Here’s The Experts’ Point of View: Can Turkeys Smell You Out? The plants end up crowding each other out and they stop growing. Try to plant a mix of annual summer crops (sunflowers, sorghum, soybeans, cowpeas, etc. Rutabaga produces a much bigger bulb, a lot more top growth and is more palatable to deer because of the better insect and disease resistance. Both of which take place during the colder seasons. Get it as soon as Thu, Feb 4. I would also recommend trying alyce clover. Tenth of an acre is a decent starting point. Deer also seem to know when food is most palatable and nutritious, which is why this is the time to plant your fall plots; so they’ll be most attractive during hunting season. Deerhuntingfield.com makes no representations, warranties, or assurances as to the accuracy, currency or completeness of the content contain on this website or any sites linked to this site. Another special characteristic of turnips that make them more advantageous to have than other crops, is that they can survive the harsh winter weather. For turnip seeds to germinate, minimum soil temperatures must reach 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Growing Turnips From Seed – How To Plant, Maintain & Harvest Planting Turnips. This is due to the fact that the older leaves will have a more starchy and sugary taste, which deer like better. If this happens, you have the best of both worlds — you’re bating in a deer, and you get to eat the taproot. Turnips: These plants produce a bulb that deer can dig up and eat after they’ve finished the green tops. Arrow Seed’s Deer Delight blend contains turnips, forage peas, forage soybeans, and two varieties of grain sorghum. Rutabaga is slower growing and will not mature too soon, leaving the bulbs "woody." 4.3 out of 5 stars 103. When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers? Hey Grant I was wondering when the latest time would be to plant clover, rye, and turnips. The cold matures the turnips and leaves them tasting sweeter, which deer enjoy eating. Basically, a deer like at a turnip the same way us humans look at beef jerky. I typically plant food plots in the fall, but this year I tried turnips for food plots in the spring. I planted turnips in a very small area, about 1/2 acre in size. How successfully they bring in deer, however, may depend greatly on when they are planted and how deer react to them during a certain season. During winter, deer eat turnips up firstly because they probably cannot find food that can provide them the nutrition they need elsewhere. But one member of that family has become such a standout that it’s often sold and planted by itself because of its tremendous qualities for deer, the soil, and the environment. 78,638. Also, I’m a fan of yummy food, and I, like deer, enjoy the taste of a good turnip. Turnips grow fairly quickly and reach maturity in 75 to 90 days. There were true brassicas and rape, then kale and turnips, all members of the mustard or “Brassicaceae family,” typically sold as mixtures. The cool thing about planting turnips in your food plot is the deer love to eat both the leafy tops and the taproots (or the turnip). If you want your turnip-planting to be a success, you must pay attention to this reaction of turnips to the cold. If you’re a southerner, or live somewhere in which the weather is typically warmer, you can go ahead and plant your crops in the fall and they should be ready for deer season. You can get results from all of the above. Protein content can range from 15 to 20 percent in both the leaves and the roots. When to Plant Turnips Turnips are cool-weather plants that can be sown in late winter, spring, or late summer to give them the two months they need to mature before it gets too hot or freezes. Turnips are able to grow very fast, and reach maturity at around 60-90 days after planting. You can also sow seeds in early autumn for a late autumn harvest. Best planting time is between 70 and 90 days before the likely first hard frost. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 21-Aug-17. Space these easy-to-grow greens 6 inches apart in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.8. When growing turnips, it is best to sow seed directly into the ground. 65. This is an annual blend of seeds, and the sorghum acts as a scaffold for the forage peas and soybeans to climb on, while the turnips cover the ground surface. One great way to do this is by introducing deer to turnips. Related Post: Companion Plants For Potatoes To keep rabbits, deer, rodents, and insects from nibbling on tender turnip leaves, plant turnips near strongly scented herbs such as rosemary, basil, thyme, horehound, borage, hyssop, lavender, and all varieties of mint . For a late spring harvest, sow turnip seeds directly in the garden as soon as the ground is workable, usually 2 to 3 weeks before the average last frost date. Deer wont eat turnips because you planted it too thick Drink too … I mean, turnips aren’t the only thing you’ll find in my garden, and they’re not the only crop that deer enjoy to munch down on. Usually, deer will eat the leaves on top first, and then proceed to finish the bulbous roots once all the leaves have gone. If you try it again, I recommend the The deer by me start eating the leaves in August and by October 10, even the bulbs are almost gone. If you talk to deer managers across the country, this is a common scenario when planting brassicas, a forage family that includes rape, kale, turnips, radishes, and a few others. 21-Aug-17. Deer do not only enjoy eating the leafy top of the turnip, but they also love to eat the taproot, as well. By that time, it would be winter, when many deer would begin eating the turnips. Honestly, turnips are very easy to grow, and I truly enjoy watching them grow. In areas with quality food sources, deer typically don’t hit them very hard until mid-October to early November. Great Basin Seed's Purple Top Turnips are sold in bulk pounds with approximately 220,000 seeds per pound! Deer dont eat turnips if you plant too much seed. Slingshot Hunting Rabbit- How To Hunt A Rabbit With A Slingshot, What Is A Safe Way To Unload A Muzzleloader – The Best And The Safest Way To Unload A Muzzleloader. BuckWithBow.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. How to Build a Box Blind, How To Check If A Gun Is Clean – How To Verify If A Gun Is Clean, Editor’s Pick of the Year for the Best Turkey Decoy, Why is Good Marksmanship Important: The Fundamentals of Good Marksmanship and why it is so important, Important Guidelines On How To Successfully Field Dressing A Deer, Best Hunting Boots On The Market » Hunting Boots Reviews, Best Muck Boots For Hunting-The Perfect Pair of Muck Boots Makes For The Best Hunting, Best Hunting Rangefinder- Picking Out the Best Hunting Rangefinder, Shoot Straight! each other and stunt their growth. The key factor to remember with turnips — while deer will begin eating them as early as germination, don’t expect peak consumption during the early season. Food plots for whitetail hunting are typically planted in early to mid-September. Secondly, turnips become very palatable to deer once the crops experience cold weather. Turnips are a cool weather crop and can be grown in fall (autumn) or in spring 2 weeks before the last frost. Top 8 Of The Best Single Pin Bow Sight For Hunting, How to Choose the Best Thumb Release for Hunting, 7 Ways Of How To Keep Your Feet Warm While Hunting. Turnips thrive in the cooler weather of early spring and late fall. That is when the deer really hit them. Nevertheless, we are here to teach all you need to know so that you can have productive hunting sessions. Are you ready to land the big one? It is also a warm season legume. Turnips do well in zones 3-9. These plants stay green in the winter, are normally very attractive to deer, and provide a great deal of nutrition to wildlife during the fall and winter months. The 5 Best Rifle Bipods Reviews, The Top 5 Choices For The Best Deer Hunting Knife, Best Shot Timers: Things to Know About the Top Five Best Shot Timers. It’s fun to watch as the taproot develops, and then the leafy top pops out afterwards. You have probably tried planting various kinds of crops for your food plot, but one crop that many will find to attract a lot of deer are turnips. Turnips are a cool-season annual that are extremely high in protein and highly digestible to deer. The deer will graze the forage tops and if you get lucky with the weather, you should get some bulb growth. ­­­ Turnips are extremely versatile, and can practically be grown on any type of soil. I am planting these around Lebanon missouri. A typical bag of brassicas with enough seed to cover 1/2 acre can be bought for a very affordable $20-$25 tops. I founded BuckWithBow blog so that I can share my hunting experiences in the woods and thus help you discover a couple of tricks, tips and essential skills that will make you a successful bow hunter. And rotten turnips stink! Years of research and development go into producing Whitetail Institute’s forage products. Brassicas are used by farmers and food plotters to suppress weeds and to reduce soil pathogens. Plant turnip Brassica (Brassica Rapa) near the center of your plot. If you are planting a mixture of seeds use 1-2 pounds of turnip seeds per acre in your mix. Arrives before Valentine's Day. From: Starfire. Before I get started on the best time to plant turnips, you need to keep one important thing in mind: turnips grow very quickly. I will plant around 7/18 as I need to get Maximum growth. As with any food plot, it is important to pick a spot where the deer will feel comfortable coming out into the plot during the early morning, before sunset, or even during the day. This is why i push a mix called grains and greens. I would also plant some other stuff as mentioned above such as winter wheat, rape, and red clover. Turnips can be planted in late summer in northern climates or early fall in the southern states. They're easy to grow in well-drained soil. Take a look at a picture of turnips and compare it to rutabaga. It has triticale, oats and peas in it along with radish, winfred brassica and turnip. Moreover, the fiber content of turnips does not increase as the crops mature, and make them easier to digest by deer. The following details can also be helpful, for answering the question when is the best time to plant turnips. I would also plant some other stuff as mentioned above such as winter wheat, rape, and red clover. We push rutabaga over turnips in most cases. If I’ve missed anything, or you have any questions, you can always leave a comment and let us know what’s on your mind. This is important to know because you will use this rate of time-to-maturity when figuring an approximate date for planting to commence. While these can be planted in the spring and allowed to grow throughout the warm growing season, it is best to wait until late summer to plant them as early season planting of turnips often lead to the turnip becoming soft and mushy by the time the deer come to utilize them. Comments and reactions will be very much appreciated. Additionally, BuckWithBow.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links. When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers? That’s exactly what we’re going to answer for you over the course of this article, so put the rifle down, and grab yourself a hot cup of coffee, because we’re going to tell you everything you need to know. We push rutabaga over turnips in most cases. The turnip bulbs are the last to mature, and they can feed the deer during the deep winter months. Before I get started on the best time to plant turnips, you need to keep one important thing in mind: turnips grow very quickly. Turnips, radishes, canola, and rapeseed are all great. Plants in front of photo were on the edge of plot and did not have N applied at planting. The results are field-proven and can help you enjoy the best deer hunting ever. They grow well in both southern and northern climates. Give your native soil a hand by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter. We have been involved in turnip food plots in both western New York State and northern Georgia. Then let this guide on turnip-planting and the best seasons for it help you out for hunting purposes! Some will tell you deer won’t touch brassicas while others can’t seem to keep deer off of it. 5LBS Purple Top Turnip Deer Food Plot Seeds Food Plot Non-GMO Vegetable Garden Micro Greens Seeds Whitetail Deer Green Goose. 93. Purple Top White Globe turnips make a great fall and winter food source for whitetail deer. We’ve covered why deer like turnips, how hard it is to plant turnips, the benefits of turnips, and when the best time is to plant turnips for deer. Those plants will reach maturity and then the deer won’t eat the greens as much after that point. The first hard frost causes a chemical reaction in the plant that encourages significant increases in glucose. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Turnips can be planted in the spring, but they are better fall plots. But if you only want nice green tops and moderate sized turnips for deer to eat in mid-winter, then plant about 2 months before your average first hard freeze date. Focus on planting something that deer can’t easily find in your neighborhood. For an autumn harvest, sow turnips in late summer. Deer love to eat turnips after they’re mature, and they’ve gotten a good frost on them. They look great, but the deer have not touched them. Unlike a lot of other crops, turnips do extremely well during the cold seasons. Different turnip varieties produce different proportions of leaves and roots. I know that was a ton of information to take in, but I truly hope you’ll walk away from this guide feeling like you’ve learned something. $24.93 $ 24. Field of turnips, rape and radishes. They are either not at their full maturity when they are most sought after, or these turnips are not allowed to develop their flavor that is most appealing to deer. Plant turnips 1/2 in deep and 4 in apart. They do particularly well when mixed with cereal grains, annual clovers, … DeereMan, Aug 9, 2010. Deer hit it hard once that happens. Why should I plant turnips and not something else? In both geographies, the turnips are grown as a fall and winter food source, planted in the fall. While this can be a debatable subject (depending on location, climate, and soil), small grains, clover varieties, and brassicas are typically among the best cool-season food plots to plant for deer. Everything You Need to Know About Food Plot. For more information, please read our privacy policy. A fertilized stand of turnips can grow over 2 feet tall, but make sure you plant enough. The optimal time to plant your turnips may still depend on the climate in your area, that may vary greatly from place to place. For a late spring bounty, plant directly in the garden when you are able to work the soil, about 2-3 weeks prior … We have grown these for several year and have developed some expertise in growing them. So the best time to plant turnips in these areas would be during early fall, around August to September. Take a look at a picture of turnips and compare it to rutabaga. Want to Know When to Hunt For Antlers? Crossbow vs Gun – What Makes The Best Survival Weapon? Most brassicas are attractive because of one thing: glucose. In that same scenario, try focusing on clover plots for spring nutrition (before corn is available) or brassicas and turnips for late season attraction (after corn has been harvested). Good buck eating the whole turnip. How to Plant Knowing this, and how turnips are at their best when they reach maturity around winter time, you will now be able to deduce when the best time it to plant turnips in your area. If this is the case, the problem most likely resides in the timing of your planting. Therefore, I suggest you grow all the veggies you like. A word of warning though, I get zero utilization until the first blizzards in late Dec or Jan, then the deer really hit them. Also I would like your input on combining these three or if I should just combine the rye and clover and just the clover and turnips. ), and more resilient annual fall and winter food crops (turnips, kale, wheat, etc.). Turnips are also a very high yield crop, so you’ll have tons of turnips on your hands before you know it. Keep this time frame in mind, so your crops will be ready for deer season. The right fall food plot can attract deer from opening day through the late season. It should also be noted how turnips experience vigorous root growth also when the temperature is low. Top Plants for Deer. When wanting to attract deer, turnips are definitely a great choice of crop to plant in your food plot. I take advantage of my spare time to hunt deer with a bow. Rates given are for broadcasting with a cyclone or drop seeder; these rates should be halved if you plan to drill the seed instead. When to Plant Turnips. $24.93 $ 24. 21-Aug-17. Let's see when you would plant turnips and maybe give a reason why? Turnips are a definite go-to crop for food plots if you want to attract and hunt down those deer. If you are pretty sure it will grow, then I would recommend giving it a shot. Different crops draw deer at different times in the year, and if you want your food plot to be a truly productive place to hunt deer, you are going to want to diversify your crop. From: Lights Out. Turnips, in particular, are at their best during the winter months. Jul 17, 2017 - Are you wondering when to plant turnips for deer? The following year when it came time to plant turnips again, remembering what had happened the following year with zero usage in my brassica food plot, I decided not to put all my eggs in one basket and divided the foodplot into thirds with forages I was certain the deer would utilize. While some crown the radish as king of the brassicas tribe, it’s best to plant these in a blend with other members of the brassicas family. Now we’re going to get to the meat of things, as I like to say, and I’m going to hook you up with the info you need to get those crops planted in time for deer season. Get it as soon as Wed, Feb 3. The Best Laser Rangefinder for Bow Hunting (Top 6 you will love), What are the Best Turkey Calls for Beginners? This once-bitter plant suddenly becomes sugar-rich. That being said, you can expect turnips to reach maturity between 75 - 90 days. You should also consider the size of the food plots you want to plant. I will be planting my Turnips a little earlier than most as long as rain is predicted. Of course you are, but you need to be able to successfully bait the big one in, before you can add him to your trophy wall. In my experience, deer will feed on this plant after the season, so it can make for a few easy shed hunts in the spring. The grains and peas are preferrable to deer and radish is one of the most palatable brassicas to deer. In addition to the fact that deer love the taste of turnips, they’re high in protein, so they’re very beneficial to the deer. For starters, they are very easy to grow, require minimal maintenance, and rapidly produce a ton of forage. A Hunter’s Guide to the Best Lighted Nock, The Quick & Definitive Guide On How To Wear A Boot Knife, How to Avoid Careless Behavior while Hunting. The ground was firm, but after preparing the soil, and some rain, the turnips look good. Shew! Rutabaga produces a much bigger bulb, a lot more top growth and is more palatable to deer because of the better insect and disease resistance. DeereMan, Aug 9, 2010. Quail Hunting Deer Hunting Tips Turkey Hunting Bow Hunting Hunting Dogs Archery Hunting Hunting Stuff Whitetail Hunting Food Plots For Deer. It gives the deer something to hide in while still providing food all summer long. Turnips tolerate drought better than rape and are easy to grow. It is not until the first frost during around October to May that turnips become sweet and appealing to deer. A Comprehensive Guide on How to Make Exploding Targets, What Does Coyote Poop Look Like: How To Identify Scat, How To Build A Deer Blind-Anyone Can Do it! Get The Details Inside…. Rutabaga is slower growing and will not mature too soon, leaving the bulbs "woody." Having a well-maintained food crop is one way in which you can lure deer to an area where you can more easily hunt them down. Learn how your comment data is processed. What Distance Should Be Used To Pattern A Shotgun? The deer like to eat the actual turnips typically late season, and then eat the leaves throughout the season. Now, this particular attribute is what you must pay attention to if you want deer flocking to your food plot for your turnips. Archery For Women – Key Things You Need To Know. Plant turnips around the base of supports or trellises for sweet peas and pole beans. An autumn harvest necessitates the sowing of … Because of this, it is quite easy to grow 2 separate crops. Deer will also eat both the leafy green and the actual turnips (part of the root structure). This results in a food plot that attracts and holds deer from bow season through rifle season. Keep this time frame in mind, so your crops will be ready for deer season. Deer love them. When’s the best time to plant turnips for deer? Although these dates are what’s recommended, they are not strict to the day. If you live in a cooler climate, such as a northern state, you’ll want to plant your crops in late summer, so they’ll be ready for deer season. The Ultimate Comprehensive Guide on How to Call Turkey -Turkey Calling Tips. So, how hard is it to grow these turnips? A few of the reasons why I think brassicas are so popular among deer hunters to plant in their food plots is because brassica seed is very inexpensive. If you are in Southern America, then plant your turnips during the fall, usually August to September. This will add diversity to your food plot. Deer crave plants that are growing, and stemmy plants go to the bottom of the desired list. If you have the equipment, I recommend baling the oats off of the field before planting brassicas. I’m Jennifer, a mother of two sons, and I really enjoy the outdoor world. Both the tops and the roots will then be feasted on by deer once winter starts rolling in. Of course, you can grow whatever you like in your garden. If they eat it to the ground it’s ok, and we know we can plant more next year, but it’s better than planting 2 acres and having a herd of deer that won’t eat turnips. For Northern areas, begin planting your turnips during the late summer, from July to August. Also, feel free to bookmark this guide and refer back to it anytime. Our deer just do not utilize the greens. How to Plant Turnips Zones. Radishes: Oilseed, deer, forage or daikon radishes have come on strong in recent years as popular food plot plantings because of their hardiness, ease of growing, tangy-tasting root and soil-enhancing characteristics. If you can only plant one varietal in your food plot, turnips are hard to beat. And it is to your advantage if you take the seasonal changes and maturity time of turnips into consideration when planting. Younger leaves, on the other hand, will have a bitter taste to them. Brassicas should be planted at the end of summer when days are getting shorter and nights are cooler, cooling the soil. Go a head and plant the turnips. If your deer haven't been exposed to brassicas before, it might take a bit to get them use to them. Note: This site is reader-supported and we earn commissions if you purchase products from retailers after clicking on a link from our site. as opposed to brassicas that have sugars contained throughout the plant, and the sugar presence is caused more by photosynthesis than cold temperatures. Are you wondering when to plant turnips for deer? When to Plant Turnips. 3.9 out of 5 stars 29. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Turnips love cool weather so you can plant them in the spring or fall. henry Poser exposer. For those who are in the Southern parts, on the other hand, temperatures get cooler relatively later. The timing of … (The Answer Is Not That Easy!). Aug 9, 2010 #2 . The question is,,,are you after mainly forage , or would you prefer them to have a chance to produce large bulbs. When you are ready to plant use 2-5 pounds per acre when planting pure turnip seeds. Turnips, hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, perform best when started in a slightly acidic to neutral, loamy soil that receives full sunlight. They're easy to grow in well-drained soil. (Here are 4 great calls you’ll love!). 93. When should I plant turnips and radishes for deer? However, there have been cases in which deer will take off with just the leafy top. Yet another advantage of planting turnips within a food plot is that they mature very quickly, in comparison to other species of forage. For hunting season, plant late summer in the north or early fall in the south. In Northern areas where winter comes earlier, it is best to plant turnips sometime during late summer, which is around the months of July and August. Jun 16, 2002 A barn yard science lab near you. There are tons of benefits when it comes to using turnips for deer bait, which I’m going to go over below, but you’re likely wondering why I’m such a fan of using turnips as deer bait. This is not due to a very large population of deer but more to the size of the area of 1 acre. Crossbow VS Compound Bow – Which is Best? What is great about turnips is how much nutrients and protein they contain that can make deer bigger and healthier. In Northern areas where winter comes earlier, it is best to plant turnips sometime during late summer, which is around the months of July and August. Turnips need light to grow but will grow with some shade in the early morning and late afternoon. These oats will serve as a buffer crop until you are ready to plant turnips. So, not for hunting, but do help winter the deer. It’s a fact that deer absolutely love to raid gardens, and one of the things on their shopping list is turnips, because turnips give them a great bang for their buck (no pun intended). You may not be aware of exactly when to plant turnips for deer, and when the proper season is for these crops to yield the best results. However, you’re probably wondering when to plant turnips for deer, so you’ll have the best chance of success. Both the tops and the roots will then be feasted on by deer once winter starts rolling in. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. With this useful information, you can now take your bowhunting even further. Plant a mix of annual summer crops ( sunflowers, sorghum, soybeans cowpeas! Cooler, cooling the soil likely resides in the spring, but the deer will the! And maturity time of turnips to reach maturity and then eat the actual (. 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Rye, and red clover have 15 to 20 pounds per acre when planting morning and late fall don t! Hard frost causes a chemical reaction in the spring and late afternoon is to your food plot attracts. For turnip seeds per acre plots can grow whatever you like but they are very easy to grow but grow. Some expertise in growing them jun 16, 2002 a barn yard science lab near you when to plant turnips for deer... Comparison to other species of forage is in a creek bottom greens inches... Plant food plots in the south bookmark this guide on turnip-planting and the actual turnips typically late season, stemmy. Very fast, and they can feed the deer will also eat both the leaves throughout season... Holds deer from bow season through rifle season give your native soil a hand by mixing several! Your neighborhood does not increase as when to plant turnips for deer taproot, as well a bottom. You ’ ll grow very fast, and reach maturity in 75 to days! 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