Big-N-Beasty Description
Our #1 selling food plot blend of 4 high protein forage rapes, forage turnips, daikon radishes, and sub-zero kale. It is an ideal food plot for veterans and beginners alike as it is an easy to grow blend that will draw deer during the hunting season while still providing nutrition deep into the winter months. If you’re planting one food plot, this is the one for you.
When To Plant Big-N-Beasty
Big-n-Beasty is typically planted late July to early August depending on your location. It needs approximately 45-60 days to grow. It is best if planted just before a rain.
Frigid Forage Pro Tip: Have fields prepared and ready to go, and then watch the weather forecast.
How To Plant Big-N-Beasty
The ideal soil for Big-N-Beasty is a well-drained heavier loam or clay soil. However, it is capable of going in almost any soil, given it has proper nutrients and moisture.
- Approximately one month before planting, condition the soil with a roto-tiller, disc, chisel plow, or similar equipment to prepare a good seed bed. Then, allow the existing vegetation to grow back and then spray with RoundUp one or two weeks before planting.
- Spread fertilizer
- The soil should be fertile with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. If you are unsure of your soils fertility or pH, have your soil tested. Your local farm coop or fertilizer dealer can usually help with this. Add lime as needed to improve pH.
- A good fertilizer recommendation is 300-400 lbs/acre of 19-19-19 followed by an application of 100lbs/acre of urea (46-0-0) after 4-6 weeks.
- If you see your plants turning purple and/or yellow, it is lacking nutrients.
When you are ready to plant, loosen up the topsoil with a drag or chain link fence. Do not till too deep as this will only bring more weed seeds to the surface. Using a hand or shoulder seeder, broadcast 4 lbs per acre of Big-N-Beasty.
- Frigid Forage Pro Tip: It is crucial to not overseed. Set your seeder on one of the smallest settings, walk fast, and crank hard! It is better to go back and overlap then run out of seed too soon.
Use a cultipacker, roller, or even your ATV tires to pack the field to ensure good seed/soil contact. You do not need to worry about covering the seed. If the seed is planted too deep, it will not grow.
For more in-depth planting instructions, view our Big-N-Beasty planting instructions here.
Weed Control Tips
- If RoundUp is used prior to planting and under normal growing conditions, Big-n-Beasty grows fast enough that it should out-grow any weeds. If you do have a severe weed problem after germination, use a grass selective herbicide such as Select or Poast. This won’t help with broadleaf weeds but it will control grasses.
- If you have sandy soil or want to improve any field, try planting an inexpensive Spring annual such as annual rye grass or rye grain. Plow under this “green fertilizer” a few weeks before planting. This practice is used by many crop farmers and will help condition your soil, gather nitrogen, control weeds and add organic material to your soil.
- If you are concerned about having additional forage in the Spring, mix in a small amount of clover seed when planting the Big-N-Beasty. (no more than 1-2 lbs/acre) This is not a recommended strategy for creating a good clover field, but it does provide some additional Spring forage for the deer until you till the field again.
Big-N-Beasty Seeding Rate
The recommended seeding rate is 4 lbs per acre. Therefore, this 50 lb bag is suitable for 12 acres.
Product Specifications
Size: 50 lbs
Big-N-Beasty Seeding Rate: 4 lbs per acre
