Forage Brassicas

[cornfedkiller]

Going to be broadcasting some brassicas soon, and the local seed dealer sells a mix that is all forage brassicas (I'm pretty sure its mostly rape).

Is there an advantage to planting all forage brassicas with all above-ground growth over a mix that has turnips and radishes in it?

 

[Mortenson]

A lot of variables, but generally speaking, people like to add some with tubers/turnips to provide more feed later into the season, possibly even winter. When do you want the draw? How big and hungry is your herd. What size plot?

 

[cornfedkiller]

A lot of variables, but generally speaking, people like to add some with tubers/turnips to provide more feed later into the season, possibly even winter. When do you want the draw? How big and hungry is your herd. What size plot?

Ideally I'd like the draw a little later in the season. I have a clover plot that should keep them fed in the earlier season (if it ever rains). There are soybeans in the plot right now, but have been browsed and are only about a foot tall, so I'm going to broadcast brassicas into them and then probably winter rye in it a in a month or so for additional food and a cover crop in the spring.

The plot is about an acre, and the herd isn't that big right now, but I'm in southeast IA, so the herd could potentially get fairly large in the late season if I have a decent food source.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

The rape I have planted was fairly tall and had a woody stem that stood well through the snow. The deer didnt touch it until mid winter and they ate the stem to the ground. I even had the same results with rape that grew from seed the next year in my soybean plot.

 

[cornfedkiller]

The rape I have planted was fairly tall and had a woody stem that stood well through the snow. The deer didnt touch it until mid winter and they ate the stem to the ground. I even had the same results with rape that grew from seed the next year in my soybean plot.

So is there an advantage to not having turnips and radishes in there? Or should I toss some in there with the mix?

 

[scott44]

So is there an advantage to not having turnips and radishes in there? Or should I toss some in there with the mix?

My deer eat the tops first turnips, rape or forage brassicas and then come back later and eat the bulbs. The tops get eaten late fall early winter and the bulbs are the winter food, digging through snow to get them. I know some people have trouble with deer eating brassicas but here there are a go to winter late fall/winter food.

 

[Nova]

I would mix in some radish and/or turnips. many benefits to having bulbs and none that I can think of not to have bulbs.

 

[j-bird]

I would add something to grow some tubers into the mix just for some late season food if you need/want it. Things don't always go according to plan so some tubers give you some options and late season insurance if needed. I plant them and my deer essentially won't eat them, but tubers are good for the soil and a great late season food supply insurance policy for the deer. Only down side is they stink come spring.......as they rot.