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Poll? Brassicas

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,943
139
I planted brassicas straight by themselves for the first time this year.

Do you like doing this?

Have you had luck with this?

Do your deer smash the Brassicas or leave them alone?

...I am just boored, and curious what you all have good experience with.
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
Do you like doing this? Yes, nothing like a lettuce field.

Have you had luck with this? Yes

Do your deer smash the Brassicas or leave them alone? The tops get eaten down to nothing. Come frost time they've eaten it to dirt and I end up with "dirt plot".

This is in SE Ohio with high deer densities. Here in the NE I have planted them and never saw any deer sign. I'm sure they were there but the density never showed any browse activities.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Do I like it? Just like Ben, I love growing a lettuce field. In terms of an athletically pleasing food plot, they kick ass

Luck? I've grown good to great stands of brassicas and consider that part of my luck. I've never killed a deer on the plot, but have killed them around plots.

Deer usage? Next to nothing. I will never plant a blend containing more than 10-15% brassicas from this point forward. If these radishes pan out, that will be my new lettuce...
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Nothing looks better than a "red slick" through a green brassica field.

Good place for pics TOO!!!

 
I have planted them up here in Mich. behind the house a couple different years and they barely got touched. Yet my buddy a couple hours north can barely get them to grow as they get hammered even in mid to late summer. We will be planting a couple real soon in Ohio so after this season I will have an answer that will be of use. Think I will take Jesse's advice and do a mix with some other stuff though just in case.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I've never planted a plot of ONLY brassica. I like to think that a buffet is more appealing to the deer than a one-item meal... But I have no scientific evidence to back this up. Planting something is almost always better than nothing. The deer in Carroll Co absolutely demolished my brassicas and radishes last season, well before the first hard frost. I would plant them again if I had more time available. This season's cereal grain plots will have some groundhog forage radishes mixed in, though.
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,943
139
wow nice plots guys!

I have clover, wheat, oats, peas, and brassicas all in some type of my plots so I am excited to see the attraction this season compared to just the clover I had last season.
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
Happy to see you guys enjoy these. Got any ranch dressing?

Here's a couple more action photos.
 

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Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
You'll have 8 after that pipeline goes through!!!

That's still in the planning stages and has been revised by the gas company. It appears it will routed to the south of our property so I may get lucky and avoid it. I could use the extra cash though, but Oh well.