.

Spraying for weeds: Food plots are expensive. For this reason I try to get 4-5 years out of my clover food plots. This requires periodic spraying for grass weeds. The best time to spray is just after green-up, before the grasses get 6-8 inches tall. Once the weeds get taller, it will be tough to control their growth. I’ve found that diligent spraying with Arrest and/or Slay each spring adds longevity to clover plots.

Periodic mowing: Not only will periodic mowing help to control weeds but it will also keep the protein level of clover high. For best results, try to keep the clover plots between 8-12 inces tall. If they are allowed to grow taller, the lignin level rises (making it less attractive to deer) and the protein level will fall.

Because cutting puts stresses on the plant, making it temporarily less attractive to deer, try not to cut all of a given clover plot at one time. I’ve found that the best way to do the mowing is by cutting a third to a half at a time. If drought conditions are present, don’t cut the plot until you know rains are in the forecast because you don’t want to put any more stress on the plants than is necessary.

Frost seeding: When the last snows fall, I head to my clover plots to spread a fine layer of clover seed on top of the snow. As the snows melt, the seed seeps into the soil as the frost heaves, causing a natural planting. In the process, the new plants that will grow from the seed fill in any voids that may occur with aging, dying plants. Frost seeding is a tried and true Northern strategy for better, longer lasting food plots. Southern hunters often do not have the proper conditions for frost seeding. Frost seeding is not needed until plots begin to hit the 3-year-old mark and older and is not as effective for Extreme as it is for Imperial Clover and Alfa-Rack Plus. Frost seeding can be a cheap way to help extend the life of the plot by several years.