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It’s go-time for food plotting hunters across much of the United States.
If you have dreams of watching deer utilize a green, leafy field in the middle of the fall, then early or mid-August is the time when your seeds should hit the ground. If you’re further south, bump that back a month or so. Nonetheless, this is generally the season for planting fall annuals.
Fall annuals are quick-maturing and generally cold tolerant plants that should be planted in the late-summer or early-fall for growth through the first frost in your area. Dates and some methods can change regionally, but fall annuals have a place for all food plotters.
As Mother Nature begins to turn the tables from summer to fall, the landscape begins to change. Drastically. Green soybeans, native browse, and other summer forages begin to turn from green to yellow. Defoliation begins, and that ultimately sparks a major change in a whitetail’s diet.
As hunters, we can go with the flow by preparing to hunt grain fields once cold weather arrives or by focusing on mast crops in the early-season. We can also set ourselves up for success by taking the wheel and planting something that stays green when other things turn brown. That is where fall annuals really come into play.
We are looking for something that can provide forage when everything is in the process of defoliating for the winter ahead. Fall annuals like brassicas, turnips or radishes. The big and leafy food plot blends that you see popping off of magazine pages and glowing green during your favorite hunting shows.
There’s no question that fall annuals have a place in food plotting. They may even be the most popular seed variety for hunters. Largely because they are simple, fairly cheap, and super durable. With that being said, you have to understand fall annuals to be successful.
You have to determine which fall annual will work best in your area and for your hunting style. You then have to determine how you will get it in the ground and when. We’re here to help.
The Typical Suspects: Brassicas, Turnips and Radishes
As you can see in the photo above obtained directly from my personal hunting spot, deer enjoy fall annuals. Brassicas and radishes to be exact. I planted this fall blend with hopes of hunting over it during the colder months of November and December. The deer had other plans. Thanks to a smoking-hot drought to start September, the local doe family group blasted the moist, green leaves in search of any moisture.
That’s definitely not your typical fall annual scenario. Brassicas, which are cool weather plants that produce massive green leaves, typically don’t sweeten up until the first frost hits. The same is generally true for turnips and to a lesser extent for radishes.
Hunters enjoy brassicas, turnips and radishes because they can offer some flexibility for the cold months ahead. After the first frost hits, deer should really start hammering those green leaves above the earth’s surface. When those mid and late-fall frosts turn to harsh winter storms, deer should begin pawing up turnips and radishes. This is not to say that brassica and bulb plots cannot yield success earlier in October or November, but they are designed to feed deer when it’s cold. A food source that is kicking when everything else is not.
Under-the-Radar Fall Annuals: Wheat, Oats and Rye
Buck Forage Oats. Photo by Heartland Wildlife.
If you’re looking to establish your very first food plot, it’s hard to beat wheat or rye. Some wheat and rye varieties can germinate in places you wouldn’t imagine any vegetation growing. You might be surprised at how attractive they can be to whitetails. I lumped oats into this category, but they are a tad different. It takes a little bit more to plant them, but they tend to be a bit more attractive than wheat or rye.
This group of fall annuals gets less attention than brassicas or big grains like corn or soybeans, but they definitely have their place. Wheat, oats and rye can all create a fantastic fall food plot. They may not draw like brassicas or radishes in some instances, but these cereal type grains are super beneficial. Deer enjoy them, they build healthy soils, and they are very easy to establish.
How: Planting Fall Annuals
In general, fall annual seeds are very small. I cannot think of a single fall annual seed that is overly large in size. Most of them aren’t much bigger than a grain of salt. That is because we want these seed varieties to grow quickly and mature before the first frost rolls in. Thus, we can broadcast most fall annual varieties and see success.
Your first step should be obtaining a soil test for the specific area you are hoping to plant. Successful food plots are built below the earth’s surface. From there, it’s all about preparation. Eliminating weeds with herbicides, mowing, and finally by tilling. Though you can employ a no-till method through use of a seed drill or even by broadcasting into a field that is un-tilled but terminated. Remember that these seeds are so small they need very little seed-to-soil contact. We’re talking about a 1/4 of an inch planting depth in most situations.
Some folks have success tilling up a garden-like seedbed and dropping seeds on top before a heavy rain. Others have success by tossing seeds into vegetation and letting Mother Nature plant the seeds over time. These tiny seeds give us some flexibility.
Don’t forget the extra kick of proper fertilizer and some simple pelletized lawn lime. For the cost and the time you will spend broadcasting lime and fertilizer, it really doesn’t make sense to skip that step. I’ll also recommend that you get some kind of compacting device to optimize your seed-to-soil contact. You can dish out some money on a cultipacker, but I’ve had a lot of success with a $200 lawn roller.
Think of it in steps: 1.) Soil Test 2.) Clear Weeds 3.) Till 4.) Broadcast Seed, Fertilizer and Lime 5.) Cultipack or Roll Seed
When: August-September (varies regionally)
Knowing when to plant your seeds should be as simple as reading the back of the seed bag. Most seed companies are including planting instructions and ideal dates directly on the label, so always reference that first. Certain plants require unique planting dates. But we will discuss generalities here.
If you’re in the northern half of the US, you should be looking at planting fall annuals anywhere from late-July through August. I prefer putting my seeds in the ground somewhere around August 15-20 here in Ohio. If you are located anywhere significantly south of Ohio, it’s probably best to plant in late-August through September. Again, check the label before you plant.
A lot of new food plotters get thrown off by this time period. They think of planting and automatically assume that it should happen during the summer. You can certainly plant as early as you would like, but seed companies make their recommendations for a reason. Actually a few reasons.
Fall annuals are generally less heat tolerant than spring or perennial blends. So if you’re an eager food plotter in South Georgia and you just have to go ahead and plant your brassicas early, be prepared for a potential failure due to excessive heat. Just like the procrastinating food plotter in Northern Minnesota can expect a potential for failure due to frost if they don’t drop a seed until mid-September.
Seed companies tend to know what they’re talking about. It pays for you to listen. Fall annuals are very pointed and specifically intended to grow to maturity just before the heart of the hunting season. When you smudge that planting date in either direction, bad things can happen.
When you can get all of your ducks in a row, fall annuals can be very simple and effective. If you are just starting out, there’s a good chance that you will have to play around with certain varieties and planting methods to find a system that works for you. Again, every situation is different.
Just remember that fall annuals should have a place in your food plotting game-plan. They can provide critical forage for the winter months, fix food plotting failures from the spring or summer, and they could just be what pulls that big buck out to your treestand just a few minutes earlier.
Featured Image by Merit Seed
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