My deer like sunhemp

[Native Hunter]

I threw a little sunhemp into my fall mix just as a test to see if the deer would eat it. They are really hammering it. I guess next year I need to do a summer plot with sunhemp and buckwheat, which they also like really well.

 

[Big Snow Man]

I was thinking about a summer plot of sun hemp for soil building but I’m afraid it would never grow they would keep it mowed down

 

[Tree Spud]

I planted 100 lbs for OM and they grew 6'-7' tall ... deer did not touch them ...

Late August i pulled a few, the so called tap root was only 8"10" ...

 

[Baker]

Throw some cowpeas in with the sunn hemp Native. The peas will climb the hemp. Great combo. About 5 lbs/acre sunn hemp, 25-50 lbs/acre peas depending on size field and deer density.

 

[Native Hunter]

Throw some cowpeas in with the sunn hemp Native. The peas will climb the hemp. Great combo. About 5 lbs/acre sunn hemp, 25-50 lbs/acre peas depending on size field and deer density.

Great idea Rusty. Would be a good experiment for me next year.

 

[Tap]

I threw a little sunhemp into my fall mix just as a test to see if the deer would eat it. They are really hammering it. I guess next year I need to do a summer plot with sunhemp and buckwheat, which they also like really well.

They sure like mine. Hard to get the stuff higher than my knees.

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[IkemanTx]

We got a little browse on the sunn hemp this year, but mostly it made for great structure and biomass.

We did a throw-n-mow fall plot into the sunn hemp, cowpeas, soybeans, sunflowers, and buckwheat. (Every other mower width of the summer blend was left standing). Those were seeded/mowed a week ago, and the place has received 4” of rain since. Germination has been GREAT. I’ll try to get some pics in the next week.


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[yoderjac]

I mixed mine with buckwheat this past summer. I was amazed and the variance of use. In some of my fields the sunn hemp never got taller than knee high and had heavy browsing. In other fields a couple hundred yards away, it got 4' to 6' or so tall. At another property 15 miles away, it was over my tractor cab.

My mix rates were significantly heavier at this place and it has lower deer densities.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[trampledbyturtles]

A bit off topic, but close.

With these summer mixes, has anyone had an issue with buckwheat going to seed an becoming an issue later on?

 

[scott44]

A bit off topic, but close.

With these summer mixes, has anyone had an issue with buckwheat going to seed an becoming an issue later on?

I've had buckwheat come back but it's not been a problem, usually comes back not real strong and my deer hammer it.

 

[yoderjac]

A bit off topic, but close.

With these summer mixes, has anyone had an issue with buckwheat going to seed an becoming an issue later on?

I always let my buckwheat go to seed, even if I'm planting it alone and not in a mix. I always have volunteer buckwheat in my following fall crop, but I never have an issue. Buckwheat doesn't have high germination rates in my soil if I don't cultipack or min-till which I usually don't in the fall. Buckwheat is young and attractive about the time food sources change in the fall and gets hit quickly by my deer. Whatever deer don't eat is killed by the fist light frost making room for the other crops in the fall mix.

I have seen reports from others, probably with better soils, that the volunteer buckwheat crop is thick enough to shade out their fall mix. I don't have a problem with that at my place though.

 

[jsasker007]

That's some healthy looking hemp you got there. Oodles of om.

 

[willy]

I was thinking about a summer plot of sun hemp for soil building but I’m afraid it would never grow they would keep it mowed down

I have planted sun hemp and the deer attacked it hard but couldn't keep it mowed down. I have a very high deer density so if your deer like it I don't think they will be able to keep it short. It grows fast.

I don't plant much of it now because it is a bitch to break down to plant beans or corn in. I shredded it and then let it sit for a while and then disked it several times. It really didn't break down well after all of that. If you have a situation where the heavy thatch on top won't be a problem I say go for it.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

It needs to be terminated no later than 60 days after germination or it is hard to deal with.


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[Tree Spud]

Throw some cowpeas in with the sunn hemp Native. The peas will climb the hemp. Great combo. About 5 lbs/acre sunn hemp, 25-50 lbs/acre peas depending on size field and deer density.

I may try that. This piece I am more focused on OM build-up and not so much food.

 

[Baker]

For those interested in sunn hemp keep in mind that grazing pressure can be hard to see sometimes. The hemp grows very aggressively . Deer not only will nip the growing bud but will also eat the leaves. Sometimes this can be hard to spot especially in a field like Jack showed above.

 

[swat1018]

For those interested in sunn hemp keep in mind that grazing pressure can be hard to see sometimes. The hemp grows very aggressively . Deer not only will nip the growing bud but will also eat the leaves. Sometimes this can be hard to spot especially in a field like Jack showed above.

I am going to plant some next year for the first time. Is it a problem to drill through with a GP? I can't imagine it is...

 

[White Birch Farm]

I am going to plant some next year for the first time. Is it a problem to drill through with a GP? I can't imagine it is...

It is not.

Many of the suggestions in this thread are basic version of a more advanced mix called Deer and Bird, which is sold by Grandpa Rays. DnB is planted early summer and contains sunn hemp, soybeans, sunflowers, buckwheat and grain sorghum. I drilled several acres with a 706NT no problem. The results are an incredible mix of summer/fall/winter forage and cover.

The plot in the field below while still fully stocked for fall has been feeding deer through heavy daily pressure since July.

 

[swat1018]

I know it will plant it, I think some are concerned about residue for the next crop. I don't think it would be an issue I was saying. There are a lot of acres in a similar mix around me this year do to all the prevent plant acres.

 

[IkemanTx]

I believe @Baker plants into it every year after crimping it.


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