Last updated 2026-07-26
TL;DR
There's no single date. Cool-season plots like clover and brassicas go in roughly 60-90 days before your first hard frost, which means late July through September up north and September through October down south. Warm-season plots like sorghum or beans need soil temps above 60°F, so that's a late-spring job. Check your soil test and local extension calendar before you plant anything.
When should you plant deer food plots?
The honest answer is: it depends on what you're planting and where your land sits, but the frost date is the anchor for almost every decision. Cool-season plots (clover, brassicas, cereal grains) get planted in late summer to early fall so they're established before frost and available through winter. Warm-season plots (soybeans, cowpeas, sorghum, sunn hemp) go in after your last spring frost, once soil temps hold above about 60°F. For most of the whitetail's range, that breaks into two windows. Spring planting runs April through early June depending on latitude. Fall planting runs late July through October, again depending on latitude. If you're only doing one plot a year, most hunters lean fall, because that's when you want tonnage on the ground for the season and because brassicas and cereal grains actually taste better to deer after a frost sweetens the starches [1]. The single biggest planning tool you should have on your phone or wall calendar is your county's average first and last frost date. The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information keeps historical frost/freeze data by station, and most state climate offices publish simplified frost maps built from it [2]. Work backward from your first fall frost date, then plant according to the days-to-maturity on your seed tag.
What is a food plot, exactly?
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 (and often turkey, rabbits, and other wildlife) on land you own, lease, or manage. It's a subset of wildlife habitat management, not a garden and not a crop you're trying to sell. Most state wildlife agencies and land-grant extensions treat food plots as one tool in a broader habitat plan, alongside timber stand improvement, native warm-season grass management, and mast tree protection. The Mississippi State University Extension describes food plots as areas planted "to provide supplemental forage for wildlife species, primarily white-tailed deer," and stresses that they work best when they supplement, not replace, natural forage on the property [3]. A plot can be as simple as a disked half-acre of oats along a field edge, or as involved as a multi-species blend with soil amendments, herbicide burndown, and a planting calendar tuned to your zone. Either way, the goal is the same: nutrition during specific stress windows (late summer, hard winter, spring green-up) and a place deer want to be when you're hunting.
When do you plant food plots by USDA hardiness zone?
| Zone 3-4 (Northern MN, WI, ME, upper MI) | Late July to mid-August | Mid-May to early June | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 5 (Southern MN/WI, NY, PA, IA) | Mid-August to early September | Early May to late May | |
| Zone 6 (OH, IN, IL, MO, VA) | Late August to mid-September | Late April to mid-May | |
| Zone 7 (KY, TN, NC, AR) | Early September to early October | Mid-April to early May | |
| Zone 8-9 (Deep South, TX, FL) | Late September to late October | Late March to mid-April | These are starting points, not gospel. Local soil temps, elevation, and yearly weather swings shift things by two or three weeks in either direction, so cross-check with your state land-grant extension's variety trial or planting guide before you commit seed to dirt. Penn State Extension, for example, publishes a forage planting date table specific to Pennsylvania counties that's a lot more precise than any national zone map. |
Hardiness zones (based on average annual extreme minimum winter temperature) are a decent proxy for frost timing, even though they were built for perennial plant survival, not planting calendars. Here's a rough framework hunters actually use, cross-checked against extension planting guides from several states. | Zone / Region | Fall cool-season planting window | Spring warm-season planting window |
When to plant clover for deer
Clover (white ladino, red clover, or a blend) can go in during either the fall or spring window, and it's one of the few plantings that works both ways because it's a perennial. Fall planting is generally preferred where you have reliable rain, because weed pressure is lower and the stand has all winter and spring to establish before summer heat and drought stress it. Plant clover 60 to 90 days before your first killing frost so seedlings get 6 to 8 inches of growth and a real root system before winter dormancy [4]. Spring planting works too, especially up north where fall windows are short, but you'll fight more weed competition through the first summer. If you go spring, plant as soon as soil is workable and soil temps hit the mid-50s, usually April into May depending on zone. Either way, clover needs a soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5 for decent nodulation and nitrogen fixation; most extension soil labs will flag pH as the first thing to fix if your test comes back low. Lime takes months to fully react in the soil, so if your test calls for lime, get it down the season before you plant if you can swing it.
Do deer like clover, and why is it a staple plot species?
Yes. Clover is one of the most consistently used food plot forages nationwide, and it shows up in nearly every state wildlife agency's food plot guide for a reason: it's high in crude protein (often 25-30% in vegetative growth stages), it regrows after grazing, and it's a perennial, so you're not replanting every year [4]. Deer graze clover hard from spring green-up through fall, and it holds up under repeated browsing better than almost anything else you can plant, provided you're mowing or clipping it a couple times a season to keep it from getting stemmy and to knock back weed competition. The tradeoff: clover is slow to establish (it can take 60-90 days to get a full stand) and it's not a great late-fall/winter food source in cold climates once it goes dormant. That's why a lot of plans pair clover with a fall annual like brassicas or cereal grain in a different plot, so you've got green forage in the growing season and high-carb food during the late season.
When to plant turnips for deer
Turnips are a brassica, planted in late summer for a fall and winter food source, and timing is tighter than most people think. Turnips need 80 to 90 days to reach a mature bulb, plus another few weeks of cold exposure to convert starches to sugars, which is what actually makes them palatable to deer [3]. Work backward from your first hard frost: in Zone 5-6, that puts planting in the last week of July through mid-August. In Zone 7-8, you can push into early September. Too late, and you get leafy tops but no bulb development. Too early, and the plant bolts or gets overwhelmed by summer weeds before deer even start using it. One quirk worth knowing: deer often ignore turnip bulbs and leaves for the first month or two after a fall frost, then hit them hard in December and January once other food sources thin out and the bulbs have sweetened. Don't panic if your turnip plot looks untouched in October. That's normal, not a failure.
When to plant oats for deer
Oats are a cereal grain, and they're one of the most forgiving, fastest-establishing fall food plot options, which is part of why they show up in so many blends. Oats germinate in 7 to 14 days and can be grazed within 3 to 4 weeks of planting. Plant oats 6 to 8 weeks before your first fall frost, so deer have tender, high-protein forage through October and November. In the North (Zone 4-5), that's late August into early September. In the South (Zone 7-8), you can plant into October and still get a solid fall stand. Oats aren't reliably cold-hardy the way winter wheat or rye is, so in harsh winters the stand can die back hard after repeated hard freezes. If you want food that survives into late winter, pair oats with winter wheat, winter rye, or brassicas in the same blend, or plan on oats being an early-to-mid season food source rather than a February one.
Do deer eat sorghum?
Yes, deer eat grain sorghum (milo), both the seed heads and, to a lesser extent, the foliage, though it's more commonly planted as a warm-season grain crop and a standing-cover/food source combo than as a primary attractant crop the way clover or beans are. Sorghum is planted in late spring once soil temps are reliably above 65°F, similar timing to corn, and it takes 90 to 120 days to mature depending on variety [5]. It's drought-tolerant compared to corn, which makes it a reasonable choice in the southern Plains and parts of the Southeast where summer dry spells are common. Most hunters use sorghum less as a season-long food source and more as a late-season standing grain plot, left unharvested so deer (and turkey) can work the heads through winter once other food thins out. It also doubles as bedding-adjacent screening cover, which some hunters value as much as the food value itself.
What are deer's favorite foods, and how does that affect plot timing?
Deer are opportunistic browsers, and what they prefer shifts by season, not by some fixed list. In spring and summer, they favor high-protein forbs, soft mast (fruit), and tender browse. In fall, acorns and other hard mast often take priority over anything planted, which is why food plots that peak in early fall sometimes get ignored until the acorn crop runs out. In winter, deer key in on whatever has the highest digestible energy left standing: brassicas, cereal grains, and standing corn or soybeans. Agricultural soybeans and corn are consistently among the highest-preference foods where available, largely because of caloric density, but they're also the most input-heavy and hardest for a small landowner to grow well. Clover, alfalfa, and chicory rank high through the growing season. Brassicas (turnips, radishes, rape) become highly preferred specifically after a hard frost. The practical takeaway for timing: plant your highest-preference, highest-tonnage crop to peak during whatever stress period you're managing for. If you're hunting early bow season, that's late summer soybeans or clover. If you're managing for late season and post-rut recovery, that's frost-sweetened brassicas and standing grain.
Do deer like honey, and does that matter for food plots?
This comes up because of "honey hole" plot slang and because some mineral/attractant products use molasses or sugar-based scents, but no, deer do not seek out honey as a food source in the wild, and there's no wildlife agency or extension guidance recommending it as a plot additive. Deer are herbivores; their digestive system is built around fermenting plant fiber, not processing concentrated sugars from an animal product. If you're seeing "honey" mentioned in food plot contexts, it's almost always either a brand name for a mineral/attractant product or a beekeeping question that's drifted into hunting forums. It's not a food plot species, and it's not something to plant or apply based on any actual deer nutrition research. More relevant: several states regulate or ban baiting and supplemental feeding of deer outright, separate from food plot planting, so if you're tempted to add any attractant product to a plot, check your state wildlife agency's regulations first. Michigan, for example, has specific baiting restrictions tied to CWD management zones , and rules like this vary a lot state to state and change year to year.
Spring vs. fall food plots: which should you plant first?
If you can only do one plot rotation a year, plant for fall. Most hunters are managing for hunting season food and cover, and fall plots (clover establishment, brassicas, cereal grains) deliver food right when deer need it and right when you're in the stand. Spring plots matter more if you're managing for antler growth, doe lactation, and fawn-rearing nutrition, since spring green-up through late summer is when deer have their highest protein demand of the year [3]. A spring soybean or clover plot supports that window, but it won't be standing (or will be picked clean) by the time firearms season opens in a lot of states. A lot of serious managers run both: perennial clover or alfalfa for spring/summer protein, and a rotating annual (brassica or cereal grain) block for fall/winter energy. If budget or time only allows one planting a year, fall wins for most hunting-focused goals, spring wins for herd-health-focused goals.
How does soil testing change your planting timeline?
Soil test results should shift your calendar, more than your fertilizer bag. If your test calls for lime, get it applied 4 to 6 months before planting if at all possible, because lime takes time to react and raise pH, and most extension labs note that surface-applied lime can take a full season or more to fully move through the root zone. That means if you're planning a September clover planting and your soil test comes back at pH 5.4, you should have already limed back in the spring. If you're testing late and can't get lime down in time, you can still plant, but expect a slower, weaker first-year stand, and plan to retest and reapply the following year. Your state land-grant extension soil testing lab (not a national commercial lab) is generally your best and cheapest option, and it's the authority on what your specific field needs, since recommendations are calibrated to regional soil types. A soil test costs somewhere between $10 and $20 through most university labs, and turnaround is usually 1 to 2 weeks. That's true whether you're using a general planting timeline like this one or a plan built specifically around your acreage; a soil test result is site-specific in a way that no calendar or article can be.
What if you're behind schedule and missed your ideal window?
You've got options, but they narrow fast. If you missed the fall brassica window (say you're three weeks past the 90-days-to-frost cutoff), switch to a fast-maturing cereal grain like oats or winter rye instead. Both can establish usable forage in 4 to 6 weeks and rye in particular tolerates cold soil and late planting better than almost anything else in the cool-season lineup. If you missed spring planting for warm-season beans or sorghum, you can often still get a shorter-season variety in the ground through early-to-mid summer in southern zones, though yield and tonnage drop the later you plant. The worst move is forcing a species into a window it can't handle: brassicas planted too late just make leafy greens with no bulb, and clover planted too late into fall often winter-kills before it builds a real root system. When in doubt, a fast cereal grain (oats, wheat, rye) is the safest fallback for a late fall planting, because the establishment window is short and forgiving.
Getting a plan built around your specific dates and soil
Everything above is a real, usable framework, but it's still a general calendar built for a whole zone, not your fifteen acres. Frost dates shift by elevation and microclimate, soil types vary field to field, and species selection depends on what you're actually managing for (early season access, late season food, spring nutrition, or all three across multiple plots). If you've got a soil test in hand and want a planting plan mapped to your actual dates, acreage, and goals rather than a national zone chart, PlotSeason's $99 one-time Custom Food Plot Plan builds that out species by species. It's general planning guidance based on your inputs, not site-specific agronomy, so your soil test lab's lime and fertilizer recommendations still take priority over anything in the plan. You can start one at /plot-plan-builder.
Frequently asked questions
When should I plant food plots for deer?
Cool-season plots (clover, brassicas, cereal grains) go in 60-90 days before your first fall frost, roughly late July through October depending on your zone. Warm-season plots (soybeans, sorghum, cowpeas) go in after your last spring frost once soil hits about 60°F, roughly April through early June. Check your county's frost dates and your state extension's planting calendar before locking a date in.
Do deer eat sorghum?
Yes, deer eat grain sorghum (milo) seed heads and some foliage, though it's usually planted as a warm-season grain and late-season standing food source rather than a primary attractant crop like clover or beans. It's planted in late spring once soil temps hold above roughly 65°F and matures in 90-120 days.
Do deer eat clover?
Yes, clover is one of the most heavily used food plot forages nationwide. It's high in crude protein (often 25-30% in vegetative growth) and regrows after grazing, so deer return to it repeatedly through spring, summer, and fall until it goes dormant in cold weather.
When do you plant oats for deer?
Plant oats 6-8 weeks before your first fall frost. That's roughly late August into early September in northern zones and can push into October in the Deep South. Oats germinate in 7-14 days and can be grazed within 3-4 weeks, but they're not very cold-hardy long-term.
When do you plant turnips for deer?
Plant turnips 80-90 days before your first hard frost, since the bulb needs that time to mature plus a few weeks of cold exposure to sweeten. In Zone 5-6 that's late July to mid-August; in Zone 7-8 you can push into early September.
What is a food plot?
A food plot is a planted area, typically a quarter acre to several acres, seeded with forages like clover, brassicas, or cereal grains specifically to provide supplemental nutrition for deer and other wildlife on managed hunting land. It supplements natural forage rather than replacing it.
What are deer's favorite foods?
It shifts by season: soft mast and tender browse in spring/summer, acorns and other hard mast in fall (often preferred over planted forage when available), and high-energy foods like brassicas, standing soybeans, and corn in winter. Agricultural beans and corn rank consistently high where deer have access to them.
Do deer like honey?
No, deer don't seek out honey in the wild; they're herbivores built to ferment plant fiber, not process concentrated animal sugars. "Honey" in hunting contexts usually refers to a branded attractant or mineral product name, not an actual food plot species or ingredient backed by wildlife nutrition research.
Should I plant food plots in spring or fall?
If you can only plant once a year, plant for fall, since that's when most hunters need standing food and cover for the season. Spring plots (clover, soybeans) matter more for antler growth and fawn-rearing nutrition but often won't still be standing by hunting season.
How do I know my area's food plot planting window?
Start with your county's average first and last frost dates from NOAA's climate data, then check your state land-grant extension's forage planting guide, which is usually more precise than a national hardiness zone map. Work backward from frost date using the days-to-maturity listed on your seed bag.
Does soil pH affect when I should plant?
Indirectly, yes. If your soil test calls for lime, apply it 4-6 months before planting since lime takes time to raise pH. If you're planting on short notice with unamended acidic soil, expect a weaker first-year stand and plan to retest and reapply the next season.
What's the fastest food plot crop if I'm planting late?
Oats, winter wheat, or winter rye. All three can establish usable forage in 4-6 weeks and rye in particular tolerates cold soil and later planting dates better than brassicas or clover, which need longer lead time before frost.
Sources
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Wildlife Food Plots publication: Brassicas and cereal grains become more palatable to deer after a frost sweetens starches into sugars
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Freeze/Frost Data: Historical first/last frost date data by station used to plan planting windows
- University of Tennessee Extension, Establishing and Managing Clover for Wildlife: Clover crude protein levels and 60-90 day establishment window before frost
- USDA NRCS Plant Guide, Grain Sorghum: Grain sorghum planting temperature and 90-120 day maturity window
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Baiting and Feeding Regulations: State-specific baiting and feeding restrictions tied to CWD management zones