Chicory

[BrushyPines]

I threw out some chicory in bare spots in my clover plot this past fall. It came up well. Once the deer and turkey figured out where it was, they started hammering it. I took a walk through the plot this past weekend and could see where they have nipped it to the ground. With it being so young, will it bounce back this spring?

 

[PatinPA]

I planted some years ago and the deer hammered it and it never came back. I planted some this year with oats as a nurse crop and last I saw there was still a decent amount left. It's under snow now so I can't say much more than that but I'm hoping it comes back for next year

 

[Catscratch]

My chicory always appears to be gone unless conditions are right for the plants around it to slow down, or if I put an exclusion cage up.

 

[SD51555]

I almost wonder if it's not a transition plant. That's the one that seems to disappear after I get 3-4 years into a permanent perennial setup. I seem to get an awesome stand of chicory the first season following a late summer planting (which usually came after earth moving), and then it just goes down hill.

 

[Catscratch]

I almost wonder if it's not a transition plant. That's the one that seems to disappear after I get 3-4 years into a permanent perennial setup. I seem to get an awesome stand of chicory the first season following a late summer planting (which usually came after earth moving), and then it just goes down hill.

They're ALL transition plants...

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[Native Hunter]

Planting it with red clover helps to take some of the browse pressure off of the chicory, and the clover supplies the nitrogen that the chicory needs. I'm still searching, but so far I have not found a better food plot than chicory and red clover.

Having a good mix of various forbs in your prairie will also help take pressure off the chicory.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Chicory in my plots gets overwhelmed by the clover second yr. But did not plant super heavy. Really not as beneficial as maybe further south as clovers here typically do well and dont go dormant like areas with hotter drier summers. Can happen but a couple super dry summers in 20 yrs is not a pattern to rework a plan where clover works pretty well all summer. I plant clover as much for spring turkey action as the deer. But I do see chicory a lot more now as a weed in the gravel road shoulders up here.

 

[Native Hunter]

Another thing to keep in mind about chicory is that it's a tall growing forb. The conventional wisdom has been to keep it mowed short, which is hard on it. It will thrive much better when not mowed until it browns out in the fall and allowed to flower. Unlike lots of other forbs, deer will continue to browse it when it gets tall, eating both the stems and flowers. Like soybeans, you just need enough of it to get ahead of the browsing.

 

[Catscratch]

What Native said about the stem and flowers... they love to eat chicory flowers on our place!

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[Derek Reese 29]

I have had chicory in a half acre plot with several different kinds of clover for the past 4 years. We mow it 1-2 times a year, but about as high as possible. I planted heavy (I think it was 5 lbs of chicory in a little over a half acre) and it has persisted very well. I think I planted it late (for my area that is early May) but it came up well the first year and is still going strong.

 

[BrushyPines]

My soil is very poor and sandy. I wanted to try chicory out due to it's drought tolerance. I didnt expect them to hammer it so fast! I also overseeded the plot with rye thinking it would serve as a nurse crop for the chicory. I was wrong . I will take pics of it now and in the spring when temps start to rise and report back. Hopefully it bounces back, but I have my doubts with everyone chiming in. Like always, I appreciate everyone's thoughts and knowledge.

 

[Nightvision]

This thread makes me want to plant some Chicory.

Is there a certain brand that the deer seem to prefer?

 

[BrushyPines]

This thread makes me want to plant some Chicory.

Is there a certain brand that the deer seem to prefer?

I went with endure forage chicory from Merit seed. All I can tell you so far is it came up well in poor soil and the deer and turkey have hammered it!

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I went with endure forage chicory from Merit seed. All I can tell you so far is it came up well in poor soil and the deer and turkey have hammered it!

That is the same brand/kind that I had used as well.

 

[BrushyPines]

That is the same brand/kind that I had used as well.

Good to know you have had success with it! Hoping mine will bounce back!

 

[SD51555]

I used whatever green cover had in stock. They had two kinds, one was out, one wasn't. The perennial portion of my blends last summer was very chicory heavy. I like to let mine go as long as possible, which is coming to be early August, then it's reset time to get the fall stuff up in time. I got some of my chicory to 5.5 feet last summer. Then I buried it under 12" of clay and started over with this blend. I was working on flooding problems during the worst drought on record.



40% chicory
20% alfalfa
20% white clover
20% trefoil

 

[Native Hunter]

The Merritt Seed chicory is good but I prefer Commander when I can find it. WI chicory is good too.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Oasis from Welters has been my go to.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Oasis and Forb Feast here. Also from Welter's.

Native Hunter - In the pics you posted at post #8, are the blue flowers on your chicory blooming on planted chicory - or wild stuff?? We have wild chicory along our roads here that look like those in your pic. The chicory we planted at camp never grew tall enough to bloom - deer ate them off.

 

[BrushyPines]

Why do you like Commander over other varieties, Native?