Building a food plot is not that difficult. Alot of people I thiink are overwhelmed by all of the information out there. There are basically only a few steps to building a great food plot.

The first step once you have figured out where you want to plant your food plot is simply doing the clearing of unwanted vegitation be it brush, grass, trees etc. This is simple. If you don't have access to a brush cutter/mower you can usually find one that you can rent and this speeds up the process considerably.

Next you want to get the soil tilled. There are many ways of doing this. If this is a new never planted before plot it is wise to spray the area with round up before you till anything to kill the weeds dead instead of just mixing them into the soil. Use a disc, plow, or tiller and get the top of the soil good and loosened up. I like to get atleast 5 inches deep that way the plants have an easier time getting started.

Third and it's really important. Get a soil test. And get the proper fertilizer. I go around the plot and take 3-4 samples of soil and mix them together and bring the mixed sample to the local Coop. They are really helpful and give me a print out of what I need. It's really that simple. Depending on what type of lime you want to use that is ussually the bulk of the material. The local Coop here blends all the fertilizer together an puts it in a plastic tote that fits in the back of the truck nicely. Spreading the fertilizer is usually the most labor intensive part. Once you have it spread it is a good idea to work it into the soil a bit.

Now the fourth step is simply spreading the seed. Most of my plots are less than an acre so I just use a hand spreader. I do a rough estimate of how much seed that is recommended per the area size. I have learned to over the years to go over the plot twice. Use half to the seed the first time and then go over the plot a second time with the seed you have left. I have found that this way I don't miss any spots and I don't run short on seed and put it down to thick.

The number five step is to press the seed into the ground. If your soil is fluffy and loose and you know it is going to rain in the near future you probably can pass on packing it in. I actually don't pack alot of my plots that are being planted with small seeds. If you are planting a plot with larger seeds like peas, wheat, oats etc then you need to pack them in a little. Cultipackers, Atvs, Lawn rollers etc, they all work fine. Just be careful and don't get the seeds to deep into the soil. Now you are done and you can start praying for rain! I usually watch the weater forcast and plant before predicted rains but that doesn't alway work out as you already know. After a good rain and some time go and check the condition of the plot and fill in spots with seed that I might have missed.

There are many ways to plant a food plot. This Way, Frost Seeding, No Till and more. These steps may vary. This is just one of the more common ways I do my plots. Once your plot is growing you should keep an eye out for weeds that could become a problem in the future and think about mowing your plot if applicable. I always hang and trail camera on my plots to gauge how much and many deer are using it as well.