Turnips

[paradis1142]

Has anyone planted turnips for a food plot? How well did it work?

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I plant a small 1/4 acre patch every year. This year I just planted a 1/4 acre in one of the back corners of my upper field. Purple Top and Seven Top are really easy to get to grow even with my poor soil. My deer eat the tops all Fall and then dig the turnips up about this time of year. The seed is very small and you can plant a large area with just a few pounds.

FYI, on the land that I own, my deer love turnips, on my uncles farm 10 miles away, they wont even touch them. So its hard to say what your deer will or will not prefer.

 

[paradis1142]

My buddy has some growing in a garden next to our lease and the deer have mowe the tops down to nothing. I just wasnt sure if they would dig them up and eat them. I need something that can handle some heavy browsing. I have about 1/2-3/4 acre too turn into a plot, what would you plant with it?

 

[CWT]

I really like the stuff. Turnips, rape, mustard greens. Deer may or may not like them. I have property that the rape is mowed to the ground but in other places the deer won't touch them. That is something that you will have to try. 1/2 - 3/4 acre of turnips is a lot of forage. I say give any of the above a try.
You may be able to run by the co-op in late winter and get some greens at a lower price due to the fact that they will reduce the price per pound as to not keep them over the summer. You can just put your seed in the freezer for next fall and it will stay good.

 

[BSK]

What do you think "brassicas" (all the rage in food plot mixtures) are? Turnips are part of the brassica family. They have been used as a food plot plant in the Deep South for decades.

 

[Anonymous]

I have turnips this year and the deer are beginning to eat the turnips now.

 

[spitndrum]

O sure ours are mowed down!!!

 

[jaypz4]

we have a big patch of turnips but due to abundance of acorns and perssimons the deer have not got into them yet!but they will it just may be after season.

 

[BSK]

Why will some deer devour the and others won't?

Individual deer; individual tastes.

Deer hitting one plot of brassicas, but not another; differences in growing conditions (soil), even if the plots are nearly side by side.

 

[buckdead]

i planted some purple top turnips and a lil bit of clover i got from co-op behind house about 1/4 acre just to see what happens. they have eaten all the clover, but havent even touched turnips.

 

[BowGuy84]

They have just started to eat my turnips in the middle plot in the last week. I have read some places where it can be even later in the year or even as much as needing them in same area for 2 years to let the deer get use to them.

I like the tonage I have gotten out of them.