How much shade is too much shade?

How much shade is too much?... This is my first year putting in food plots and I've already got my clover plots established and growing. Needless to say, just watching that plot grow has got me geared up and excited to plant more! I'm hooked... The one spot that my clover is planted in I'm planning to double seed and plant brassicas in late summer, but that spot isn't the issue. It gets plenty of sunlight.

The real issue...I have a travel corridor between a bedding area and my bean fields that I would like to plant in brassicas. There's no brush at the woods-floor but the canopy is all big white oaks. It might receive a couple hours of indirect sunlight a day at the floor. Would brassicas grow? With indirect sunlight? I'm particularly thinking Honey Hole from Antler King. I've heard good things about it growing in shaded areas...but the questions is how shaded is too shaded? I can climb the trees and open up the canopy a little, but i'm not going to fall any of the trees.

I'll try to get some pictures up and see what yall think. Does anyone have any experience with planting in the woods?

 

I've had pretty good luck planting throw and grows and clover in woods. Once you get pictures up, we'll be able to answer a little better to your situation.

 

Germing and starting to grow is one thing. How big they get is very different thing.

 

I would imagine bulb production would be less than ideal in heavy shade. I've never planted in heavy shade, so I can't speak from direct experience here.

 

I tended the section of woods that I plan to plant yesterday. Sorry, didn't think to take pictures. Looks like it's going to have a little more sunlight than I initially expected. It'll get indirect sunlight all day and then the last 2 hours it'll get pure sunlight. There is some type of native grass already growing in this area, it grows in our swamp bottoms and wooded areas that get some type of sunlight.

The next area of business would be when to plant. Typically, I would plant brassicas along the same time we plant our fields, but since it wont be getting as much direct sunlight I've thought about planting now. I have heard of people planting brassicas in the spring where they also would be planting in shaded areas. This, I guess, is done for the simple fact of trying to give the plant as much sunlight as possible through the growing season until fall.

Is there any type of brassicas that likes shade better than another?

 

I'm going to exhaust this questions of planting food plots in the woods...Im going to go through with it and try clover and oats for sure. Seems like these two are the most recommended for shaded areas.

From my understanding there are several types of brassicas. Types that produce bulbs/roots and others that just produce leaves that deer seem to love. The all leaf types, to my understanding, can possibly tolerate shade...

Any anyone a brassicas "nut" and can give me an education on types that you like the best?

 

I'm not the "nut" your looking for, but you can find a bag at fleet farm with a variety of types of brassicas in it. Could try those mixes if you aren't certain which type is best.


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We always plant brassicas in august, so I cannot attest to your timeline. I see your logic, but I think I would maybe go at the beginning of July if there is rain in the forecast?


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Makes sense, so planting too early could possibly hurt too? Giving a variety bag a shot could be a good idea. Keeping note of course which grew the best and then seeding the following year with that. Thanks for the idea.

 

Well too early could hurt, I know a lot of brassicas are 30-60-90 days depending on the kinds. So if you plant on May 1, by Aug 1 that plant will be done. And with brassicas, they get really good when the first frost comes along. I don't know if it matters how much sun they get, they might be done either way when their 30-60-90 days are up.

You would have to do a lot of research to find out which of the types is the one that took off for you. I personally cannot look at a plant and tell you what kind of brassica it is. Last year we had our best year for brassica food plots. We used mossy oak biologic and the bag was just called Brassicas. I think it was a mix of brassicas and turnips. And also a lot of fertilizer.


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Have you ever planted your brassicas right over your clover plot?

 

In my experience Brassicas in shade are a waste. They get tall and "leggy" reaching for the sun then tip over. They rarely produce a bulb at all and if they do it wont be bigger than a penny.
Stick with the tough stuff in shade, red clover, winter rye and oats. They will grow if they get just a couple hours of sunlight.

 

Appreciate the advice blue. Have any experience with brassicas that doesn't produce bulbs and only produce a leaf plant?

 

In low light no. But in better light I have planted rape and pasja forage brassicas. One year we planted rape in may becuase we didnt know any better and it got 3 feet tall and headed out with yellow tops on it. Eventually it was eaten.

Huge bulbs are for pictures to make people oooh and ahh. Get some daikons and purple tops and some forage brassicas mixed in.
They will clean house on all of it wether the bulbs are gold balls or watermelons.

Dont think a deer has ever turned some a turnip or radish becuase the bulb wasnt the size of his head.

 

No, but if your looking at tonnage per acre type stuff, big bulbs add more good to your plot


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Both make valid points. I'll get my pictures up tomorrow morning that I took yesterday while working on the plot site.

 

Here are some pics












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And some more










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If next year you went around the edges and expanding by cutting trees for 5 more feet it looks like you would have enough open space for any type of food plot


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I agree completely. I guess what I was trying to say what that you dont need to get hooked on just big bulbs. If you have 100 - 1 inch bulbs in your field or 10- 10 inch giants you have the same amount of tonnage.

Certainly you want bulb production, but it seems like everyone wants them to be seeded so light that you leave spaces for weeds to grow as well, spraying or not spraying you will have some weeds. I would rather seed a little too heavy and have 5,000 small bulbls versue 1,000 big ones I guess. With no room for weeds to grow.

Back to the point, Brassicas in shade are not a good option. Get something more foolproof like oats, rye or red clover.