When to plant food plots in Tennessee (a zone-by-zone guide)

Last updated 2026-07-26

When should you plant food plots in Tennessee?

Tennessee splits into three rough planting windows because the state runs almost 500 miles east to west and elevation swings from under 200 feet along the Mississippi River to over 6,000 feet in the Smokies. Fall annuals and perennials go in from mid-August through mid-October depending on where you hunt. Spring and summer plots go in from mid-April through early June once the ground warms and frost danger has passed. The University of Tennessee Extension and most state wildlife agencies split the state into three general climate bands for planting purposes: the mountainous east (Cocke, Sevier, Unicoi counties and similar), the middle rolling hills (around Nashville, the Cumberland Plateau edge), and the western lowlands (Memphis area, Mississippi River bottoms). East Tennessee's higher elevations see frost 2-3 weeks earlier than West Tennessee, so plot timing has to shift with it. As a rule of thumb, if you're planting a fall brassica or cereal grain blend, aim for 60-90 days before your area's average first hard frost so plants have time to establish before growth slows. If you're planting a spring perennial like clover, wait until soil temperatures are consistently above 50°F, which in most of Tennessee lands somewhere between mid-March and mid-April. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) publishes general food plot guidance for landowners managing deer, and while they don't mandate specific planting calendars, their forest and wildlife management materials point hunters toward late summer seeding for cool-season plots to time tuber and leaf development with the archery and gun seasons that open in late September through early January ^[1].

What are the best planting dates by Tennessee region?

East TN (mountains, upper elevations)	Aug 1 - Aug 25	Aug 15 - Sept 15	Sept 1 - Oct 1	Apr 15 - May 15
Middle TN	Aug 10 - Sept 5	Aug 25 - Sept 25	Sept 10 - Oct 10	Apr 20 - May 20
West TN (river bottoms, lower elevation)	Aug 15 - Sept 15	Sept 1 - Oct 5	Sept 15 - Oct 20	Apr 25 - May 25	These windows aren't official state law, they're built from general frost-date data and land-grant extension planting guidance for the region [2]. Your actual county might run a week early or late depending on local elevation and whether you're in a valley or on a ridge. If you've got a soil test in hand, your county extension office can usually tell you the average first frost date for your specific location, which is the number that actually matters for backing into a planting date. One planning trick that works well: pick your target hunting date (opening day of archery season, say), then count backward 60 days for brassicas or 45 days for cereal grains to figure out your seeding date. Tennessee's archery deer season generally opens in late September, so a lot of hunters are seeding brassica plots in early-to-mid August specifically to have mature forage by opening weekend [3].

Break Tennessee into three zones and the dates get a lot more useful than a single statewide date range. Here's how it generally shakes out for fall plots, which is what most hunters care about most: | Region | Fall brassicas/turnips | Cereal grains (oats, wheat, rye) | Clover/perennials (fall seeding) | Spring warm-season plots |

What is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted area, usually somewhere between a quarter acre and several acres, seeded with forage crops specifically to feed and attract deer or other wildlife. It's not the same as a garden or a farm field, though the planting mechanics overlap a lot. Most food plots fall into one of two categories: annual plots that get replanted every year (brassicas, cereal grains, warm-season blends) and perennial plots that can produce forage for 3-5 years with proper mowing and fertility maintenance (clover, chicory, alfalfa). Hunters typically place plots near travel corridors, staging areas, or bedding cover so deer have a reason to move through predictably during daylight. A food plot's job is twofold: it supplements natural browse (which often gets thin in late summer and again in late winter) and it creates a huntable opening with good visibility and wind options. Soil testing before planting is the single most overlooked step; without knowing your pH and nutrient levels, you're guessing at lime and fertilizer rates, and most plot failures trace back to soil chemistry, not seed choice. If you want more detail on picking species for your specific ground, food plot whitetail covers the fundamentals in more depth.

When to plant oats for deer in Tennessee?

Plant oats for deer in Tennessee between mid-August and late September, with earlier planting in East Tennessee's higher elevations and a bit more flexibility into early October in West Tennessee's warmer river bottoms. Oats germinate fast, often within 5-10 days in warm soil, and deer will hit young oat shoots almost as soon as they poke through. Oats are a cool-season annual grain and one of the most forgiving plots you can plant because they tolerate a wider pH range than clover and don't need the seedbed prep that brassicas benefit from. The tradeoff is winter hardiness. Oats generally winterkill once temperatures drop into the low teens or single digits for extended stretches, so in colder pockets of East Tennessee they may not last much past December. If you want a plot that holds up through late season, blend oats with wheat or cereal rye, both of which tolerate cold better ^[2]. Seeding rate for oats alone typically runs 2-3 bushels per acre (roughly 64-96 lbs), broadcast and lightly covered with a drag harrow or cultipacker. Deer tend to prefer oats over wheat early in the growing window when the leaves are tender, then shift toward wheat as oats mature and toughen up.

When to plant turnips for deer in Tennessee?

Plant turnips for deer in Tennessee between early August and mid-September, aiming for 80-90 days before your area's first hard frost. Turnips need that full growing window to bulb out; plant too late and you'll get leafy tops but skinny, undeveloped roots. Turnips are a brassica, and deer usually eat the leaves first, sometimes not touching the bulbs until after a couple of hard frosts convert starches to sugars and make the roots more palatable. This is actually one of the most common mistakes new plotters make: they see deer ignoring the bulbs in October and assume the plot failed, when really the deer just haven't started eating roots yet. That behavior typically kicks in from late November into January, which lines up nicely with Tennessee's gun season, which usually runs through late November into early January depending on the unit ^[1]. Turnips like a firm, fine seedbed and a pH close to neutral (6.0-6.5 is the sweet spot most extension guides cite for brassicas) ^[4]. If your soil test comes back below 6.0, lime well ahead of planting, ideally 3-6 months out, since lime takes time to move through the soil profile and correct pH. Broadcast turnip seed at 4-6 lbs per acre; it's a small seed and easy to overseed, which just wastes money and creates overcrowded, stunted bulbs.

When to plant clover for deer in Tennessee?

You can plant clover in Tennessee two ways: in early fall (September to early October) for the best long-term stand establishment, or in early spring (March to April) once soil temps stay above 50°F. Fall planting is generally the better call in Tennessee because it gives clover roots a full season to establish before summer heat and drought stress hit. Clover is a perennial, so unlike oats or turnips, a well-maintained clover plot can produce forage for 3-5 years before you need to reseed. Ladino and other white clovers are the most common choices for deer plots because they handle grazing pressure well and stay palatable through most of the growing season. Red clover grows taller and works better in plots that get mowed less often. Clover needs a pH of 6.0-6.5 to really perform and it's sensitive to acidic soil in a way that grains aren't, so a current soil test genuinely matters here more than almost any other plot decision you'll make ^[4]. If your test comes back at 5.2, don't skip the lime just because you're in a hurry to plant; a clover stand established in bad soil will struggle for its entire life, and you'll end up replanting sooner than you would have if you'd just limed correctly upfront. For species selection help, deer food plot seed breaks down clover varieties in more detail.

Do deer like clover, and is it their favorite food?

Yes, deer eat clover readily and it's one of the most consistently preferred food plot forages across whitetail range, including Tennessee. It's not necessarily their single favorite food, but it's close to the most reliable one because it stays tender and high in protein through most of the growing season, unlike grains that mature and toughen. Research on white-tailed deer diet composition generally shows clover species ranking among the top preferred forages when available, particularly in spring and summer when deer need higher protein for antler growth and lactation. Crude protein in a well-maintained clover stand often runs 20-25%, which rivals or beats most other plot options. As for deer's actual favorite food, there isn't one universal answer, because it shifts by season and by what's locally available. In spring and summer, deer favor high-protein forbs, clover, and soybeans. In fall, acorns often beat almost anything you can plant when they're dropping heavily, which is why food plots tend to pull harder in years with a poor acorn crop. In winter, deer shift to whatever's left standing: brassica bulbs, winter wheat, and browse.

Do deer eat sorghum, and should you plant it?

Yes, deer eat sorghum, both the grain heads and the young leafy growth, though it's more commonly planted as a summer/fall standing crop or a screening and cover component than as a primary deer attractant. Sorghum is drought tolerant, which makes it a solid option for West and Middle Tennessee's hotter summer stretches. Grain sorghum planted in late spring (mid-May through June once soil temps hit 65°F) matures by late summer and provides both cover height and a grain source deer will use into fall and winter. Deer generally show a stronger preference for softer, more digestible forages like soybeans or clover during the growing season, but sorghum grain becomes more attractive once it dries down and other options thin out. One practical note: sorghum's height (often 4-8 feet) makes it a favorite for hunters wanting a screen plot or a transition corridor rather than a pure feeding plot. If your goal is nutrition first, soybeans or a cool-season blend will usually outperform sorghum. If your goal is cover plus a late-season food source, sorghum earns its spot.

Do deer like honey, and does it belong in a food plot strategy?

Deer aren't drawn to honey the way they are to forage crops, and there's no real agricultural or wildlife management basis for using honey in a food plot context. Deer are herbivores built to digest fibrous plant material through a four-chambered rumen; they don't naturally seek out honey the way, say, a bear would. Some hunters use scent-based attractants with sweet components (molasses-based minerals, sugar beet mixes) to draw deer to a specific spot, and those work through smell and taste appeal rather than nutrition. Honey specifically isn't a standard ingredient in any of that, and there's no extension or wildlife agency guidance recommending it. If you're trying to pull deer to a mock scrape or a camera site, a mineral or protein supplement (where legal, see the baiting note below) will do far more than anything honey-based. Worth flagging here: Tennessee has specific rules about baiting and feeding deer that vary by whether you're hunting or just observing, and those rules can change season to season. TWRA is the authority on current baiting regulations for your specific unit and hunt type, so check their current hunting guide before putting out any bait or attractant, honey included ^[1].

How do you build a planting calendar for your specific property?

Start with your county's average first frost date, work backward from your target hunting dates, and layer in your soil test results before you buy a single bag of seed. That's the actual order that matters, in that order. Step one: pull your soil test (or get one done, most county extension offices offer this for a modest fee, often somewhere in the $7-15 range depending on the lab) and correct pH with lime well before planting since lime needs months to fully react in the soil ^[4]. Step two: identify your county's average first frost date, which your local extension office or the National Weather Service climate normals page can give you directly. Step three: count backward from that frost date, 60-90 days for brassicas and perennials, 45-60 days for cereal grains, to land on your seeding window. Step four: match species to your goals and soil. Clover and chicory for season-long nutrition and long-term stands. Brassicas and cereal grains for a fall/early winter hunting draw. Warm-season annuals like soybeans or sorghum for summer nutrition and screening. This is exactly the kind of property-specific planning where a soil test and a written plan pay off, and it's the gap our $99 Custom Food Plot Plan is built to fill. It's general planning guidance built around your soil test results and location, not a substitute for your soil lab's specific lime and fertilizer recommendations, which remain the final word on your ground's chemistry. You can start one at /plot-plan-builder.

What if your planting window gets missed?

If you miss your ideal fall window by a couple weeks, you still have options, they're just narrower. Cereal grains like wheat and rye are the most forgiving late plant because they germinate in cooler soil than brassicas or clover and can still put on usable growth into November in most of Tennessee. Brassicas planted too late (say, early October in Middle Tennessee) will often produce leafy tops but skip bulb development entirely, since bulbing needs that longer runway before frost. In that case you still get some forage value from the greens, just not the extended late-season draw that mature turnip or radish bulbs provide. If you've completely missed the fall window, don't force a plot into the ground in November just to have something planted. A poorly-timed plot that fails outright wastes seed money and can actually train deer to avoid a spot that never produces. Better to hold that acreage for a well-timed spring planting (clover, chicory, or a spring cereal grain) and focus fall efforts on standing crops, mast, or other existing food sources. For more on matching species to timing constraints, deer food plots covers backup strategies in more depth.

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum?

Yes. Deer eat both the grain heads and the young leaves of sorghum, though it's more often planted for its height (screening, cover) than as a primary food source. Deer generally prefer softer forages like soybeans or clover during the growing season, but they'll use sorghum grain heavily once it dries down in fall.

Do deer eat clover?

Yes, clover is one of the most consistently preferred food plot forages for whitetail deer. It's high in protein (often 20-25% crude protein when well maintained) and stays palatable through most of the growing season, unlike grains that mature and toughen.

When should you plant deer food plots in Tennessee?

Fall plots (brassicas, cereal grains, clover) generally go in mid-August through mid-October, with earlier dates in East Tennessee's higher elevations and later dates in West Tennessee's warmer lowlands. Spring plots go in April through May once soil temps hold above 50-55°F.

Do deer like clover more than other plot crops?

Clover ranks among deer's top preferred forages in most diet studies, especially in spring and summer for its protein content. It's not universally their single favorite, since preference shifts seasonally and acorns often beat any planted crop during a heavy mast year.

When should you plant oats for deer?

Plant oats between mid-August and late September in Tennessee, adjusting earlier for East Tennessee and later for West Tennessee. Oats germinate fast (5-10 days) but winterkill in hard cold, so blend with wheat or rye if you need late-season durability.

When is the best time to plant food plots for deer generally?

Most food plots fall into two windows: late summer to early fall (August-October) for cool-season annuals and perennials timed to hunting season, and spring (April-May) for warm-season annuals and perennial establishment. Exact dates depend heavily on your region's first and last frost dates.

When should you plant turnips for deer?

Plant turnips 80-90 days before your area's first hard frost, which in Tennessee usually means early August through mid-September. Turnips need that full window for bulbs to develop; deer often won't eat the bulbs until after a frost or two sweetens them, typically late November onward.

What exactly is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted patch, usually a quarter-acre to several acres, seeded with forage crops to feed and attract deer. It supplements natural browse and creates a predictable, huntable location, distinct from farm fields grown for commercial harvest.

What is a deer's favorite food?

There's no single answer; it shifts by season. In spring and summer, deer favor high-protein forbs and clover. In fall, acorns often outcompete any planted crop when mast is heavy. In winter, deer rely on brassica bulbs, winter wheat, and available browse.

Do deer like honey?

No meaningful evidence supports deer being drawn to honey specifically. Deer are herbivores that feed on fibrous plant material through a four-chambered rumen, not sugar sources like honey. Sweet mineral or molasses-based attractants work through scent, not honey itself.

How far in advance of hunting season should you plant?

Plant brassicas 60-90 days before your target hunting date and cereal grains 45-60 days ahead, since those windows let the crop establish and reach palatable maturity. In Tennessee that generally means seeding in August for a late September or October archery opener.

Does Tennessee have baiting or feeding restrictions that affect food plots?

Food plots themselves aren't considered baiting, but supplemental feed and mineral attractants have separate rules that vary by hunt type and can change year to year. Check Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's current hunting guide before using any feed or mineral products alongside your plots.

Can you plant clover and brassicas together in the same plot?

Yes, and it's a common approach. Many hunters blend clover (a perennial base) with a fall brassica or cereal grain overseed to get season-long nutrition plus a strong late-season draw once brassica bulbs mature after frost.

Sources

1. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Hunting Guide: TWRA guidance on deer season dates and baiting/feeding rules
2. University of Tennessee Extension, Establishing Wildlife Food Plots: Regional planting date ranges for food plot species across Tennessee
3. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Deer Season Dates: Tennessee archery deer season typically opens in late September
4. University of Tennessee Extension, Soil Testing and Fertility: Ideal pH range of 6.0-6.5 for clover and brassica food plots
5. USDA Forest Service - Cherokee National Forest: Regional climate and growing season information relevant to East Tennessee food plot planting windows