How to Grow Clover Food Plots
Clover is among the most low-maintenance, fastest-growing plants to put in a deer-feeding plot. Deer-feeding plots are places planted with foliage that are deer's favorite foods. These plots are usually on cultivated hunting grounds, but they could also be used the same way people use bird feeders--to observe and photograph the deer.
Clover is good for these plots because it is a perennial that self-propagates. It needs little preparation or care and is easy to plant.
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Things You'll Need
- Tiller
- Large plastic tub
- Newspaper
- Straw
- Clover seed
- Clover seed inoculant
- Mature compost
Instructions
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1
Plant clover seed early in the spring, right after the ground thaws. Choose an open area that receives partial to full sun and has moist, dense soil.
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2
Till the clover plot by pushing the tiller blades 6 inches into the soil. Turn the tiller on and push the tiller slowly up and down the plot until the soil is loose and fine. Add about 1/2 lb. of mature compost per square foot and till again.
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Inoculate your clover seeds. Clover needs Rhizobim bacteria to harvest nitrogen from the air as it grows. This bacteria comes in the form of liquid inoculant. Pour the seeds into a plastic tub and sprinkle inoculant generously over the seeds.
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Toss the seeds in the inoculant with your hands until all the seeds are coated. Spread old newspapers out on the ground and pour the clover seeds out, spreading them into a single layer to dry. Run your hands through the dry seeds to break up any clumps.
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Pour the seeds back into the tub and toss handfuls over the tilled soil. Try to spread the seeds evenly, making sure all parts of the tilled area are covered with seeds.
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Tips & Warnings
Plant an annual grain, like wheat, to provide the deer with early spring feeding. Simply sprinkle the clover seeds between rows of the grain.
Mix types of clover according to their temperature and weather tolerances. This ensures you have clover growing no matter what.
Add chicory or alfalfa to your clover plot. These plants grow higher than clover and will protect it from over-grazing.
