omicron1792
5 year old buck +
If I was doing a new chicory plot I would plant only chicory and grains in the fall. Let the chicory establish. Then frost seed clover to fill in.
Chicory filling an important time gap for me
- Thread starter Native Hunter
- Start date
Carbonspyder
Buck Fawn
Does anyone plant chicory in the spring with clover and grains when establishing a plot? I've heard most often to plant it in fall to overwinter but I'll have all summer for the plot and chicory to grow.
SD51555
5 year old buck +
You can plant perennials any time you want and get some success. The best chance is fall plotting. You're gonna get the best stand late summer/fall planting. Any other time, and you're risking a poor stand, and something that's likely gonna need rescue treatments to beat back the weeds. Waiting 5 months will give you a better plot for years vs one you're gonna fight with and possibly have to start over, and be another year or two behind.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
I agree with SD. Plant an annual heavy in the spring just to improve the soil. Buckwheat. Milo. Spring wheat. Anything really. Then do your perennial right in the fall
chucker66
5 year old buck +
Thats how I usually do my clover plots but I did have some luck last year. In May, I drilled oats, rolled it, then broadcast clover and rolled again. Got real good results but now I want to put some chicory in those new clover plots LOL. I do have some other plots that I will wait until the fall with my ever trusty winter rye. (Maybe Triticale instead haha)
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
I find it’s hard to get chicory in established clover
davidhelmly
5 year old buck +
Agreed, if it’s a thick stand of white clover it’s really tough!
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Anyone broadcast chicory (and maybe some clover) into standing buckwheat, rye, or oats & then roll the grains down over it?? Wondering how that would turn out.
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Haven’t done that exactly but I imagine it would do great
davidhelmly
5 year old buck +
If you get consistent rain after you broadcast it, it will do fine.
I did this, not into rye buckwheat or oats, but into an overgrown hayfield with reasonable success. In my experience, chicory did better than the clover. It was late last summer/early fall though so I'll have a better idea this spring to see what really did well. It may have been that the clover took a little longer to establish
chucker66
5 year old buck +
Another question on Chicory. How ling will it stay edible into the fall? One thing I really like about Winter Rye is its ability to stay green through most of the winter even up here in NW Wis. The deer will paw through the snow for green Winter Rye and Clover. Does Chicory last that long as well?
omicron1792
5 year old buck +
Apparently when it bolts the deer will pull the whole thing out of the ground eating it. Can’t say I have seen that but @Native Hunter speaks super highly of it.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Yes, I have seen that a few times. I wouldn't say it was common, but they certainly will do that.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
Hopefully someone else can chime in, but I normally have it planted with clover and even sometimes alfalfa. It is hard to say if deer are eating one or all three. Chicory seems to be the most prevalent until early fall, and then you have to really look for it after that.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Food plot chicory is a perennial, right?? At least that's what I've read - and had some come back in year 2 at our place. Not sure if we were just lucky on the year 2 chicory - or if it's really a perennial in most places. Our deer eat it with gusto, from all evidence!
Stubborn1VT
5 year old buck +
Chicory is a perennial. I planted it in a small woods plot and it did well for 4 years before starting to play out.
The plot gets a fair amount of leaves and pine needles, so early spring I raked it all and broadcasted clover, chicory and some leftover Domain seed. Picture is year one. I'm hoping it looks even better this year.
