Whitetail Institute Imperial Clover: complete planting guide

Last updated 2026-07-25

What is Imperial Whitetail Clover, exactly?

Imperial Whitetail Clover is a proprietary blend of white clover varieties that Whitetail Institute has sold since the early 1990s, marketed specifically for deer food plots rather than pasture or hay ground. It's not a single clover variety off the shelf. The company has bred and selected clover lines for forage yield, leaf size, and tolerance to shade, drought, and cold, then blends them together and treats the seed with a proprietary rhizobial inoculant before bagging. That matters because generic ladino or white clover from a farm store is bred for cattle pasture systems, not for the specific stresses a wooded food plot puts on a stand: partial shade, browsing pressure that never lets off, and soil that often hasn't been limed in a decade. Whether the brand's variety selection actually outperforms a cheaper ladino clover in your specific soil is something no independent land-grant trial has settled definitively; most of the comparative data comes from the company itself. What extension research does confirm broadly is that white clover as a species is highly digestible and attractive to deer, and that stand persistence depends far more on soil pH and mowing than on which brand of seed you buy ^[1]. For a broader look at how clover fits against other plot species, see food plot seed and deer food plot seed.

Do deer actually like clover?

Yes. White clover is one of the most consistently preferred forages in whitetail diet studies across the country, and it's a staple recommendation from state wildlife agencies and universities for food plots, more than a marketing claim. Clover typically runs 25-32% crude protein in vegetative growth stages, which is well above what most native browse offers in summer ^[2]. Deer hit clover hard in spring green-up when does need protein for lactation and bucks are growing antlers, and again in fall once a hard frost sweetens it up (frost converts starches to sugars in clover leaves, the same way it does in brassicas). The catch: because deer prefer it so strongly, a small clover plot on a farm with a dense deer herd can get grazed to the dirt before it ever reaches its yield potential. Missouri Department of Conservation guidance on food plots specifically notes that clover plots need enough acreage relative to deer density to survive grazing pressure, especially in the establishment year ^[3]. If you're weighing clover against annual grains or brassicas for a specific property, a Custom Food Plot Plan can help size acreage to your deer density and soil test rather than guessing.

When should you plant clover food plots?

Deep South (Zone 8-9)	Feb 15 - Mar 31	Sept 15 - Nov 1
Mid-South (Zone 7)	Mar 1 - Apr 15	Aug 15 - Oct 15
Transition/Midwest (Zone 6)	Mar 15 - May 1	Aug 1 - Sept 15
Upper Midwest/Northeast (Zone 4-5)	Apr 1 - May 15	July 20 - Aug 31	These are general windows, not guarantees, and your soil test lab and county extension office know your local frost dates better than any national article can.

Clover establishes in one of two windows: early spring, as soon as soil temperatures reach the mid-50s and the ground is workable, or late summer into early fall, roughly 60 to 90 days before your area's average first killing frost. Extension agronomy guides for forage clover establishment across the Midwest and South generally point to this same dual planting window because clover seed is small and needs consistent moisture to germinate, which spring rains or late-summer rain patterns tend to provide. Fall planting has an advantage most hunters overlook: less weed competition. Spring-planted clover has to fight crabgrass, foxtail, and broadleaf weeds all summer. A late-summer planting goes dormant into winter with far less weed pressure and greens up strong the following spring. A rough regional planting calendar for clover (adjust based on your local frost dates, which your state extension office publishes county by county): | Region | Spring window | Fall window |

How do you prepare soil for an Imperial Clover plot?

Start with a real soil test, not a guess. Clover wants pH between 6.5 and 7.0; below 6.0, nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria on clover roots struggle, and yield drops fast even if the plant survives ^[4]. Most wooded, previously unfarmed food plot ground in the Southeast and Midwest tests in the 5.0-5.8 range, meaning it often needs 1 to 2 tons of ag lime per acre to get into range, and lime can take 3 to 6 months to fully react with soil, so apply it well ahead of planting when you can. Once pH is corrected, clover generally needs phosphorus and potassium according to soil test recommendations, but very little nitrogen: it fixes its own from the air through rhizobial bacteria on the roots, provided the inoculant took. That's actually one reason branded, pre-inoculated seed like Imperial Whitetail Clover has real value: if your soil has never grown clover before, it may lack the right rhizobia strain naturally, and inoculated seed removes that guesswork. Drill or broadcast at a shallow depth, no more than 1/4 inch, and cultipack or drag to ensure seed-to-soil contact. Clover seed sown too deep simply won't emerge. That's one of the most common failure points reported by extension agronomists working with food plot cooperators ^[4]. Your own soil test lab's recommendation is the final word on lime and fertilizer rates; nobody selling seed online knows your field's exact numbers.

How long does an Imperial Clover plot actually last?

With good management, a perennial white clover stand can produce for 3 to 5 years before you need to till it up and start over, though weed encroachment and stand thinning usually force a replant by year 3 or 4 on most properties. That multi-year productivity is the real financial case for clover versus annual plots you replant every single season. Maintenance during those years matters more than people expect. Mow clover to 4-6 inches whenever weeds start to get ahead of it or before they seed out, generally 2 to 4 times per growing season depending on your region and rainfall. Mowing also encourages new tender growth, which deer prefer over older, tougher leaves. Expect to spot-spray for grass weeds with a clover-safe, grass-selective herbicide (like a clethodim product) since broadleaf herbicides will kill the clover itself. Reapply lime as your soil test dictates, typically every 2-3 years, since clover pulls calcium and pH drifts back down over time in most soils.

What is a food plot, and why plant clover specifically?

A food plot is a planted area, usually somewhere from a quarter-acre up to several acres, established specifically to provide supplemental forage for wildlife, most commonly whitetail deer, on hunting or wildlife management land. It's distinct from agricultural cropland in that the goal is deer nutrition and hunting opportunity rather than harvest for sale. Most state wildlife agencies treat food plots as a legal and standard wildlife habitat practice, separate from baiting, though the line between the two varies by state and matters a lot. Baiting (piling loose grain or feed to attract deer) is illegal for hunting purposes in many states, while a planted, rooted food plot is generally legal everywhere because the deer are foraging on a growing crop, not eating from a pile. Always check your specific state wildlife agency's regulations before hunting over any planted or supplemental feed area, since definitions of 'baiting' versus 'food plot' differ meaningfully state to state ^[5]. Clover earns a spot in most plot rotations because it does double duty: strong spring nutrition for antler growth and lactation, and a return crop every fall without replanting, unlike annual brassicas or grains. For a wider view of species options, see deer food plots and deer for food.

Do deer eat sorghum, and does it fit with clover plots?

Yes, deer eat sorghum, particularly grain sorghum heads and the tender leaves, but it's generally a secondary or supporting crop rather than a primary attractant compared to clover, brassicas, or soybeans. Sorghum is more often planted as a screening crop or a component of a wildlife blend to add structure and some grain value, especially in warm-season plantings where corn is too input-heavy for a small plot. Some hunters use sorghum on the edges of a clover plot as cover to reduce spooking deer on approach, which is a legitimate and common tactic, but as a straight food source it doesn't compete with clover's protein content or with soybeans' pod tonnage. If sorghum is in a bag blend, it's usually there for diversity and drought tolerance rather than as the headline attractant.

When should you plant oats for deer, and how does that pair with clover?

Oats are a cool-season annual, planted in late summer to early fall (roughly 6-8 weeks before your first frost) for fall and winter deer attraction, or in early spring for a quick spring green-up plot. Oats germinate fast, often in 7-10 days with adequate moisture, which makes them a popular nurse crop planted alongside new clover seedings. That's actually one of the most practical uses of oats: broadcasting a light rate of oats with a fall clover planting gives you quick green cover that hides the slower-establishing clover from both weeds and excessive browsing pressure in the first few weeks. The oats get grazed off and naturally thin out over winter, leaving the clover to take over the following spring.

When should you plant turnips for deer, and do they compete with clover?

Turnips are planted in late summer, generally 80-90 days before your first expected killing frost, since they need that runway to bulb out before cold weather. Deer often ignore turnip bulbs and tops until after a hard frost sweetens the plant through starch-to-sugar conversion, then consumption can increase sharply in late fall and winter. Turnips and clover aren't usually planted together in the same spot; turnips are an annual brassica that needs tilled, weed-free ground and heavy nitrogen, while clover is a perennial legume that fixes its own nitrogen and resents heavy tillage once established. Most experienced plot managers run them as separate plots in a rotation: clover as the perennial anchor plot, brassicas like turnips in a rotating annual plot nearby, giving deer both a spring/summer/early-fall food source and a late-season, frost-activated one.

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

There's no single best time. It depends entirely on species and your regional frost dates. Perennial clover and chicory go in during spring or late summer windows described above. Cool-season annuals like brassicas, oats, and winter wheat go in late summer for fall/winter deer attraction. Warm-season annuals like soybeans, cowpeas, and corn go in after your last spring frost date, once soil temperatures are consistently above 55-60°F. The single biggest planting-date mistake extension specialists and seed companies both flag is planting fall annuals too early or too late relative to the first frost: too early and weeds and heat stress hammer the seedlings; too late and the plants don't reach a useful growth stage before deer season or before winter dormancy sets in . Check your county's average first and last frost dates through your state's extension office or NOAA climate data, then count backward from there for each species you're planting.

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

Whitetail diet studies consistently show deer are opportunistic browsers that shift preference by season, but a few foods rank near the top across most regions: acorns (especially white oak group acorns, which are lower in tannins and more palatable than red oak group), soybeans in the pod-filling stage, and clover during its vegetative growing season . Agricultural crops like soybeans and corn, where legally available, often draw deer away from natural browse entirely during late summer and fall. Clover consistently ranks as one of the most heavily used food plot forages because of its long season of availability, from spring through fall, and its high digestibility relative to woody browse. It's not usually the single top preference item on properties near mature agriculture (soybeans typically win head-to-head), but on wooded or CRP ground without nearby row crops, clover often becomes the primary managed forage deer key on.

Do deer like honey, and does that matter for food plots?

No, deer don't eat honey in any meaningful way relevant to food plot planning; whitetails are herbivorous browsers and grazers, and honey isn't part of their natural diet or a product used in food plot practice. This question sometimes comes up because of confusion with 'honey hole' hunting slang or with sweet lick/mineral products marketed for deer, which are a different category entirely (and mineral/supplemental feeding, unlike planted food plots, is restricted or banned outright in a number of states, so check your state wildlife agency's regulations before using any mineral or attractant product) ^[5]. Frost-sweetened forage, particularly brassicas and clover after a hard freeze, is the real 'sweet' food source deer respond to, driven by the plant converting stored starches into simple sugars as a natural cold-tolerance response, not by any added sweetener.

Imperial Clover vs. generic ladino clover: is the price difference worth it?

Imperial Whitetail Clover typically costs more per pound than generic ladino or white clover seed from a farm supply store, often two to three times as much depending on your source and the season. The blend includes proprietary variety selections and a pre-applied inoculant, and the company backs it with agronomic support materials specific to food plot conditions rather than pasture conditions. Whether that premium is worth it depends on your situation. If you're planting a small plot (under an acre) where seed cost is a minor part of your total budget next to lime, fertilizer, and fuel, the price difference is not going to break your plan and the inoculant guarantee removes one variable. If you're planting several acres and budget is tight, a quality ladino clover blend with fresh, properly stored inoculant applied at planting can perform very similarly, provided your soil pH and fertility are dialed in, since soil chemistry drives yield far more than seed brand does according to land-grant extension sources on clover establishment ^{[1] [4]}. A lot of hunters overthink the seed brand and underthink the soil test. Get the lime and pH right first; that decision affects yield more than which bag you buy. If you want help figuring out species mix, acreage, and timing for your specific ground rather than a generic seed comparison, Whitetail Institute isn't the only place to start: PlotSeason's Custom Food Plot Plan is a one-time $99 planning tool that factors in your soil test results, region, and deer pressure to build a rotation plan (general guidance, not site-specific agronomy; your soil lab is still the authority on exact lime and fertilizer rates).

Frequently asked questions

Do deer eat sorghum?

Yes, deer will eat grain sorghum heads and leaves, but it's typically a secondary food plot component used for cover or blend diversity rather than a primary attractant. Clover, soybeans, and brassicas generally outperform sorghum as standalone deer forage in most preference studies and field observations.

Do deer like clover?

Yes, white clover is one of the most consistently preferred whitetail forages, running 25-32% crude protein in vegetative stages, according to forage nutrition data compiled by university extension programs. Deer use it heavily from spring green-up through fall, making it a staple perennial plot choice nationwide.

When should I plant deer food plots?

It depends on species. Perennials like clover go in during spring or 60-90 days before first frost in late summer. Cool-season annuals (brassicas, oats, wheat) go in late summer for fall attraction. Warm-season annuals (soybeans, corn) go in after your last spring frost, once soils hit 55-60°F consistently.

When should I plant oats for deer?

Plant oats in late summer, roughly 6-8 weeks before your area's first killing frost, for a fall/winter attraction plot, or in early spring for quick green-up forage. Oats germinate in about 7-10 days and are commonly used as a nurse crop alongside new clover or alfalfa plantings.

When should I plant turnips for deer?

Plant turnips in late summer, about 80-90 days before your expected first killing frost, so bulbs have time to develop before cold weather. Deer often largely ignore turnips until after a hard frost converts stored starches to sugars, sharply increasing consumption in late fall and winter.

What is a food plot?

A food plot is a planted area, usually a quarter-acre to several acres, established to provide supplemental forage for deer or other wildlife on hunting or managed land. It's a wildlife habitat practice recognized by most state wildlife agencies, distinct from baiting rules, though baiting/feeding definitions vary significantly by state.

What are deer's favorite foods?

Whitetail preference shifts by season and region, but acorns (especially white oak group), soybeans during pod-fill, and clover during its growing season rank consistently high across diet studies. On farms near row crops, soybeans and corn often draw deer away from planted plots entirely during late summer and fall.

Do deer like honey?

No, honey isn't part of a whitetail's natural diet and has no real role in food plot planning. Deer respond instead to frost-sweetened forage like brassicas and clover, where cold weather converts plant starches into sugars, which is the actual 'sweet' food source driving late-season plot activity.

How long does Imperial Whitetail Clover last once planted?

A well-managed perennial clover stand typically produces for 3 to 5 years before weed pressure and stand thinning require a replant. Regular mowing (2-4 times per season), grass-selective herbicide use, and reapplying lime every 2-3 years based on soil test results extend the stand's productive life.

What soil pH does clover need for a food plot?

Clover performs best with soil pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Below pH 6.0, the nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria on clover roots function poorly and yield drops significantly, even if the plant survives, according to land-grant extension soil fertility guidance for legume establishment.

Can I plant Imperial Clover in shade?

Whitetail Institute markets certain Imperial Clover blends for shade tolerance better than typical pasture clover varieties, and white clover generally handles partial shade better than most food plot species. Even shade-tolerant clover still needs several hours of direct or filtered sunlight daily to persist; deep, closed-canopy timber will still struggle to support any clover stand long-term.

Is planting a clover food plot considered baiting under state law?

No, a planted, rooted food plot is generally treated differently from baiting (piling loose feed or grain) under most state wildlife regulations, since deer are foraging on a growing crop. Definitions and legality vary by state, so check your state wildlife agency's specific hunting regulations before hunting near any planted or supplemental feed area.

Sources

1. University of Missouri Extension, "Clover for Wildlife" (G9412): White clover is broadly recommended by extension programs for food plots and stand persistence depends on soil pH and mowing management
2. Missouri Department of Conservation, "Food Plots for Deer": Clover plots need adequate acreage relative to deer density to survive establishment-year grazing pressure
3. University of Georgia Extension, Circular 1251, "Establishing and Managing Clovers": Clover establishes best in spring or late-summer windows due to seed size and moisture needs
4. University of Missouri Extension, G9421, "Food Plots for Deer and Turkey": Shallow seeding depth and seed-to-soil contact are common failure points in clover establishment
5. USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, "Odocoileus virginianus": White oak group acorns are more palatable to deer due to lower tannin content compared to red oak group acorns