Food Plots Rule of Thumb...Rye Grain or Wheat?

[BlountArrow]

I'm getting ready to put in some cool season plots and like many of you have experienced my deer don't seem to care at all for rape or turnips. I'm not real convinced they are crazy about the winter peas either to tell you the truth, but I've planted those a few times and they seem to be a marginal offering. I always mix in some wheat or rye or sometimes oats too.

Given a choice, would you lean towards planting Rye Grain this time of year or wheat? I'm in South East TN so if anyone is nearby your results would be of particular interest to me.

FWIW, I'm going to give some Daikon Radishes a try too just for the heck of it.

 

[348Winchester]

On a new plot that has never been planted before, rye is best. It will give you more organic matter to plow under next spring because of its long stalks. Therefore, it is an excellent soil builder for the first three or four seasons you plant. Rye is also very cold hardy. It can be planted much later into the fall than other cereal grains.

After your plots are well established and your soil is amended properly, switch over to oats as your grain planting. Deer prefer oats over wheat or rye as a general rule. Crimson clover can also be seeded in when you plant in the fall. It will give the deer something nice to eat early the following spring. In late winter, frost seed some white and red clover into your plot, This will extend usage of the plot by deer well into summer.

Here is my standard plot program I have followed for twenty years.

Late August- prepare plots by mowing and disking.

Early Sept.- Seed plots with cereal grain and crimson clover mix. You can use chicory as well.

Early March- Frost seed red and white clover into plot.

Late April- Mow plot and lime if it needs it. Most plots will for several years.

Mid June- Mow plot.

Late July- Mow plot.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Honestly, whatever's cheapest. Fall cereal grain plantings are purely as nurse or cover crop for me. They both do the same job and deer like them equally as far as I can tell.

 

[MickThompson]

I prefer wheat as the heads are highly preferred by everything-deer, turkey, quail, songbirds, etc. Rye is the most cold hardy, but wheat isn't far behind. Also, you will have much more biomass to get rid of when you replant. Rye will get 5' tall. That's a lot of material to plant through. Just make it's certified seed which ever way you go.