Vet Judy

Have you ever wondered why everyone talking about deer food plots speaks about cool season and warm season annuals and then further complicates it with north and south, biennials and perennials.

Even more intimidating is the fact that there is no easy separation between these food plot plants in all areas. In other words, you have annuals that can act like perennials in the right areas and can be encouraged to reseed, but in other deer food plot regions reseeding is not viable. A plant may be an annual in one area a perennial somewhere else.

Seeding times may vary and are not as easy plant in the north on such and such a week and in the south do something different. Then there is the deep  south, mid south, regular south, south east, south west, the plains…..yikes. It is no wonder that things are a little confusing.

Mostly all coverage of the deer food plot plants is given in a list of plant profiles which give the technical classification. Occasionally you are lucky enough to have someone say north versus south. But that still leaves out east versus west.  Then you have acid versus basic soils, loamy versus sandy.

So you go online to find a seed mixture and notice that even though everyone is talking annual, perennial, biennial  all of these are in a mix together: now what is going on?

Here are some general concepts that may help you out:

The legume list for deer food plots and small game is the longest.

Legumes are almost always mixed with something else. AS a matter of a fact, in most cases food plots are a mixture of plants. It is important to remember that just because you want different plants in your plot thoughout the year, does not mean they have to seeded in the form of a mix.

 Here is a plot where rapeseed and chicory were planted  one in front of the other.  http://www.diydeerfoodplots.com/articles/5-steps-to-successful-fall-planting-of-whitetail-food-plots.html

My small grains, such as oats  I also do monoculture in some locations. Mixes were created for you to help ease the burden of decision making and improve your success but they are not necessary.

The “something else” that is mixed with legumes are

1.       small grains (oats,rye,wheat),

2.       annual grasses (annual ryegrass) , corn,  milo or grain sorghum

3.       brassicas (rapeseed, turnips, kale)

4.       other:  plants like buckwheat and chicory, vetches,

The legume and “other” choice for the food plots are based on

1.       season planting

2.       soil conditions(upland, bottomland, pH, moisture, wet lands, shady )

3.       when peak growth is preferred

4.       level of browse

5.       weed competition

6.       winter conditions

7.       equipment availability

8.       size of plot

9.       need for quick growth, recover crop, or targeting specific seasonal stresses.  

Although some legumes can stand acidic conditions, shady conditions, wet conditions, sandy soil etc, in general  food plot legumes do better in near neutral pH’s in well drained soil. 

Soybeans  are susceptible to overgrazing and therefore should not be used on small plots unless you have the ability to fence the areas off until they get established as deer tend to eat them immediately after germination and the weeds take the plot over.

Cool season Legumes are generally planted in the fall (Sept-Nov)

Warm season legumes are generally planted in the spring(Feb-June)

Both cool season and warm season plants are mixed together depending on the goals of the plot.

For example: buckwheat, alyceclover, American jointvetch are often combined with rape and forage turnips even though the last two are considered cool season annuals. The mix itself is considered warm season mix because it is predominantly warm season forages. It is planted early summer and will provide feed for early fall before mast is available.

Even perennials mixes often contain annual grains and rapeseed (brassica) because of the benefits of thse plants for protection nd cover while establishing alfalfa and ladino clover

Most legumes grow both north and south but sometimes perennials or biennials can become annuals depending on location and conditions.

The further north or south you go and the more severe temperatures are then the selection of plants can become narrower.

The deep south is the most difficult area because of the heat and moisture stress.

The far north only creates a problem when needing plants to overwinter and become active in the spring. In extreme far north conditions (when there is a lack of snow cover or inadequate cover crop protection, or prolonged severe temperatures) there may be some limitations if wanting to choose perennials or biennials. Successful deer food plotting in some regions is limited to cool season annual with rapid growth phases for late fall hunting or summer annuals for early fall hunting.

Cool season deer food plot forages are generally considered to be those plants that are planted in later summer, early fall or spring. They are great for whitetail deer, mule deer, turkeys etc. The plants  provide fall and winter deer food when the deer are under a significant amount of stress during the rut.  Those plants that are planted in fall but emerge in the spring are great for giving does additional support during lactation.

When considering using cool season deer forage in your food plots  generally all legumes should have a grain, annual ryegrass or rapeseed (brassica) mixed with them.

The cool season grass ( annual ryegrass)  and grains ( wheat, oats, rye)  have multiple functions in a food plot.

*help prevent erosion

*can compete effectively with deer food plot annual weeds

*grow quickly and therefore provide quick food supply for deer

* are a cover crop for the legumes which means they protect the legume through the winter and early spring when frost risk is high and allow for a good stand in the spring.

Commercial seed mixes for deer food plots generally have legumes, small grains, grasses and/or brassicas in them. It is not essential to use a mix. You can buy seed at a local distributor as well and mix the combinations yourself.

Just remember if you are going to use low till or no till strategies you have to stay with the small seeds as these are the ones that need very little soil coverage. With these small seeds the soil coverage is generally 1/4 inch or so, which lends itself to using a rake (if you are covering manually) or a drag behind an ATV. Very small seeds can also be mixed with sand in your seeder to help with even spreading, especially if they are to be planted as a monoculture (by themselves). 

When planting your food plot feel free to premix as mentioned above, mix your own and spread it that way, or plant as single culture patches. The advantage of planting several types of plants together is especially evident when you need a cover crop for your legumes. I have planted both ways though and had success in either strategy depending on the plot and the deer pressure.

The deer don’t care how the feed is presented so much as they care about their safety when getting to the food and also that it is tasty when they arrive.  

Fawn in clover stand above:

Clovers are where the deer plots craze started, and, for good reason.  Over time however, mixes and forages have changed, advanced and been created to provide specific deer plots needs and  functions. 

While fall deer attractants can provide a better hunting resource, and winter food availability in northern regions, clovers provide the optimum spring health development food source.  That is why they are an integral part of deer habitat management in most areas.

When considering a clover planting, you should plant as a blend.  The basic clovers are red, white and alsike.  While almost any clover will do well in the spring, a well-blended plot should perform well year-round under all but the most extreme conditions.  I have found a simple mix of three pounds per acre of each red clover, alsike and Ladino, a white clover, has worked well for me. 

Another reason you should consider clover in your food plot planting program, is clovers fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. 

Simply put, as the clover planting begins to deteriorate and weeds begin to take over your stand and you should consider rotating back into annual forages, such as chicory or rapeseed for a year or two. 

These Annual Forages need nitrogen in order to grow and reach their maximum potential.  The clover, once tilled under, will provide some of that nitrogen need in the soil, thus reducing your investment necessary for commercial fertilizer. 

clover is also easy to seed.  Just be sure the weeds are gone.  The site prep starts before planting.  If the site is following a year or two of Annual Forage, you would simply include a spraying of emerging weeds, usually this is about the middle of May, unless you are located far to the south.  A tillage pass should follow that application to bury any dead plant residue.  If more weeds emerge, a second spraying may be in order just prior to seeding. 

You could conduct a light tillage just before you put in your food plot seed.  I try and plant my clover paddocks the last week of May or 1^st week in June.  The seed can then be broadcasted, no need for a drill, and then just run a drag over it when you’re done seeding. 

Birdsfoot trefoil is a popular legume crop in many deer food plot plantings.

Each year, the University of Minnesota conducts field trials to evaluate different varieties of birdsfoot trefoil. Results from last season (2008) were released this past January and are available here (www.maes.umn.edu/09varietaltrials/birdsfoot.pdf).

For northern climates, winterhardiness is critical for a legume like birdsfoot trefoil. Winter injury can vary greatly between varieties.

The tests at Minnesota evaluated varieties for winter injury in 2004, and found no injury in the “Dawn,” “Georgia,” “Norcen” and “Nueltin” varieties. Minimal winter injury was found in the Viking and Roseau varieties in the 2004 test.

The highest yielding variety at the Grand Rapids, MN, test location in 2008 Minnesota trials was a variety called Witt. However, a winterhardy rating for Witt was not listed in the report. The “Dawn” variety of birdsfoot trefoil was the second highest yielding, and has exhibited good winterhardiness.

For the past three years, Minnesota’s reports have recommended the “Norcen” variety of birdsfoot trefoil as an ideal, winterhardy variety performing well in grazing trials.

These test results from Minnesota illustrate the sound information that is available to evaluate varieties for deer food plot plantings. One of the most common mistakes made in deer food plots is planting varieties better suited to another growing zone. As seen by the birdsfoot trefoil test, some varieties that yield very well in both southern and northern zones may not have the winterhardiness needed for the kind of climate and conditions in northern regions.

Always be sure to verify that the crop varieties you are planting in your deer food plot are suitable to your climate.

For All The ABC’s of deer food Plots check out the resources at www.diydeerfoodplots.com

Should you need information on Soybeans, forage oats, rapeseed, chicory and ryegrass, be sure to read the free article.

Controlling perennial weeds in food plots, with expansive root systems can be very challenging and you usually have to use all control methods at your disposal.

Remember three key words: mow, till and spray!

In the case of bracken fern, if it is coming out of the woods and into the plot, it will likely take years of effort consistently applied. Try cutting and spraying, but don’t get your hopes too high in eliminating it. It is almost impossible to eliminate when originating from nearby woods, but steady vigilance may help you keep it from overtaking your plot.

In a food plot environment, a writer for our website www.diydeerfoodplots.com, recommended the following approach. 

He sprays in the fall the first year, when the plant is still green so it pulls some of the chemical into the root system. Then he uses a tillage in the spring to remove the foliage and spray the regrowth. He is back at it after the emergence has died with yet another tillage. Then he sprays regrowth again.  So, three spraying the first year, fall and two spring-early summer application. 

He then plants an annual species like chicory, rapeseed or forage oats. Check out our tips on annuals at www.diydeerfoodplots.com/articles/7bv78nn.html

For those of you with deer food plots, you may need to plant only Annual Forages on that plot for two or three years using multiple spring and early summer chemical applications to get control of the fern.

If you have had bracken fern or other perennial weed problems it is best to get started early this year with an early mowing, or a hard tillage pass - literally working the area hard followed by a chemical application after a good six inches of regrowth or so.

Colin, had the following comments to add to my previous post on bracken fern control: It is doubtful whether or not you can get the type of tillage completed, for that first pass anyway, with four-wheeler attachments.  This will take a larger tractor and heavy tillage equipment - like a moldboard plow or a ripper.  Then till the area again, which four-wheeler and attachments may work, as the second pass shouldn’t need to be as extensive and then spray the re-growth again. 

Your client could then plant an Annual Forage in late July or the first week of August.  Due to the root system nature of this plant they will have to do the same thing next year again.  It will take a dedicated effort of weed control and using an Annual Forage for the first two years, at least.  I wouldn’t fertilize yet, and just get what you can from the annual.  If you fertilize it may stimulate further weed growth.