Timing is everything!
If you are a food plotter, it is fast approaching a busy and crucial time of year! In some areas of the country, many of you have already gotten your food plots in the ground and are anxiously awaiting the results. For others, you may still have several weeks before you plant. This brings up one of the most commonly asked questions that we get here at Tecomate Seed. When is the best time for me to plant my fall food plot for deer? To answer this question, we really must focus on two things. Where are you located and which seed are you planting?
Location is key
Regardless of the type of seed that you plan to plant this fall, where you are located and the weather in your region of the country both play a big factor in the timing of when you get those seeds in the ground. A good place to start is to check out our food plot zone map on our website at Tecomate.com. This map breaks down the country into 4 basic regions ranging from the extreme north to the deep south. Each one of our products has a “when to plant” section in the product description that will give you a planting guide showing a recommended time to plant based on your region. This is very important because in the far northern states and parts of the upper midwest, depending on the type of seed, you may start prepping those plots soon after July 1st by spraying herbicide and then plan to start the actual planting process in mid to late July. On the contrary, someone like me in the Deep South will not start preparing fall food plots until September and even stretching into early/mid-October, depending on rainfall. Always keep in mind that when we plant fall food plots, this time always revolves around the driest months of the year. It’s not always possible, but I try to have my plots prepared ahead of time by mowing, herbicide application, and disking/tilling. Then, when I see rain in the forecast, I plant those plots ahead of that rainfall just to up my odds on quick, successful germination.
What seeds are you planting?
As I stated before, location is so important to the timing of planting your fall food plots. However, you also must consider what species of plant you are trying to grow as well. Let’s discuss brassicas first. This would apply to Tecomate products like Brassica Banquet, Turbo Turnip, and Root King Radish, and I would also put our Ultra Forage mix in this category. Most brassicas have a maturity rate ranging from roughly 50-75 days and even a bit longer in some cases. It is important to plant these so they have ample time to grow to maturity prior to the first frost in your region. A good rule of thumb for brassicas is to look at the date you typically receive your first frost and back up 60 days for your planting date. For example, if you are really far north and that first frost hits around mid-September on average, then a mid-July planting date would be good. On the opposite end of the spectrum, cereal grains such as winter wheat, oats, and cereal rye need to be planted later so they do not, in fact, mature and become non-palatable to the deer before the cold weather starts to affect them. 30 days prior to a frost is usually a good time to plant cereal grains. A question that I often get asked is, “What if I’m planting a mix of these species?”. A good example would be if you are planting a mix of cool season forages like our Max-Attract or Greenfield blends, which have not only cereal grains but also winter peas, clovers, and chicory, along with brassicas also being in the Greenfield mix. A good rule of thumb in that case is to split the difference about 45 days before a frost for your planting date. This will ensure that you have good tender green growth for the faster-growing species but also gives a good amount of time for the brassicas to establish before the cooler weather starts to set in and we start spending more time in the blind or tree stand.
As always, if you have any questions regarding specific products or your region of the country, we are more than happy to help. Just reach out to us through tecomate.com or our social media platforms, and we will do our best to get you the information that you need to help you succeed. Good luck and be safe this fall!
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