How to Grow Cheap Deer Food in Plots
- 1). Test your soil to find out what nutrients, if any, are missing. Putting on unnecessary fertilizer jacks up the cost of maintaining a plot, and the run-off of extra nitrogen and other chemicals could harm the surrounding creeks and water sources. The proper nutrients will grow plants that attract deer from around the area.
- 2). Know the soil's pH balance. A simple adjustment, if needed, is inexpensive and will pay off with better crops over several years.
- 3). Maintain the plot with proper timing. Disking the soil while it is too wet or too dry will set the conditions for poor plant germination and wasted money. Mowing after the weeds have already seeded will give them the opportunity to outgrow the deer food.
- 4). Plant and nurture native foods that the deer will turn to first. Native plants need less care, less water and are much more pest-resistant. Learn to recognize the difference between food-producing native plants and weeds that choke them, and encourage the native plants to grow in your plot.
- 5). Plant perennials to avoid replanting every year. A clover stand lasts several seasons and needs little besides the initial investment.
- 6). Bargain for cheap seed from suppliers. Broken bags, outdated seeds and overstocks can often be had at extremely discounted prices. Seed is a perishable item and suppliers want to move it when they can. If you make them an offer on something they would consider otherwise very hard to move, they just may take your price.
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