Turnips or not?
 

I recently planted about 9 food plots on a deer lease. this was our first attempt to plant. I know we did several things wrong like not testing our soil is the main one, but we planted the mossy oak green patch plus and the only thing that came up in numbers was the turnips. Does anyone plant just turnip fields. wouldn' t it be cheaper than the mossy oak stuff? any comments? Turnips seem to grow just about anywhere regardless of soil ph and fertilizer. Next year I plan to open up some of the logging roads to allow for more sun penetration becuause my one clover patch on the logging road didn' t do anything to speak about. It is very patchy.

RE: Turnips or not?
 

I planted turnips along with soybeans, rape, and clover....the deer were in there thick as fleas on a dog after the first frost until every bit of the rape, beans, and turnips were gone. They absolutely LOVED it.
Next year I' m planting several bean fields. After I spray them, I' ll broadcast turnips over the patch for a bit of added goodness in the fall.
Brian

RE: Turnips or not?
 

Clover is tought to get started in the fall the farther north you get. It needs warmer nights and rain plus it is slow to start to begin with. I think you are right on the turnips. You can also buy rape from a feed store along with about anything else. The one thing I do question is the ladino clover compared to biologic or imperial. Not sure if there is a difference there or not.

RE: Turnips or not?
 

We planted 2 turnip patches in on our farm this year and I have yet to see any activity in them. This is the first year we have tried the turnips, so I really don' t know if they just don' t like them, or they just don' t need them yet. We' ve had another good acorn crop this year and they seem to be concentrating on that right now.

How do they use them? Do they just eat the green tops off the turnips, or will they actually dig them up and eat them?

Another question:

When you introduce a new type of plot, do they know it' s good to eat? We also tried a new winter pea plot this year and they have totally ignored it. It looks really young and tender, but I can' t find a single plant that' s been nipped off yet.[:o]



GH

RE: Turnips or not?
 

grasshopper,

this was my first time to try a food plot. the deer found the turnips very appealing and are eating the big green tops. however, they are not touching our corn feeders now as their are acorns on the ground. once they are gone or rotten, the deer will hit the feeders again and the turnips even more than they are now. its like a supply and demand thing now. they prefer acorns over most anything here in arkansas i have found. give it time for your plots to turn on. i would rather have them hit em later as most hunters will be out of the woods and the deer may establish a pattern of feeding on them. also try putting up a trail camera to see if anything is using them. but, if you really want to know then you should put a utilization cage on the plot in a couple areas. this is like a big round bale of wire so the deer can' t eat whats inside of it. hope this helps. my clover plots are not doing well. i am planning on taking a ph of the soil and planting again this spring once i open the roadways up for more sunlight to hit them.

RE: Turnips or not?
 

I tried turnips in Mid Mo. a few years back with no luck at all. In other parts of the country, turnips and rape are a preferred food for deer especially newly planted and after a hard frost. I had little luck with either on my farm. I actually think the deer need to learn to eat foods that they are not accustomed too. Wihtout the need to try to eat anything that is green to stay alive, they may never try new plants. This year is worst then others because of the large acorn crop that exist in my area. I have great looking plots of clover, and rye, oat, soybean mix with little activity in any of them. You can hardly walk in the woods this year without stepping on acorns.

RE: Turnips or not?
 

I planted a 5X50 ft. strip along my south fence that borders a 10 yr. Pine Plantation. The Turkeys completely destroyed it, just a few left. But saw no sign of deer feeding in it.

Russ

RE: Turnips or not?
 

We' ve got a 1 acre plot up here in Northern VA that' s mostly turnips and the deer eat the heck outta it.

RE: Turnips or not?
 

Turnips are good for the late season...