Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Food plot question

Hello all!
I have a couple of small food plots ready to plant in Middle Tennessee. Going to plant when I see rain coming. What would you plant? I want purple top turnips for me. What else would you plant?
Suggestions appreciated,
Rick

Chicory and clover are always a pretty safe bet. Neither is real picky on soil, and deer like them.

Depends on your intentions for the plot, available eqipment, and the conditions. I'm a big fan of grains as they are, IMO, easier to get established and last a long time. If it's decent to good soil I like oats. If it's a new plot or a place with somewhat difficult growing conditions use cereal rye.

For your turnips, I'd find some crimson or other annual clover to plant with them. They'll like the added nitrogen.

Does it get sun?

I’ve planted ( or tried ) to plant small plots that were in the woods.

Great looking places..but either didn’t get much light or when trees shed leaves it smothered it out.


Each year i plant bob oats ( no the high $$ buck outs they sell to deee hunters ), elbow ( cereal) rye and wheat.

In spots that hard to grow , I’ll use rye grass.. Marshall , coastal , whatever is cheapest at the co-op.. it’ll grow anywhere.

Clover is usually very good, and with maintenance (mowing) you can keep it going for a couple years.

I usually plant a mix of rye, wheat, clover and turnips.

"What else would you plant?"

Ever tried barley?

Had a source a few years back for it as a food supplement, threw it out and it grew like crazy[not my intent], but the critters loved it as both the grain thrown out and in plant form.

This has been a great combination in my experience

It would need to rain on it quick or pigs would root it up, trying to find the seeds.

Oats, wheat, red clover