Offering a carefully curated deer food plot not only enhances wildlife habitat but also improves deer health, hunting experiences, and whitetail activity in your terrain. While General Seed Company offers two blends — All Season Buffet and Autumn Buffet— this guide dives deeper into the science, design principles, seasonal strategy, and best planting practices to maximize forage, longevity, palatability, and attraction.
Why High‑Quality Deer Plot Mixtures Matter
- Nutrition & protein: Choosing the right wildlife food plot seed is essential as deer require high‑protein legumes and forbs to maintain muscle, antler growth, and health—particularly in spring and fall.
- Seasonal succession: Providing plants that emerge and finish at different times ensures year-round forage.
- Palatability & diversity: Multi‑species mix increases attraction and reduces dietary boredom. Deer avoid plots dominated by grasses.
- Soil improvement: Deep‑rooted brassicas and legumes improve structure and fix nitrogen, enhancing future productivity.
General Seed Company’s Offerings (Overview & Limitations)
General Seed offers two standard plots:
- All Season Buffet Wildife Plot Mixture: Includes alfalfa, white/red/ladino clovers, trefoil, forage turnips and kale, chicory, and tetraploid perennial ryegrass.
- Autumn Buffet Wildlife Plot: Emphasizes forage kale, Essex rape, and purple‑top turnip for late‑season brassica forage.
While solid starters, these blends may lack longevity beyond a single season, and don’t include heat‑season annuals or cereals for extra forage diversity.
Designing a Superior Plot: A Biologist’s Approach
Multi‑year strategy
- Annual vs perennial balance: Combine perennial legumes (alfalfa, clovers), perennial forbs (chicory), and annual brassicas (turnips, rape) for staggered emergence.
- Multi‑year perennials: Alfalfa and birds‑foot trefoil or chicory that persist 2–3+ years reduce annual reseeding needs.
Botanical composition for year‑round forage
| Component | Species & Role | Seasonal Value |
|---|---|---|
| Legumes (perennial) | Alfalfa, white/ladino clovers, trefoil | High protein from spring into fall |
| Forbs | Chicory, birds‑foot trefoil | Long tap‑rooted, drought‑resilient leafy forage |
| Brassicas (annual) | Turnip, rape, kale | Provide fall/winter forage when grasses decline |
| Cereals (optional annual) | Oats, rye grain | Quick emergency growth in spring/fall; robust bulk |
| Annual legumes (optional) | Austrian winter peas, soybeans | Summer bridge forage where permitted |
Managing weed risk & compatibility
- Avoid mixing warm‑season grasses with brassicas or legumes unless you plan manual weed management or no‑till herbicides.
- Cool‑season food plots blend well; using proper herbicide options allows better weed control without harming clovers or turnips.
Soil & pH management
- Test soil and adjust pH to 6.0–6.5, ideal for legumes.
- Apply lime and phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) as needed—nutrients directly affect clover and brassica performance.
Expert‑Recommended Mixture (High‑Performance Blend)
Five‑species mix for lasting forage and strong attraction:
- 30% Tri‑Gen Alfalfa or Ladino Clover (protein and perennial longevity)
- 15% Chicory (deep roots, summer drought resilience)
- 15% Birds‑foot Trefoil or White Clover (persistent legumes)
- 20% Forage Turnip / Purple Top (fast fall/winter feed)
- 20% Annual Oats or Rye Grain (spring/fall bulk forage)
This mix draws from scientific recommendations for multiseason plots and gives deer forage through varied conditions, reducing overgrazing risk.
Planting Timelines & Techniques
Spring planting
- Prepare seedbed—tilled, weed‑free, firmed.
- Ideal window: April–early June.
- Drill or broadcast; rolling improves seed‑soil contact.
- Perennial legumes benefit from inoculation.
Fall planting
- Ideal: late July through early August for clovers and brassicas.
- Oats and grasses can be planted mid‑spring or late summer.
Seeding rates for wildlife food plot seed: around 8 lb/acre drilled, 12 lb/acre broadcast typical for mix like above (mirrors Twin City Seed guidelines).
Maintenance & Harvest Management
- First year: Mow tall grasses to stimulate clovers; remove excess brassica residue in spring.
- Nutrition: Minor fertilizer top-up (P/K) after first season if growth slows.
- Spot reseeding: Add seed to thinning areas rather than full replant.
- Prevent overbrowsing: Use multiple small plots to distribute pressure.
Comparing & Raising the Standard
| Feature | General Seed Company Blend | Enhanced Biologist Blend |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonal span | All‑season (single year) | Multi‑season (2–3 years) |
| Diversity | Limited species | 5–6+ high‑value components |
| Winter forage | Limited (kale/rape) | Strong brassica component |
| Summer resilience | Ryegrass & clover | Chicory & trefoil drought tolerance |
| Weed management | Basic | Compatible and herbicide‑friendly mix |
| Establishment effort | Annual seeding cycles | Reduced replanting after year one |
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