The purpose of a food plot is to supplement the food sources naturally available to wildlife. Throw and grow food plots are a popular option for attracting deer since they require little maintenance.
Does throw and grow food plot work? Let’s take a close look at how these food plots work, what kind of plants you can grow, and whether or not throw-and-grow plots attract deer.
Does Throw and Grow Work for Deer?
The answer is yes. In most cases, a throw-and-grow food plot will attract deer to your property. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.
The type of plants you’re growing may be more or less appealing to deer. Think about the food sources available in the area. If there is plenty of high-quality food available, deer might have little incentive to move and find the food plot.
For better results, you should choose a spot where deer will feel safe foraging. For example, plant the seeds in a quiet area away from roads and buildings.
Even though a throw-and-grow plot doesn’t require much maintenance, you should do some minimal prep to help the plants grow. You should remove existing vegetation from the area and till the soil to maximize contact between the seeds and soil.
You might also want to test the soil and add lime or fertilizer to promote growth.
Best Throw and Grow Food Plot
The best throw-and-grow food plot depends on what you want to accomplish with this food supply.
While some might want to retain deer in an area all year round, others might want a food plot that provides additional forage in the fall and winter. Another use for food plots is to offer additional nutrition in the spring to support antler growth.
You should also consider deer movement. A large food plot can retain deer in an area, but you can also have deer move from a small food plot to another.
Best Throw and Grow Deer Food Plot
Does throw and grow food plot work? The results can vary depending on the plants you select. Ideally, you should grow resilient plants that will do well with little oversight.
In the wild, deer eat a mix of crops, grasses, and nuts. As a result, these animals have a diverse diet and need to forage to find around 6 to 8% of their body weight in food each day.
You can supplement their diet with the following option:
- Cereals like wheat, oat, triplicate, and rye are rich in nutrition. Cereals are great for the winter.
- Brassicas like rape or kale grow fast and are rich in protein. They’re a great option all year round.
- You can provide variety with turnips and radishes. Turnips do well in dry environments, and radishes are resilient.
If possible, use a mix of these different plants so that deer have access to a variety of options. Plus, if a plant doesn’t do well in your area, the other ones will.
The location of your food plot is also essential, and you might want to invest a little more time into your throw and grow plot to maximize growth with things like tilling or adding fertilizer to get better results.
Throw and Grow No-Till Forage
Tilling the ground before planting your food plot can take time. If you want to skip this step, look for resilient seeds that can easily form contact with the soil. Clover and chicory are excellent options if you don’t want to till.
Throw and Grow Seeds
You’ll get better results if you purchase a quality seed mix. You can also make your own seed mix. In most cases, seeds will remain good for two to three years.
Throw and Grow Tractor Supply
Tractor Supply is a great place to shop for throw-and-grow seed mixes. You can find brands like Evolved Harvest, PlotSpike, Tecomate, or Whitetail Food Plots USA.
Plus, this retailer offers seed mixes along with food plot seeds for growing a single plant like clover or oats.
Throw and Grow 7 Card Stud
This popular product from Evolved Harvest is an affordable option. The 7 Card Stud food plot seed mix comes with triticale, oats, winter peas, clover, chicory, turnip, and radishes.
These plants provide deer with high-quality nutrition. Plants like radishes and turnips are extremely resilient and will add variety. It’s an excellent option for growing food year-round since the seed mix ensures that there will always be a plant growing.
The oats and triticale will grow first and provide deer with an immediate food source. The winter peas should do well in cold temperatures, and the turnips can grow in a wide range of environments.
Plus, most of these plants will keep growing back year after year with no additional effort required.
Throw and Grow Clover
Clover is a great option for a throw-and-grow food plot because it’s affordable and easy to establish. It’s a plant that deer can graze, and it will keep coming back no matter how much the deers eat.
However, clover doesn’t grow well in the warm summer months. Therefore, you’ll want to supplement this food source with other plants.
There is also some basic maintenance needed, such as removing weeds and mowing around the foot plot to ensure that the clover has access to the water and nutrients it needs.
When to Plant Throw and Grow Food Plot
You need to plant your throw and grow food plot early enough to ensure deer have access to this additional food source during deer season.
When to Plant Throw and Grow for Deer?
If your goal is to provide an additional food source in the spring, you should plant your food plot between March and April. You can wait until April if you live in an area with a warm climate.
For fall food plots, you should plant seeds in August for Zones 1 through 3. If you live in Zones 4 through 6, you can wait until September or October.
How Long Does It Take for Throw n Grow to Grow?
It depends on the seed mix and climate. You should see the first signs of growth after two weeks or so. If you planted cereal seeds, this food source should become available within a month. Brassicas and other plants will take two to three months to grow.
Throw and Grow FAQ
Read on to learn more about attracting deer with a throw-and-grow plot.
Best no-till food plot
If you want to avoid tilling, look for seeds that can establish themselves easily. Clover and chicory are great options since these foods grow naturally in the wild and can do well without tilling.
What time of year to plant throw and grow?
You should plan on planting your seeds between March and May for a spring food plot and plant between August and November to provide deer with an additional food source in the fall.
Is grow foods rich in carbohydrates?
Carbs are a crucial source of energy for wildlife. Deer get carbs from nuts and acorns in the wild, but you can supplement their carb intake by planting cereal or even feeding corn.