That’s a line from a Tennyson poem that’s stuck in my head since my days as a college English major. Which, as those who know me realize, was a very long time ago. And even then, when I had girls on the brain and found myself in a target rich environment, spring wasn’t about searching for love. It was about turkey hunting. And trout fishing. And picking a bunch of mushrooms. If a young lady wanted to tag along, that was, of course, more than OK with me. As long as she didn’t get in the way too much.
Of course, many years later, I’ve changed my attitude some. Now spring is about all the same things but has been expanded to include planting food plots. And the same rule applies to any woman who wants to join the fun. Naturally, spring is the universally acknowledged planting season. My farmer friends have it down to a science, and food plotters — if they’re smart — follow the lead of farmers whenever they can. There’s a lot to be said for establishing food plots in the spring but doing so comes with its share of challenges. In fact, I’ve come to view planting springtime food plots as far tougher than the late-summer variety… but with a far larger benefits package. What follows is a look at some of the challenges and rewards of that practice.
The Bennies
As mentioned, there’s a lot to be said for planting when farmers do. In many areas of the country, soil moisture is excellent (sometimes too good), and the seeds you plant will get a nice jump-start toward germination. And the long summer growing season will give Imperial Whitetail Clover and other perennial food plots an excellent chance to establish a solid root system that will let it endure challenges, such as periodic drought and tough winters. Deer will benefit, too, naturally. Assuming your perennial plot takes off to the races, it’ll provide nutrition for whitetails at a deceptively critical period: early to mid-summer. Despite warm temps and otherwise simple living, does are lactating, and bucks are doing their best to be Booners. Abundant green, high-protein forage is a critical niche in this process, and a killer perennial plot is your answer. With these positives, why don’t more folks plant perennials in spring? For starters, we’re busy and lazy. Who among us doesn’t hit spring and think of all the fun, chores and non-whitetail stuff we could/would/should be doing? (Yeah, that’s me). And then there’s this: Spring plots are just harder. There’s the typical prep work, and then there’s just more commitment to maintenance. You can’t sugarcoat this process. I liken the care and feeding of a late-summer/early fall plot to shepherding a teenager through high school. Spring plots are seeing a toddler though to college. But you know what? It’s so worth it that I’m going to guilt you into the process. So, let’s figure out how to do it right.
The Prep
You don’t have to read many issues of Whitetail News to understand the importance of plot preparation. In my mind, it’s even more important on a spring perennial plot. Take the time to do this right. Get some soil samples. (Big hint, just because I like you for reading this far: Send it in the folks at Whitetail Institute. They’ve been down this road for miles and know — even better than you do — what you’re trying to accomplish.) Then, follow the recommendations for lime and fertilizer. If you’re a veteran of the food plot wars, you already know why this drill is important. If you don’t, look it up. And again, all the info you need is on the Whitetail Institute website or can be explained by phone at (800) 688-3030. This is important stuff, people. It’s tempting to think, if you’re a hobby farmer like we all are, that a lush, emerald-green food plot is doing the best job it can. But I’ve watched enough deer feed in food plots, and they make their preferences clear in a hurry. Some food plots just taste better to them than others, and in my experience, food plots that have been limed, fertilized and don’t have to battle weeds too hard fall in the “this-tastes-better” category. So, the message is clear in my book: Take the time to do prep work right, and it’ll be worth the effort.
The Maintenance
This is where the proverbial crap hits the fan. Jump-start a perennial plot in spring, and you’re committed to nurturing the thing … at least if you want maximum results. Lots of bad things that can happen to food plots occur during summer, and if you want your planting to flourish, you’re going to need to roll up your sleeves and battle them. Although I view this as enjoyable work — a labor of love — many do not. So just be honest with yourself. If you’re committed to helping your plots achieve their potential, follow the steps ahead. If not, well go ahead and plant them anyway, but don’t expect the same results. Weed competition is the most obvious problem facing any spring perennial plot. And not long ago, that hurdle was difficult to overcome. Fortunately, much of that has changed, thanks to heightened knowledge and better tools. Spraying herbicides has long been a go-to tactic for farmers, but until recently, food plotters didn’t have the option. Then the Whitetail Institute broke new ground by offering Arrest MAX and Slay herbicides. Arrest MAX is designed for controlling a range of grasses that invade and threaten food plots. Slay does a similarly devastating job on broadleaf baddies. Both of these herbicides can be applied easily from an ATV or tractor sprayer, depending on the size of your plot (A hand sprayer can also be used for Arrest MAX).In my experience, spraying herbicides is most effective when target species are relatively new and/ or growing, which means it’s best to spray in late-spring/ early-summer period, or three to five days after mowing. For the best results, mix each herbicide with Sure-Fire Seed Oil, which helps the spray adhere to the plant and increases the product’s effectiveness. Drawbacks of spraying are cost and timing. Mowing is the traditional (and still effective) method for removing weed competition. Clipping perennial plots helps control weeds by cutting off the stem of the plant and retarding future growth. Hopefully, aggressively growing clover (for example) will then out-compete the weed species and go on to flourish. But there’s an often-neglected benefit of mowing; to keep the clover in its youngest growth stage possible. To help ensure you get the three to five years performance from your perennial plants, plan to mow two to three times during the first growing season. Make sure you prevent the weeds and grasses from seeding out. This results in maximum palatability and attractiveness for deer. (Remember the “this-tastes-better” rule? Well that’s the motto for clover-growers everywhere.)
And Even More Long-Term Maintenance
It would be nice if a summer’s worth of mowing and spraying would be the cure-all for a perennial plot. Sorry, Sparky. All those steps we took the previous spring and summer should be repeated, including the soil test. And the lime. And the fertilizer. And the herbicide. And the mowing. In addition, an increasing number of perennial growers are using frost-seeding to improve their initial plantings. Because it’s not uncommon for clover plots to have holes in them (empty spots where seeds failed to germinate, or a gap was simply left unseeded), frost seeding allows the grower a second chance to plug the holes. As the name implies, frost-seeding is best done in late winter or early spring as snow melts (according to the region) or frost melts from the soil. Seeds spread in this period will work into the soil readily, thanks to the natural swelling and heaving of the ground. Even better, those seeds will get a huge jump-start on any weeds.
The Reward
If all this sounds like a heckuva lotta work, well, it is. But here’s the thing: Perennial plots have a long-life expectancy — up to five years, in some cases — and if you’ve got a ton of plots to do, the realization that you don’t have to re-do every plot every season is certainly worth considering. In fact, you can argue that perennial plots are the perfect solution for the lazy man mentioned earlier. After the thing is established, the normally hard (and time-consuming) labor associated with food plots simply gets easier. Most important, though, is the benefit to deer, turkeys and other wildlife. That glowing patch of green you sweat and toiled over will not only suck in a bunch of critters from snow melt to late fall, it will provide them with the high-protein forage they crave at critical points in the season. If there’s not a feel-good bent to that, I haven’t told my story very well.
