Radish vs Turnip

[G-Man]

The draw of brassica to deer is well known. But different varieties have different palatable times. 

Turnips both varieties I've used appin and purple top require a hard frost or several in my experiance to become favored making them great late season attractant Nov and Dec with many years the bulbs not being touched till Jan or February.

Radish on the other hand besides most being  " tillage varieties " bring nutrients from deep down to the surface ( some.roots will go 6 ft plus deep ) the tops are a favorite early and seem to have remarkable regrowth to heavy browsing being prefered much earlier than turnips sept and october I've had my field eaten to the root in early october and continued regrowth and browsing until turnip greens are fermented into high sugar content. Though the root is eaten its not pulled out like turnips but it leaves large holes in the ground 1.5 in by ft or more deep leaving the nitrogen that has seeped deep back on the surface and lessening the need for it to be applied in spring plantings

Knowing the difference in these two may help you decide when you are attempting to attract game to your hunting schedule.

There are other brassica such as rape and kale  I have not experimented with them in a pure stand to see their preference over radish or turnip . But they do not create a root or bulb which then creates a secondary late season and over winter food source I usually look for. If you have experience with any of them I'd love to hear it.. 

The time to have your brassica in is now in most southern counties, the lake plains have a few weeks still as your frost date is much later than the southern tiers late Sept early.oct dates

 

[SWEDE]

I tried a mossy mix of brassica beets kale rape.  Ate some tops kale and rape. Wouldnt touch bulbs till after season. Catt county. This year im using hancock blend of turnip rape kale but mostly apin. 50% of all my fall plot will be pure diakon radish from hancock seed. Heard about its early draw

[phade]

DER is cheap and will put on growth in short order. We use it as a filler for plot failures or gaps. They eat it fine.

Radish / PTT / Green Globe is a good mix IMO.

[stubborn1VT]

I'm mixing purple top turnip, rape, daikon radish, and another forage brassica.  They all play a role.  I'm a big fan of the tillage radishes because I have seen such positive results in drainage and increased organic matter.  The deer here have learned to eat the bulbs on purple top turnips, which seem to stand up pretty well to cold and snow.  Dwarf essex rape is kind of a filler.  I mostly use it because it establishes quickly, which keeps weeds down.  I added the forage brassica because it is a hybrid made to withstand grazing pressure. 

I'm hoping to have an outstanding brassica plot this year.  Last year we were really short on moisture, so I am looking forward to a lot more tonnage this season.  Last year's plot lasted until about February.  

[land 1]

i like the ptt best i really like the late season draw and its still there for bucks after the rut,,,

[Robhuntandfish]

I'm gonna try some seed from this place next year.  Some mixes, clover etc. https://www.outsidepride.com/seed/deer-food-plots/

[wolc123]

I put in two small (1/4 acre) plots of radish turnip mix on Saturday.  I only used about half the seed that I had, because I didnt have enough leftover fertilizer (triple 15 from spring corn planting) to go heavier with the seeding.  

I always get the best production from turnips when I seed lightly and fertilize heavy.  Radishes are new to me.  I have also only seen good deer usage of turnip greens after a hard frost.  It will be interesting to see if those radishes get the deer using those plots before that happens.

I plan on putting in a couple larger (1-1/2 acre) wheat/white clover plots after September 1.  If I can score some free leftover soybeans, I will add some of that to the mix.  

[stubborn1VT]

1 hour ago, Robhuntandfish said:

I'm gonna try some seed from this place next year.  Some mixes, clover etc. https://www.outsidepride.com/seed/deer-food-plots/

I have bought various straight clovers from them and been happy with them.

[LET EM GROW]

Add Rutabaga(Sweet Turnips) and you got a killer bulb blend. Add Winfred Brassica to it and you got a killer bulb and leaf blend for cold Weather plots. My Winfred brassica would grow 3'+ wehen planted early August and no fertilizers. and have heavy stalk. The deer would eat the stalk to within inches of the ground. Probably the best blend ive ever planted. 

Daikon, PTT, Rutabaga, and Winfred(no bulb all leaf) Brassica. Kale will also stay green longer into Winter as well. A mix of all this is a dynamite blend. IMO   

[Lomax]

A mix of radishes sugar beets and winter peas w some soybeans added to the mix.  Like G said in another post this will pull different gear from miles away once the food sources change in the heat goes away. 

[stubborn1VT]

I have never tried sugar beets.  It was my understanding that they took way more days to mature than the rest of the brassica family. 

I tried winter peas last year in my mix and wasn't impressed.  It's possible I didn't seed them heavily enough, or that they didn't like the dry weather.  I am curious about brassica alternatives because I will need to rotate crops next year.  Right now I have clover, corn and a couple small test strips of grain sorghum.  The brassicas will go in soon.  I can always rotate to clover, but I don't think it feeds many deer over the winter months.  I enjoy the puzzle though.

[land 1]

sugar beets needed to be planted in mid may early june to get any size bulb on them they take way longer to grow then turnips or radish

[LET EM GROW]

On 8/13/2021 at 7:12 PM, land 1 said:

sugar beets needed to be planted in mid may early june to get any size bulb on them they take way longer to grow then turnips or radish

Take way longer, harder to maintain and you really dont gain anything vs say Monoculture PTT planting. PTT, Radish, Rutabaga blend will win everytime. 

On 8/13/2021 at 5:06 PM, stubborn1VT said:

I have never tried sugar beets.  It was my understanding that they took way more days to mature than the rest of the brassica family. 

I tried winter peas last year in my mix and wasn't impressed.  It's possible I didn't seed them heavily enough, or that they didn't like the dry weather.  I am curious about brassica alternatives because I will need to rotate crops next year.  Right now I have clover, corn and a couple small test strips of grain sorghum.  The brassicas will go in soon.  I can always rotate to clover, but I don't think it feeds many deer over the winter months.  I enjoy the puzzle though.

Look into a few annual Clovers, Like Balansa Fixation, Crimson and Frosty Berseem. Extreme Nitrogen builders and Very cold tolerant clovers. Good to 0degrees or less.  Great planted side by side to brassica blends or to replace them on rotation years. 

[stubborn1VT]

1 hour ago, LET EM GROW said:

Take way longer, harder to maintain and you really dont gain anything vs say Monoculture PTT planting. PTT, Radish, Rutabaga blend will win everytime. 

Look into a few annual Clovers, Like Balansa Fixation, Crimson and Frosty Berseem. Extreme Nitrogen builders and Very cold tolerant clovers. Good to 0degrees or less.  Great planted side by side to brassica blends or to replace them on rotation years. 

I actually ordered some Balansa to mix with Ladino and Medium red for next year.  Depending on how it turns out, some of that ground may go to grain sorghum.  I have two small strips planted now and they're doing ok.  Interested to see what they produce for seed heads and how the deer like them.  

I got my brassica blend in yesterday.  I went very light on seed, as mentioned in this thread or a similar one.  It makes me nervous because it seems like barely any seed at all.  We'll see.  

Everything will get switched around next year.  Got some 4 year old clover that will get tilled under to feed corn, some grass/clover will become brassicas, and the corn ground will go back into clover.

[LET EM GROW]

43 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

I actually ordered some Balansa to mix with Ladino and Medium red for next year.  Depending on how it turns out, some of that ground may go to grain sorghum.  I have two small strips planted now and they're doing ok.  Interested to see what they produce for seed heads and how the deer like them.  

I got my brassica blend in yesterday.  I went very light on seed, as mentioned in this thread or a similar one.  It makes me nervous because it seems like barely any seed at all.  We'll see.  

Everything will get switched around next year.  Got some 4 year old clover that will get tilled under to feed corn, some grass/clover will become brassicas, and the corn ground will go back into clover.

Lighter seed rate should create healthier plants. But i do understand what youre saying. Especially when its bare seed. Very few seeds per sq ft. But it typically all makes sense when September October rolls around. 

[land 1]

yeah i find it hard not to over seeds the seeds are so small u cant see them on the ground and in my head im always thinking not enough but the plants get big quick and its better to be a little thin then over seed

[SWEDE]

Add some lime to seed so you can see it. Youll see your spread better also

[stubborn1VT]

6 minutes ago, SWEDE said:

Add some lime to seed so you can see it. Youll see your spread better also

I always add pelletized lime when I spread small seed.  It didn't help me at all as far as seeing where I had been, but it did keep me from overseeding and emptying my spreader on the first pass.

[land 1]

well just checked my plots that i seeded on the 5th overall looks like good germination had one area that is new this year not really take im guessing that the grass and duff had not broke down to get good soil contact, and there has been little rain at camp since seeding, so threw seed on that and with the rain coming should correct that issue,,,,

[Lomax]

My plots are taking off.  Some rain will be ok but not too much.  Don’t want the plots flooded washed out.  Getting some early activity already early conditioning too.  

[stubborn1VT]

33 minutes ago, Lomax said:

My plots are taking off.  Some rain will be ok but not too much.  Don’t want the plots flooded washed out.  Getting some early activity already early conditioning too.

Looking good! Lots of positive stuff in that pic.  Good germination, a buck, a fawn in the background and a temperature in the low 50s.

I waited a bit too long and then the rains came.  Things are good now, but I didn't get plots in until the 15th.  Can't wait to see some growth. It's a real treat to watch the herd in that winter feed.

[Lomax]

It seems to have brought the turkeys back into the field with their poults too.  I think they like some of the mowed paths Mixed with high grass and the food plots because as soon as I put them in they started showing up

[SWEDE]

I have 23 acres but my access rd to my barn is 400 yds off rd and surroundind property is big woods. My hemlock beech cherry woods is a pass through spot to the field area only 5 acres but loaded with apple pear.(bumper crop this year) neibor planted 10 acre corn. Im doing spot plots this year. Last year had 1 in mossy brassica kale turip mix. Ate the tops never touched bulbs till feb. Added 4 more spot plots.all hancock seed. Some half pure diakon 2 clover one pure hancock Brassicas radish kale rape. Steve bartyla said spot plots allow less buck stress than one big plot regarless of plant. Lets face it.. bucks dont want to get into a bar fight every night just to get a meal. So testing hancocks seed seperated plots my soil prep is great .just planted 8/16.  Lets follow the progress

[stubborn1VT]

17 minutes ago, SWEDE said:

Lets face it.. bucks dont want to get into a bar fight every night just to get a meal. So testing hancocks seed seperated plots my soil prep is great .just planted 8/16.  Lets follow the progress

Nice pics Swede!  Deer sure do love pears.  Another benefit to multiple plots is that the bucks have to move from one to next to check for does.  Keeping them on their feet makes them easier to see and harvest.  I look forward to seeing the progress.

[phade]

There is not much absolute with deer and deer hunting, but I haven't see a pear lose out to an apple in preference yet. Magnets.