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Last fall, I decided to give two small, shaded spots in the hardwoods another try as food plots. The results of using Sportman's Research Trophy Maxx and Plot Maxx Seed coat speak for themselves.
If you've ever stood in a shaded, timber-covered patch of woods and thought, there's no way I'm growing anything here — I get it. I've been there. In fact, I've been staring at two spots on a property I hunt in NC for years, thinking exactly that. Too much shade. Not enough sun. We've even planted them before with nothing to show for it but weeds. And September in North Carolina? We might get rain, but it can also be brutally dry, with barely a drop to help anything along.
Last fall, I decided to give those spots one more shot. I grabbed some rye grain (not rye grass — important distinction), picked up Plot Maxx Seed Coat and Trophy Maxx Seed Coat from Sportsman's Research, and got to work. What happened over the next few months genuinely surprised me.
Plot number one sits smack in the middle of a hardwood stand — full canopy overhead, the kind of spot where sunlight is more of a rumor than a reality. Plot number two is down by the creek, which sounds more promising, but it doesn't get much more sun than the first one. Both plots are barely a tenth of an acre each. Not exactly prime food plot real estate.
Add in a brutally dry August and beginning of September, and you've got all the ingredients for a failed food plot. The ground is hard, moisture is scarce, and getting seeds to germinate under those conditions is a real challenge — especially with that much shade working against you.
Plot Maxx and Trophy Maxx Seed Coat are seed coat treatments made by Sportsman's Research, both powered by their proprietary AnabolicGro™ formula — a non-GMO, patent-pending blend of naturally occurring microbes. These bacteria work symbiotically with the plant to promote faster germination, deeper roots, and stronger growth from day one. The application is simple: coat your seed, mix it, and plant.
I used Plot Maxx on my turnip seed and Trophy Maxx on the rye grain. One practical note — I initially tried the Trophy Maxx spray on the turnip seed, but the small seeds clumped together and became a nightmare to spread. The powdered seed coat worked much better for tiny seeds, while the spray worked great on the larger rye grain. Match the product to your seed size, and you'll be fine.
Nothing fancy here. A few weeks before planting, I sprayed both plots with herbicide to knock back the competition. Then I borrowed a small disc that pulls behind a four-wheeler, turned the ground up good, spread the treated seed, fertilizer, and lime, then made one pass with a fence drag to lightly cover everything. One person, basic equipment — that's it.
After planting, I did what every food plot hunter does — watched the weather app obsessively and prayed for rain. Over the first two weeks, we barely scraped together two-tenths of an inch total. Not nearly enough to give most seeds a fighting chance, especially in shaded spots without direct sun to warm the soil.
But the seed sprouted anyway. Within eight days and only the rain mentioned above, those plots started pushing up green. Deer found them almost immediately, even before the plots were fully established. That was the moment I knew the seed coat was doing something real. Under normal circumstances, with that little moisture and that much shade, I'd have been staring at bare dirt for weeks.
Once the hardwoods really started dropping leaves in October, both plots got buried under a thick blanket. It clicked pretty fast — my property is near other houses where leaf blowers are common. If they can use one in the yard, why can't I use one in the woods?
So that's exactly what I did. I blew the leaves off both plots, and that same day — with warmer temps and rain in the forecast — I spread extra seed over what had already established, using the seed coat I had left. Second seeding: mid-October.
In mid-November, I went back in with the blower one more time to uncover what had been quietly growing underneath all those leaves. What I found stopped me in my tracks.
Both plots were lush and green when everything else around them had gone dormant. The deer found them fast and never really left. Out of every time I hunted those plots this season, there was only once I didn't either run deer out when I walked in or see one within minutes of getting in the stand. Just once.
Multiple bucks showed up throughout the season — and for a spot where I usually have to put out corn just to get deer in there, that alone felt like a win. Toward the end of the season, I tagged a nice doe that had been working those plots regularly. A great way to cap off what turned out to be a really satisfying experiment.
Q: What is the difference between Plot Maxx and Trophy Maxx Seed Coat?
A: Both products use Sportsman's Research's AnabolicGro™ formula and work the same way, but they are marketed slightly differently within the Trophy Maxx product line. Plot Maxx is the powder seed coat, while Trophy Maxx is the spray version. For practical purposes, use the powder on small seeds like turnips and the spray on larger seeds like rye grain.
Q: Can I use Plot Maxx or Trophy Maxx Seed Coat on any seed type?
A; Yes — both products are designed to work across a variety of food plot seeds. Just keep in mind that the spray version works best on larger seeds. Small seeds like brassicas or turnips are better suited to the powder coat to avoid clumping.
Q: Does it really work in low-moisture conditions?
A: Based on my experience, absolutely. My plots received barely two-tenths of an inch of rain in the first two weeks after planting. Both plots germinated and were already attracting deer before the plots were fully established. That said, any additional moisture will only help.
Q: Will it work in shaded food plots?
A: That's exactly where I used it, and it performed better than anything I'd tried in those spots before. Full canopy hardwood shade and creek-bottom shade — both plots thrived. I'd still recommend doing your best to maximize any available light, but don't let shade alone talk you out of trying it.
Q: How much seed coat do I need per plot?
A: Follow the recommended rates on the label as closely as possible. I treated my seed at the suggested rate for plots just over a tenth of an acre each, and one bottle covered what I needed with some left over for my second seeding.
Q: Is the AnabolicGro™ formula safe for wildlife and the environment?
A: Yes — the formula is non-GMO and based on naturally occurring beneficial microbes. It's designed specifically for use in food plots, so it's formulated with wildlife in mind.
Q: Where can I buy Plot Maxx and Trophy Maxx Seed Coat?
A: Both are available directly from Sportsman's Research at sportsmansresearch.com. Plot Maxx Seed Coat is priced at $24.95 a bottle.
I'm doing it all again this September. I'd love some rain at the end of August to help, but honestly? I'm not worried. The seed coat proved it can get germination going even when the conditions are stacked against you.
If you've got shaded spots you've been writing off as unplantable, give Plot Maxx or Trophy Maxx Seed Coat a serious look before you count them out. Starting at $24.95, the risk is low — and as I learned firsthand, the reward can be a green deer oasis right where you least expected one.
Robbie has enjoyed the outdoors since he can remember. His earliest memories include hours upon hours of squirrel hunting and learning how to enjoy all aspects of hunting season in God's wonderful outdoors. Now he is always working hard and testing gear in the field to give you the best review and most thorough information he possibly can.
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