How much sun a food plot needs
NC State Extension advises at least six hours of sun a day. The University of Georgia suggests making a woods plot about twice as wide as the height of the trees around it, so the sun reaches the ground for most of the day. Narrow logging roads and small clearings under a full canopy rarely grow much.
Shade-tolerant food plot crops
- White (ladino) clover: rated good in shade by the University of Georgia, and Mississippi State calls ladino and Durana mildly shade tolerant.
- Crimson clover: moderate to good. Georgia measured about a 15% yield loss at 40% shade.
- Chicory with ladino clover: Alabama Extension's choice for a moist, shaded no-till site.
- American jointvetch: a Southern warm-season legume that LSU says tolerates shade quite well.
- Avoid soybeans (fair in shade) and cowpeas (very low).
Crop guides: Clover (white), Clover (crimson), Chicory
Keeping a woods plot alive
Small plots surrounded by woods take the heaviest browsing, and Alabama Extension notes that more forested properties need more plot area to spread the pressure. Rake off leaf litter before planting, lime to the soil test (woods soils are often acidic), and put an exclusion cage in the plot: if the cage is lush and the plot is bare, deer are the problem, not the soil.
Questions
What food plot grows best in shade?
White (ladino) clover is the most shade-tolerant common food plot crop, followed by crimson clover. Chicory with ladino clover works on moist, shaded sites. Soybeans and cowpeas do poorly in shade.
How much sun does a food plot need?
Aim for at least six hours of direct sun a day. An opening about twice as wide as the surrounding trees are tall gets enough light for most crops.
Will clover grow in the woods?
In an opening with a few hours of direct sun, yes. Ladino and white clover tolerate partial shade better than other food plot crops, though they produce less than in full sun. Under a full canopy, nothing in a food plot grows well.
Why do woods food plots fail?
Too little sun, acidic soil under leaf litter, and heavy browsing: a small plot surrounded by cover gets eaten before it establishes. Widen the opening, lime to a soil test and use an exclusion cage to see whether deer are the problem.
Keep reading
Sources
- Fall Micro-Plots for Deer, NC State Extension, Gaston County
- Food Plots for Deer on CRP Pine and Other Sites (WMS No. 7), University of Georgia Warnell School
- A Cost-Production Comparison of Common Food Plot Plantings for Deer (P3604), Mississippi State University Extension
- Cool-Season Food Plots for Deer: Planning, Planting & Maintenance (ANR-0592), Alabama Cooperative Extension System
- Choosing the right warm-season forage for deer, LSU AgCenter
- Establishing Wildlife Food Plots (FSA9092), University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension
Know when to plant.
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