Written by: Kevin Owens
Edits by: Pierce Young
Proper soil management is the foundation of every successful food plot. Whether you’re planting cereal grains, clover, brassicas, or warm-season legumes, your soil’s chemistry directly determines how well each plant grows—and how much nutrition it provides to deer, turkey, and other wildlife.
A soil test is the single most valuable, cost-effective tool you can use in food plot management. Instead of guessing what to add, a soil test tells you exactly what your soil needs—and just as importantly, what it doesn’t need.
Why Soil Sampling Matters
Every year, landowners spend unnecessary amounts of money on fertilizer while ignoring the most limiting factors in their plots: soil pH and basic fertility balance.
A proper soil test:
- Reveals nutrient shortages before they limit crop growth
- Prevents over-fertilizing and wasted dollars
- Helps plants deliver higher forage yields and better nutrition
- Improves long-term soil health and productivity
- Creates more attractive, more dependable food plots for wildlife
Simply put, soil testing removes the guesswork. You get a targeted plan that maximizes return on investment (ROI)—especially important when seed, fuel, fertilizer, and equipment costs continue to rise.
Key Parts of a Soil Test
Soil test reports may look complicated at first glance, but most boil down to a few critical components. Understanding each part helps you make confident management decisions.
Soil pH (Target: 6.0–7.0)
pH is the most important number on the report because it controls nutrient availability. Even if supply an ample amount of fertilizer, plants can’t absorb those nutrients if the pH is too low.
- Low pH (< 6.0): Nutrients lock up in the soil → Add lime
- High pH (> 7.0): Some nutrients become unavailable → Add organic matter to buffer and improve availability
Improving pH is the fastest way to boost plot performance—many food plots fail simply because the soil was too acidic for nutrients to function properly.
Organic Matter (Ideal: 3–5%)
Organic matter (OM) acts like a sponge and slow-release nutrient bank.
Organic matter:
- Improves water retention and drought resistance
- Enhances soil structure and root growth
- Increases microbial activity and nutrient cycling
You can build OM through:
- Compost applications
- Cover crops and double-cropping
- Minimal or no-till planting techniques
Healthy soils with good organic matter typically require fewer annual fertilizer inputs.
Interpreting Your Fertility Ratings
Most labs categorize soil nutrient levels into ranges such as:
- Low: Soil needs significant fertilizer additions
- Medium: Maintain current fertility with moderate amendments
- High: Already sufficient—no added fertilizer needed
Always follow the lab’s crop-specific recommendations. They calculate fertilizer and lime rates based on your intended plant species.
Macronutrients (N, P, K)
These three nutrients drive the majority of plant growth and make up the familiar fertilizer numbers (e.g., 13-13-13 or 0-46-0).
Understanding Fertilizer Numbers: N – P – K
Example: 13-13-13 fertilizer
- 13% Nitrogen (N)
- 13% Phosphorus (P)
- 13% Potassium (K)
These numbers help you choose the correct fertilizer blend based on your soil test results and crop needs.
Nitrogen (N)
- Function: Leafy growth, plant color, protein content
- If low → Add urea (46-0-0) after germination
Nitrogen drives lush forage, especially in annuals like small grains and brassicas.
Phosphorus (P)
- Function: Root development, early plant vigor, flowering
- If low → Add triple superphosphate (0-46-0), or another phosphorus-rich blend
Phosphorus is crucial for establishing perennial plots like clover.
Potassium (K)
- Function: Plant health, stress tolerance, disease resistance
- If low → Add potash (0-0-60), or another potassium-rich blend
Potassium is often overlooked, yet it supports overall plant resilience—especially important in drought-prone soils.
Micronutrients (Ca, Mg, S, Zn, etc.)
Micronutrients are needed in small amounts, and most soils supply them naturally.
Only supplement micronutrients when recommended by the lab.
Tips for Lime and Fertilizer
Proper timing ensures your amendments actually benefit the crop.
Lime
- Apply months before planting (ideally 90–120 days)
- Lime reacts slowly, improving pH gradually
- Use Ag lime for the most cost-effective method, if you are able to access the fields with a lime truck or buggy
- Pelletized lime works fast and is easily distributed, but is more costly
Fertilizer
- Apply P & K near planting time
- Nitrogen especially can leach or volatilize if applied too early and is best applied after germination
- Split applications are helpful for brassicas and grains
Re-test every 2–3 years, or sooner if doing major soil improvements after the initial soil test.
Example Soil Test Interpretation
Soil Test Result:
- pH = 5.4 → Add 1.5 tons/acre of Ag lime to raise pH into the 6.0–7.0 range
- Phosphorus (P) = Low → Add 100 lbs/acre Phosphorous → Add 4.3 bags (50 lb bag) of Triple Superphosphate (0-46-0)
- Potassium (K) = Medium → Add 75 lbs/acre of Potassium → Add 2.5 bags (50 lb bag) of Potash (0-0-60)
- Nitrogen (N) = If a legume (like clover or soybeans) → no nitrogen needed. If a cereal grain → Add 30 lbs/acre of 46-0-0 after germination.
This amendment plan would correct deficiencies and prepare the soil for healthy growth.
The Bottom Line
Interpreting soil test results doesn’t have to be complicated. When you understand what each number means—and follow the lab’s recommendations—you build healthier soil, maximize forage production, and create more attractive food plots for deer, turkey, and other wildlife.
Balanced soils lead to:
- Higher yields
- Better forage nutrition
- Improved plot longevity
- Better wildlife use
A small investment in soil testing pays off for years in improved habitat quality and hunting success.
For more information about wildlife management visit