Quick question for the experts on here

[shdw633]

My deer have HAMMERED my foodplots. To the point that they are nearly non-existent except for some small patches of young clover here and there. The plot was beautiful when I left in late November, full of clover and brassicas...now, nearly nothing. My question is this. Would you go in and just throw some rape seed in the hopes of getting them more feed or do you think it's too late for that. I realize I can through some cereal rye and get it to grow but I would like to put something a little more than that in them. I am just not sure it will grow if I just throw it on the ground right now....even with all this rain.

 

[Canuck5]

I'd give it a go! Our soil temperature in Talbot County is in the low 50's right now and I am pretty sure lots of fall crops would still have a chance. Cereal Rye and Rapeseed are pretty cheap. See far right column for minimum germination temps.

http://www.georgiaweather.net/index.php?content=calculator&variable=CC&site=CALLAWAY

 

[Canuck5]

For next year, I have heard of some people who, with your situation, will spread more seed every few weeks, just to keep something germinating and growing. Carries them farther into the year.

 

[kmckinnie]

I’ve mixed seed with corn. As they eat the corn they stomp some seed in. They kick up soil.

 

[Dbender]

Brassicas in this colder temp aren't going to do anything. Your only option right now is wheat or rye and they aren't going to do anything just spread on top. If you plant it and get some soil over it will be fine.

 

[1eyefishing]

Rape is pretty inexpensive. I always like to go heavy on it. I think it'd be worth a try...

 

[1eyefishing]

Will winter peas grow right now? If they don't, I believe they are better bait than corn anyway!

 

[davidhelmly]

Brassicas in this colder temp aren't going to do anything. Your only option right now is wheat or rye and they aren't going to do anything just spread on top. If you plant it and get some soil over it will be fine.

I guess different people get different results, I’ve found that wheat, oats and rye all germinate and grow very well spread on top of the ground as long as it is touching the soil and it gets some rain, I don’t think rain will be the problem this year!

 

[Canuck5]

I need to get pictures of one of the members side x side with wheat growing around the axles ..... LOL

 

[Dbender]

Brassicas are so slow growing at these temps they aren't going to provide the deer with anything to eat. Cereal grain spread on top in October/November or early spring will germinate and grow just fine. If you spread cereal grain on top in these colder temps with all this rain it will fail miserably. The air temp is to low for the seed to germinate without the protection of at least a little soil. They will start to germinate, but with all the rain it will just rot. I'm not trying to argue, just trying to help the op save a little money.

 

[Crakajak]

Wheat will grow in colder temps than oats. Depending on where your at you might can overseed with crimson this late(SWGA)

 

[Triple C]

shdw...I'd personally throw in the towel this time of year and focus on next year. Since you've been wiped out I'm assuming the plot is probably 2 or less acres. I'd make sure I had my ph balance right and attack next fall and prolly stick to grains and white clover.

In our largest, (approx. 6 acres), I like to plant brassicas in strips at close to 8 weeks prior to avg 1st frost, which in our case is late Oct. That gives tubers n bulbs a chance to mature and provides max leaf production. Then the grains get planted between the brassica strips ahead of a rain event any time in October. While planting grains, we'll fill the cone spreader up with wheat/oats/rye and overseed the growing brassica to cover any bare spots and supplement the brassica strips when the deer have eaten down to the ground this time of year.

Or, if that sounds too troublesome, just mix it all and plant at your preferred fall time.

 

[XIronheadX]

I've seen clover do well frost seeding it in Feb. We did a couple of donuts in the truck over a bare area in a plot, and threw out some left over clover seed. Ground water freezes up and takes the seed down. Had good clover come up spring in that spot. I wouldn't invest in it though.

 

[shdw633]

shdw...I'd personally throw in the towel this time of year and focus on next year. Since you've been wiped out I'm assuming the plot is probably 2 or less acres. I'd make sure I had my ph balance right and attack next fall and prolly stick to grains and white clover.

In our largest, (approx. 6 acres), I like to plant brassicas in strips at close to 8 weeks prior to avg 1st frost, which in our case is late Oct. That gives tubers n bulbs a chance to mature and provides max leaf production. Then the grains get planted between the brassica strips ahead of a rain event any time in October. While planting grains, we'll fill the cone spreader up with wheat/oats/rye and overseed the growing brassica to cover any bare spots and supplement the brassica strips when the deer have eaten down to the ground this time of year.

Or, if that sounds too troublesome, just mix it all and plant at your preferred fall time.

They are indeed less than 2 acres, more in line with half to 3/4 acre plots with approximately 25 plots on 2000 acres. We plant both spring and fall and prior to this fall they have pretty much been enough to feed the herd we have on that part of the property; but they have started to cut pine on our land and I think the herd has been dispersed from the areas that they are cutting and as a result I have a larger than usual activity on these plots right now. Where most evenings I might see 3 to 6 deer, now I am seeing two to three times that many on these plots. I was just looking for something that would come up quickly to supplement them until we plant the springs plots in May and build some new plots in the land that's being cleared right now (like turnarounds). We have decided that next year we will not plant fall plots until the beginning of October at the earliest. This spring we are going with strictly Alyce clover and millet and the hope will be that the Alyce gets high enough that we can just overseed in the fall with our brassicas, wheat and rye and have the Alyce protect and keep the pressure off these plants until it dies off after the first frost. We should have done that this year as the alyce was knee high when we went in and tilled it under and replanted, I think that was a mistake on our part. Our lease is in Dodge county.

 

[Triple C]

They are indeed less than 2 acres, more in line with half to 3/4 acre plots with approximately 25 plots on 2000 acres. We plant both spring and fall and prior to this fall they have pretty much been enough to feed the herd we have on that part of the property; but they have started to cut pine on our land and I think the herd has been dispersed from the areas that they are cutting and as a result I have a larger than usual activity on these plots right now. Where most evenings I might see 3 to 6 deer, now I am seeing two to three times that many on these plots. I was just looking for something that would come up quickly to supplement them until we plant the springs plots in May and build some new plots in the land that's being cleared right now (like turnarounds). We have decided that next year we will not plant fall plots until the beginning of October at the earliest. This spring we are going with strictly Alyce clover and millet and the hope will be that the Alyce gets high enough that we can just overseed in the fall with our brassicas, wheat and rye and have the Alyce protect and keep the pressure off these plants until it dies off after the first frost. We should have done that this year as the alyce was knee high when we went in and tilled it under and replanted, I think that was a mistake on our part. Our lease is in Dodge county.

Just a thought to consider...Take a few of those 1/2 to 3/4 acre plots, make sure the ph is pushing 6 and next fall, nuke it and then plant durana/ladino clover with wheat as a nurse crop. Come the following spring, you'll have a perennial clover plot that will feed em throughout the following year. I'm converting another one of our plots next fall that's about 3/4 of an acre to a perennial clover plot. I've had great results with Regal Graze ladino. It is a prolific grower and drought resistant and stands up to heavy grazing pressure.

 

[shdw633]

Just a thought to consider...Take a few of those 1/2 to 3/4 acre plots, make sure the ph is pushing 6 and next fall, nuke it and then plant durana/ladino clover with wheat as a nurse crop. Come the following spring, you'll have a perennial clover plot that will feed em throughout the following year. I'm converting another one of our plots next fall that's about 3/4 of an acre to a perennial clover plot. I've had great results with Regal Graze ladino. It is a prolific grower and drought resistant and stands up to heavy grazing pressure.

Are any of those 3/4 plots in pine forests? The issue I generally have is keeping that PH close to 6, that and keeping the pine straw from covering up the plots to begin with. I have thrown durana and Whitetail Institute in those plots in an attempt to get a perennail clover plot to start but have not had any luck to this point, though the W/I that I through this October does seem to be making a somewhat limited appearance.

 

[Triple C]

shdw...Not all but most were once in planted pine and now adjoining planted pine. Interesting enough, I find I have better luck adjacent to pines than hardwoods. Less shade in the growing months and hardwoods on the edge of food plots suck all the moisture out of the ground, particularly water oaks. The pics below are on the perimeter of our cabin field plot and 3 years ago there were planted pines where this clover is growing. Limed the heck out of it when we cut the pines to increase the size of the plot.

 

[Crakajak]

Perennial clover usually takes until the second year to really see how much you have.