I mowed down the sunflowers and corn stalks on my critter patches ... still have oats in one that I'll knock down this weekend. Contemplating what to pant in them next that would be good for deer and turkeys. Thinking of putting millet in one and maybe soy beans in one as well. but am not sure.. Any hints ??

I would imagine your running out of season before the frost flies. Have you considered brassica? They should over winter just fine.

I am talking food plot ... not my garden ... Sorry if I did not get that across

My suggestion also, purple top turnips. Takes them about 90 days to mature.

Turnips and annual clover like berseem typically grow faster than anything else. I doubt you get maximum growth this fall but it should green up pretty well before frost. I’ve planted this late here in Ohio and had decent results. I assume your growing season is longer than ours. Not ideal, but not a waste of time either.

Too late for beans and millet. If the oats u are mowing have seeded out they will probably come up volunteer with rain. Try clover and oat mixed. Once u got the clover established it grows good for a few years. My clover patch has seeded out and needs mowing now. I will mow it, run aerator over it to punch holes, and throw some new seed on it soon. Good luck with your plots

Clover and rape should still do ok. Clover will come next year then.

Plant Winter Wheat.

Peas, radishes,turnip, rape and a lot of small grains varieties will still grow this late I’d be afraid of the millets not doing much, clovers should be ok since I just drilled alfalfa for production on Monday, and finished up my oats and radishes today for a cover crop, one field has some peas in it now mainly for goose season.

How large of a patch? If the patch is too small some items planted will just get mowed down by the deer (soybeans).

Plant a mix of either winter wheat or winter rye, with clover, turnips, groundhog radishes, rape, chicory, and kale. It will give you a good mix that should stay green all winter. The clover and chicory will really take off in the spring, both being perennial will last several years. Its too late for soybeans or sorghum.

For this season hunting definitely winter wheat or winter rye, study’s have shown winter rye germinating down to 37 degrees. Maybe some brassicas on one half also. For the winter rye try 100lbs to the acre, 3 weeks later another 100lbs and 3 weeks after that another 100lbs. That will give you heavy heavy green going into winter. Check out Jeff Sturgis from whitetail habitat solutions, he’s got some great information on youtube and he’s been managing whitetail properties for over 20 years.

Spot on Keystone ,Winter Rye is the bomb in food plots! Jeff Sturgis is the food plot Guru!.

I was thinking that too. Deer love rutabagas too. I had them tear my garden apart one year for them.

100 pounds or more of oats disked in and 15 pounds crimson clover and about 5 or 6 pounds on white Clover shot on top with your fertilizer per acre. It will grow all winter and pit out lots of forage. You can use wheat also. I use 0-20-20 on the fertilizer and it helps some to keep the summer grass down. If you are going to plow it up in the spring I would not bother with the white clover. I can usually keep them going for 5 years if I frost seed a couple extra pounds of clover in February. You can spray if necessary. I just shoot oats and clover on top of the ground in October and bush hog it close and you need to do it right before a rain and it comes up just fine. If it lays there several days the birds will get most. I attached a photo of a oat clover plot on the last day of season a coupe
years ago.

Same here

I was wondering if there were any Sturgis disciples on here! I am moving closer and closer to going all no till next year. My brassicas went in August 1st and doing awesome. Im a lot further north of you though. If its fully killed off i go rye at 100lbs per acre then 2 or 3 weeks do it again. If still warm enough, do it a 3rd time. Not sure if youd have enough time for brassica in your climate. If you do, dont mix with rye or oats. Mix with clover and the clover will come back in spring. Good luck.

Personally I plant crimson clover and purple to or mix in some rape with it. I’ve also had great plots with evolved habits shot plot mix. It’s mixed in great with the crimson.

late for millet and soybeans we just planted mixture of wheat and oats with crimson clover, agricutural radish and purple top turnip. Will come up quickly and grow all winter. These are all annuals and you can plant soybeans, millet, or corn in Spring.

The turnips will reseed if you let them go to bloom.