Cafeteria plot experiment

[Derek Reese 29]

Archery season started here in PA this last weekend so I thought I would give a start of season account of this plot. The brassicas and turnips are there and have been hit pretty hard and the clover and alfalfa is coming on very strong. The sorghum is still standing and starting to get hit by the deer. Added some WR also and that is starting to grow. To note, I think I will wait till at least mid July if not August to plant as I want the deer there in October or later not September or before. May have to spray this plot with cleth next spring as there is some grass starting to pop up but it will probably get knocked out by colder weather. Overall very pleased and hoping this is a good plot into the future! Thanks for all the advice!
Kiddo loves the turnips and at 2.5 he knows the difference between a turnip and a leafy brassica.

Overview from bottom up

Rye starting to pop up between clover

Couple visitors

 

[Derek Reese 29]

wanted to give an update been really cold here for early winter in PA, lows down almost below zero so the deer have hammered the remaining brassica and turnips and have even begun digging for what clover is left..wanted to include a few pics of some of the really respectable bucks that showed in this plot during the rest of the fall too!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Looking good Derek. Mixed plots seem to be the ticket.

 

[bigboreblr]

Would you plant sorghum again? I think thats whats in there. Was toying around with the idea of it for next year at home.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Would you plant sorghum again? I think thats whats in there. Was toying around with the idea of it for next year at home.

Probably not but only because a couple farmers near me have planted acres of it..was kinda fun to get it to grow but there is still some in my plot after a few very cold snaps that has grain on it so there is about zero attractiveness there…would definitely lean more towards the brassicas/turnips and just getting them to try and get taller

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Archery season started here in PA this last weekend so I thought I would give a start of season account of this plot. The brassicas and turnips are there and have been hit pretty hard and the clover and alfalfa is coming on very strong. The sorghum is still standing and starting to get hit by the deer. Added some WR also and that is starting to grow. To note, I think I will wait till at least mid July if not August to plant as I want the deer there in October or later not September or before. May have to spray this plot with cleth next spring as there is some grass starting to pop up but it will probably get knocked out by colder weather. Overall very pleased and hoping this is a good plot into the future! Thanks for all the advice!
Kiddo loves the turnips and at 2.5 he knows the difference between a turnip and a leafy brassica.
View attachment 69471
Overview from bottom up
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Rye starting to pop up between clover
View attachment 69473
Couple visitors
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Your field foreman holding the turnip looks like he's all ready to go full-bore with Dad!! Great pic, and nice to have an up & coming helper.

 

[Stubborn1VT]

Would you plant sorghum again? I think thats whats in there. Was toying around with the idea of it for next year at home.

I would try a strip of it in your latitude. I love that critters leave it alone while it is growing vs corn. My deer ate it when it got cold. I have never planted it in large quantities, but I will use it going forward as combo food/short screening. Easy and cheap to grow and provides some organic matter. Just my take.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Your field foreman holding the turnip looks like he's already to go full-bore with Dad!! Great pic, and nice to have an up & coming helper.

He is also the quality control expert..biting into several turnips and eating all the road kill crabs and golden hornet crabs he can get his hands on …glad he likes them cuz they are pretty tart!

 

[Derek Reese 29]

This fella showed up this morning…gonna sneak up there to see if I can get an eyeball on him tomorrow AM (PA is a 1 buck state and mine was used in October…)
Kinda want to judge for myself if he’s a 3 or 4 year old..thinking big 3…good stock for next year though…like how you can see the standing sorghum in the pic…

 

[omicron1792]

Derek I plant a lot of sorghum. Have for several years. I never saw deer eat the heads till last year. Now this year every single head on acres and acres has been eaten. I think they just have to get used to it like everything else.

 

[Foggy47]

Derek I plant a lot of sorghum. Have for several years. I never saw deer eat the heads till last year. Now this year every single head on acres and acres has been eaten. I think they just have to get used to it like everything else.

View attachment 72646

Interesting pic Omi. Is this recent? I assume that is Switch Grass to the right? What is flat to the ground with the Sorghum?? I like the "cover-clump" aspects of this sorghum. How did you plant that?

 

[omicron1792]

So golden on each side is NWSG and forbs around plot.

Brown is Milo I planted in rows with Alyce clover and deer vetch between in summer. This fall I came back and planted clover and a little rye in those same rows between the Milo. It didn’t rain till almost November so my fall plants have been slow to come on but doing ok.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Derek I plant a lot of sorghum. Have for several years. I never saw deer eat the heads till last year. Now this year every single head on acres and acres has been eaten. I think they just have to get used to it like everything else.

View attachment 72646

Found the same here, omicron. Deer had to "discover it" for a year or so - then they ate the heads. Here, they seemed to eat heads in the green, sugary stage. Doves and other birds ate the brown seed heads later in the fall & winter ....... whatever was left. We ought to plant more of it mixed into our plots at camp.

 

[omicron1792]

Found the same here, omicron. Deer had to "discover it" for a year or so - then they ate the heads. Here, they seemed to eat heads in the green, sugary stage. Doves and other birds ate the brown seed heads later in the fall & winter ....... whatever was left. We ought to plant more of it mixed into our plots at camp.

Same exact thing I have seen. Never seen so many birds. Anytime I arrive at plot it’s covered in birds. I have video of bucks eating the green doughy heads.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

They ate the heads on mine but farmers grow it within a couple hundred yards of that plot so I think they knew when it was good..still have a few grains but most of the heads didn’t make it past the first cold spell