Small Deer Food Plots | Step 2: Selecting the Right Species and Planting Small Food Plots

Many deer and turkey hunters will be putting in food plots this month. The majority of these plots will be under an acre in size. A lot of advice is out there on what to plant in food plots, but a small percentage of that information deals with these small food plots. With the lack of information, deer hunters resort to buying a cheap throw and grow style food plot bag on the shelves of sporting goods stores. Most of these bags contain a mix of species that are no better than the weeds you will be combating in the plot. This year make a good decision with your food plots and go with the best species for small food plots.

What to Plant for Small Food Plot Success | Buck Advisors (video) - Small food plots (under an acre) are by far the most common food plot planted for wildlife. So what should you plant in small food plots to succeed? Here is our number one choice of species, the reasons why, and some other small food plot tips.

What Is The Best Food Plot Species For Small Food Plots

The best species for small food plots is white clover (Ladino or Durana). Either Ladino or its small leafed, but more aggressive spreading cousin Durana clover, are the king of small food plots. They are shade tolerant, heavy browse tolerant, extremely attractive, and easy to establish. These are all the requirements a small food plot species needs, and it excels far above all of these. With little work and preparation, these plots can be established as kill plots in small clearings, ground exposed on a recently open canopy, or on the edges of larger crop fields. Clover is one of the first food plot species to sprout and be full by springtime turkey hunting and is available through the majority of deer hunting season except for the late season months. These attributes make white clover an unbeatable species for small food plots.

The one downfall of planting clover in small food plots is an all too common mistake. Soil preparation and pH is often forgotten when establishing a small food plot, why? In order for a small food plot to be effective, they need to be where there is not a lot of human pressure, unfortunately, these are very hard to reach with equipment. The most that would be available in these scenarios would be a four-wheeler sprayer and planter, or a hand spreader and backpack sprayer. Most often amending the soil properly is not a choice but what food plotters end up doing with a lack of access and equipment. Luckily there are products specifically designed for the small food plotter in mind.

DeerGro’s PlotStart is a lime substitute that can be applied easily with a hand or backpack sprayer and adjusts soil health biologically and chemically, faster than a traditional lime application. If you are establishing small food plots this spring and fall, don’t just accept defeat, prepare and install your small food plot with the right species and right soil base to make an exceptional food plot in time for deer season. This video is part 2 of a 3 part series on small food plots.