Milo?

[NYBuckHunter27]

Anyone ever try planting Milo in NY? if so, what time of the year did you plant it? was it worth it?

[phade]

Can't say I have ever heard of NY people planting it for deer.

I just think in the list of things to grow in NY, milo would be lower.

[G-Man]

Milo would be like growing chufa, game here doesn't know what it is.. would take awhile to get them to use it.. much easier better stuff to plant that they are use to. You hear the same thing about brassicas when first planted, game doesnt know what it is first year, second year it gets annalited..

[tughillhunter]

Milo would be like growing chufa, game here doesn't know what it is.. would take awhile to get them to use it.. much easier better stuff to plant that they are use to. You hear the same thing about brassicas when first planted, game doesnt know what it is first year, second year it gets annalited..

I agree with tthat. I planted brassica a few seasons back and it took forever for them to hit it.

[growalot]

If your looking to plant in a wet area ...milo would work....plant it with clovers and the deer will hit the clovers and test out the milo at the same time...they work well in combination

Correction on that...I was thinking millet when I said milo...but I grow grain milo( grain sorghum) and the deer did eat it ...but I mostly had it for the birds...and structure for climbing soybeans...and to obstruct view from the road

Edited March 5, 2013 by growalot

[NYBuckHunter27]

Never had a problem with deer eating brassicas they hit from late summer into winter when they completely wipe it out. I was just wondering about the milo because i know it does have some feed value and cover which is what im more concerned about.

[Adkhunter1590]

I haven't heard of anyone trying here in Ny but in Kansas it's a very popular crop and we would hunt over it all the time. Deer out there love it for food and shelter. When the milo is tall they will bed down in it. I'm sure they will get after it here in Ny once they figure out what it is.

[growalot]

The above pics I post are milo and I grew it again last year and will finish up a bag this year as well

[NYBuckHunter27]

Did they actively bed in it?

[growalot]

Yes...but I had planted a climbing soybean with it...so they sorta chewed pockets in it.

[NYBuckHunter27]

where did you get your seed from? i'm more or less thinking of using it as a food plot screen.

[growalot]

I'm sure you could find it at a feed store or they could order but I had mine shipped from Welters seed  when they help pay the shipping...you need to go to their web site and see how the do early sales deals...

but why not just go with the feed corn you can buy at TSC farm and tractor...12.00 for 50#'s ...has always...geezzz knock on wood....germinated VERY VERY well....In the second pic you can see how I line the road side pines with it and then enclose the mixed perennial and annual plots...gives them security

[NYBuckHunter27]

Yeah im just afraid to broadcast corn seed i hear most people don't have much luck with it. and yeah i do have some natural barriers plus i don't have to worry about road activity i just figured the more cover the better.

[growalot]

All I can say is I broadcast it nearly every year and have fantastic results....I disc...then spread the fertilizer,then the seed ...I go on the heaver side due to turkey...crackles ,deer ,and crow...robins too...explain that in a moment

I then raise the disc so that it just turns.... I have a harrow drag flipped so tines are up that I chain to the back of the disc.... so that as I turn the seed in I'm also smoothing out the plot....the second I see any green ..I go in and hand spread milorganite on the field..

 

Now as for the critters..milorganite helps with the deer and rodents...but if you have rain you will need to do it again....but the biggest problem besides turkey and crow, digging up seed... the grackles and robins pulling the 3-4 in seedlings out of the ground and leaving them laying there...thus the over seeding

 

I suppose it all depends on time spent to do it right and practice on knowing just how much seed and keeping the disc at the right height ...I plant my soybeans the same way..

 

I have had ppl tell me for years this won't work that won't work ...A small areas of corn or beans,braccs will get wiped out ect..ect well here are pics of a small planting...that well as you see from the ruler grew well and as you see braccs a different year...You've seen my winter pics of deer off that same area that grew turnips last year..I tend not to believe every thing I read

Edited April 18, 2013 by growalot

[Pav2704]

Hey Grow,

 

I'm definately interested in seeing how this works for me.  Last year I planted corn without much luck.  So basically you till the plot, spread fertilizer and corn seed (HEAVY), then retill very lightly, and then drag harrow after that?

 

Is there anything else you found helpful to keeping the grackle off the food plots???

[growalot]

Well I personally like to buy the metallic  whirly whigs...they use to cost a dollar...we have a lot of wind and at the least a breeze here all the time...I just stick them here and there through out the plot...garden and it helps...the wind causes unexpected movement...the sun glistens off the metallic plastic vanes and they are reusable for years...less expensive than the portable electric or plot saver and easier to set up

 

Kinda pretty too...lol

[growalot]

Well I disc...and I do the light disc and drag at the same time...you can use a chain link with a light log wired to it as well ...just chain it to the back of the disc...and watch your turns...

[growalot]

Another thing I discovered this past season...I  let my turnips get up and say 6 inches high with small bulbs....go in and lightly over seed the area again

What happened was....  as the deer browsed the greens and pulled the turnips the weather was still just good enough to let the second seeding grow...by the second frost when the deer came in and cleaned the tops...the others were just coming along...the deer tend to eat the bigger turnips first...in February the plot still had many many ping pong ball sized turnips that for what ever reason stayed very firm and held tiny greens that the deer were able to dig...Thus all the activity on that plot...there are still tiny turnips growing greens in that plot...