It finally happened

[gunther89]

For the last 5 years, we have planted turnips and radishes on our farm only to have the deer not touch them. I kept planting them anyway just for the organic material it was producing. I took a walk this morning to check some cameras and I was shocked when I came to our 2 plots with brassicas in them. Deer tracks everywhere with holes dug all over and turnips and radishes ate to the ground! I was in total shock and when I checked a camera nearby, the last few days there have been 6-8 deer in them midday chowing down on them. I am so grateful that the deer have finally figured out they are good to eat!

 

[strawhead]

I would guess now that they realize they are good for them they will be in them much earlier.

 

[John-W-WI]

That's great... Good food for them this time of year.

If they are like mine, they will be eating them the day after they germinate. The opposite end of the scale. Just gotta plant more of them I guess! :)

-John

 

[ruskbucks]

Good news that they are utilizing the bulbs. I'm really surprised it took them this long. They seem to like mine really early when they are about the size of a 50 cent piece and then just like your post, very late after all the leaves of the brassica are gone they hit the bulbs hard. I was up a couple weeks ago and they were only hitting the turnips in the food plots.

 

[j-bird]

I didn't have the results you did, but I did see some usage this year as well. I think the main reason mine where used was because the corn in my plot failed miserably and the deer finally decided they had to eat something. I saw more use of the radish than the turnips but I did see some use of the turnips as well. With me being in farm country I think the brassica simply do not rank very high on the preference list. I think in my area at least things got to the point where beggars couldn't be choosers. It will be interesting to see how things go next year. I plant brassica every year as a cheap insurance for the deer and I will continue to do so. I will still plant my corn and or beans as well, but I would rather have more food than they will eat than not enough.

Nice to hear I'm not the only one.

 

[gunther89]

I didn't have the results you did, but I did see some usage this year as well. I think the main reason mine where used was because the corn in my plot failed miserably and the deer finally decided they had to eat something. I saw more use of the radish than the turnips but I did see some use of the turnips as well. With me being in farm country I think the brassica simply do not rank very high on the preference list. I think in my area at least things got to the point where beggars couldn't be choosers. It will be interesting to see how things go next year. I plant brassica every year as a cheap insurance for the deer and I will continue to do so. I will still plant my corn and or beans as well, but I would rather have more food than they will eat than not enough.

Nice to hear I'm not the only one.

We are in ag country as well and the deer hammered our corn and bean plots first until nothing was left. They have now moved onto the turnips and radishes. I'm hoping they figure out that they are edible and hit them hard next year as we are planning to plant 1 acre of them. We will still be planting beans for sure and probably corn as well.

 

[j-bird]

We are in ag country as well and the deer hammered our corn and bean plots first until nothing was left. They have now moved onto the turnips and radishes. I'm hoping they figure out that they are edible and hit them hard next year as we are planning to plant 1 acre of them. We will still be planting beans for sure and probably corn as well.

I think it is a preference thing. I know in my area corn and beans are king.....especially once it gets cold. But they seldom last until spring unless you plant a fair mount of acres of it. I have always liked overseeding brassica and cereal grains into the corn and bean plots to get a little more use out of the minimal plot acres I have. I essentially see it as "insurance". I too hope that the deer start learning what they are for and use them more and more. I doubt they will ever replace the corn and beans, but it's nice knowing that the deer are not stupid and will eat them if they feel the need. The thing that kills me is that my temps have been swinging wildly recently and many of my bulbs are now mush an there is no green leaves left. I have seen some folks say the deer will eat the mushy ones as well, but I'm not sure. I have not seen the usage that you have, but just seeing some browsing and signs of usage is always encouraging.

Nothing like seeing signs of the deer eating what we plant.......at least when that's the intent. The guy who farms my place......he isn't nearly as happy to see the deer eating his corn and beans!

 

[Bill]

There nice turnips! I just can't seem to get the things to grow.

This years made it to pig pong ball size before the weeds choked them out.

 

[bueller]

For the last 5 years, we have planted turnips and radishes on our farm only to have the deer not touch them. I kept planting them anyway just for the organic material it was producing. I took a walk this morning to check some cameras and I was shocked when I came to our 2 plots with brassicas in them. Deer tracks everywhere with holes dug all over and turnips and radishes ate to the ground! I was in total shock and when I checked a camera nearby, the last few days there have been 6-8 deer in them midday chowing down on them. I am so grateful that the deer have finally figured out they are good to eat!

I have problems gettings bulbs to that size now because the deer don't wait for the greens to "sweeten" with a frost. They are on them before the bulbs are even forming.

There nice turnips! I just can't seem to get the things to grow.
This years made it to pig pong ball size before the weeds choked them out.

Yes, weeds and putting down too much seed are two of the main evils when planting turnips.

 

[Big Snow Man]

I have problems gettings bulbs to that size now because the deer don't wait for the greens to "sweeten" with a frost. They are on them before the bulbs are even forming.



Yes, weeds and putting down too much seed are two of the main evils when planting turnips.

Same here after golf ball size they are gone !

 

[j-bird]

I can get them to the size of softballs - deer still don't like them for the most part

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Bueller - On planting brassicas too thick ........ What is a good seeding rate for a mix of turnips, radishes, rape, & forage brassica ( like Pasja ) ?? If you or someone else has experience with them, it might save some of us guys some wasted time / acreage !! I know we planted ours too thick the first time 2 years ago, and better last year - but still to thick for max top growth and bulb size.

 

[wiscwhip]

Lickcreek always recommended about #10lbs per acre in the "all brassica" portion of his LC Mix rotation. We had good results on sandy soils at about #8lbs per acre. Never got huge bulbs due to the dry soil and probably because it always seemed like we skimped putting on extra nitrogen at the proper time. One of my favorite mixes was a mix of 2# each of GFR and PPT, one pound each of DER, Kestrel kale, Hunter forage brassica, and T-raptor brassica.

 

[bueller]

I've had as little as 6 lbs/acre of PTT come in too thick for my liking. But I'm aiming for large bulbs when I plant. On my sand 4-5 lbs/acre seems about right. I end up with some open ground but that's OK because I overseed my brassicas plots with winter rye around labor day.

 

[bueller]

^^^^on fertile soil 6+ lbs/acre may grow just fine.

 

[gunther89]

I believe I did 3 pounds of radishes and 2 pounds of turnips and that covered roughly 1/2 an acre. The scary part was where I got the biggest turnips/radishes, I didn't fertilize. I sprayed round up in an area and broadcasted the seed down. Got great rains for the first 2 weeks and then nothing for about a month. Then constant rains for about a month and I ended up with turnips/radishes the size of softballs and a some bigger.

 

[bueller]

I believe I did 3 pounds of radishes and 2 pounds of turnips and that covered roughly 1/2 an acre. The scary part was where I got the biggest turnips/radishes, I didn't fertilize. I sprayed round up in an area and broadcasted the seed down. Got great rains for the first 2 weeks and then nothing for about a month. Then constant rains for about a month and I ended up with turnips/radishes the size of softballs and a some bigger.

WOW :eek:! Awesome example of how much leafy and root matter these things can put out under ideal conditions. I will never see anything close to that because of my infertile sands and browse pressure that begins shortly after planting.

 

[gunther89]

WOW :eek:! Awesome example of how much leafy and root matter these things can put out under ideal conditions. I will never see anything close to that because of my infertile sands and browse pressure that begins shortly after planting.

It probably helps that our plots are planted in old pasture ground that had cattle in it for 50 years ;) With the turnips/radishes as big as they are and the roots they have, it's bringing all the nutrients back to the surface. We normally put 50 pounds of fertilizer for every acre we plant and it seems to work good for us. I know I'm extremely lucky to have land where we do and to be blessed with fertile soil.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Nice looking greens. Thanks for the pix.