If you own or can borrow a tractor and disc, churning the soil gives a satisfying feeling as you create a seed bed that seemingly can’t fail. Less obvious are the tons of weed seeds lying dormant in the ground that have suddenly surfaced, will sprout, and compete with your deer crop for dominance. No-till planting often involves using chemicals to kill a cover crop and provide thatch for planted vegetation, while disking relies on soil disruption to keep weeds at bay.
Location, Location, Location
Where you create a food plot can dictate the type of planting you choose. Backwoods spots may be difficult or impossible to access with farm machinery, especially in mountainous regions. Small ATV implements or hand tools like rakes and string trimmers can work without significant soil disruption in those situations. Cost is a factor as well. Our hunt club went all-in on food plots a few years ago, but after spending nearly $100,000.00 on machinery and $500 per acre for corn seed, we quickly learned that the results were not sustainable.
The No-Till Option