Best time to plant food plots in georgia

Last updated 2026-07-26

when to plant deer food plots in georgia

Georgia has two real planting windows, not one. Fall/cool-season plots (clover, wheat, oats, brassicas, cereal rye) go in the ground from mid-September through early November, timed so seedlings get established before the first hard frost but still catch fall rain. Spring/warm-season plots (soybeans, cowpeas, corn, grain sorghum) go in from mid-April through early July, after soil temperatures warm up and the frost risk is gone. Georgia spans three rough climate zones for planting purposes: the mountains and upper Piedmont (north Georgia), the middle Piedmont, and the coastal plain (south Georgia). The University of Georgia Extension publishes frost date guidance by region, and that's the real driver of your planting calendar, more than the calendar month itself ^[1]. North Georgia counties like Rabun or Union see average first frost in mid-October, while deep south Georgia counties like Thomas or Brooks often don't see frost until mid-November ^[1]. The practical rule: fall plots need 40 to 60 days of growing season before a killing frost to get established and produce browse volume. Work backward from your county's average first frost date and that tells you your planting deadline. If you want a planting calendar built around your specific county and soil test, that's exactly what a food plot whitetail plan should account for instead of a generic national chart.

what is a food plot

A food plot is a planted opening, usually somewhere between a quarter acre and several acres, seeded with forage crops to give deer (and often turkey, dove, or other wildlife) a concentrated, high quality food source on a property. It's not the same as a wildlife opening left to grow up in weeds, and it's not the same as broadcasting bait. Most hunters plant one of two plot types: annual plots (replanted every year, often brassicas, cereal grains, or soybeans) and perennial plots (clover or chicory stands that persist 3 to 5 years with proper mowing and fertility). A well-run property usually runs both, annuals for tonnage and perennials for low-maintenance year-round groceries. The goal isn't just to attract deer for a hunt. Good plots supplement natural browse during stress periods, late summer drought, hard winters, or the post-rut recovery period, when native forage quality drops. Georgia's DNR Wildlife Resources Division treats food plots as one tool in a broader habitat management approach, alongside timber management and prescribed fire, not a replacement for either. Check Georgia's baiting and feeding regulations before you plant anything intended to concentrate deer for hunting over it. Georgia DNR prohibits hunting over bait for deer in most cases, and the legal definition of what counts as bait versus a planted food plot matters. A properly planted and maintained food plot is not considered bait under Georgia law, but piled or broadcast grain is ^[2]. Read the current regulation text yourself before season; don't rely on secondhand summaries.

when to plant oats for deer in georgia

Plant oats in Georgia between September 15 and November 1, with the sweet spot landing in late September to mid-October across most of the state. Oats are a cool-season annual, and they're one of the most forgiving, cheapest food plot options going. UGA Extension recommends fall oat planting dates of September 15 through October 15 for grain production in Georgia, and food plot timing tracks close to that same window since you want establishment before frost slows growth ^[3]. Oats germinate fast, usually 5 to 7 days in warm, moist September soil, and deer hit young oat shoots hard. The tradeoff is winterkill. Oats aren't as cold-hardy as wheat or cereal rye, and a hard freeze below about 10 to 20 degrees F can kill an oat stand outright depending on growth stage. In the north Georgia mountains, mix oats with wheat or rye so you've got a backup if a January cold snap wipes out the oats. South Georgia growers get a longer working window and can push oat planting into early November in a mild year, but earlier is safer. Don't wait past the first week of November anywhere in the state; you're racing daylight and soil temperature at that point, more than frost.

when to plant turnips for deer in georgia

Plant turnips and other brassicas in Georgia between mid-August and late September, earlier than most other fall plot species. Turnips need 80 to 90 days to bulb out properly, and that bulb development is what makes them valuable as a late-season, post-frost food source, since frost converts starches to sugars and makes the bulbs and tops more palatable to deer. That long growing requirement means south Georgia hunters have more room to plant into September, while north Georgia hunters should aim for the first half of August to guarantee bulb maturity before a hard freeze locks up growth. If you plant turnips too late, you'll get leafy tops but no real bulb, which cuts your late-season tonnage significantly. One honest caveat: turnips and other brassicas are a classic pattern of low use early, then heavy use after the first hard frost. Don't panic in October if deer are ignoring a turnip plot; that's normal. The payoff comes in December and January when native browse is thin and a frosted turnip plot becomes one of the best calorie sources on the property. Brassicas also need real fertility. They're heavy nitrogen feeders, and without adequate N your bulbs stay small. This is a place where guessing costs you a season; a soil test tells you exactly what your specific field needs, and your soil test lab's fertilizer recommendation should be the final word, not a bag label average.

do deer eat clover, and when should you plant it

Yes, clover is one of the most consistently preferred food plot forages for whitetail deer, and research backs that up, more than plot lore. Clover shows up repeatedly in food plot preference studies as one of the top-selected forages when deer have a choice among plot species ^[4]. It's high in crude protein, often 20 to 30 percent in a well-fertilized stand, and it regrows fast under grazing pressure, which matters because deer hammer clover hard once they find it. In Georgia, plant clover in one of two windows. Fall planting, September 15 through November 1, is the more common and more reliable choice, since fall-seeded clover establishes through cooler, wetter conditions and avoids competing with summer weed pressure. Spring planting, February 15 through April 1, works too, particularly in south Georgia, but you're fighting weed germination the whole first season. Clover is a perennial investment. A good stand of ladino or red clover, properly limed (most clover wants soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5) and maintained, will produce for 3 to 5 years with annual mowing and a fertility top-up. That makes the upfront establishment cost worth it compared to replanting an annual plot every single year. If you're comparing deer food plot seed options for a perennial plot, clover blends are usually the highest value per dollar over a multi-year stand life, assuming your soil pH is corrected first. Lime is slow to move through soil, so if your test calls for lime, get it down months before you plant, not the same week.

do deer like clover more than other plot species

In most head-to-head preference studies and in practical field observation, clover ranks at or near the top, but it's not universal, and deer preference shifts by season and by what else is available on the landscape. A Mississippi State University deer nutrition study and similar forage preference work note that legumes like clover and soybeans consistently rank high in deer diet selection studies during the growing season, largely because of protein content ^[4]. That said, "favorite" isn't fixed. During acorn drop in October and November, deer will walk past a clover plot to hit a white oak flat, every time. Preference is need-based and season-based, not a fixed hierarchy. Clover wins in summer stress periods and early fall. Standing corn, soybeans, or brassicas often win in late fall and winter when tonnage and calories matter more than protein percentage. The practical takeaway: don't build a one-species program. A property with clover for spring/summer protein, soybeans or corn for fall energy, and brassicas for winter is doing more for the deer herd, and giving you more consistent hunting opportunity, than an all-clover approach.

do deer eat sorghum

Yes, deer eat grain sorghum, both the standing grain heads and the young foliage, though it's generally considered a secondary food plot species rather than a first choice. Sorghum (milo) is planted as a summer annual, typically April through June in Georgia, and it's valued more for its drought tolerance and its role as a cover/screening crop and a late-season grain source for deer and turkey than as a primary attractant. Whitetail deer will browse young sorghum shoots, and they'll feed on the grain heads once they mature and dry down in late summer and fall, similar to how they use standing corn. Sorghum is notably more drought tolerant than corn, which makes it a reasonable pick for sandy coastal plain soils in south Georgia or for growers who can't irrigate. Where sorghum earns its keep in a Georgia plot plan is as part of a mix, blended with cowpeas or soybeans for a summer plot that gives you both browse (legumes) and standing grain (sorghum) into fall. Planting it alone as a pure stand is rarely the best use of the acreage compared to a legume-forward summer blend.

what are deer's favorite foods

Whitetail deer preference shifts by season, but across food plot species, legumes (clover, soybeans, cowpeas) and acorns consistently rank as the most preferred, highest-use forages, largely driven by protein and fat content. Acorns aren't a plot crop, but they matter for this conversation because they beat almost every planted forage during a heavy drop year, which is exactly why plot activity can go quiet in October in oak-heavy country. Among plantable crops, the rough hierarchy most habitat biologists and extension agronomists point to is legumes and soybeans first for growing-season protein, brassicas and cereal grains for late-season energy and cold tolerance, and grain crops like corn and sorghum as standing tonnage that carries into winter. Preference also depends heavily on what else is available; deer on a property with poor native browse will hit almost anything you plant, while deer surrounded by high-quality natural forage can be surprisingly selective. One more honest point: individual deer, like individual properties, show variation. Preference research is based on average selection across herds and trial plots, not a guarantee for your specific fifteen acres. If you want species picks matched to your region and goals rather than a generic list, deer food plots covers species selection in more depth.

do deer like honey

There's no real research or practical basis for deer seeking out honey, and it's not a food plot or attractant category worth spending money on. Deer are herbivores adapted to browse, forbs, mast, and grasses; wild honey and beehives aren't part of their natural diet or foraging behavior, and there's no wildlife agency or extension guidance recommending it as an attractant. What probably drives the question is confusion with commercial deer attractant products that use sweet, molasses-based, or scent-based liquids marketed under names that reference honey or sugar. Some of those products do get short-term interest from deer because of sugar content, similar to how deer will hit a dropped apple pile or a sugar beet plot. But that's a molasses/sugar response, not evidence deer have any particular preference for actual honey. If you're looking for a real sugar-driven late-season draw, sugar beets or brassicas with high bulb sugar content after a frost do far more work than any bottled attractant, and they're legal, cheap, and defensible as a planted plot rather than bait under most state rules, including Georgia's ^[2].

food plot planting calendar for georgia by region

North Georgia (mountains, upper Piedmont)	Sept 1 to Oct 15	May 1 to June 15
Middle Georgia (Piedmont, Fall Line)	Sept 15 to Oct 30	April 20 to July 1
South Georgia (coastal plain)	Oct 1 to Nov 15	April 10 to July 10	A few notes behind the table. North Georgia's shorter frost-free season pushes fall planting earlier and spring planting later. South Georgia's mild fall means you can plant clover and brassicas later into the year and still get establishment, but summer heat and drought risk also arrives earlier, which is why the spring window opens sooner there too. If your land straddles a zone boundary, or you're not sure which frost data applies, that's a case where a written plan pays for itself. PlotSeason's $99 one-time Custom Food Plot Plan builds a planting calendar around your county, acreage, and soil test results rather than a statewide average; it's general planning guidance, and your soil test lab remains the final word on lime and fertilizer rates for your specific field.

Georgia's three rough planting zones (mountains/north Piedmont, middle Georgia, coastal plain/south Georgia) shift the calendar by roughly two to three weeks in each direction, fall and spring. Use your specific county's average frost dates from UGA Extension rather than guessing off a statewide chart ^[1]. | Region | Fall plot window (clover, oats, brassicas, wheat) | Spring/summer plot window (soybeans, cowpeas, sorghum) |

how does a soil test change your planting timeline

A soil test doesn't change your planting calendar dates directly, frost and season length still set those, but it changes whether your planting date actually produces a usable plot. Lime takes months to fully react and move pH into the root zone, so if your test calls for 1 to 2 tons of lime per acre (a common recommendation on acidic Georgia soils), you need that lime down 3 to 6 months before planting, not the week before. UGA Extension's Soil, Plant and Water Lab processes food plot and forage soil samples and returns pH, phosphorus, potassium, and lime/fertilizer recommendations specific to the crop you tell them you're planting. That's a meaningfully different number for clover (which likes pH 6.0 to 6.5) versus brassicas (more tolerant, but still benefit from pH above 5.8) versus a native warm-season grass planting. Practically: pull your soil sample in early summer for a fall plot, or early fall for a spring plot, so lime has time to work before your planting window opens. Guessing on lime and fertilizer is one of the most common reasons a food plot underperforms even when the seed and the calendar date were both right.

what equipment do you actually need for these planting windows

You don't need a tractor and a no-till drill to hit these Georgia windows, but you do need enough equipment to get seed-to-soil contact and manage competition, and that changes by plot size and species. For small plots (under an acre) an ATV with a disc harrow or a hand-crank broadcast spreader, a cultipacker or drag, and a sprayer for burndown covers most of what you need. Brassicas and clover have small seed and need a shallow, firm seedbed, broadcast and cultipack, don't bury them deep. Oats, wheat, and soybeans want to be drilled or disced in slightly deeper, generally a half inch to an inch and a half depending on species and seed size; check the bag tag, it's usually right. Timing equipment access matters as much as timing the seed. If you're renting a disc or borrowing a drill from a neighbor, book it two to three weeks ahead of your target planting date. Waiting until the week you want to plant, only to find the equipment's not available, is one of the most common reasons Georgia hunters miss their fall window entirely and end up planting three weeks late into cooling, drying soil. For a broader rundown of seed types and blends worth stocking for these windows, see food plot seed and domain food plot seed.

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum in food plots?

Yes. Deer browse young sorghum foliage and eat the mature grain heads, similar to standing corn. It's best used blended with cowpeas or soybeans in a summer plot rather than planted alone, since it's more valued for drought tolerance and late-season grain than as a top attractant species.

Do deer eat clover?

Yes, clover is one of the most consistently preferred food plot forages for whitetail deer, ranking high in forage preference studies due to its 20 to 30 percent crude protein content when well-fertilized. Deer graze it heavily through spring and summer, though preference shifts toward mast and grain in fall.

When should you plant deer food plots in Georgia?

Plant cool-season plots (clover, oats, wheat, brassicas) between September 15 and November 1, and warm-season plots (soybeans, cowpeas, sorghum, corn) between April 15 and July 1. Exact dates shift about two to three weeks earlier in north Georgia and later in south Georgia based on frost timing.

Do deer like clover better than other food plot crops?

Clover usually ranks near the top in preference studies and field use, especially spring through early fall, but it's not universal. Deer will choose acorns or standing grain over clover during fall mast drop. A mixed program (clover plus a fall grain or brassica) outperforms an all-clover plot for year-round use.

When should you plant oats for deer?

In Georgia, plant oats between September 15 and November 1, targeting late September to mid-October in most regions. Oats germinate in 5 to 7 days but aren't very cold-hardy, so mixing with wheat or cereal rye protects your plot if a hard freeze hits an oat stand before it's mature.

When should you plant food plots for deer overall?

Georgia food plots fall into two seasonal windows: fall/cool-season plots go in mid-September through early November, and spring/warm-season plots go in mid-April through early July. The right date within each window depends on your specific county's average frost dates, which shift by region across the state.

When should you plant turnips for deer?

Plant turnips in Georgia between mid-August and late September, earlier than most fall plot species, since turnips need 80 to 90 days to develop a full bulb. North Georgia hunters should aim for early August; south Georgia hunters have more flexibility into September.

What is a food plot, exactly?

A food plot is a planted opening seeded with forage crops like clover, brassicas, or grain to provide concentrated nutrition for deer and other wildlife. It differs from bait piles or feed broadcasting, and most states, including Georgia, legally distinguish a properly planted plot from prohibited baiting practices.

What are deer's favorite foods in a food plot setting?

Legumes (clover, soybeans, cowpeas) rank highest for growing-season protein, while acorns beat almost any planted forage during a mast year. Brassicas and cereal grains take over as favorites in late fall and winter once frost sweetens them and native browse thins out.

Do deer like honey?

No, there's no evidence deer seek out honey; it isn't part of their natural browse-based diet. The idea likely comes from sugar or molasses-based commercial attractant products, which draw short-term interest from sugar content, not any real preference for honey itself.

Is it legal to hunt over a food plot in Georgia?

Yes, a properly planted and maintained food plot is not considered baiting under Georgia law, unlike piled or broadcast grain. Confirm current details directly with Georgia DNR's hunting regulations before season, since baiting definitions and enforcement details can change year to year.

How far apart are Georgia's fall and spring planting windows?

About five to six months separate the two windows statewide. Fall plots go in mid-September through early November; spring/summer plots go in mid-April through early July. The gap gives clover and brassica stands a dormant winter period and lets warm-season crops avoid frost risk entirely.

Sources

1. University of Georgia Extension, Climate and Agriculture in Georgia: Average first and last frost dates vary by region across Georgia, driving regional planting windows
2. Georgia DNR, Hunting Regulations: Georgia distinguishes properly planted food plots from prohibited baiting practices for deer hunting
3. University of Georgia Extension, Small Grain Production Guide: Recommended fall oat planting dates in Georgia run September 15 through October 15 for grain production
4. Mississippi State University Extension, Deer Nutrition and Food Plots: Legumes like clover and soybeans consistently rank high in whitetail deer forage preference and diet selection studies
5. UGA Extension: Soil testing recommendations and timing that affect food plot planting schedules in Georgia
6. UGA Extension: Soil sampling and testing procedures used to determine lime and fertilizer needs before planting food plots
7. USDA NASS: Regional climate and growing season data used to determine planting windows across Georgia by region
8. UGA Extension: Equipment and site preparation recommendations for establishing wildlife food plots