Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
i planted winter rye mid week. I believe it's coming up in the plot but the stems look black. Is that typical of rye?
Winter rye question
- Thread starter Peplin Creek
- Start date
Bluecollaroutdoors
5 year old buck +
Rye can germinate in as little as 4 days in my experience. The bottom of the shoots will have a purpleish color for the first few days and then fade away. Totally normal.
Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
Awesome good to know. Thank you.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I've found rye to be very tough. It doesn't need " super prime " soil to do well. Very reliable stuff.
Bluecollaroutdoors
5 year old buck +
I will second that. I grew a nice little green patch the last 2 years in the middle of what I know from the past was 4.5 ph soil. Full on "muck" in the middle of a swamp if you check a local soil map.
Give it any rain and any soil contact and you will have some growth.
Give it any rain and any soil contact and you will have some growth.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
When folks new to food plotting ask what to plant, they usually mean which BOB seed. I generally ask about objectives and such to get them thinking, but I almost always recommend two seeds. For folks anxious to get dirt under their nails in the spring, I typically recommend buckwheat. Deer use it but generally don't abuse is except in small plots or in very high density areas. It has a very wide planting window. It can handle poor pH and infertile soil. It will outcompete most weeds. It is a good soil builder. For those starting later in the year planting for fall, Winter Rye is my most frequent recommendation by far. It has many of the same kinds of characteristics but deer love it when it is young. Both of these are really hard to screw up. With these two successes under their belts, a novice builds a lot of confidence and can begin experimenting.
And, yes, there are other things you can mix with them and that is fine, but these are the workhorses for new folks and after many years, they are still staples for my program!
Thanks,
Jack
And, yes, there are other things you can mix with them and that is fine, but these are the workhorses for new folks and after many years, they are still staples for my program!
Thanks,
Jack
Peplin Creek
5 year old buck +
Thanks for all the input guys, the rye is definitely greening up, I plan to overseed the plot again in a week to 10 days just to get some more tender growth closer to the start of the Wisconsin archery season. has anyone had any luck doing this and does it seem to bring more attraction?
chummer
5 year old buck +
My experience would say no. I plant a ton of WR and earlier the better but my deer don't touch it till October. They will eat everything else first but they will eventually finish it off. If you want some early season attraction grab a bag of $10 oats.
Buckly
5 year old buck +
I would say definitely yes. I accidently spilled some rye in a pile once and just let it grow in the pile. It came in very thick and it was the main attraction in the plot. Since then, I over seed rye at 2 week intervals a total of three times. Makes a big difference. I've found though you don't need to over seed the whole plot as this is costly. I just over seed in strips at strategic locations in the plot.
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
WR has a pretty wide planting rate. I've used at anywhere from 60 to 100 lbs/acre as a nurse crop for cover and as part of a cover crop.
As for attraction, from my perspective it is way overblown. It is true that WR is more attractive when it is succulent and young. Generally planting later will keep it a bit more attractive longer into our late season in the south. It may not has as much impact up north with cooler temps and slower growing conditions.
But let me say this. Deer use of a food source has a lot of factors and the relative attractiveness of WR is a second or third order factor. In general pressure is the largest factor. Deer will often choose a less preferred food source that they perceive has lower access risk than a more preferred food source. Also keep in mind that attraction of a food source is relative. There are all kinds of different deer foods that peak at different times. One can make broad generalizations but most folks put much too fine of a point on the attractiveness of a food source.
Thanks,
jack
