Food Plots Coming on!
- Thread starter deerfever
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JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Looking good! Keep us updated on progress. What size area did you plant and how many pounds of each seed?
Yessir, these last few weeks of rain have been good for those who planted right before them. Thanks for sharing.
I had a 5 lb bag of radishes, 10 lb of peas, 100 of wheat and 50 oates. I mixed the radishes and peas in with wheat and oates probably in a 3/4 to 1 acre plot. The rest will be just oates and wheat . I have different plots totaling around 2 acres I still have some oates and wheat left another 50 lb bag of wheat. . If you notice the picture I have a good stand of ladino clover that is like an L around one of the plots. I have read nothing but good on clover but the deer don't seem to fool with it. Is this odd? The clover is 3 years old.
Plot looks great! Plant that clover in Imperial Whitetail clover, they will hammer it. It's a little pricey but it's the best clover I've ever planted.
I will try that catchdawg, both areas are thick but the deer just don't seem interested. They walk right through to get to buckwheat or whatever I am growing at the time. I know clover is good so I don't want to give up on it.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Looks really good. You've got me wanting to check ours really bad now
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Looks great! 3 weeks since planting in that last picture?
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megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I'm curious to see how the radishes do planted that thick. Ideally, you only want around 3lbs per acre for them to produce the huge tubers (12-18in long, and 5-6in wide) that bust up hardpan. Planted that close I suspect they will produce pretty small tubers. It's good you planted them a bit early... they also need some growing time before it gets cool to produce the large tubers. As far as the greens themselves, deer hammered mine last year which was the first year I ever planted them, you won't be disappointed in that area. They will certainly grow faster than deer can browse.
post an update in early November before first freeze. Pull a few up by the roots and snap a couple pictures.
Oh, one more think about the radishes. If you don't end up with a couple inches of tuber above soil line, winter freeze may not kill them and you can end up with a lot of volunteer new radishes in the spring after they bolt. Only an issue if you are planting a summer plot next year.
post an update in early November before first freeze. Pull a few up by the roots and snap a couple pictures.
Oh, one more think about the radishes. If you don't end up with a couple inches of tuber above soil line, winter freeze may not kill them and you can end up with a lot of volunteer new radishes in the spring after they bolt. Only an issue if you are planting a summer plot next year.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
I was thinking the same thing mega on the pounds being a little heavy and them not being able to produce to their full potential.
The deer should help you out some by browsing a lot and letting some grow bigger. We planted 3 lbs per acre this year of radishes and 1.5 lb of forage rape. We will see - I also mixed in 40 lbs of cereal rye and 3 lbs of crimson clover. We planted on 9/4/20. I've read they REALLY like the greens on the radishes and hammer them early.
deerfever, yes - please take some pics later on right around first frost. I will do the same
The deer should help you out some by browsing a lot and letting some grow bigger. We planted 3 lbs per acre this year of radishes and 1.5 lb of forage rape. We will see - I also mixed in 40 lbs of cereal rye and 3 lbs of crimson clover. We planted on 9/4/20. I've read they REALLY like the greens on the radishes and hammer them early.
deerfever, yes - please take some pics later on right around first frost. I will do the same
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Here's a typical radish in early Nov that was planted last week of Aug at the rate of 3lbs per acre.
All mine were winterkilled last year... which was perfect for me, as i planted a summer crop. The rape I put in with the radishes were not winter killed, reseeded themselves, and competed with my summer crop, so I left them out of my mix this year.
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All mine were winterkilled last year... which was perfect for me, as i planted a summer crop. The rape I put in with the radishes were not winter killed, reseeded themselves, and competed with my summer crop, so I left them out of my mix this year.
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JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Did you plant 3 lbs per acre and nothing else - just a stand-alone crop? Also, did these grow up in spring with a tall yellow flower (or just the rape)? We will be planting a summer crop, and will just have to terminate before seed form is completed.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
The radishes were drilled last week of August with 70lbs/ ac of wheat. Good rain a couple days after planting, then zero rain until early October. All the wheat died, but the radishes survived. I came back in 1st week of October before the next rain and drilled another 50lbs/ ac wheat, 10lbs/ ac fria rye, 5lbs/ ac balansa clover, 3lbs/ ac DER. So the radishes definetly had a head start during that 5-6 weeks of drought.
All my radishes had huge tubers, so they were all winter killed. Only the rape made it to spring and bolted.
All my radishes had huge tubers, so they were all winter killed. Only the rape made it to spring and bolted.
Thanks for the advice Mega! I didn't do a good job getting them spread out as I just broadcast and evidently they all went in one area. There are some sporadic in the upper part of my field but it is mostly wheat, oats and winter peas. I will post in November but I suspect you are dead on and I will get small tubers due to the closeness of the radishes. Live and learn, that is why I post the pictures, great advice on this site from people that have planted before. I enjoy doing it and have never shot a deer in my field in the years I have owned the place( I usually hunt a certain deer or two) . I just hope to get them coming for my son. I am getting some pictures so hopefully it will work.
I was up at the field today and had a tuber that had surfaced so I went ahead and pulled it. You will be correct Mega I am not going to get anything like you had last year. The greens are doing great and the deer are enjoying them! Here is what I pulled today. I will pull another in November I just seen that one and thought I would update with a picture.
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megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Tks for the update! They will still put on a lot of size in the next 2 weeks!
Most of mine are going gangbusters as well, except for 1 plot that I haven't gotten the pH up enough in yet... plus its a hideyhole plot, so the deer are really pressuring it hard. But the greens are 1/3 the size of those in the big plot
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Most of mine are going gangbusters as well, except for 1 plot that I haven't gotten the pH up enough in yet... plus its a hideyhole plot, so the deer are really pressuring it hard. But the greens are 1/3 the size of those in the big plot
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JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
We planted the same day as you deerfever. I haven't been to our place in 1.5 weeks, but I can almost guarantee our radishes don't look nearly as good as yours. Hoping to get there this weekend for a morning hunt and check the plots. Yours look great
Those look great. I planted turnips, wheat, and oats sept 23. We've had tons of rain but my turnips were prob a little late, they aren't getting very big.
