What Works Best in Small Maine Food Plots?
Filed under: Ask Grant, Food Plots
It was refreshing to hear your testimony of your love of our Lord and Savior. This year I am attempting to put in 3 or 4 small food plots on 112 acres of land where I hunt. I’m in the planning stage of what I will plant in this Maine climate. I’m thinking of some clover blends, winter rye, and a couple other options. I appreciate your videos and insights. It is great to see what you are doing at the Proving Grounds. Have a great Easter with others who love our risen Lord. Al Pastor, Canaan Calvary Church
Al,
Thanks for your comments! If the soil in your plots is fairly good, and has a pH of 6.5 to 7.0, clover blends should work fine. However, if the soil in your plots is sandy in nature, clovers may not work to well. Some clovers are drought tolerant, but that doesn’t mean they produce forage during a drought. It simply means they will likely survive a drought. Clover requires adequate soil moisture to be actively growing and producing fresh forage. The cooler temps in Maine favor many varieties of clover. If the clover in your plots go dormant during the late summer, that’s a great time to broadcast some brassicas. If the duff isn’t too thick, the brassicas will germinate with the next rain. Most varieties of brassicas will provide tons of quality forage. Then the clovers should provide a big flush of forage the next spring.
Remember that all forages are simply nutrient transfer agents. If the nutrients aren’t in the soil, plants can’t transfer them to deer. Lime and fertilize your plots based on a good soil analysis.
Growing Deer together,
Grant
