Red clover for deer food plots: the full planting guide

Last updated 2026-07-25

what is a food plot and where does red clover fit in?

A food plot is a planted patch of forage on hunting land, usually somewhere between a quarter acre and a few acres, meant to feed deer and other wildlife and to concentrate animal activity somewhere you can watch or hunt it. Food plots aren't a wildlife management requirement anywhere, they're a land management tool landowners and lease-holders choose to use. State wildlife agencies generally treat plots as normal agriculture, not as bait, as long as you're not piling loose grain or feed on the ground; check your own state's baiting and feeding regulations before you plant or supplement, because rules vary a lot by state and even by county in places like Michigan and parts of the upper Midwest. Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is one of the most planted perennial legumes in food plot mixes, right up there with white clover and alfalfa. It's cheap, it's forgiving of mediocre soil, and it comes back year after year without replanting if you manage it. Compared to annuals like brassicas or cereal grains, clover is a long-term investment. You're not planting for one season, you're planting for three to five years of forage, sometimes longer with good soil and mowing. If you're building out a whole property plan rather than one field, it helps to think about clover as one piece of a rotation. See food plot whitetail for how perennials and annuals work together across a season.

do deer like clover, and how does red clover compare to white clover?

Typical stand life	2-4 years	3-5+ years
Growth habit	Upright, taller	Low, spreading
First-year tonnage	Higher	Lower
Grazing tolerance	Moderate	High
Seeding rate (pure stand)	8-12 lbs/acre	4-8 lbs/acre

Yes, deer like clover a lot, and it's one of the most consistently grazed food plot plants there is. Penn State Extension describes red clover as a productive, high-quality forage legume commonly used in wildlife plantings and notes it responds well to mowing that keeps it in vegetative growth. Red clover crude protein content typically runs 20-25% in vegetative growth stages, which is well above what most native browse offers during summer stress periods. Red clover versus white clover comes down to a few practical differences. White clover (the Ladino and common types) grows lower to the ground, tolerates closer grazing and mowing, and tends to persist longer under heavy deer pressure, sometimes 3-5+ years in a good stand. Red clover grows taller, produces more total tonnage per acre, and establishes faster in its first year, but it's shorter-lived, usually thinning out after 2-4 years even with decent care. Many food plot blends use both together. Red clover gives you fast tonnage and quick cover the first year, white clover fills in as the stand matures and carries it longer term. If deer pressure on your property is heavy, expect red clover to get grazed hard and possibly need reseeding sooner than the 3-5 year window you'd get on lighter pressure ground. | Trait | Red clover | White clover |

when to plant food plots for deer, in general terms?

Timing depends on whether you're planting a perennial (clover, alfalfa, chicory) or an annual (brassicas, cereal grains, sorghum), and on your USDA hardiness zone. Perennials like red clover generally go in during a spring planting window (after your last frost risk passes but before summer heat sets in) or a late summer window (roughly 60-90 days before your first fall frost, so the plant establishes before winter dormancy). Cool-season annuals like brassicas and cereal grains go in late summer to early fall. Warm-season annuals like sorghum and soybeans go in late spring once soil has warmed. Your local USDA Cooperative Extension office is the best source for exact dates, since frost dates and rainfall patterns swing widely even within one state. Extension services publish planting date charts by county in a lot of states, and Penn State Extension's forage guides break out cool-season legume and grain establishment windows by region of the state. As a rough national guide: red clover, frost-seed from late January through March depending on your zone, or plant late July through early September. Brassicas and turnips: late July through early September. Cereal grains like oats and wheat: late August through October. Warm-season plots like soybeans, cowpeas, and sorghum: May through June once soil hits about 60°F. For a broader rundown of species options by season, deer food plot seed covers the annual side of the rotation in more depth.

when to plant red clover specifically, by zone?

Red clover has two realistic planting windows: a dormant-season frost seeding, or a standard spring or late-summer seeding into prepared ground. Frost seeding works because the freeze-thaw cycle of late winter naturally works small clover seed into the soil surface without any tillage. You broadcast seed onto existing sod, snow, or bare ground sometime between late January and mid-March depending on latitude, and let frost heave do the planting for you. This works especially well overseeding into a thin existing clover or grass stand. Standard seeding into worked ground: in northern zones (roughly USDA zones 3-5, think Wisconsin, Minnesota, northern Michigan), plant red clover April through May, or August 1 through September 1. In transition zones (zones 6-7, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, most of the Midwest), plant March through April, or August 15 through October 1. In southern zones (zone 8 and warmer, Gulf Coast states), fall planting from September through November tends to work better than spring, since summer heat stresses young clover hard. Red clover germinates best when soil temps are between 40-85°F, and it needs consistent moisture for the first 2-3 weeks after seeding, so timing around a rain forecast matters more than hitting a calendar date exactly.

how do you plant red clover step by step?

Start with a soil test. Red clover wants soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5, and it will struggle badly below 5.5 because acidic soil ties up the phosphorus and molybdenum clover needs and can shut down the nitrogen-fixing nodules on its roots entirely. Your soil test lab is the authority on how much lime and fertilizer your specific field needs; a general article can't tell you that because lime requirements swing enormously by soil type and existing pH. University of Missouri Extension guidance on liming recommends applying lime months ahead of planting since it takes time to move through the soil profile and change pH ^[1]. Seedbed prep: clear existing vegetation, work up a firm, fine seedbed if drilling, or simply mow tight and expose soil if frost seeding. Red clover seed is tiny, roughly 250,000-300,000 seeds per pound, so planting depth is critical. Cover it no deeper than 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Planted too deep, red clover simply won't emerge. Seeding rate: 8-12 lbs per acre for a pure stand, or 4-8 lbs per acre if you're blending it with white clover or a grain nurse crop like oats. Broadcasting rates run higher than drilling rates because broadcast seed has worse seed-to-soil contact. Inoculant: red clover needs the correct rhizobium inoculant (clover-specific, not the same strain as soybeans) for its root nodules to fix nitrogen from the air. Skipping inoculant on ground that's never grown clover before is one of the most common reasons a new stand looks yellow and weak all season. Fertility after establishment: because clover fixes its own nitrogen, you generally don't need to add more N once it's established, and doing so can just feed weed competition. Phosphorus and potassium, though, should follow your soil test recommendations, since clover pulls a lot of both, especially if you're cutting hay off it or deer are grazing it hard.

how do you maintain a red clover plot once it's established?

Mow it. Clipping red clover down to 4-6 inches a few times a growing season keeps it from getting stemmy, knocks back weed competition, and pushes the plant back into tender vegetative regrowth that deer actually prefer over mature, woody clover. Penn State Extension's red clover guidance suggests mowing whenever growth gets tall and stemmy or whenever weeds start to get ahead of the clover canopy. Spray if you need to. Clover tolerates several grass-selective herbicides (like clethodim products) that kill grassy weeds without hurting the clover, since clover is a broadleaf. Broadleaf herbicides will kill your clover along with the weeds, so read labels carefully; this is a spot where a lot of first-timers accidentally wipe out a stand they spent money establishing. Retest soil every 2-3 years. Clover pulls potassium hard, and a stand that looked great in year one can decline by year three simply from nutrient drawdown, not from age or deer pressure. A cheap soil test (often $10-20 through a state land-grant lab) tells you exactly what to add instead of guessing. Overseed as it thins. Because red clover naturally declines after 2-4 years, frost-seeding a light rate of fresh red or white clover seed into an aging stand every other winter keeps density up without a full replant.

do deer eat sorghum, and how does it compare as a plot choice?

Yes, deer eat sorghum, particularly the standing grain heads in fall and winter, and they'll also browse the leaves some through summer. Grain sorghum (milo) is mostly planted for its standing grain value late in the season and for cover, not as a high-preference summer forage the way clover or soybeans are. The USDA NRCS plant guide for sorghum lists it as valuable wildlife food, particularly for its winter grain persistence standing in the field after other annuals have been grazed out or frosted down ^[2]. Where sorghum fits differently than red clover: it's a warm-season annual, planted May through June, and it needs replanting every year. It's a good complement to a clover plot rather than a replacement, since it gives you standing grain cover into late winter when your clover is dormant. A lot of Midwest and Southern food plotters run sorghum or milo as one component in a fall/winter blend alongside brassicas, while keeping a separate perennial clover field running year-round nearby.

when to plant oats for deer, and how do they pair with clover?

Oats are a cool-season annual grain, typically planted late August through October in most whitetail range, timed so they establish before the first hard frost and provide tender green forage through fall into early winter. Penn State Extension's forage planting guidance places oats in this same late-summer window alongside other cereal grains and brassicas. Oats are often used as a nurse crop when establishing red clover from a late-summer seeding. The oats germinate fast, giving deer something to graze and giving the field some quick cover, while the slower-establishing clover seedlings get going underneath, protected some from weed competition and erosion. Once the oats mature or get frosted out, the clover is left to carry the field the following spring. This combo works well specifically because oats winterkill in most of the whitetail range, opening the canopy back up for clover without you having to do anything.

when to plant turnips for deer, and should you plant them near a clover field?

Turnips are a cool-season brassica, planted roughly late July through early September, giving them enough of a head start to bulb up before frost. Deer generally ignore turnip bulbs and even the leaves early on, then switch hard to eating both after a few frosts convert starches in the plant to sugars, which is why turnip plots often look untouched in September and get hammered in December . Turnips don't need to go anywhere near your clover field, and honestly, planting them in the same plot as an established perennial clover stand is a mistake, since you'd have to till up the clover to plant the turnips. Better move: keep turnips and other annual brassicas in a separate rotation field, and let your clover run as a standalone perennial plot elsewhere on the property. If you're deciding how to split acreage between perennials and annuals, deer food plots walks through that kind of whole-property planning.

what are deer's favorite foods, and where does clover rank?

There's no single scientific ranking of deer's absolute favorite food, because preference shifts by season, region, and what else is available, but clover shows up near the top of almost every food plot preference list published by state agencies and universities. Native browse (like blackberry, greenbrier, and various forbs) and acorns are what deer eat most of the time in the wild, especially in fall when hard mast is dropping, since acorns are extremely high in fat and carbohydrate . Among planted food plot species, clover, soybeans, and cowpeas consistently rank as high-preference summer forages in extension trials, while brassicas and cereal grains take over as the preferred choice once cold weather hits and sugars concentrate in those plants . So "favorite food" really depends on the month. Spring and summer, it's clover and soybeans. Late fall and winter, it's acorns where available, plus frosted brassicas and standing grain. One thing that shows up in casual conversation but isn't a real food plot question: do deer like honey? There's no research or wildlife agency guidance suggesting honey is a meaningful deer attractant or food source, and it's not something extension services or state agencies discuss in food plot or deer nutrition material. Deer are herbivores built around browse, forbs, and mast; honey isn't part of any published deer diet study we could find. Skip it.

Frequently asked questions

do deer eat sorghum?

Yes. Deer browse sorghum leaves in summer and eat the standing grain heads through fall and winter. USDA NRCS lists sorghum as valuable wildlife food, mainly for its late-season grain persistence rather than as a top summer forage choice like clover or soybeans.

do deer eat clover?

Yes, heavily. Clover is one of the most consistently preferred food plot forages for whitetail deer across seasons, according to university extension research, with red clover offering roughly 20-25% crude protein during active growth, well above most native browse.

when to plant deer food plots?

It depends on species. Perennials like red clover go in spring or late summer (roughly August 1-September 1 in most zones). Cool-season annuals (brassicas, oats, wheat) go in late July through October. Warm-season annuals (soybeans, sorghum) go in May through June once soil hits about 60°F.

do deer like clover?

Yes. Clover ranks among the top preferred food plot plants in extension research, grazed heavily from spring green-up through fall, and it's one of the few plot species deer will return to repeatedly across an entire growing season rather than just one part of it.

when to plant oats for deer?

Plant oats late August through October in most whitetail range, timed to establish before your first hard frost. Oats are often used as a fast-germinating nurse crop over a late-summer red clover seeding, since they winterkill and open the canopy back up in spring.

when to plant food plots for deer generally?

Perennials (clover, chicory, alfalfa): spring or late summer. Cool-season annuals (brassicas, cereal grains): late July through October. Warm-season annuals (soybeans, sorghum, cowpeas): May through June. Exact dates depend on your USDA hardiness zone and local frost dates, so check your state extension's planting calendar.

when to plant turnips for deer?

Plant turnips late July through early September so they have time to bulb up before frost. Deer often ignore turnips until after a few hard frosts convert plant starches to sugars, so don't judge a turnip plot's success until December in most zones.

what is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted area, usually a quarter acre to several acres, seeded with forage crops to feed deer and other wildlife and concentrate their activity somewhere huntable. It's a voluntary land management tool, not a legal requirement, and most states regulate it separately from baiting.

what are deer's favorite foods?

It changes by season. Spring and summer, deer favor clover, soybeans, and cowpeas. Fall, they shift to acorns where available. Late fall and winter, frosted brassicas and standing cereal grain become top choices as sugars concentrate in cold-stressed plants.

do deer like honey?

There's no wildlife agency or university research suggesting honey is a meaningful deer food or attractant. Deer are herbivores adapted to browse, forbs, and mast, and honey doesn't appear in published deer diet studies. It's not something worth planting or using in a food plot program.

how long does a red clover food plot last before you have to replant?

A red clover stand typically holds up 2-4 years before thinning out significantly, shorter than white clover's 3-5+ year run. Overseeding a light rate of fresh clover seed by frost-seeding every other winter extends the productive life of the stand without a full replant.

what soil pH does red clover need?

Red clover grows best with soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Below 5.5, acidic soil ties up phosphorus and can shut down the nitrogen-fixing nodules on the clover's roots, leading to weak, yellow growth even with good seed and planting technique.

can you plant red clover with oats or another nurse crop?

Yes, this is common practice. Oats germinate fast and give quick cover and grazing while slower-establishing clover seedlings get going underneath. Oats typically winterkill over winter in most whitetail range, leaving the clover stand to take over the field the following spring.

is red clover better than white clover for a food plot?

Neither is strictly better; they serve different roles. Red clover establishes faster and produces more first-year tonnage but persists only 2-4 years. White clover grows lower, tolerates heavier grazing, and often lasts 3-5+ years. Many blends plant both together.

Sources

1. University of Missouri Extension, Publication G9101, Soil Acidity and Liming: Lime should be applied well ahead of planting since it takes time to change soil pH
2. USDA NRCS, Plant Guide: Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor): Sorghum grain is a valuable standing winter food source for wildlife including deer
3. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Acorns and White-tailed Deer: Acorns and native browse make up the majority of deer diet seasonally, especially fall mast
4. USDA NRCS Plant Guide - Red Clover (Trifolium pratense): Red clover's growth habits, adaptation zones, and use in wildlife plantings.
5. University of Georgia Extension: Recommendations on planting brassicas like turnips near legume food plots for deer forage diversity.