Whitetails 365: Optimal PH Levels for Optimal Food Plots

Whitetails 365: Optimal PH Levels for Optimal Food Plots

By Jessica Graham

When I was a teenager, I set out on a quest to harvest my first archery deer. My Dad set a treestand up just north of the cornfield on our farm. My plan was to position myself between the deer coming out of the cedar bedding area heading towards the cornfield. A small Iowa buck came down the path. When he was broadside at 20 yards, I drew my 40 lb. bow back and placed my top pin behind his front leg, this is what my Dad coached me to do. I squeezed the release trigger and 70 yards later I had my first harvest with a bow.

Using a cornfield to attract deer was my first experience in using agricultural activities to attract deer. Shortly after that first harvest, my Dad and I started planting food plots with a goal of attracting deer to our location. One of the best things you can do to ensure your food plot success is making sure the PH of the soil is correct. This will result in thriving food plots for you to hunt.

Why Soil Test
We often have heard one of the most common pieces of advice: “get a soil test”. Have you ever wondered why? Soil tests will reveal the PH of the soil. It is important to know the PH of the soil because PH affects nutrient availability. You can actually have a fertile piece of ground, but the plants can not take up the essential nutrients because the PH is rendering nutrients unavailable. PH is measured on a scale of 0-14. “0” is the most acidic reading, “7” is neutral, and “14” is very alkaline. Luckily, here in Iowa our soils tend to be slightly acidic to neutral (7). The PH scale is built on logarithms. Hence, a PH of four is 10 times more acidic than a PH of five. A PH of four is also 100 times more acidic than a PH of six. Some plants need a specific range of PH to thrive. This includes plants commonly used in food plots.

Soil Testing
Generally, there are a couple of different options for soil testing. You can most likely visit your local ag center, or grain elevator and see if you can hire someone to do a soil sample for you. They will send off the soil sample, and then share the results with you. An agronomist can then help you figure out what nutrients you need for your soil. But first you may want to apply some lime to bring the acidity of the soil down closer to seven (neutral). If you plant a food plot within 90 feet of a gravel road, your food plot could be too alkaline because of the lime gravel dust.

You may elect to soil sample your area yourself. You will need some soil sample bags (or brown paper bags), a bucket, and a soil probe. Use the soil probe to get a six inch core sample of the soil. Take 5-10 core samples per 3-5 acres, mix the soil in a bucket and then place the soil in a sample bag. Most soil testing facilities want at least one cup of dirt. These samples will fill one sample bag. It’s best to mark on a map the locations corresponding with each soil sample bag, and label the bag accordingly. For instance, have one sample for each food plot and label the bags (brassica food plot, north food plot, etc.) This way you can see the variation across your locations and adjust the PH according to each food plot.

Sample Results
When you have the results of your soil sample back, talk with an agronomist or your county extension agent for recommendations specific to your food plot. Someone at your local grain elevator or co-op should be able to assist with nutrient recommendations, and will help you get your PH in the correct range. Do not be afraid to ask them for more information regarding their recommendations. Optimum PH levels will assist in ensuring that your hard work, preparation, and planting will not go wasted. Sometimes calcium carbonate (CACO3), a form of lime, can be found at your local farm store in bags. Applying bags of lime might be a good fit for a small food plot to raise the PH and decrease the acidity of the soil.

Food plots can be expensive and labor intensive. Somehow, it usually ends up being incredibly hot when I go and seed a food plot. I don’t know about you, but if I am going to devote time and energy to food plots, I want them done correctly. I want the money I invest in lime and fertilizer to yield a lush palatable field that is attractive to wildlife. PH controls nutrient availability to plants. If it is too high or too low, even if the nutrients are there, they might not be able to be used by the plants. You will probably see some yellowing of the leaves (depending on the crop) and your food plot will not visibly look lush.

This will limit the potential of your food plot and limit the number of deer you can support. You can have an abundance of nutrients, but they may not be available if the PH is not optimal. You should determine your goal. Do you want to be able to hold and feed the maximum amount of wildlife? If so, try to achieve optimal PH levels. Above are ideal PH ranges for specific food plots. This is for top production; the listed crop may be able to grow in PH levels outside the range. However, maximum production, and in some cases, palatability will not be reached if the PH is too far out-of-line. Achieving the correct PH will be the first step in improving and maintaining a thriving food plot.