The News Outside

Hey everyone.  Been awhile since I been on here but I’m back!  Just learned that Ill get the chance to plant a 1/2 acre patch, farmer that cash rents equipment is to get into it on my grandpa’s place.    Anyone have any suggestions on what the best stuff is to plant in august-september for fall?  I have experience planting in the spring but not late summer.  I was thinking I might try a blend of brassicas, turnips, and wheat.  What do you all think?

I have had great luck with Buck Forage Oats.  Typically put them in second weekend in September and deer hammer them all fall into winter.  I have a drill that I plant with but have buddies that boardcast and harrow in if you don’t have a grain drill.

Unfortenately it seems like I end up doing that as much as spring plots either due to time or weather but it has worked out well at our farm.

Good Luck!

By me the food plot of choice is white clover, they are in it spring, summer,fall and winter.  I know some have had a lot of sucess with turnips and sugar beets, not me,  I had them in two years in a row and they never touched them either year.  I had 1/2 acre wheat field last year and they hit it hard until it got up a few inches and then they didn’t show much interest in it.  Those brassica mixes have done so so.  I’d rather put the white clover in and if I control the weeds, I got a year round food plot.

I have a 1/4 acre plot of clover -alfalfa mix.  And I agree Bigpond, they hit it all year long, even when it gets snow on the ground, they start digging.  I thought Id try something different but cant make up my mind, to many choices.  Thanks for info guys!

Winter wheat, brassica and radish have always been my food plot favorite!

If you want some diversity try splitting the plot into thirds and put 1/3 to clover, 1/3 to brassicas, and 1/3 to winter wheat or rye.  Seed the brassicas from now til early September, the wheat or rye in mid August to early September, and the clover in mid August to early September.  Add some oats over the clover to give it some cover for this fall.  The clover will take off in the spring and be good for a few years.  You can rotate the brassic plot and the wheat/rye plot so you’re not planting the same thing in the same spot every year.

Regarding Buck Forage Oats and other name brand seeds… You can buy generic equivalents for a fraction of the price of the name brands that are just as effective.  Public varieties of oats (Jerry, Ogle, etc) are about $15 per 50 lbs vs $35 per 50 lbs of BFO for example.