Kale?

[MoLandOwner]

I have a guy that wants to plant just straight Kale for a 2 acre food plot. He is in Northern wisconsin. Anyone have experience with all Kale food plots? Is this a good Idea in that location? I can order it in for the guy but would love to hear any Pro's or Con's with all Kale for a food plot if any.

 

[scott44]

I picked some up to add to my brassicas this year, never planted it before but trying it this year in a mix not a straight kale plot. Go to the second page on the foodplots and theres a thread I had on kale.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

I know a friend of mine shot a nice buck on opening day in plot that was mostly kale and one other brassica two years ago. He said they found it and it was red hot for 2/3 weeks and then over. I threw it in my mix last year but I planted suck a variety that I dont know what was good or bad yet. Overall they hammered it though.

I am not a big fan of 100% straight plantings honestly. Deer like variety

 

[ruskbucks]

I planted whitetail institutes winter greens that has a good amount of kale in it. To this day that was my best brassica plot in 7 years. The kale got huge and the deer hammered it, but they do that to all the brassicas. I found what I think is the same kind of kale at deer creek seed and picked some up for planting in July. A lot of the kale is has a long growing season(100-120 day), this kind was short(like 45-60 day). I like to mix a few different brassicas together in my plots, but you could plant all kale if that's what he wants. We used to plant dwarf all by it's self for years and it did fine. I think with the different varieties they will get used at different times.

 

[wiscwhip]

Biggest drawback to a straight kale plot, is that it does not produce bulbs like some other brassica. Once the leafy greens are either eaten to the ground or yellowed and buried with snow, there is nothing left for food. In N WI, it would likely be better to grow a bulb producing brassica so the deer can have food throughout the winter. We planted dwarf siberian kale, Kestrel kale, and a few other varieties over the years, and the deer loved them all, but they were always in a mix with other bulb producing brassicas like ppt's and gfr's.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

Good post. My kale was a long season grower. Borderline useless but I threw in a tiny amount for kicks. I still go 75% rape, ptt and daikon and mess with the rest. Kale turnips and radishes alll have many varieties and many time frames. Check the facts before u put it in the ground

 

[MoLandOwner]

Sounds like there is some good reasons most Bob mixes have very little Kale in them.

 

[Greta&Gus]

Maybe he wants to grow some for a salad. I regularly eat my turnips from my plots. I got some kale this year specially because of other suggestions on the forum and a plus is I can eat them.

 

[wiscwhip]

2 acres is a LOT of kale for salads!!!:eek:;)

 

[phil@thesidehill]

My thoughts on this are that i wouldnt plant just a straight monoculture plot of anything. I would add the kale into a brassica mix. I feel like a straight stand of kale would only be productive for a certain window of time....but as a part of a mix it would help add attractiveness over a longer period of time. With 2 acres the guy could do an experiment and plant kale in a pure stand on half and a mix with kale on the other half and see which one was more productive/attractive over the course of a season.

also with a straight stand of kale i think he would run the risk of the deer possibly (depends on several factors, but it could happen) hitting the kale hard early on and greatly diminishing the productivity of the plot....depending on the timing he could always then overseed with some rye or something.

I would really shy away from planting as a mono culture. Deer like to pick from a diverse offering more so than a just one variety.

 

[tooln]

I can see planting it, but not straight. I have to agree with others to put it in a mix.

 

[shawnv]

If the deer don't eat it, you have a lot for salads.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

2 acres of kale = very clean innards !! Better stock up on the depends !!:eek: