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Deer & other wildlife rely on a variety of sources to meet their nutritional needs. In many areas, native landscape has been virtually stripped of nutritional browse. Planting food plots is one of the best things you can do to ensure availability of nutritional food sources for wildlife. In fact, on well-managed food plot programs that provide year-round forage, food plot plants can provide up to 70 percent of a deer’s diet. These high nutririon plots result in increased deer size and increased deer numbers.
Farmscapes® offers several different blends from which to choose. These mixes have been specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of various wildlife throughout the seasons. Planting a mix of species is generally preferred to single species plantings. A mix of species increases the foraging period, attracts a variety of wildlife and ensures that if a single species suffers from disease or weather, forage will still be available from the remaining species.
Traditionally, food plots are annual plots which need to be re-planted each year. Annual plots include the Farmscapes® Deer Food Plot, Game Bird Food Plot, Trailblazer Fall Deer Blend and the new Power Treat High Sugar Deer Mix. Annual Plants will often have faster growth and provide slightly more productive forage than perennial plots. Annual plots are also a good option if you are experimenting with food plots and want to try a variety of mixes to see which is the most effective in your area.
In addition to annual plots, Farmscapes® offers several perennial mixes which will last 2 – 5 years. These mixes are good choices for areas that are hard to access with planting equipment, since you do not need to re-plant them every year. They are also an excellent choice to control the costs of having to plant your food plots each year. Quite often, perennial plants do not suffer as much weed pressure as annual plants. The Farmscapes® Deer & Wildlife Mix, UltraBuck Premium Deer Blend and the Small Game Nesting Mix are all perennial choices.
So, what should you plant? What you plant will be determined by what your specific needs are. Before choosing a food plot mix, ask yourself several questions. "What type of wildlife am I trying to attract?" "Is the area easily accessible for planting?" "If planting for small game, is there adequate cover nearby, or do I need to plant additional habitat?" "Do I want fresh forage to draw deer during hunting season?" "How much do I want to spend per acre?" "Do I need a mix that will grow in less than perfect soils?" The answers to these questions will help determine the mix or mixes that are best suited to your situation. Your Farmscapes® Dealer can help you with these questions, or check out our FAQ's page for more information.
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