What Should I Plant?

Answers to the Number-One Food Plot Question

By WHITETAIL INSTITUTE STAFF

In modern deer hunting culture, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would question the value of planting food plots, much less not knowing what a food plot is. However, back in the mid-1980’s many, if not most, of the deer hunting public was completely unfamiliar with the “food plot” concept. Terminology such as soil pH, cultipackers and perennials was foreign vocabulary to the average deer hunter.

 But then the Whitetail Institute was founded. The Institute’s philosophy was that the quality and/or quantity of a deer herd could be improved by planting specific forages designed to increase the nutritional plain of that deer herd. Intensive research conducted at the Whitetail Institute lead to the introduction of revolutionary deer forage blends such as Imperial Whitetail Clover and Imperial Extreme. The success of these and other Institute products along with an exhaustive informational and educational campaign slowly began to bring about a change of thinking among deer hunters and managers. It was realized that instead of just planting something to attract deer, now you could plant something that attracts and improves the overall quality of the herd. As this momentum grew, what is now called “the Food Plot Revolution” began. 

It’s safe to say that, unless you have been hiding under the proverbial rock, you are probably familiar with food plots and the tremendous results they can provide. The next obvious question then is, “What should I plant?” Without exception, this is the most common question asked by both experienced and novice food plotters. And, when you step back and look at all the options available, there is little wonder why this question ranks at the very top of the list.      

To really figure out which food plot product is the right one to plant, you must first understand that there is no one “best” product to plant for every situation. Instead, you need to analyze all the factors that would be involved in planting a particular food plot in a particular situation and then match them to the product that would work “best”. In other words, look at food plot products as tools. No one tool is the best tool for every job. If you need to drive a nail then use a hammer. Even though a pipe wrench may “kind of” work to drive the nail, the hammer would work better. On the other hand the only thing the hammer would be good for if a leaky pipe fitting needed tightened would be to bash the heck out of it when you have lost your patience with the job. Sometimes different tools can be used for the same job but normally, there is one tool in particular that will be the most effective.

To identify the best food plot product to use given the parameters you are faced with, we must first identify the questions we need to ask ourselves. Even though the list of questions can be endless, let’s examine the four most common you will need to answer before deciding what type of food plot to plant. 

Perennial or Annual?

Perennials: A perennial is a type of plant that does not have to reseed itself in order to grow and produce for multiple years. In fact, even in the colder northern climates a perennial does not actually die but simply goes dormant with the winter’s freezing temperatures. Imperial Whitetail Clover usually stays green even under the snow. Sometimes it may look brown on top of the ground but the roots are still alive. In warmer southern climates, a perennial such as Imperial Whitetail Clover can stay green and growing year-round. 

Perennials are typically the backbone of most food plot programs. They supply a consistent, constant food source for most, if not all, of the year. Using a consistent perennial food source such as Chicory Plus or Alfa-Rack Plus helps to hold deer on a property at the same time providing a high level of nutrition. In most management programs, at least 60% of the total food plot acres should be planted in perennials. These perennial food plots will supply the bulk of food over the course of the year; and because perennials typically have good re-growth, a high percentage of perennials will also help to alleviate over-grazing problems. The Whitetail Institute has several perennials to choose from including Imperial Whitetail Clover, Alfa-Rack Plus, Chicory Plus and Extreme. Deciding which one to use will be discussed later in this article. Here are a few things to consider if you plant a perennial; typically more ground preparation is needed when planting, establishment takes a little longer than annuals and maintenance is necessary for optimal production. 

Perennials from the Whitetail Institute: Imperial Whitetail Clover, Alfa-Rack, Plus, Extreme and Chicory Plus.

Annuals: At first glance, you may ask yourself why any one would ever choose an annual over a perennial. But further investigation shows that each can be used for specific purposes. Annuals are very fast growing and can be used to complement your perennial food plots. Where perennials are considered the main entrée, annuals should be considered as side dishes. For instance, let’s say you want to plant a food plot that will be at its most attractive during the fall and winter months and at the same time supply nutrition during this time of year. You may want to take a look at planting a brassica product like Imperial Winter Greens. Maybe you are looking for a food plot that will supply large quantities of protein-rich food during the dry summer months. In this case, a drought and browse-tolerant spring and summer annual such as Imperial Power Plant would be your best choice. Yet another example of how an annual can be used is in a situation where you would like to plant a food plot in an area where tillage equipment would be impossible to use. Because many annuals can be planted with minimal tillage, a product such as Imperial No-Plow would be the product of choice. As you can see, annuals can make great complementary plots to your perennials.

Annuals available from the Whitetail Institute: No-Plow, Secret Spot and Secret Spot XL, Winter-Greens and Power Plant.

Equipment or No Equipment?

After you ask yourself whether you want to plant a perennial or annual, the next question is whether you will be able to get tillage equipment to where you want to plant your food plot. Oftentimes, the best locations for food plots are in areas inaccessible to a tractor and disk. If you find yourself in a situation like this, you must choose a food plot product that is designed for no-tillage or minimal tillage. 

No-Till or minimum tillage food plot products available from the Whitetail Institute: No-Plow, Secret Spot and Secret Spot XL and Extreme.

Food Plots available from the Whitetail Institute that require tillage: Imperial Whitetail Clover, Alfa-Rack, Chicory Plus, Power Plant, Winter-Greens.

What are Soil Conditions?

All the questions you need to ask yourself when deciding what to plant in a particular food plot are important. One of the most important, but often overlooked or not even considered, is the question of what type of soil conditions will you be planting your food plot in. It is not necessary to know the exact name of the type of soil but rather the general characteristics of the soil located in the particular food plot. The two main characteristics to be concerned with is the soil pH and the capacity of the soil to hold or drain moisture. 

Soil pH: In general, most food plot plantings perform best when planted in soils with a neutral pH that range from 6.5 to 7.5. Many, if not most, soils tend to be low in pH and must be neutralized with the addition of lime. Taking a soil sample will tell you exactly what the pH of your soil is and how much lime is needed to neutralize that soil. When adding lime remember that neutralization of the soil takes time. Lime neutralizes soil by coming into direct physical contact with the soil. It takes time for the lime to work its way down into the soil. In fact, a common rule of thumb is that it takes six months for the lime to have its full effect. Therefore, if you have a soil pH of 5.3 and the soil test results advise the addition of three tons of lime to the acre, do not expect to be able to apply the lime and seed immediately. With excessively low soil pH, you may need to apply lime over the course of six to 18 months while planting a food plot product that is not as sensitive to soil pH. Once the soil has been neutralized, then the plot can be planted with a product that requires a higher pH.

Food plot products available from the Whitetail Institute requiring a 6.5-7.5 pH for optimal production: Imperial Whitetail Clover, Alfa-Rack Plus, Chicory Plus, Winter-Greens and Power Plant.

Food plot products available from the Whitetail Institute requiring a minimum of 5.5 pH: Extreme, No-Plow, Secret Spot and Secret Spot XL

Are Soils Well-Drained or Do They Hold Water?

While pH is often overlooked, determining what food plot to plant based on the soil’s water-holding characteristics is many times not even considered. Most forages prefer one type of soil or another— either one that is well-drained or one that holds moisture. This is normally determined by the root structure of the plant. In general, long, deep-rooted forages prefer well drained soils while plants with creeping, shallow roots prefer soils that hold moisture. For example, Imperial Whitetail Clover has been bred to have a shallow, creeping root system. This creeping root system allows the Imperial Whitetail Clover to thicken over time. Because its roots are shallow, Imperial Whitetail Clover produces best in a heavy soil that holds moisture. If you have two areas where you are planting Imperial Whitetail Clover and one is a low lying area with heavy soil and the other is a sloping hillside with light, well-drained soil, the low lying area will most certainly produce the best. It has nothing to do with the food plot product itself, but has everything to do with what type of soil you are planting in. In contrast, Extreme produces best in soils that are well drained. There are exceptions, however, with food plot products that can be planted in either type of soil. These food plot products have been designed to be versatile and because of the specific blend of different forage types, the products can be planted in a wider variety of soil types.

Food plot products available from the Whitetail Institute requiring soils that hold moisture: Imperial Whitetail Clover

Food plot products available from the Whitetail Institute requiring soils that are well-drained: Extreme, Alfa-Rack Plus, Power Plant and Winter-Greens.

Food plot products available from the Whitetail Institute that can be planted in either soil type: No-Plow, Secret Spot and Secret Spot XL and Chicory Plus.

What Will the Food Plot Product be Used for?

 The final consideration in your choice of food plot is to determine its purpose. Do you want to plant a food plot with the main goal of supplying a high-protein food source thru the antler-growing season with the added goal of being attractive for hunting purposes? Maybe you want a food plot designed primarily for use during the fall and winter for both nutrition and attraction. I have alluded to a few examples of this earlier but let’s define the choices in greater detail. All the perennial food plots offered by the Whitetail Institute provide high levels of nutrition during the critical months of spring and summer. They are also attractive during the hunting season.  However, if you are more interested in planting a particular food plot designed primarily for fall and winter, you may take a look at Winter-Greens or No-Plow.  This combination of perennials and annuals strategically planted to match your goals and planting conditions can give you the diversity and specificity to result in tremendous improvements in your deer herd and hunting experience.

Food plot product designed for spring and summer antler growth along with attraction during hunting season: Imperial Whitetail Clover, Chicory Plus, Extreme and Alfa-Rack Plus.

Food plot products designed for primarily fall and winter Usage: Winter-Greens, Secret Spot and Secret Spot XL and No-Plow.

Food plot products designed for spring, summer and early fall usage: Power Plant.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the number-one question that is asked by deer hunters and managers is “which product should I plant” or “which product is the best to plant?” The answer is, “It depends.” All of the products designed by the Whitetail Institute are highly nutritious and highly attractive. They are also tools to be used with independent characteristics that lend themselves to a particular planting situation. When you stand and survey a new or existing food plot area, ask yourself the above questions. The answers will lead you to the product that will give you the results you are looking for. Bigger and better deer!