Food plot seed company: how to choose the right seed

Last updated 2026-07-25

what is a food plot, exactly

A food plot is a planted area, usually somewhere between a quarter acre and a few acres, designed to grow forage that deer and other wildlife will eat. That's the whole definition. It's not complicated, but people overthink it constantly. Most plots fall into two buckets: annuals you replant every year (brassicas, cereal grains, soybeans) and perennials that come back for two to five years with maintenance (clover, chicory, alfalfa). Some hunters plant a third category, throw-and-grow blends meant for minimal-till situations on a remote piece of ground. The USDA's National Agroforestry Center and state wildlife agencies generally treat food plots as a wildlife habitat management tool, similar in concept to planted cover strips or wildlife openings on farmland. The goal isn't just to grow food. A good plot also concentrates deer activity in a spot you can hunt, and it can supplement natural browse during stress periods like late winter or the postrut in northern climates. A food plot seed company sells you the raw material, but the plot itself is built from soil test results, seed selection, planting timing, and follow-up mowing or spraying. Skip any one of those steps and the bag of seed doesn't matter much.

do deer like clover, and is it worth planting

Yes. Clover is one of the most consistently preferred food plot forages for whitetail deer, and it's backed by more agronomic research than almost any other plot species because it's also a major forage crop for cattle. White clover (Trifolium repens) varieties like Durana and Ladino, and red clover (Trifolium pratense), both show up constantly in university extension forage guides as high-protein, high-palatability options ^[1]. Clover regrows after grazing, which is exactly what you want in a plot that gets hit hard through spring and summer. Crude protein in vegetative clover commonly runs 25 to 30 percent according to forage testing summarized by university agronomy programs, well above what most native browse offers during the growing season ^[1]. The catch: clover is a perennial that needs decent soil pH (most extension guides recommend 6.0 to 6.5) and it competes poorly against weeds in the first year. If your soil test comes back at pH 5.2, don't expect a clover plot to perform until you've limed and given it time to adjust, sometimes a full season depending on lime source and application rate ^[2]. Clover is also one of the cheaper per-acre seed costs of any forage type, since seeding rates are low (6 to 8 lbs per acre for common white clover blends versus 50-100+ lbs per acre for cereal grains). That cost efficiency is a big reason it shows up in nearly every food plot seed company's perennial lineup.

do deer eat sorghum

Deer will eat grain sorghum, both the standing grain and the leaves, but it's not usually their first choice compared to soybeans, corn, or a good brassica blend. Sorghum earns its spot in food plots for a different reason: it stands up through winter and holds grain heads above snow, which matters a lot more in the Midwest and Plains than in the Southeast. Grain sorghum (milo) is drought-tolerant and grows well on marginal soils where corn struggles, which is why some food plot blends built for late-season standing grain plots include it. State agencies in the whitetail's core range don't track deer diet data specifically for food plot sorghum, but general deer diet studies consistently rank grains and legumes higher in preference than most warm-season grasses, sorghum included ^[3]. If you're deciding between sorghum and corn for a standing winter plot, sorghum usually costs less per acre in seed and often needs less fertility to produce a decent stand. It's a reasonable choice for a low-input winter plot, not a top pick if deer preference alone is your goal.

what are deer's favorite foods, according to actual data

This gets asked a lot and the honest answer is: it depends heavily on season, region, and what's locally available. Deer are opportunistic browsers, and food plot preference studies run through university deer research programs consistently show soybeans, clover, and acorns near the top of preference rankings during the growing season and fall. Food plot preference trials from Mississippi State's deer program found soybeans and cowpeas rank extremely high in summer preference trials, often getting hit harder than corn or grain sorghum planted in the same field. Acorns, when available, often outcompete almost anything you plant, because the fat and carbohydrate content lines up with what deer need heading into winter. In cold-weather months, brassicas (turnips, radishes, rape) become far more attractive after a hard frost converts starches to sugars, which is why so many late-season plots lean on turnip blends. Bottom line: there's no single "favorite" food, but soybeans, clover, and acorns are the closest thing to a universal answer, with brassicas taking over that role specifically after frost.

do deer like honey (as in honeysuckle and honey locust)

If the question is about the sweetener, no, deer don't seek out honey and it's not a real food plot ingredient. This question usually comes from confusion with honeysuckle or honey locust, both of which deer do browse. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a preferred winter browse in the Southeast, and it's listed as an invasive species in several states precisely because deer and other wildlife spread it so effectively ^[4]. Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) pods are also a documented deer food source, particularly the sugary pulp inside the seed pods, which deer will eat in fall. Neither of these is something you'd plant in a managed food plot. Honeysuckle spreads aggressively and is controlled rather than encouraged in most state invasive species programs. If you're trying to add woody browse to a property, native shrubs recommended by your state forestry or wildlife agency are a better bet than intentionally planting honeysuckle.

when to plant food plots for deer, by season and region

Northern (Zones 3-5)	Mid-May to early June	Late July to mid-August
Mid-latitude (Zones 6-7)	Late April to mid-May	Mid-August to mid-September
Southern (Zones 8-9)	March to April	September to October	These are general windows, not guarantees. Soil temperature and moisture matter as much as the calendar date. Clover and other perennials are usually planted in spring across most of the country, though a fall dormant seeding also works in many regions if timed right, per extension forage planting guides [1]. A lot of hunters get this backwards and plant fall annuals too early, then watch them bolt or get hammered by deer before hunting season even starts. Waiting an extra two weeks past the "ideal" date is often smarter than planting too early into hot, dry August soil.

Timing splits into two windows: spring/summer plantings for warm-season annuals and perennials, and late summer/early fall plantings for cool-season annuals like brassicas and cereal grains. Your exact dates depend on your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone and local frost dates, which you can look up by zip code through the USDA's interactive hardiness zone map ^[5]. Here's a rough national breakdown: | Region (USDA Zone) | Spring/Summer Plot Window | Fall Plot Window |

when to plant oats for deer

Oats (Avena sativa) are a fall-planted cool-season cereal grain in most whitetail range, going in the ground 60 to 90 days before your first hard frost so plants establish before growth slows. For most of the Midwest and Northeast that lands in the August to early September window; in the Southeast it can push into late September or October . Oats germinate fast, often in 5 to 10 days with adequate moisture, and they're one of the most attractive fall annuals to deer while they're young and tender. The tradeoff is oats winterkill in harsh cold, typically dying out anywhere temperatures drop consistently below 0 to 10°F depending on snow cover, according to small grains guidance from land-grant agronomy programs . That's fine if your goal is early bow season attraction and you don't need the plot to hold through January. If you want a cereal grain that survives deep winter cold, winter wheat or winter rye are better choices than oats for northern properties. Many food plot seed company blends mix oats with brassicas or clover specifically to get early attraction from the oats and later-season value from the other component.

when to plant turnips for deer

Turnips need roughly 80 to 90 days from planting to a mature bulb, and growers target planting so that maturity lines up with your first hard frost, since cold converts starches to sugars and makes the bulbs and tops far more palatable . That means most of the country plants turnips between mid-July and mid-August, counting backward from an average first frost date. Extension guidance for brassica forage crops (turnips, radishes, and rapeseed all fall into this category) recommends a firm, well-prepared seedbed and shallow planting depth, often just a quarter inch to a half inch, because seeds are small and don't emerge well from deeper plantings . Turnip seed is cheap, seeding rates run around 2 to 5 lbs per acre depending on whether it's a monoculture or part of a blend. One real pitfall: plant turnips too early in hot late-June or early-July soil in southern states and you risk bolting or disease pressure before frost ever arrives to sweeten them up. Plant too late and they don't bulb out before winter shuts growth down. The 80-90 day backward count from your average first frost date is the most reliable planning method, and your state's extension office publishes average frost dates by county .

how do you actually choose a food plot seed company

Start with your soil test, not the seed catalog. Every food plot seed company sells blends that look great on a bag, but a $40 bag of premium clover seed planted at pH 5.0 with no lime performs worse than a $12 bag of common clover on properly limed ground. Your soil test lab is the authority on lime and fertilizer rates for your specific dirt, not a seed company's marketing copy. After soil fertility, match the seed to your actual goals and region. A blend built for Georgia food plots (heavy on iron and clay clay disease-resistant clover) won't necessarily perform the same in Minnesota's shorter season. Look for companies that publish actual seeding rates, planting depths, and regional planting windows rather than vague marketing language. Real agronomic data (germination rate, purity, seed source) should be on the bag or the product page, since most states require this under seed labeling law tied to the Federal Seed Act and state seed certification programs. Brand loyalty matters less than most hunting forums suggest. Clover is clover if the variety and seed quality are comparable; a Ladino clover from one company and a similar Ladino variety from another will perform nearly identically given the same soil and management. Where companies actually differentiate is blend design (mixing complementary species with different maturity dates) and the quality control on their seed (germination percentage, weed seed content, and whether it's actually the variety listed on the tag). If you want species selection and rates built around your specific soil test and region rather than guessing from a bag label, that's the exact gap a Custom Food Plot Plan is meant to fill, a one-time $99 plan built from your soil test and location rather than a generic blend recommendation.

annual vs perennial seed: which should you buy first

If you're planting your first plot ever, most experienced plot managers would tell you to start with an annual, not a perennial. Annuals forgive mistakes. A weedy, under-limed clover plot in year one often fails outright and you've wasted a full growing season on a multi-year investment. A weedy brassica or oat plot in year one still usually produces something deer will eat that fall, even if it's not perfect. Perennials like clover and chicory make more sense once you've got a soil test back, lime applied and settled in, and a mowing plan for the following two to three seasons. They cost less per year averaged over their lifespan, but they demand more patience and more maintenance discipline (mowing to control weeds, spot-spraying grasses, occasional overseeding). A lot of properties end up running both: perennial clover in a spot you can maintain easily, annual brassicas or cereal grains rotated through a second, larger plot for fall hunting. That combination covers spring/summer nutrition and fall/winter attraction without betting everything on one species.

what soil test results actually tell you before you buy seed

A basic soil test reports pH, and levels of phosphorus, potassium, and sometimes organic matter and micronutrients. Most land-grant university soil labs charge somewhere between $10 and $20 per sample for a standard test, and turnaround is usually one to two weeks ^[2]. pH is the number that matters most before you even think about seed selection. Below pH 5.5, phosphorus and potassium become less available to plants regardless of how much fertilizer you apply, according to soil fertility guidance published by university extension soil labs ^[2]. That's why a soil test always comes before a seed order, not after. Lime takes time to work. Agricultural lime can take 6 to 12 months to fully react and raise pH, depending on particle size and how well it's incorporated into the soil, per extension liming guides ^[2]. If your test comes back needing 2 tons per acre of lime, plan on that being a fall or early spring application ahead of the growing season you actually want a strong plot, not something you do the week before planting.

check your state's baiting and feeding rules before you plant

Food plots are legal in every state as a habitat and hunting tool, but supplemental feeding and baiting rules vary a lot, and some states draw a legal line between a planted, rooted food plot (generally legal) and piled bait like corn or minerals (often restricted or banned). A few states also regulate hunting over food plots differently depending on plot size, distance from a stand, or whether the crop was harvested versus standing. This isn't a minor detail. Pennsylvania, for example, prohibits feeding wildlife in a way that could concentrate deer for disease transmission concerns, under its game and wildlife code enforcement, while treating standing food plots as legal agriculture separate from baiting . Before you plant anything with hunting season in mind, check your state wildlife agency's current regulations, since these rules change fairly often and vary county to county in some states. A planted, standing food plot is almost universally treated differently under the law than a pile of corn or a mineral station, but "almost universally" isn't "always," so don't assume your neighboring state's rules apply to your ground.

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum in food plots?

Yes, deer eat both the grain and leaves of grain sorghum, though it's typically a lower preference choice compared to soybeans, corn, or brassicas. Sorghum's real advantage is standing through winter weather and tolerating drought and poor soil, making it a solid low-input choice for late-season standing grain plots in the Midwest and Plains.

Do deer like clover more than other food plot forages?

Clover ranks among the most consistently preferred forages in food plot studies, largely due to high crude protein (often 25-30 percent in vegetative growth) and its ability to regrow after grazing pressure. It's not always the single top choice versus soybeans in summer preference trials, but it's a reliable, cost-effective staple most seasons.

When should I plant food plots for deer?

Timing depends on species and your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. Spring/summer annuals and perennials generally go in from March (South) to early June (North). Fall annuals like brassicas and cereal grains go in 60-90 days before your area's average first frost date, which your state extension office publishes by county.

When do you plant oats for deer food plots?

Plant oats 60 to 90 days before your area's first hard frost, which lands in late July through early September for most of the Midwest and Northeast, and into September or October in southern states. Oats germinate fast but typically winterkill in sustained temperatures below 0 to 10°F.

When is the best time to plant turnips for deer?

Plant turnips 80 to 90 days before your first expected hard frost, since frost sweetens the bulbs and tops by converting starches to sugar. For most of the U.S. that means planting between mid-July and mid-August, counted backward from your county's average first frost date.

What is a food plot, in simple terms?

A food plot is a planted patch, usually a quarter acre to several acres, growing forage crops specifically to feed deer or other wildlife and to concentrate their activity somewhere huntable. It can be an annual planting like brassicas or grains, or a perennial like clover that regrows for multiple seasons.

What are deer's favorite foods overall?

There's no single universal favorite, but preference studies consistently rank soybeans, clover, and acorns near the top during the growing season and fall. After a hard frost, brassicas like turnips and radishes become far more attractive as cold converts their starches into sugar.

Do deer like honey or honeysuckle?

Deer don't seek out honey as a sweetener; that's not a real food source for them. Confusion often comes from honeysuckle, which deer do browse heavily, especially Japanese honeysuckle in the Southeast. It's actually classified as invasive in several states because deer spread it so efficiently, and it isn't recommended as an intentional plot planting.

How much does a soil test cost before planting a food plot?

Most university and land-grant soil testing labs charge between $10 and $20 per sample for a standard test covering pH, phosphorus, and potassium, with results typically back in one to two weeks. This is a small cost compared to wasting a full bag of seed on unamended, low-pH soil.

Should I buy a name-brand food plot seed blend or plain seed from a farm store?

The species and variety matter far more than the brand name. A quality Ladino clover from a farm supply store performs similarly to the same variety sold in a premium hunting blend, given equal soil prep. Where brands genuinely differ is blend design and seed quality control, not marketing claims.

Is it legal to hunt over a food plot?

Generally yes, planted food plots are treated as legal agriculture in nearly every state, distinct from piled bait like corn or mineral, which many states restrict or ban. Rules vary by state and sometimes by plot size or distance from a stand, so check your state wildlife agency's current regulations before hunting season.

How long does lime take to work before I can plant?

Agricultural lime typically takes 6 to 12 months to fully react and raise soil pH, depending on particle size and how well it's mixed into the soil. That means lime applications should happen well ahead of your planting date, not the same week you're seeding.

Sources

1. University of Georgia Extension, Soil Testing and Liming (Circular 896): Soil test cost range, pH nutrient availability threshold, and lime reaction time
2. Pennsylvania Game Commission, White-tailed Deer Management Plan 2020-2029: Grain and legume forages generally rank higher in deer preference than warm-season grasses
3. USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Japanese honeysuckle profile (LOJA): Japanese honeysuckle is browsed by deer and classified as invasive in several states
4. Oklahoma State University Extension, PSS-2586: Fall Forage Oat Production: Oats planting window relative to first frost and winterkill temperature threshold
5. Pennsylvania Game Commission, Feeding of Wildlife Regulation Summary: State-specific baiting and feeding rules distinct from standing food plot legality