Grain sorghum (milo) Food Plot Guide
Heat- and drought-tolerant grain that feeds deer, turkeys, doves and quail from late summer through winter.
Seed Rate
15
lbs/acre
Fertilizer
300
lbs/acre (13-13-13)
Depth
1 to 1.5 inches
Products
17
available
Overview
Grain sorghum, usually called milo, is a warm-season grain that does the job of corn on ground and budgets where corn struggles. It handles heat and drought better, needs less fertilizer, and grows from cheap, small seed you can broadcast. The plants carry grain heads on stalks 3–5 feet tall that deer, turkeys, doves and quail feed on from late summer into winter, and a standing milo plot doubles as screening cover. Food plot varieties are short and stout, so the heads stay within reach. Birds eat a lot of the grain, which is a bonus on a dove or quail property and a cost on a deer-only plot.
New to food plots? Read our beginner's guide for step-by-step planting instructions, or use the Grain sorghum (milo) seed calculator to plan your plot.
Why Deer Love Grain sorghum (milo)
Milo grain is an energy food, high in starch, that deer use to put on fat for winter, much like corn. Deer browse young plants lightly, then work the heads once they mature in fall. Standing milo is still there after the leaves of other crops are gone.
Soil & Growing Conditions
Best Soil Types
Most soils, including sandy and dry sites, as long as they drain well.
Soil pH Range
5.5–7.5 (ideal 6.0–6.5).
Planting Depth
1 to 1.5 inches.
Check our planting calendar for the best planting window in your state.
Planting Tips
- 1
Plant once the soil reaches 60–65°F, a few weeks after your last spring frost. Milo is frost-tender and stalls in cool soil.
- 2
Drill 8–10 lbs/acre in rows, or broadcast 15–20 lbs/acre and cover lightly.
- 3
300 lbs/acre of 13-13-13 at planting. On poor ground, side-dress with nitrogen when plants are knee high.
- 4
Leave it standing through winter. That's when the grain matters most.
- 5
Plant it in alternating strips with soybeans, cowpeas or lablab for summer browse plus winter grain.
When to Plant Grain sorghum (milo) by State
Planting windows from each state's average frost dates. Colder parts of a state plant fall crops earlier and spring crops later; open a state for its frost dates and every crop.
| State | Spring planting |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Apr 15 – May 29 |
| Alaska | Not recommended |
| Arizona | May 31 – Jul 7 |
| Arkansas | Apr 15 – Jun 3 |
| California | Apr 15 – Jun 3 |
| Colorado | May 26 – Jun 27 |
| Connecticut | May 16 – Jul 4 |
| Delaware | May 1 – Jun 19 |
| Florida | Apr 15 – May 25 |
| Georgia | Apr 15 – May 29 |
| Idaho | May 31 – Jun 23 |
| Illinois | May 6 – Jun 24 |
| Indiana | May 11 – Jun 29 |
| Iowa | May 16 – Jul 2 |
| Kansas | May 6 – Jun 24 |
| Kentucky | May 6 – Jun 24 |
| Louisiana | Apr 15 – May 25 |
| Maine | Not recommended |
| Maryland | May 11 – Jun 29 |
| Massachusetts | May 22 – Jul 2 |
| Michigan | May 31 – Jun 23 |
| Minnesota | May 31 – Jun 17 |
| Mississippi | Apr 15 – May 25 |
| Missouri | May 6 – Jun 24 |
| Montana | Not recommended |
| Nebraska | May 21 – Jun 27 |
| Nevada | Jun 5 – Jun 23 |
| New Hampshire | Not recommended |
| New Jersey | May 11 – Jun 29 |
| New Mexico | May 21 – Jul 7 |
| New York | May 26 – Jun 27 |
| North Carolina | May 1 – Jun 19 |
| North Dakota | Not recommended |
| Ohio | May 16 – Jul 4 |
| Oklahoma | Apr 22 – Jun 10 |
| Oregon | May 11 – Jun 29 |
| Pennsylvania | May 22 – Jul 2 |
| Rhode Island | May 16 – Jul 4 |
| South Carolina | Apr 15 – Jun 3 |
| South Dakota | May 31 – Jun 17 |
| Tennessee | Apr 26 – Jun 14 |
| Texas | Apr 15 – May 25 |
| Utah | May 26 – Jul 2 |
| Vermont | Not recommended |
| Virginia | May 6 – Jun 24 |
| Washington | May 26 – Jun 27 |
| West Virginia | May 21 – Jul 2 |
| Wisconsin | May 31 – Jun 22 |
| Wyoming | Not recommended |
Weed Control
- Sorghum is a grass, so grass herbicides that are safe on clover or soybeans will kill it. Start with a burndown before planting and a clean seedbed.
- Pre-emergence and broadleaf herbicides labeled for grain sorghum (several contain atrazine, a restricted-use product in many states) help on weedy ground. Follow the label's growth-stage limits.
Herbicides are named by active ingredient as examples, not endorsements. Read and follow the label of the product you buy: it sets the crops it is safe on, the rates, and any grazing or harvest limits, and registrations vary by state.
No-Till & Throw-and-Mow
Milo can be no-till drilled into killed sod or a terminated cover crop. Broadcasting into thatch is less reliable, because the seed needs soil contact and warm soil.
How Big Should a Grain sorghum (milo) Plot Be?
An acre or more, especially where blackbirds, doves or hogs will share it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Planting into cold soil. Seed rots or seedlings sit and struggle.
Buying forage sorghum or sorghum-sudangrass when you wanted grain. Those grow tall and make little grain.
Planting a small plot where blackbirds flock. They can strip the heads before deer season.
Broadcasting too thick. Crowded milo makes small heads.
Recommended Grain sorghum (milo) Seed Products
Frigid Forage
Plot Screen – 25 lb / 1.5 Acre Bag
The original plot screen seed blend developed in 2009 to create a thick natural screen that can reach heights of over 12 ft. Provides security for whitetails while feeding and hides movements to and from your stand. Drought resistant, only requires half the moisture corn needs. Versatile blend that can be planted in customized designs for your hunting property. Uniform seed size for easier seeding whether broadcasting or drilling.
Find Best Price ↗Green Cover
View Blocker
A blend of Sorghum Sudan, Forage Sorghum, Egyptian Wheat, and GreenBoost 2.0 Biology Package designed to create visual barriers and cover for food plots. Fast growing with excellent regrowth and good weed suppression.
Find Best Price ↗Frigid Forage
The Original Plot Screen – 8.5 lb / 1/2 Acre Bag
A food plot screen blend designed to create a thick natural screen that can reach heights of over 12 ft. Provides security for whitetails while feeding and hides movements to and from your stand. Drought resistant, only requires half the moisture corn needs to reach maturity. Uniform seed size for easier seeding whether broadcasting or drilling.
Find Best Price ↗Whitetail Institute
Sorghum Select - Premium Sorghum Mix for Deer Food Plots
Whitetail Institute Sorghum Select is a specially formulated annual blend of two high-performing sorghum hybrids (Whitetail 25G2 and Whitetail 25G805) designed to attract and hold deer throughout the season. Combines early and late-maturing varieties for longer-lasting attraction, excellent yield potential, and drought & disease resistance.
Find Best Price ↗Real World Wildlife Products
Hidden Access Annual Food Plot Screen
A blend of three carefully selected plant species designed to create a quick and effective annual food plot screen. Plants reach 8 to 10 feet tall in the fall. Ideal for immediate screening needs or planting alongside Giant Miscanthus as it fills in. A 6-foot wide strip from one acre bag yields 7,260 feet (1.375 miles) of screen.
Find Best Price ↗Eagle Seed, LLC
Egyptian Wheat
Egyptian wheat seeds make a great screening material and fine habitat/food source for quail, doves and wild turkeys. Known for its super tall stature and dense foliage, Egyptian wheat can be planted in spring and throughout the summer.
Find Best Price ↗Real World
Wildlife Grain Sorghum Blend
Real World's Wildlife Grain Sorghum Blend is a great fall and winter food source for deer, upland game birds and migratory birds. The plants grow 4-5 feet tall making it good cover for wildlife. This mix is a blend of white and red sorghum. Treated with a seed safener to allow for more herbicide options.
Find Best Price ↗Tecomate
Upland Game Bird Tecomix — Turkey & Game Bird Food Plot Seed
A summer food plot blend formulated to attract, hold and feed dove, quail and pheasant into the fall and winter. Contains Argentine sunflowers, millet and hybrid milo. Fast growing, long lasting and works great nationwide.
Find Best Price ↗Unknown
Green Screen Food Plot Mix
An annual sorghum blend that grows fast and full—rising up to 14 feet tall—to form a living wall for dividing fields, shielding driveways, blocking road views, creating windbreaks, privacy barriers, and protected pathways for wildlife. Combines robust annual species that thrive in warm weather and dense planting.
Find Best Price ↗Grandpa Ray Outdoors
GRO- Fortress Blend
Annual forages that provide plot screening and cover. Added grain sorghum and millet provides stand ability and winter food for birds. Contains 25% Egyptian Wheat/Screen Sorghum, 25% Sorghum Sudan/Forage Sorghum, 25% WG Food Sorghum, 25% Pearl Millet.
Find Best Price ↗Seed Ranch
Defiance Sorghum Sudangrass Seed (Aphid Tolerant)
Typical 3-way sorghum Sudangrass hybrid with added resistance to Sugarcane aphid. Defiance is a sweet sorgo Sudan hybrid that produces plants with fine stems and large leaves. Suitable for grazing, hay, or green chop. Features season-long SCA tolerance, excellent leaf to stem ratio, fast recovery after grazing or cutting, drought tolerance, and excellent foliar disease resistance.
Find Best Price ↗Domain Outdoor
Milo Food Plot Seed
Milo Food Plot Seed by Domain Outdoor is a wildlife habitat seed for deer, turkey, birds, and cover. Best used for vertical cover, grain heads for wildlife, upland birds, turkey, and deer structure. Includes wildlife grain sorghum / milo. Plant after frost when soil temperatures are warm; commonly late spring through summer.
Find Best Price ↗Seed Ranch
9300 Milo Grain Sorghum Seed
9300 Milo Grain Sorghum Seed is a reliable warm-season annual sorghum variety designed for growers, land managers, and wildlife plotters. Also called grain sorghum or milo, 9300 produces attractive deep-red seed heads, reaches approximately 44–48 inches in height, and offers strong stalk quality. Well adapted to a range of soil types and valued for its ability to handle hot, dry growing conditions. Available concept-treated or non-treated.
Find Best Price ↗Whitetail Institute
Imperial Whitetail Conceal
Fast-growing annual seed blend that grows 8-10 feet tall, forming dense cover from top to bottom. Contains Sunn Hemp, Whitetail Hybrid Grain Sorghum, and Whitetail Forage Sorghum. Perfect for deer bedding areas, travel corridors, screening food plots, hunter concealment, and dividing large plots. Thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, germinating quickly in warm temperatures (65°F+).
Find Best Price ↗Frigid Forage
Plot Screen – 50 lb / 3 Acre Bag
The original food plot screen blend developed in 2009 to create a thick natural screen that can reach heights of over 12 ft. Provides security for whitetails while feeding and hides movements to and from your stand. Drought resistant, only requires half the moisture corn needs. Best planted in late May to mid-June in full sun.
Find Best Price ↗Eagle Seed, LLC
Dove Delight™
A premium blend featuring a diversity of millets, sorghums, and sunflower designed to attract gamebirds like dove. Provides excellent cover and performs well in dry soil conditions. Plant by mid-May for best results before season opener.
Find Best Price ↗Seed Ranch
WGF Sorghum Seed - 1 Lb.
Wild game food sorghum is an early maturing sorghum reaching mid-bloom at about 40-50 days after emergence. It is bird-resistant which keeps migrating flocks of blackbirds from stripping it in late summer. A mature plant will be 26-30" tall with seed becoming marginally palatable at maturity. As it stands in the weather, it loses tannic acid and becomes more and more palatable through the fall. This sorghum makes excellent seed for all game birds, including quail, turkey, pheasants, doves and ducks. Deer will also feed heavily on the grain in fall and winter.
Find Best Price ↗Best Paired With
These crops complement grain sorghum (milo) in a food plot rotation or mix:
Soybeans
High-protein warm-season legume that feeds deer from summer browse through fall bean pods.
Lablab
Tropical legume that thrives in southern heat and provides tons of leafy browse through summer.
Sunflowers
The classic dove field crop. Deer browse the young plants, and doves, quail and turkeys feed on the seed.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant grain sorghum (milo) for deer?▾
It depends on your frost dates. Roughly: in the northern states, about May 31 – June 23 (spring); in the middle states, May 6 – June 24 (spring); in the South, April 15 – May 29 (spring). The table on this page lists grain sorghum (milo) planting dates for every state.
What soil type is best for grain sorghum (milo) food plots?▾
Most soils, including sandy and dry sites, as long as they drain well. Ideal soil pH: 5.5–7.5 (ideal 6.0–6.5)..
How deep should you plant grain sorghum (milo) seed?▾
1 to 1.5 inches.
How much grain sorghum (milo) seed do you need per acre?▾
The recommended seeding rate for grain sorghum (milo) is 15 lbs per acre. Apply 300 lbs/acre of 13-13-13 fertilizer.
Why do deer like grain sorghum (milo)?▾
Milo grain is an energy food, high in starch, that deer use to put on fat for winter, much like corn. Deer browse young plants lightly, then work the heads once they mature in fall. Standing milo is still there after the leaves of other crops are gone.
What are common mistakes when planting grain sorghum (milo) food plots?▾
Planting into cold soil. Seed rots or seedlings sit and struggle. Buying forage sorghum or sorghum-sudangrass when you wanted grain. Those grow tall and make little grain. Planting a small plot where blackbirds flock. They can strip the heads before deer season. Broadcasting too thick. Crowded milo makes small heads.
What crops grow well with grain sorghum (milo) in a food plot?▾
Grain sorghum (milo) pairs well with soybeans, lablab, sunflowers in a food plot rotation or mix.
Is milo or corn better for deer?▾
Corn yields more grain per acre, but milo costs less to plant, needs less fertilizer, tolerates drought and grows on poorer ground. On marginal soil or in dry country, milo is the safer bet.
Know when to plant.
In planting season, the Friday Hunting Briefing ends with food plot reminders by state: which planting windows open and close in the next two weeks. Plus seed deals and hunting news. Free, unsubscribe anytime.
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