The main reason for plot failures is the result of not following the steps below. Ranking up with not following these steps is dealing with “Mother Nature”. Whether it’s a drought or other harsh environmental circumstances, Mother Nature plays a BIG part. Ask any local farmer – he or she will tell you success or failure depends on Mother Nature.

Step 1: Soil Testing

A soil test is HIGHLY recommended before planting to ensure correct amount of lime and fertilizer is applied. Soil pH can be critical to ensure forages are productive in your plot. Soil pH should be in the 6.5 – 7.2 range. You can contact your local County Agricultural Extension Agent for assistance on soil testing from a reputable lab, usually for a cost of about $8-$15.

Step 2: Soil Preparation and Planting

Properly preparing a seedbed is also critical to ensure a good stand. This involves the spraying of existing vegetation, a disk or tiller, dragging to level, and firming before and after seeding with a cultipacker. The seedbed needs to be firm, but not packed.

Seed in WHAT-A-RACK mixes should be planted ¼” depth or less. (Small seeds can’t push up through if planted too deep.)

Consider placing an electric poly-tape or other barrier around your plot to prevent early harvest of young plants. Temporary fencing products also available through WHAT-A-RACK.com

While the seed in every bucket of WHAT-A-RACK will germinate, grow, and produce excellent forage for your wildlife, we ask our customers to follow these steps to ensure success in their food plots.

Mowing:

Once the plants reach approximately 12” in height, use a rotary mower to cut no lower than 4”. Mowing will aid in weed control and ensure plants stay at an optimum height and maturity for maximum protein levels. If at all possible, try to remove forage that was cut from the plot area.

DO NOT mow when weather is
excessively hot and dry.

Fertilizing:

Fertilizer can be applied once or twice during the growing season. Since WHAT-A-RACK mixes are legume based, do not apply fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. The first of the 3 numbers of the analysis in a fertilizer is the nitrogen. For example 6-24-24 might be a good fertilizer to use. Lime may be applied as needed according to your soil test at any time.

We can guarantee the seed in every bucket is fresh, viable seed. Since we are not there while you are planting the seed, we can not guarantee the growing conditions, soil preparation, or the soil type you planting in.