• Help Support TNDeer:

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Opening Weekend?

BSK said:
The strange thing is, I've planted it in spring (as a summer crop) several times, and the deer pretty much ignore it. But planted in fall, and the deer go crazy over it.

But that may just be part of "supply and demand." In spring, the Buckwheat has a lot of competition. Everything is growing and palatable. But in fall - especially a dry fall - the Buckwheat is really the only thing out there that is truly tasty.
Click to expand...
Does your spring crop make it through the summer and still good in the fall or is that what you just stick to fall planting?
 
yellalinehunter said:
Does your spring crop make it through the summer and still good in the fall or is that what you just stick to fall planting?
Click to expand...
In spring, I plant cheap forage soybeans and sorghum. I let it go until I'm ready to plant my fall plots. Fall plots are planted by just broadcasting seed into the standing summer crop, then mowing down the summer crop onto the seed, then spray.

The past couple of years, I've been planting my fall seed and mowing down the summer plot in mid-August. But these last three years of summer - or at least late summer - and fall droughts has meant I've had to replant later in the fall because the August plantings have failed from dry conditions. In future years, I'll just let the summer crops go until mid to late September, or whenever we have adequate fall rains.

And I plant my spring/summer plots as soon as the Crimson Clover has bloomed and died, which in my area is usually right around May 20.
 
yellalinehunter said:
Thank you. I've been kicking around the idea of planting some as a spring crop to help build soil. I like your approach as well. Thanks for your reply.
Click to expand...
Another benefit I've experienced with spring planted buckwheat is weed suppression. The cleanest throw-n-mow spring plots Ive ever planted were with buckwheat...and the deer used them a little but didnt hammer them. Another benifit is letting it go to seed and the turkeys and dove love it....then as mentioned, great soil builder.
 
I'm geared up and ready!
adam sandler scuba steve GIF
 
DoubleRidge said:
Another benefit I've experienced with spring planted buckwheat is weed suppression. The cleanest throw-n-mow spring plots Ive ever planted were with buckwheat...and the deer used them a little but didnt hammer them. Another benifit is letting it go to seed and the turkeys and dove love it....then as mentioned, great soil builder.
Click to expand...
The best soil-builders I've planted are Sunn Hemp and Sorghum. Both get very tall and completely suppress weeds underneath them. They both produce a HUGE volume of green manure for the soil.

That said, I'm moving away from Sorghum because it gets so tall it is nearly impossible to broadcast seed into. I'm moving towards Dwarf Sorghum (Milo).
 

Latest posts

Back
Top