I’ve been planting food plots for at least 20 years in the Midwest, and along the way I’ve had my fair share of successes and failures. The failures were typically the result of drought; you can’t grow much without regular rains. That said, I’ve also experienced marginal results — sparse food plots, usually — when the soil preparation and weather were ideal. If this has happened to you, then keep reading.
By the Numbers
In the 6-minute YouTube video below, Wes from DIY Food Plot Pro explains why it’s critical to carefully read a seed bag’s label. He explains there’s a percentage of inert material in every bag. What exactly is inert matter? As shown on the Mossy Oak BioLogic Hot Spot seed label below, inert matter is “the percentage by weight of material that will not grow, such as broken seed, chaff, empty florets, coating material, etc.” (Click here to read “Understanding Food Plot Seed Labels.”)
This seed label shows that when you combine “inert matter” plus “other crop seed” plus “weed seed,” this accounts for about only 1.5 percent of the total, which is next to nothing. In other words, this bag contains about 98.5 percent of the desired Hot Spot seed mixture (wheat, buckwheat and peas).
But this isn’t always the case. As explained by Wes in the video, it’s common for the percentage of inert material to be much higher. Important point of clarification: Seed coatings, which can be very valuable in jumpstarting seed growth, also falls into the “inert matter” category, and sometimes 30 percent of a bag’s weight is in coatings alone. This isn’t a seed manufacturer trying to rip you off. But very few hunters understand this come planting time.
Treated seed will have a better germination rate than non-treated seed. So it’s up to a hunter to decide whether he or she would rather have the extra seed in the bag, or the seed treatment with improved germination but less seed.
Wes also explains the germination rates stated on the seed label. This is critically important, too, in determining how much seed to broadcast on your plot. On the label shown above, the germination rate for Hot Spot is 85 percent (the same for wheat, buckwheat and peas). In other words, in a controlled lab — which is much better than your outdoor food plot — you can expect that 15 percent of the seed won’t grow.
Another important bit of information to watch out for when checking seed labels is the date of the germination test. Sometimes when buying seeds for late-summer plantings at a local co-op, they have seeds that were leftover from the previous season. This means the germination rate will be another 25 to 35 percent lower than what is stated on the label, simply because the seed is old. Sure, you can often purchase old seed for a discounted price, but you must be aware that the germination rate is likely to be low. Retailers offer sales on this old seed because they just want to get rid of it.
So, what lessons can be learned from examining seed labels? Wes always broadcasts seed heavier than recommended by about 20 percent, except for brassicas because they will get stunted if they don't have proper spacing.
I agree with his advice. For brassicas, I do the math, taking into consideration inert matter and germination rates, then put down the recommended amount of seed per acre. For clover, however, I often skip the math and simply put it down heavy, at least by 20 percent and sometimes as high as 50 percent over the recommended rate. Am I wasting money? Maybe, but at least I know my plot won’t be sparse.
Two final comments specific to buying food plot seed online: Sadly, it’s common for online retailers to not show a picture of the seed label for a product they’re selling. And many times, the seed manufacturers don’t show the label on their website, either. Buyer beware!
