I had to do it. I tasted the leaves myself. Not bitter at all. Very tasteless. If they are tree collards it sounds like it's edible for human consumption as well.
I just read an article that said deer love them but they are better after a frost. So you're probably good if you ca nsee deer out in those things, lol.
I have been noticing some deer trails going into the patch. The plants look like they are starting to get pushed over by the deer. Im not sure if they are using it for cover or food. The soybeans just turned yellow here in Minnesota so I wondering if they have started to feed on my plot. What I have not posted is on the other side of this there is a clover plot equally as large. I'm hoping to stab one when they enter that section. Here are three that are hanging around but Im not really interested in 3.5 year old deer.
Keep us updated on the deer usage. I planted soybeans this year in a 2.5 acre plot and they are nearly gone. I normally plant turnips which carry me through the gun season in this area. There is not near the tonnage in beans I'm finding out. I would be interested in the collards with the turnips for next season.
It looks like these are a brassicas that is planted where it floods regularly. Did everyone agree that this is tree collards? I'm interested in trying this to see how it goes. Would be great with a foot of snow on the ground.
I got the seed from fleet farm. I have not noticed really any deer eating them yet. We just got a hard frost. That might turn things around. I live in farm country there is so much food around me I'm not sure it's the main source right now.
Just a follow up. The brassicas that were planted did not have any deer grazing sign until December. In January after many days below zero degrees it looks like a deer pen up there. Cameras are full of deer. The taller plants above the snow were eaten first. The plants below the snow seemed to stay green even until now. I would only recommend this for a late season plot only. I planted the plot really early. Maybe too early according to what others say. I will say that I produced a lot more tonnage on the plot by allowing it to grow the entire growing season. The deer might have laid off the over mature plants in fall but it is sure nice to have enough large plants to keep deer coming all winter. I have seen other brassica plots planted later in the year and seem to end up looking like a dirt plot from deer cleaning it out.
