Food Plot Calculator: Seed, Lime & Fertilizer for Your Plot
Enter your plot size and soil-test numbers to get the pounds and bags of seed, lime and fertilizer to buy.
Plot size
Default: 0.5 acre. Changing this scales seed, lime and fertilizer automatically.
Seed mix
Total share:100 % ✓
Seed tag (PLS)
- Rates are pure live seed; coated seed weighs more — use the PLS fields (MSU)
- Inoculate legume seed (most clover is sold pre-inoculated) (MSU)
Seed tag (PLS)
Seed tag (PLS)
Per-acre recommendation from your lab
Default: 90 % for pelletized lime
Pelletized lime is easier to spread but costs more per unit of neutralizing value; for plots of 1 acre or more, bulk aglime is usually far cheaper (MSU P3102).
Fertilizer
Shopping list
Total materials for your 0.500-acre food plot
Broadcast seeding · lime 1.0 tons/acre · nutrients 30-60-60 lb/acre
Seed (total 39.2 lb)
- Oats33.8 lb
- Clover, crimson4.4 lb
- Brassicas (rape, kale, turnip, canola)1.0 lb
Lime
- Pelletized lime (RNV 90 %)1,111 lb28 × 40-lb bags
Fertilizer
- 13-13-13115.4 lb3 × 50-lb bags
- 0-46-0 (Triple superphosphate)32.6 lb1 × 50-lb bag
- 0-0-60 (Potash)25.0 lb1 × 50-lb bag
Take it to the store
Start from your soil-test lab's recommendations and your state extension's planting dates. Always follow product labels.
Scale every per-acre number by your plot's acres: a half-acre plot needs half the per-acre amount. Lime from a soil test is adjusted for your lime's neutralizing value (recommended rate ÷ RNV), seed is adjusted for pure live seed and mix shares, and fertilizer is based on the nutrients your soil test asks for, not on the bag number.
How to use this calculator
- Measure the plot (or use the plot-size calculator).
- Pick your seed mix and planting method.
- Copy the lime and nutrient recommendations from your soil-test report.
- Print the shopping list.
Worked example (defaults)
Example plot and soil test — replace with yours.
½-acre plot, broadcast oats 50 % / crimson clover 30 % / brassicas 20 % → 39.2 lb of seed. Soil test: 1 ton/acre lime → pelletized lime at 90 % RNV = 1,111 lb (28 × 40-lb bags). Nutrients 30-60-60 lb/acre → 115.4 lb of 13-13-13, plus 32.6 lb of 0-46-0 and 25 lb of 0-0-60.
How it's calculated
Plot size: Area is calculated from measurements or entered directly in acres (1 acre = 43,560 sq ft). Every seed, lime and fertilizer rate scales directly with your plot's acreage.
Seed mix: Pure stand seeding rates are taken from Mississippi State University Extension Publication M1591. In a mix, each species receives its percentage share of the pure stand rate, adjusted for Pure Live Seed: PLS % = (germination % + dormant %) × purity % ÷ 100.
Lime: Soil test lime recommendations are based on a reference lime; most labs assume 100 % RNV, so check your report. Adjusted product rate = recommended rate × lab basis % ÷ product RNV %. Total pounds = rate × 2,000 lb/ton × acres. Bags needed = ceil(pounds ÷ bag size).
Fertilizer: We calculate blend rates based on the nutrient requirement that requires the least amount of blend without over-applying, then top up the remaining N, P₂O₅ or K₂O deficits with straight fertilizers (urea 46-0-0, triple superphosphate 0-46-0, potash 0-0-60).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much lime do I need for a half-acre food plot?
Half your soil test's per-acre recommendation, adjusted for your product. Example: a 1 ton/acre recommendation with pelletized lime rated 90 % RNV is 1.11 tons/acre, so 1,111 lb (28 × 40-lb bags) for half an acre (MSU's method).
Is pelletized lime better than ag lime?
It spreads easily with small spreaders and acts quickly, but costs much more per unit of neutralizing value; for plots of an acre or more, bulk ag lime is usually far cheaper (MSU P3102). Alabama Extension notes pelletized lime offers no other benefit over regular ag lime.
What soil pH should a food plot have?
Alabama Extension gives 6.0–6.5 as optimal for most food-plot crops; MSU notes that below 6.0 much of the fertilizer can't be used by the plants.
How long before planting should I lime?
Lime starts working within weeks but full effect can take 6 months or more, so lime well ahead of planting (Alabama Extension).
Do clover plots need nitrogen?
If legumes are more than 30 % of the stand, no extra nitrogen is needed (Alabama Extension).
What does 13-13-13 mean?
13 % N, 13 % P₂O₅ and 13 % K₂O by weight. A 50-lb bag holds 6.5 lb of each.
Sources
- MSU Extension M1591 — Deer Food Plot Planting Guide for the Southeast
Species seeding rates (drill/broadcast), Southeast dates, notes
- MSU Extension P3762 — Agricultural Limestone's Neutralizing Value
RNV formula, rate adjustment, cost per effective ton, worked examples
- MSU Extension P3102 — Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck: Liming and Fertilizing Wildlife Food Plots
Pelletized vs bulk lime, $210 example, pH below 6.0, re-test at ≥ 4 tons
- MSU Extension P3825 — Interpreting Your Soil Test Report for Homeowners
Product = nutrient ÷ percentage; N-based blend rates; 23 lb example
- Alabama Cooperative Extension — Soil Testing, Liming and Fertilizing Wildlife Food Plots
pH 6.0–6.5, lime timing, pelletized lime notes, legume 30 % rule, 0-46-0 example
- USDA NRCS — Seed Quality (PLS)
PLS formula and worked example
Last reviewed: 2026-10-26
Built and maintained by Numberwright. The formulas come from university extension publications (Mississippi State, Clemson, Alabama Extension) and USDA NRCS, linked below. Found a mistake? Contact details coming soon.
Related tools
Lime Calculator
Turn your soil test's lime recommendation into pounds and bags of the lime you can buy.
Fertilizer Calculator
Enter the N, P₂O₅ and K₂O your soil test calls for and see how much of each product to spread.
Seed Rate Calculator
Pounds of seed per acre and for your plot — single species or mixes, broadcast or drilled, adjusted for pure live seed.
Plot Size Calculator
Work out your plot's acres and square feet from its sides, for any shape.