Food plots have always been a double-edged sword for me. On one hand, I appreciate how they enhance the overall value of my hunting property, provide food for wildlife, and allow me to enjoy working with the soil. On the other hand, I dislike that there’s always more work to do and new lessons to learn, especially after experiencing failures.
After my first fall planting of plots in 2023, I faced several challenges that pushed me to make adjustments to ensure success. I hope you can learn from my mistakes so that your plots become a source of joy rather than frustration.
During the first year I created food plots on my property, I hired a company to clear the areas in the middle of my woods. The workers followed my plan perfectly, allowing me to seed the plots and watch them grow. That fall, the weather was ideal, with plenty of rain to nourish the clover, chicory, and oats I planted. Deer flocked to the plots, and in late October, I harvested my top “Hit List” buck. I was proud of the plots I had created and couldn’t believe how smoothly everything came together. I eagerly anticipated frost seeding my plots the following spring.
I frost-seeded my plots, and everything seemed to be doing well initially. Throughout the summer, we received plenty of rain, but when I checked my plots, I noticed a significant amount of moss growing in them. I was uncertain why the moss had taken over since all of my soil samples showed good conditions. I reached out to a few friends for advice, and they determined that the plots were not receiving enough light, which allowed the moss to thrive in the rainy, shaded environment. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much I could do until the following year, so I began contacting foresters to see who could help me open up the canopy and allow more sunlight to reach my plots.
I contacted Mike Hart, a forester/logger, to help me open up the canopy and cut down some trees on my property. He arrived in mid-April and handled the task with ease. Mike skillfully laid the trees exactly where I wanted them and ensured that there were open areas for deer to move through. As a result, my plots will now receive enough sunlight to keep the moss under control.
This spring was particularly wet in Northwest Pennsylvania. By late May, I was finally able to spray all of my existing plots to prepare them for planting. After waiting two weeks, I used my harrow to drag the plots and create a proper seedbed. Once the plots were cleared, I filled my sprayer with some excellent products from Soil Pro Outdoors. I purchased the 1-acre package, which included: SP-Prime, SP-Enhance, SP-Energy, SP-Compost, and SP-Launch. These liquid-based products work together to balance the soil naturally. After spraying my plots, I planted buckwheat and Deep Woods seeds from Killer Food Plot Seed Company. Now, I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for good weather.
The plots were thriving. My buckwheat was coming in nicely, and the deer were heavily frequenting the Deep Woods area. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I could plant my fall seed blends and crimp the buckwheat. I ordered Crop Duster, Resurrection Clover, Carnage Brassicas, and Chicory from Killer Food Plots and awaited the arrival of the seeds. My goal was to complete all the work by the end of July or early August.
On August 1st, I went to my property to plant seeds for my fall plots. Using an electric spreader made the job easy. I walked through my buckwheat plots, spreading the seeds evenly. I hoped the seeds would make good contact with the soil and that the buckwheat would crimp easily.
The heavy cultipacker efficiently crimped the buckwheat, producing excellent results. After crimping the buckwheat, I sprayed the entire area with Roundup. The buckwheat will help protect the new seeds as they germinate and will eventually decompose to enrich the soil. This is my first time trying no-till buckwheat, and I’m hoping it works out well.
I have planted the seeds and crimped the buckwheat, so now I am at the mercy of the weather. Looking ahead at the seven-day forecast, the temperatures seem manageable, but there is little chance of rain. Fortunately, I can use my sprayer to water the plots if I need to provide moisture for the seeds. I’m excited to try this method, but I do feel nervous about the weather and the turkeys that like to visit the plot. The last thing I want is a drought or for the turkeys to eat the seeds.