(vote)Brassica Growers: Do they grow well AND last as long as you need them to?

[Bowsnbucks]

We've found that a mix of brassicas is a good thing to plant at camp. The problem is finding the right seeding rate so they aren't too thick (and don't grow big), or too thinly that you don't get the tonnage we want. The GHR sure drills holes down into the soil - a good thing for aerating the soil & allowing lime & fertilizer to get down into the soil strata. The rotting bulbs of turnips and GHR add OM as well - since our deer don't clean up every bulb. We like brassicas in general, whether a solid plot of them or mixed in with rye & clover.\

The tops get hit in the fall, and the bulbs get hit from December through the winter.

 

[Native Hunter]

Turnips = not touched and eventually rot
Radishes = leaves lightly browsed and occasionally one side of radish nibbled on like a taste test
Rape = lightly to moderately browsed

Plain Wheat gets eaten much better than any brassicas.

 

[Baker]

I echo what swamp cat said about planting. When I get radishes in by mid Sept. they do well and are heavily grazed. This year it has been over 100" for most of the past 5 weeks and no rain. DUSTY!. That said I include 3 lbs daikon radish and 1 lb ptt per acre every year in my fall mix. In the beginning, deer just ate the tops of the radishes and didn't touch the turnips. After a couple years the deer started eating the whole radish. Never have had a lot of interest in the ptt but I'm ok with that. Feeds the worms.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Sure seems like they work better with higher preference in northern climates based on lots of input. Clear contrast between some northern folks not being able to get them to November without being wiped out and the southern guys saying they barely get touched.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Sure seems like they work better with higher preference in northern climates based on lots of input. Clear contrast between some northern folks not being able to get them to November without being wiped out and the southern guys saying they barely get touched.

Mine never get wiped out and I'm in the North. I'm guessing the big part for guys up here is mixed ag vs. big woods. Sticks or turnips seems like an easy choice. Turnips vs corn/beans, they aren't going to touch turnips until all of the corn and beans have been consumed.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Mine never get wiped out and I'm in the North. I'm guessing the big part for guys up here is mixed ag vs. big woods. Sticks or turnips seems like an easy choice. Turnips vs corn/beans, they aren't going to touch turnips until all of the corn and beans have been consumed.

Yeah, that's fair. You must have a lot of good food around. I saw you mention that Oats and Rye don't get touched on your place either. I was more looking at it from the lens of folks who don't plant beans/corn or have ag corn/beans still standing near them come Nov. In those situations, it seems like brassicas are more prone to getting wiped out and maybe preferred compared to cereals and clover come late october and on.

 

[PoorSand]

I agree with WTNUT on giving them plenty of nitrogen. I also give mine plenty of potash, along with some diammonium phosphate and calcium sulfate.

 

[Foggy47]

My neighbors have some large corn fields and I planted a few acres of corn in the past. One thing that corn does is draw bears and coons. The corn is also a good draw for deer, but it is typically harvested before the rifle season here. I am done with row crops.....but if my neighbors want to grow some....that is fine with me.

Thus, with clover typically dormant by late October and corn harvested.....the Brassica and Winter Rye are the only remaining crop choices for area deer. My deer are chowing down on my brassica all times of day now.....according to my game cameras. Will be planting winter rye in a few weeks.

 

[WTNUT]

Turnips = not touched and eventually rot
Radishes = leaves lightly browsed and occasionally one side of radish nibbled on like a taste test
Rape = lightly to moderately browsed

Plain Wheat gets eaten much better than any brassicas.

This is truly an amazing post. Here is why. We all know Native knows his stuff - not debate there. I know just about where his farm is, and mine is in an adjoining state. The food sources at and around our farms are darn near identical, but here is how I would answer as to each of his crops.

Turnips = tops like candy to deer Sept thru December, bulbs eaten extensively in February.
Radishes = tops a favorite food source especially early fall even with corn and beans on the ground next to the plot as bait or supplemental food. Radish bulb similar to what Native says.
Rape - it depends greatly upon what variety I plant. Some absolutely eaten to the ground others not touched.


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[TenPoint]

Turnips = not touched and eventually rot
Radishes = leaves lightly browsed and occasionally one side of radish nibbled on like a taste test
Rape = lightly to moderately browsed

Plain Wheat gets eaten much better than any brassicas.

You have weird deer. ;)

Wheat barely gets touched around here. They'll mow brassicas to the ground. Doesn't really matter what types I plant. I've tried a bunch of BOB and other known verities. The only thing that remains sometimes are the bulbs. The leaves are always eaten.

 

[Brian662]

I've had results all over the map with brassicas the past 6 or 7 years on different farms. For me this isn't a yes/no question except that - yes, I always plant them. My home farm they clean them up but not usually until late nov/Dec.

My farm down the road has lower deer density and I always have food left on the table come spring, I have started to lower my acres planted.

In my first year at the WI property last year the brassicas had a bumper crop and were a huge draw but the high deer density had almost all my food gone by late Dec. I have some pics of some of my best bucks working the brassicas over pretty well from late October to December, they'll keep getting planted.

Also have had planting failures due to lack of rain, lack of nutrients, and deer pounding them too early.

 

[Brian662]

October bucks in brassicas, last two years.
November

December

 

[Native Hunter]

This is truly an amazing post. Here is why. We all know Native knows his stuff - not debate there. I know just about where his farm is, and mine is in an adjoining state. The food sources at and around our farms are darn near identical, but here is how I would answer as to each of his crops.

Turnips = tops like candy to deer Sept thru December, bulbs eaten extensively in February.
Radishes = tops a favorite food source especially early fall even with corn and beans on the ground next to the plot as bait or supplemental food. Radish bulb similar to what Native says.
Rape - it depends greatly upon what variety I plant. Some absolutely eaten to the ground others not touched.


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I can give you one even better. At my farm I have been watching poke weed for decades and never seen the first one browsed. At my home, 20 minutes away, they literally eat them to death in the fence rows around my yard.

I wish my deer liked brassicas better, because it is so easy to grow them with spray, throw and mow. I keep putting a few out every year hoping that the deer eventually change. Other folks on this forum have noted a change in taste for them over time.

 

[bwoods11]

I planted a mix of brassica, rye and more in Western Iowa.Then the steady and timely ️ rains hit and it just took off. Definitely weeds in there as well.

Looks like a jungle, but the deer are there all the time. At this point I’m just gonna leave it and see how they hit it in the fall ?

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I can give you one even better. At my farm I have been watching poke weed for decades and never seen the first one browsed. At my home, 20 minutes away, they literally eat them to death in the fence rows around my yard.

I wish my deer liked brassicas better, because it is so easy to grow them with spray, throw and mow. I keep putting a few out every year hoping that the deer eventually change. Other folks on this forum have noted a change in taste for them over time.

Makes you wonder if it is not some nutrients in the pokeweed at your home that they are getting from something else at your other place.

 

[Native Hunter]

Makes you wonder if it is not some nutrients in the pokeweed at your home that they are getting from something else at your other place.

I'm convinced it's that or possibly because they have choices of other forbs at the farm that are seen as more preferred food.

 

[WTNUT]

My deer don’t do poke weed ….


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[Foggy47]

Just checking to see if anyone has voted yet. LOL. I'd vote "maybe"....if that was a choice......alas.