Brassica

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Hollar Hunter

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Im going to put some in this weekend. I've always paid for the expensive biologic. Not trying to do that this year as I have way to much to do and way to little $$$. So what brassica blend or what do you guys buy at the co-op specifically?
 
Essex rape, turnips, and Siberian kale have worked for me in the past. This year I'm going to try some sugar beets just to experiment a little.
 
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smstone22 said:
I buy Purple Top Turnips, Seven Top Turnips, Dwarf Essex Rape, and Radishes. Purple Top makes a bulb and Seven top just makes leaves/greens.
Click to expand...

Can you buy each of these by the pound or do they only sell certain size bags like 20lbs or 40 lb bags? About how many pounds do you spread per acre?
 
I've heard from more than one person that deer in higher elevations tend to eat turnips (greens) better than those in lower elevations - think there is any truth to that? I've planted turnips and rape several times in different locations and was wondering what you think.
 
Hollar Hunter said:
smstone22 said:
I buy Purple Top Turnips, Seven Top Turnips, Dwarf Essex Rape, and Radishes. Purple Top makes a bulb and Seven top just makes leaves/greens.
Click to expand...

Can you buy each of these by the pound or do they only sell certain size bags like 20lbs or 40 lb bags? About how many pounds do you spread per acre?
Click to expand...

I buy them by the pound at Putnam Farm Supply. Most places will have at least something. I shoot for about 5 pounds per acre of that previous mentioned mix, it doesnt take much. I also add in grains like wheat later on though. If I wasnt doing that Id go with a little higher rate.
 
It is interesting, Ive heard it from alot of people about them not being utilized much. On my place at home, it took the deer a year or two before they really started using them good, they barely got touched the first year. Now a turnip patch will get used heavily when cold weather comes and especially snow.That place has elevations from 900-1900 feet and would be classified as a clay loam. On my other place they started using brassicas immediately, it is at 1500 feet and soil would be classified as a sandy clay loam.
 
CAMARO12 said:
BlountArrow said:
I've heard from more than one person that deer in higher elevations tend to eat turnips (greens) better than those in lower elevations - think there is any truth to that? I've planted turnips and rape several times in different locations and was wondering what you think.
Click to expand...
Well, I can attest to the fact that the deer on my farm in Hardeman County will not touch them and on my buddy's farm next door in McNairy County they wear them out. I am convinced that it has something to do with the difference in the soil. All I know is I'll never plant them again on my place.
Click to expand...

Similarly, not to jade the results, but we planted them at our place in Hancock/Hawkins county and they looked like you had taken a lawnmower over the tops of them - mowed down to the ground. However, I've planted them in Blount and Dickson county and it didn't appear the deer ever touched them. Might be something in the soil???? - good thought.
 
CAMARO12 said:
BlountArrow said:
I've heard from more than one person that deer in higher elevations tend to eat turnips (greens) better than those in lower elevations - think there is any truth to that? I've planted turnips and rape several times in different locations and was wondering what you think.
Click to expand...
Well, I can attest to the fact that the deer on my farm in Hardeman County will not touch them and on my buddy's farm next door in McNairy County they wear them out. I am convinced that it has something to do with the difference in the soil. All I know is I'll never plant them again on my place.
Click to expand...

I've even seen deer wear them out in one food plot on a property and not touch them in another plot on the same property. I too have no idea why this is, but like CAMARO12, I suspect it has something to do with soil conditions.
 
BSK said:
CAMARO12 said:
BlountArrow said:
I've heard from more than one person that deer in higher elevations tend to eat turnips (greens) better than those in lower elevations - think there is any truth to that? I've planted turnips and rape several times in different locations and was wondering what you think.
Click to expand...
Well, I can attest to the fact that the deer on my farm in Hardeman County will not touch them and on my buddy's farm next door in McNairy County they wear them out. I am convinced that it has something to do with the difference in the soil. All I know is I'll never plant them again on my place.
Click to expand...

I've even seen deer wear them out in one food plot on a property and not touch them in another plot on the same property. I too have no idea why this is, but like CAMARO12, I suspect it has something to do with soil conditions.
Click to expand...

I agree, Bryan. Used to, we could plant just about anything and the deer would hammer them. Soon thereafter, we correlated (as anyone would) that with when we were liming. After 3 years of the last lime (4th year), the deer wouldnt hardly touch what we put out. Though literally anything we threw out for 3 years after liming got hammered. It was like time work. We knew within a 10 minute period of when the deer would come out and where they would come out at. All of 8 fields we have. I no longer hunt fields as I am after older bucks. But getting those does on timework again could help predict buck movement a couple hundred yards from those fields. FINALLY got 30 tons of lime on our 15 acres of food plots earlier this spring :) . For Tennessee, I think liming is one of the most vital things for planting, but unfortunately, it costs some bills
 
Interesting take on the lime. We never limed the property in Hancock/Hawkins where we planted the turnips that the deer devoured, however, that soil is definitely night and day different than what I have in the Blount & Dickson county places. I never had the soil up there tested so it may naturally have a higher lime content than the other places. I'm just so curious about it that I'm going to lime an acre or so next Spring in Blount and plant it in some sort of rape/turnip and see what happens. I'm sure the soil could use the lime. The only possible problem is that in Blount county the deer population is so pathetic I don't know if there is enough "traffic" for me to notice anything substantial.
 
[/quote]
I agree, Bryan. Used to, we could plant just about anything and the deer would hammer them. Soon thereafter, we correlated (as anyone would) that with when we were liming. After 3 years of the last lime (4th year), the deer wouldnt hardly touch what we put out. Though literally anything we threw out for 3 years after liming got hammered. It was like time work. We knew within a 10 minute period of when the deer would come out and where they would come out at. All of 8 fields we have. I no longer hunt fields as I am after older bucks. But getting those does on timework again could help predict buck movement a couple hundred yards from those fields. FINALLY got 30 tons of lime on our 15 acres of food plots earlier this spring :) . For Tennessee, I think liming is one of the most vital things for planting, but unfortunately, it costs some bills [/quote]

JCD,
So you limed in the spring. Did you still plant your turnips towards fall/end of summer or were you planting them in the spring?
Thanks.
 
I agree, Bryan. Used to, we could plant just about anything and the deer would hammer them. Soon thereafter, we correlated (as anyone would) that with when we were liming. After 3 years of the last lime (4th year), the deer wouldnt hardly touch what we put out. Though literally anything we threw out for 3 years after liming got hammered. It was like time work. We knew within a 10 minute period of when the deer would come out and where they would come out at. All of 8 fields we have. I no longer hunt fields as I am after older bucks. But getting those does on timework again could help predict buck movement a couple hundred yards from those fields. FINALLY got 30 tons of lime on our 15 acres of food plots earlier this spring :) . For Tennessee, I think liming is one of the most vital things for planting, but unfortunately, it costs some bills [/quote]

JCD,
So you limed in the spring. Did you still plant your turnips towards fall/end of summer or were you planting them in the spring?
Thanks. [/quote]

We lime in the spring. Average is about 2 tons per acre. If you can buy in bulk, we got ours for $30 a ton. It usually takes 3-6 months for it to take effect, depending on the type of lime your using. We usually plant turnips in the fall. We planted purple top turnips year before last and they didnt touch them until mid-February. But then again, it was about 5 years since we had limed last. Lime reduces the acidic content. I have always been told that you can NOT ever have too much lime. I don't want to leave out fertilizer as it is very important as well. But honestly, I think we have only fertilized our fields once in the 11 years we've owned the place. But when limed, it made a world of difference.

We usually plant Labor day weekend every year, unless there is NO rain in the near forecast. This year, we are going with buck forage oats, winter wheat, and a little bit of Imperial No-Plow. When limed, our deer tear up No-Plow. It has many brassicas in it. Best of all, it has ladino clover in it and it usually comes in thick the following year - 3 years. Corn will be planted next spring. Glad we didn't have the time to put it out this year due to the drought. I guess everything happens for a reason.
 
Great Info. I'm going to email myself this post for sure. By planting Oats that late do they have time to head or seed out before the first frost? We typically have a frost in October is why I ask - at least that is what I was taught in my upbringing. Or, do you even care if they make seed as long as deer eat the grasses? Or, do you mainly use the oats as weed control? I guess I have accidentally hi-jacked this thread, my apologies to originator. I see a lot of corn in my area doing great, but in your area it is a different story.
 

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