Jamie, and others, Food Plot Question

[qzilla]

Do you guys have any experience with Lucina Trees/brush? I am not quite sure how to spell it it could be lacina, lacinna??? I have had 2 biologists tell me about it but, i cannot find any info at all.

I have seen it and it grows sort of like a small tree or the more brushy trees. I believe it is an alternative to the guajillo tree but, it does not have the aflotoxin problems that the guajillo does?

It grows really well and the plant it in bedded rows like cotton. It is a perennial and grows really fast. They say other than water the only thing you do is shred it when it gets 5-6 feet tall.

It is supposed to be 34%+ protein and the Ca:Ph is supposed to be in line for growing big horns fast. Supposedly the deer go nuts over it as well.

Any info is greatly appreciated.

Quad

[Jamie]

Yes, I looked at it years ago...what was that guy's name out of Falfurrias that was marketing it....I'll think of it in a minute.

I'm not real big on it.....I think it grows too tall to the point most of the leaves are higher then the deer. You could mow it but it's a pretty woody trunk and would rake havoc on the hydraulics underneath the tractor.

I like bundleflower much better. We' ve planted 90+ acres over the years. Grows real fast. Not as tempermental as Luceana about early grass competition. While it does grow tall...over 6+ ft. it's still real bushy down low....plus, it's much easier to mow. Produces seeds evey year that the quail and dove love.

I've noticed that guy near Kingsville that had Luceana up near the highway has gone to bundleflower further back.

Bundleflower about 3 months after we planted it....



Pogue Seed out of Kenedy is where we got our seed....

http://pogueagri.com/bundleflower.htm

[Boomerang]

I like bundleflower much better.

I'll go with Jamie on this one. I have looked into the Luceana and thought it may get to woody on the stems, a mess for tractor tires. It may not, but at least the bundleflower will sprout back from the rhizomes and the shredded old growth will rot away.

Pogue has several varieties in their mixture, so some will get BIG and others about 3' tall. They may have some seeds in June / July?

I was thinking about trying some wattle...the birds go nuts over this. However it does get to be a large woody plant. The seeds are hard so they would last well in the field. I'm clueless on the % protein but at least it is EXTREMELY drought resistant and THORNLESS!

[JeffJ]

We are doing some cedar control/clearing. We are planning on overseeding the areas we clear to try to improve the native grasses that have been all but wiped out by the cedar. We know we are going to lay down some bluestem...what would you guys think about mixing in some bundleflower? Im in Dripping Springs.

Thanks.

[Boomerang]

You can't go wrong with bundleflower. Let us know on the germination of the native grasses. Sometimes those are hard to get a good stand and expensive seed. Although deer will browse grass when it is young and tender, they end up using it for cover and bedding. Here is a variety of panicum, a little better PLS than natives. Doesn't get hard stems on it and burns really hot for regrowth after a freeze.

[Jamie]

Dale Elrod.....that's the guy that was marketing Luceana years ago. He devised a way to get better germination by fire-scarring the seed.

[Atfulldraw]

Small, small world.

I met Dale for the first time this year over Easter.

He is partners with my wife's best friend in Falfurrias.

Dale is a mountain of a man - my hand still hurts from shaking his hand.

[Atfulldraw]

If I remember right it's Australian seed (Taramba) that they are importing.

I think Dale's number is 361-296-4002 - if that's not it, call me and I can get his number

[qzilla]

It does get too tall if you don't shred it. The point in shredding it is that once you cut it a few times it comes back with multiple shoots and keeps the leaves and such lower. I was also worried about the stalk but, apparently it is pretty soft. That was the first thing I asked our biologist about and he said that part was no problem.

This is not the only thing we are looking at planting but, we are strongly considering putting it down the cleared fence lines for cover from other properties and just letting it grow. In rows of 4 it becomes a wall!

They says it gets really brittle when it freezes and you can actually just push it over at least down to where it froze. They say you can easily push it by hand and it just falls over?

One of the guys names we were given was Mr Elrods. There is also a guy out of Fredericksberg that sells the trees already started.

How does Bundleflower do with the deer? I am interested in heping the birds out as well but, we have several dedicated areas around water that we are concentrating on for Turkeys and quail.

I am interested in the bundleflower but, I really want some stuff for deer. I am looking at Lab Lab stuff but, I was hoping to find some perennials that were fairly easy maintenance that still had the goods for the horns. I plant a lot of peas and millets and stuff up here and can do the same there but, our main concern is strictly horn growth.

[Boomerang]

The deer will browse on the bundleflower. I am unsure on the crude protein during the spring, probably the highest as most brush or other plants during horn growth. The seeds are good for the birds.

Neighboring properties aren't going to shoot across your fence! What do you need a wall for?

Try out several and see what grows the best in your soil. Then deer on different places will have differences in what they prefer. To get a wall, here is another variety of panicum. It will get up to 7' tall w/o fertilizer. If you fertilize … quite amazing. If you plant grass in your "wall" of whatever legume/shrub you choose, that will assist it in holding up after a freeze. Without brush support it will remain around 3 feet in the winter knock down.

Excellent re-seeder (actually invasive), last year in the drought it was green and about 8" tall when everything else are brown contrary to the guidelines stating it needs a lot of water. Burns hot, regeneration is excellent (from what I have experienced). Don’t know about burning bundleflower but from apparent rhizome sprouts after shredding, it should come back from a fire???

[Jamie]

Bundleflower's primary purpose is deer.

Remember, Bundleflower was thoroughly studied by Dr. Ocumpaugh, Ph.D. Regents Fellow, Professor, and Project Leader out of the Texas A&M Experiment Station (Agricultural Research Station) out of Beeville...and thus not some marketing ploy by some inexperienced yahoo just re-packaging some seed.

and the plot of Luceana that I looked at you could use the stalk as a baseball bat.....and I don't know about you but I've got enough stuff to mow already without having to mow food plots too.

Luceana could be used as a barrier but again..that **** is expensive and hard to grow....

but whatever...if your biologist thinks it's the chit....shell out the $$$ and plant it.

[BrandonA]

After Jamies recommendation I did some research on BundleFlower, specifally the BeeWild from Pougeagri, the same that Jamie recommended. Bundleflower has an extremly high protein content averaging above 15-16% year round. With it being as high as 30% this time of year. Deer, turkey quail and dove love it. One thing that they don't mention is that cattle love the stuff to. Once established it can with stand heavy grazing. Great to plant along sendaros or fence lines.

[qzilla]

The bundle flower does look pretty good after looking at it and we will probably try some next year.

I also looked at Pogue Agri and they have some good info but, man that stuff is awful high?? Is all the seed that high down South? I know we planted a pretty awesome mix up here for around $15/50lb bag of custom mix. Their mixes are like $48/20lbs??? That is crazy high.

Do any of you have any experience with Brown Top Millet? We are thinking about slapping some down around a couple of tanks so we can take better dove pictures later this year. It says it matures in about 60 days or so. That would be pretty good timing for me.

[Jamie]

You name it....I've planted it.

Brown top has a reputation of a great dove food....but, I never had any luck drawing doves with it...

I had a lot better luck with proso millet...grows fast, willl re-seed itstself (to some degree) and the doves just went ga-ga over it.

http://www.wildlifeseeds.com/info/doveproso.html

[Rattler]

Jamie, ever heard of Power Kegs for cattle? My neighbor says deer hit his all the time at his pasture. he has one in a pen with 5-10 cows in it at all time and it has lasted 3 months. tell me what ya think.

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