I planted a small brassica plot right next to my soybeans this year and it did great. I have lots of turnips and radishes. I'm not going to lie, they looked good enough to eat....... so I did! They were delicious! Question: If the deer around here never seen a brassica plot, when is a good time to cut some up and leave them lie to try to show them they are good to eat?
They won't eat them anyway until they sweeten up from a freeze. They'll figure out they are a food source here before too long.
There are many different types of brassicas. For the people who say your deer wont eat them until after a frost, there are reasons why this is so.. Your pH might be too low Your short of sulfur You have plant disease issues or insect issues Your not planting a palatable variety of brassica There is other food sources that they are consuming. Clipping increases palatability. Use of foliar plant foods that contain the correct brassica friendly chelated trace minerals. So let me throw a few things at people. People overlook kale. Kale deer tend to eat anytime, and anywhere that your fertility program is up to snuff. Kale crosses also are smart for earlier consumption of brassicas. Swiss chard.....very few people plant it but it's the secret ingredient in deer creek seed's beets and sweets. Deer love it and will hammer it. It works as a great companion to the finicky sugar beets. Also there are some new zealand varieties of brassicas that are fast regrowers and higher in sugar. I have seen great success with them because of their sugars and better disease package,
Greg I would try it right away! not sure if it is legal where you are to bait, but if it is I would even dump some shelled corn on the ground and mix the turnips and raddishes with the corn, to see if it helps them discover them. by the way they look great, and I snack on mine all the time! lol
I've planted turnips in areas before and deer eat them all in August and September. This was in an area that was farm country and filled with soybeans. I've planted them in areas that they won't touch them until January. So what the nutrionist is saying sounds like the truth. My dad keeps asking me if I planted any so he can go get some of them. :D P.S. Crops all look great!!!
I've planted brassicas since the early 90's My job involves research and my clients are all over the US. The company that i now work for grows a variety of our own seed. I have access to some new products that very few people have in the US. My passion is brassicas. I plant just about any brassica out there. I also have invented various products to help enhance palability for all forages and food plot forages. The solutions all start with the soil. I also am a deer nutritionist and i have products out there under my own line up but i also sell my expertise and ideas to other people as well for their own private labeling. I field calls every day from people with problems or issues in regard to their food plots and it all starts with planting the right product for your soil and location. You need proper pH, soil structure, texture and organic matter. You need n-p-k and sulfur at the correct levels and then add a foliar package, seed growth promoter product and people will see success without spending a lot of money.
