Brassicas and Frost

[hilltopper]

We are forecast for our first frost Friday night. For the first time in years I have some decent brassicas. They are usually mowed down as fast as they grow. I planted more this year, and they got a reprieve from the deer when the acorns dropped and when the mosquitos seemed to restrict deer movement. Just curious, how sensitive are the brassicas to frost? Will they keep growing after a night in the upper 20's?

 

[Nova]

unless it is a hard frost I think they will be fine. If you get a couple nights in a row like that it might shut them down, but that's when the deer at our farm really start hammering them.

 

[wiscwhip]

Brassicas are one of the more frost hardy food plot plantings, depending on what brassicas you've planted exactly. Many varieties can withstand very low temps before affecting continued growth, and the leaves will not "winter kill" until it is in the low teens to high single digits. Thing is, once they frost out a couple times, the deer will hit them even harder, since the starches in the plant begin to turn into sugars at that point.

 

[eclipseman]

Frost only makes the brassica more appealing for deer. people actual hope for frosts to hit! No one told me deer this as they are already hammering my brassica. I can see one of my plots from my bedroom window and every night there have been deer in front of my ground blind eating brassica. I'm afraid there wont be any brassica left in that part of the plot by the time hunting season rolls around haha

 

[swat1018]

I wouldn't worry until you have a hard freeze.