Ask The Biologist

Twice as Nice

Twice as Nice

By Bob Humphrey

Should we double-seed our food plots to get better results?

QUESTION: The club I'm in is talking about double-seeding the fields this year to see if we have better results. I've read in the past one of the biggest mistakes we make is over-seeding and not putting out enough fertilizer. Our club is located in north Alabama and is 5 miles up a mountain. In the winter it can be accessed only by ATV. I don't know when the fields were last limed or when a pH test was done. — Ronny H.

ANSWER: It all begins with the soil. If you’re not testing soil annually, you should be. It’s one of the least expensive yet most important steps toward a productive food plot.

Next, I would strongly recommend following the prescribed volume of seed per acre, which you can usually find on the packaging. It’s there for a reason. Folks who develop these blends go to a great deal of trouble to determine the optimum quantity of seed for a given area. If you put down too much, the plants end up competing with one another for soil nutrients, which retards growth of all the plants. If anything, it’s often better to err on the conservative side.

If you’re putting down the prescribed volume of seed and not getting the desired result, chances are good it has something to do with the soil, which you’ll find out from soil test results. You might also look at things like slope, aspect and moisture. Even the best soil won’t produce as well if there’s not enough sunlight, or there’s too much or not enough soil moisture. You might have to consider other seed blends more suited to your particular area.

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