Late August food plots?

[jerkbait]

What would be good to plant in late August for food plots up here in NW MN? I was thinking some winter rye and winter peas. Maybe some rape. What are your thoughts? these would be about 1/2 acre plots.

Thanks

[smsmith]

You nailed it for choices IMHO, I'd likely go with forage radishes instead of rape though.

[haleysgold]

Winter Rye, Peas and Rape would be my choices too.

IMO, late August would be a little late for Radishes in your neck of the woods. I don't think they've have enough growing days to get the root size your looking for.

[smsmith]

Winter Rye, Peas and Rape would be my choices too.

IMO, late August would be a little late for Radishes in your neck of the woods. I don't think they've have enough growing days to get the root size your looking for.

You may be correct about root size on the radishes, but the tops grow much quicker than does rape. I've had radishes mature and bolt in 30 days before. All depends on soil type, moisture and heat. The roots themselves have received limited attention IME, but I know other guys who report them getting hammered.

[LandDr]

Early Fall Food Plot Options...good for archery or attracting deer to area

-Wheat

-Oats

-Rye

-Peas

-late soybeans

-etc

Late Fall Food Plot Options...good for firearms, muzzy or late archery seasons

- Brassicas...raddish, sugarbeat, rape, turnip, rutabaga, etc

Something I have been doing for the past 3 years on my property as well as customer's properties is to mix the two. Instead of just having an "early fall" or just a "late fall" attractant...in this way you get a longer use of your food plot. We have "P&A" (peas and oats) that I mix with our Brassi Buck (Green glob turnip, dwarf essex, giant and rangi rape). 20lbs P&A with 10lbs Brassi Buck will do 2 acres. We also have a Succatash blend of Wheat, Rye, Oats and Rapeseed...really greens up nice and deer love it for early and late fall.

This is a great time of year to get fall food plots in.

[smsmith]

^^^^You'd plant sugar beets now? Seems like a waste of some very expensive seed. Most guys I know plant their SB's in May, same time as farmers are planting corn.

[jerkbait]

Do the deer like the sugar beet tops? The root certainly wouldn't develop in the fall. So next question is where in the NW suburbs can a person find these seeds. My hunting buddy lives in Rogers. He would be the one picking the stuff up and bringing it up here.

[LandDr]

It's is up to each person to choose what they want to plant. You can plant any of the Brassicas in the spring and\or in the fall. Some people do a little of both. Spring planted provides larger bulbs and forage but maybe not as palatable. Fall planted provides for more palatable forage but not as big of bulbs or forage. It is all a trade off...that is why some of both is a nice option to consider.

Thanks for the question

[LandDr]

HabitatNOW.com ...go to the online store and click on deer food plots for all of the options. Almost all 10lb bags have free shipping to whatever location you want it shipped to. Will usually ship same day if you order early. HabitatNOW also sponsors this forum.

Thanks

[smsmith]

R.J. Hunt Seeds have stuff in many local creameries/co-ops. If your buddy was going to through Wadena, he could stop at the home base too.

This guy is hard to beat on prices, shipping would obviously add to the cost.

John at Roemhild's Farm Supply in Mora Mn. at 763-238-1430

If you call him, tell him Stu gave you his number

[InTheNorthwoods]

There are likely to be a hundred places a guy could get seed from the Burbs to Northern MN. Your best bet for reasonably priced seed would be a Coop or Elevator (for example, Bemidji has Rohde's Feed & Garden, Norfarm Seed, or the Coop). The other option would be to purchase it online, and have it shipped from someone like Welters Seed. In a pinch, you can spend extra for the "buck on a bag" stuff at any sporting goods store.

When planning what to plant, your options are vast. Anything you plant at this stage is going to be primarily for the greens. Many of the options have been mentioned here, and they are all going to attract deer. It just depends on seed availability.

I like brassica's and rye for cost, success rate, and good deer usage. One benefit with brassica's (for example brassica's such as turnips and radishes, but not so much beets) is that even though you wouldn't bank on bulb production at this point, under the right circumstances you could get some bonus production that is a "feather in your cap" over other plantings, not to mention they produce a lot of green leafy food for your effort. Rye, on the other hand, is too simple to fail. Things such peas, beans, etc. probably aren't going to give you the tonnage as the other plantings, probably won't produce pods at this point, and are likely to be more expensive seed. The kicker is that they can be the most highly sought after plant by deer in a blend. I choose not to give deer that late season option usually (they'll hit the other green growth), and stick to planting my beans in the spring.

[jerkbait]

Green is what we are looking for to have around firearms season. Thanks for all the replies so far.

[jerkbait]

Alright gang. Our plans to do food plots this weekend are getting rained out. How late into September could we still get away with planting rye, rape and winter peas? These are plots for gun season and we are in NW MN.

thanks

[smsmith]

Rye will germinate when the soil is in the mid 30's, so it can be planted quite late. If you want it to be green for early November, I'd want it planted by mid-Sept at the latest.

Rape is going to be "iffy" this late. Not a lot of experience with winter peas, so I'll leave that to others to answer.

[BLACKJACK]

I'll second the rye, I usually plant spread some in my soybeans when they start to turn yellow, which will be around Labor Day/early August.

[maros91]

My first time planting a late season plot. You guys add fertilizer at all?

[jerkbait]

Good question. I am curious about that too. We were planning to throw some down. Not sure if it is good or bad, but figure it can't hurt.

[BLACKJACK]

My first time planting a late season plot. You guys add fertilizer at all?

One thing I learned long ago in doing food plots is that fertilizer is your friend!!! If you can afford it do it!! Spread my rye into my soybeans yesterday, just in time for the upcoming rain, didn't bother with fertilizer but if I do any kind of a brassica plot I fertilize, same with the spring planted corn and soybeans. Even a clover patch will benefit from fertilizer, just do your research and match the fertilizer to the plant.

[smsmith]

Plotting without fertilizing is pi$$ing in the wind

About the only exceptions I can think of are winter rye/hairy vetch in the late summer/early fall and buckwheat in the late spring (after Memorial Day). Those things will grow quite well without fertilizing and/or liming.

Liming brings up another (more important) point. If your ph isn't right for what you're planting, the fertilizer you put down is largely going to waste.

Best practice is to get a soil test...then lime accordingly to get your ph right...then fertilize.

[Farmsfulltime]

Sounds like farming but that's another subject . I would like to propose a test fertilize part of the plot and I will bet the deer prefer the fertilized part to the non fertilized , They can taste difference in the growing forage have seen it, deer will consume the better growth first then move on to the non fertilized after words there are limits though not advocating over application

[smsmith]

I would like to propose a test fertilize part of the plot and I will bet the deer prefer the fertilized part to the non fertilized , They can taste difference in the growing forage have seen it, deer will consume the better growth first then move on to the non fertilized after words

Finally...something you and I can agree on