Radishes for food plot

[BIG BONE]

Are the deer hitting the bulbs a little harder now

[SFAbowhunter]

I read it doesn't do well in humid areas..would north of tyler be considered humid?

[unclefish]

I haven't been out there in over a week but I did have one bulb eaten....1 out of a 100,000...lol. I'll check it out next time I'm up there to see if they are hitting the bulbs.

Never heard of radishes not liking humidity but I'm closer to the coast than Tyler....so its just as humid if not more than Tyler. They are primarily a cool season food plot for me anyway...so I won't be growing them in the middle of a hot humid summer anyway. But I think they would do great just about anywhere in Texas.

They grow very quickly so I plant them in Sept. I might also plant them this spring to help prevent weed growth...they are very prolific and will block out any weeds from germinating if you broadcast them thick enough....4-5 pounds per acre and they will take over.

[SFAbowhunter]

Cool deal! I'm thinking about planting some at my lease out there maybe spring and fall plot.

Any suggestions for a good spring plot?

[unclefish]

Cool deal! I'm thinking about planting some at my lease out there maybe spring and fall plot.

Any suggestions for a good spring plot?

Do you mean a spring/summer plot?

If so...cowpeas or soybeans are hard to beat...but you have to plant several acres of them so the deer don't wipe it out before it gets established.

Tapachat

[niceg3s]

Thanks for the thread. I'm trying Daikons in addition to my usual wheat, clover, oats mix this year. I like the added benefits I've read and hope it will help to improve my spring/summer plots.

[EastTexun]

UF, what was your assessment of the Daikons after a couple trials? Did they do what you wanted? I have planted plenty of turnips with decent results, but haven't planted radishes

[macoop]

I planted some sodbuster radishes a couple of weeks ago. They have all germinated and are looking good. I'm kind of like you in that if the deer don't eat them I know they will be good for the soil. I'll leave them all winter and see what happens.

[unclefish]

My assessment was they never actually ate the bulbs....They nibbled on the tops but it was several weeks before they did that. Those were the first brassicas I had planted on my place since I bought it so they had never seen them before. I only planted them the one year.

I planted another brassica (dwarf siberian kale) that last two years and the deer totally wiped them out in the first few weeks.....they never did that to the radishes. This year I'm going to plant both kale and radishes and expand the plot as much as possible. The deer are so used to eating in that field that everything I have planted since the second year...they eat! I bet they will eat the radishes too.

Radishes are great for the soil. I remember mowing them in the spring and after they rotted had left huge holes in the ground from the bulbs. Some were 16-18 inches long....really aerates the deep clay soil.

[EastTexun]

Good info, thanks. I observed similar results with purple top turnips. The deer ate the tops pretty well, but I never saw the bulbs getting eaten by deer. However, around Feb/March every year the bulbs get dug up and disappear, but I haven't seen deer doing that, so I can't say for certain who is eating them. Given the soil amendment capabilities, I have a good spot to try the radishes this year.

[TXBRASS]

I know this is old, but have y’all continued to plant radishes for deer?


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[elgato]

Plant them every year in every plot. 3 lbs acre along with 1 lb acre turnips. First couple years deer only ate the tops. Now they eat the whole plant. Interestingly this year pressure on the turnip bulbs is very high. First time but they are pounding the turnips. All brassicas planted in fields with small grains, clovers, chicory, and winter peas.

[Radar]

Groundhog radishes look like Daikon radish, I plant them every year along with purple top turnips, clover and oats. The turnips do not get eat until it gets real cold outside, the sugar content elevates with a real cold snap in turnips. The deer eat them like apples and will walk around with them in their mouths. As some one else mentioned it does take 3 years before the deer will hit them, but it was worth the wait, turnip and radishes are very good for the soil as well.

[Drycreek3189]

I planted Daikon radishes this fall with my wheat. It didn’t take long for “my deer” to start eating them. I got too many in with my wheat though, gonna have to adjust that next year, a few seeds go a long way. This picture doesn’t show how thick they were in the other end of the plot but it’s the only one I saved.

Edit, just remembered this one.

[Low Fence]

I planted Daikon radishes this fall with my wheat. It didn’t take long for “my deer” to start eating them. I got too many in with my wheat though, gonna have to adjust that next year, a few seeds go a long way. This picture doesn’t show how thick they were in the other end of the plot but it’s the only one I saved.

Edit, just remembered this one.

When I started my own blends I figured in 2 pounds per acre.... lol. M goodness that was a bunch

I’m around 1/2- 3/4 now. Hard to really regulate them. 1/2 is best... 3/4 again is pretty thick