The Basics of Making a Clover Food Plot

Polaris RANGER partnered with Outdoor Life to bring you the story of the world record Brewster Buck. Clover is probably the best all-around food plot plant there is.

Food-plotters always wonder: what should I plant? There are plenty of good options, but clover is usually one of the best. Deer love clover, and with 16% or more digestible protein it's good for them. With maintenance, a stand of white clover can last 4 seasons or more. You need a clean, firm seed bed and a soil PH of 6.0 to 6.5. Get a solid test if you can, but if not, a few hundred pounds of 15-15-15 per acre will get you started. Broadcast the seed at a rate of 6 to 8 pounds per acre, compact it in, and hope for rain. Plant clover in the early spring or early fall. It's slow-growing during the first few months. Once established, control weed competition with selective herbicides and annual mowing. Hunt over it, and enjoy the critters you're bound to see.