Your Fall Food Plot Game Plan: Soil Tests, Lime and Next Spring
Fall is when food plots are won or lost — but it's also when you should be planning next spring. Here's a simple season-by-season plan you can run inside the free .
Late September to October: pull a soil test
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Soil tests are cheapest and most useful in the fall. Take 10–15 cores 4 inches deep across the plot, mix them in a clean bucket, and send a cup to your county extension lab. When the results come back, photograph the report in your plot's Plot tab — the planner reads the numbers and saves them.
October to November: lime now
Lime takes months to move pH. If your test reads below 6.0, spreading pelletized or ag lime this fall means the soil is ready by spring planting. Log it in the journal so the planner knows.
Frost seeding in late winter
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Clover broadcast onto frozen ground in February or March works itself in as the ground freezes and thaws. Set a reminder in the Plan tab and the planner will notify you on the day.
Spring: rotate your crops
Planting brassicas on the same dirt every year invites disease. The rotation planner suggests what to follow each crop with, and the planting plan updates for your freeze dates.
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Check your exclusion cage
Put a small wire cage in the plot. Comparing inside vs. outside tells you how hard deer are browsing — log it as a "cage check" entry.
See what grows best where you hunt with the , and start your plan at .
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