Legume seeds must be treated with the proper inoculant at the time of planting and will produce their own nitrogen. Plots should be limed, disked, and allowed to settle before planting. Broadcast seeding increases seeding rate over similar drilled crops. Most seeds should be lightly covered with a harrow, or by dragging a heavy timber, log chain, or piece of chain-link fence over the plot. Frost planting, or overseeding crops like red or arrowleaf clover, birdsfoot trefoil, or winter hardy forage oats over closely mowed or grazed vegetation in late winter can be effective and inexpensive.
Frozen ground allows seeds to contact and germinate in mineral soil.
Choices for warm-season deer plantings are limited compared to the myriad of cool season favorites. However, there are several that meet criteria of spring-summer production, resistance to overbrowsing, high protein levels, and palatability to deer. The best choices for the Southeast include Alyceclover, cowpeas, jointvetch, Lab Lab, and soybeans. Alyceclover is a legume which produces forage through the early fall. It produces abundant forage and withstands browsing pressure better than most of the other choices.