Select Your Location

Select your food plot location. If the location has existing vegetation, refer to "Killing Existing Vegetation" (below) if the vegetation there will be too much competition for this mix.

Test Your Soil

Taking a soil sample to test the soil pH and fertility levels several months before establishing your food plot is the most beneficial action you can take to ensure success. Take soil cores from various locations in the field to get a representative sample of the field and select the plants/mix on the soil sample submittal form. If the species in your mix are not on the form, please write them in the box on the submittal form. Soil samples can be sent to any university soil testing lab or commercial soil testing lab. You can reach out to your local extension service and view the King’s AgriSeeds Soil Sampling Procedure factsheet for more information.

Apply Recommended Amendments

Once soil tests results are received, observe the recommendations for growing the crop this year. Apply the recommended rates of lime to adjust the soil pH several months before planting, if possible, to allow it time to change the pH. If you plan to till your plot, working in the lime may help it to adjust pH quicker. Applying lime without a soil test may lead to poorer production due to pH levels outside of the optimum range. Optimum soil pH for most crops is 6.2-6.5.

Apply the recommended rate of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers per the soil test report as well. Applying fertilizer based on a soil test recommendation can help you to apply needed fertility without under or oversupplying this input. Fertilizer can be broadcast on the surface or worked into the soil with shallow tillage.

Prepare the Seedbed

Easy Up is designed to be able to grow in areas where seed incorporation may be limited for one reason or another. For best success, remove residues from the surface that may prevent the seed from getting seed to soil contact.

Spread the Seed

Easy Up should be sown at 50-100 lbs./acre or 1.2-2.3 lbs./1,000 sq. ft. Spread seed evenly across the area by hand or with a spinner spreader. To ensure your seeding rate is correct, seed a small area of a known size and use a weighted amount of seed that should cover the area to make sure your spreader is calibrated correctly. If you have some left or run out adjust your spreading accordingly.

After spreading the seed, a slow, steady rain should help the seed to germinate and achieve a good stand. If you have the ability to drag the soil with a rake or a pull type drag, lightly go across it to give the seed more seed to soil contact.

Since this is an annual mixture, it will grow through the winter and then mature in the spring but will not come back on its own the next year. It can be left to mature in the spring to make seed and some may germinate the following year or it can be mowed to prevent seed production.