Early Spring Late Winter Planting

[Cane_Creek]

What could I plant in late February to early March? More so for turkeys than deer. I know it can still get cold during that time, but I really want to get something planted to hold turkeys on my property. Any suggestions on what I could plant? Thanks.

 

[P&Y FINALY]

What could I plant in late February to early March? More so for turkeys than deer. I know it can still get cold during that time, but I really want to get something planted to hold turkeys on my property. Any suggestions on what I could plant? Thanks.

i planted 2 a few years ago in just plain ol' rye grass. that was mid- December though. the turkeys loved it come spring. im hoping it works again because i sowed a plot that died out due to the lack of water a couple weeks ago. if theres any other ideas id like to know too.

 

[Twenty five ought six]

I think rye grass is about as good as you can do at that time of the year.

The turkeys go like to roam through it.

 

[gadeerwoman]

winter wheat will work. Takes longer to germinate but it will make it.

 

[SouthPaw Draw]

If I'm right stay away from certain types of rye, it can be very difficult to get rid of? Sandra may be able to elaborate on this but I think rye is less desirable to the deer than most other winter plants.

 

[gadeerwoman]

I'm not a fan of ryegrasses. Rye grain is good but I've yet to find a ryegrass that didn't reseed something awful and that didn't make a thick mat on the ground and I will not plant it on any of my plots. I will sow it on a roadway if I'm in a hurry and don't intend to plant something else there later. Deer and turkeys will eat it when it's young and tender but it's not high on the nutrition list. And it grows fast and once it gets several inches tall the deer don't eat it. I've heard of some new varieties that are touted to be great but have never found any to try. Best ryegrass I've ever had deer hit was marshall, which is a winter grazing grass used for pastures. I used to overseed a horse pasture with Marshall ryegrass in the fall. But annual or perennial, it will all reseed and I have a hard time getting rid of it later.

 

[Cane_Creek]

What about clover? Can I plant clover in Early March?

 

[hunter_58]

Plant it in February. Red clovers work really good. Arrowleaf, too.

yep, turkeys love the clovers !!

 

[gadeerwoman]

Red clover is an excellent seeding for late winter. It is probably one of the fastest growing clovers and easy to overseed.

 

[bucko]

Does the clover handle the winter cold?

 

[dixie]

What about clover? Can I plant clover in Early March?

Yep, and if you decide to use IWC, the planting dates on it are the middle of Feb. but it's a "picky" clover, the soil Ph has to be right for it

 

[gadeerwoman]

Crimson clover can handle cold well. Frankly I'd hold off on planting any white clovers like WIT or durana in the spring in the south. You'll bet much better results seeding them in fall. Clovers take 4-6 months to develop a good root system. Planting them in the spring in the South and they don't have time to develop good roots before they face heat, drought and too much competion from grasses. Seed a summer crop instead and spray before and after with a hot glyphosate mixture, then seed the white clovers next fall.