Do Deer Like Radishes Or Turnips Better?

The deer will eventually eat the turnip greens but the radishes are preferred. This has been my observation from the years we’ve been doing this.

What is the best brassica for deer?

Rape is the most common brassica planted in food plots for deer. Dwarf essex is one of the most common varieties used in food plots. Rape germinates and grows very quickly. It is a very versatile forage and can tolerate cold, hot and dry conditions, making it more productive during times when other forages are not.

What’s the difference between radishes and turnips?

Size: Radishes tend to be smaller than turnips. Color: Radishes are often brighter; they can be a deep red, almost purple color, whereas turnips are usually white or tan with light to dark purple hues nearer their tops, close to the stem. Taste: Turnips and radishes can be consumed raw, though their tastes will vary.

Can you plant turnips and radishes?

Radishes. Companion planting turnips with radishes will repel pests like cucumber beetles, squash bugs, squash vine borers, and aphids, making them good companion plants for all kinds of vegetables in the garden. Plant a few radishes around the edges of the turnip bed to ward off those pesky aphids.

What is the best turnip to plant for deer?

Purple Top Turnips in your food plots will not disappoint. They are easy to grow and mange, and provide a great crop for deer to browse throughout the fall hunting season and winter months.

When should you plant turnips for deer?

Turnips grow fairly quickly and reach maturity in 75 to 90 days. They grow well in both southern and northern climates. Turnips can be planted in late summer in northern climates or early fall in the southern states. Different turnip varieties produce different proportions of leaves and roots.

What can I plant with radishes for deer?

Many are planting the new radish combined with clover and small grains. They report that deer feed heavy on the radishes until they winter kill, but they are still left with a vigorous stand of clover and small grain growing on a much improved seedbed.

Will deer eat radishes?

Overall, radishes have many positive attributes as a food source for deer. However, as with all other brassicas, deer use of radishes will be inconsistent across the board. In some areas deer will demolish every piece of the plant they can get their mouths on, while in other nearby areas they may not even touch it.

Do turnips taste like radishes?

The way you eat turnips also affects its taste. Raw turnips may taste like radishes, which have an earthy taste and a little bit of spice. Cooked turnips, on the other hand, produce a sweeter, more flavorful taste. Radishes have a bit of spiciness to them, but they can also be sweet.

Can you eat turnips raw?

Raw or cooked, turnips are incredibly versatile: Boil or steam turnips and add them to mashed potatoes for extra vitamins and minerals. Grate them raw into salads or slaws. Roast them with other root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, and bring out their natural sweetness.

What should not be planted near turnips?

Do not plant turnips near other root crops such as parsnips, carrots, potatoes, or beets because they compete for the same nutrients in the soil.

Why do farmers plant turnips in their fields?

Turnips are an excellent cover for farmers who graze cattle on their fields after harvest. They are a high moisture plant, and cattle favor them due to their high sugar content. They are packed with protein, as well, and so make a great forage plant for cattle through the winter months.

Do turnips add nitrogen to the soil?

Benefits of turnips include: Nutrient increase: Turnips grow very fast, which helps them scavenge high amounts of nitrogen.

What is the best thing to plant to attract deer?

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a flowering perennial foraging crop that attracts deer to the area. It produces blue blooms in USDA zones 3 through 11. Deer tend to browse on various species of clover such as red clover (Trifolium pratense), white ladino clover (Trifolium repens) and alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum).

How late can I plant turnips?

Soil, Planting, and Care
Set out turnip green plants 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost in spring and from late August to October for a fall crop in most areas.

What is the best thing to plant for deer in the fall?

Typical cereals planted for deer would include oats, wheat, triticale and rye. When native green forage becomes less available from fall through spring, these crops will attract large numbers of deer and provide valuable nutrition to help them through this difficult period.

Do turnips come back every year?

Now Answered. Dill, radishes, arugula, cilantro, broccoli raab, turnips, and any form of mustard will yield mature seeds in time for fall reseeding in most regions if allowed to flower and set seed.

What is a good fertilizer for turnips?

Feed turnip plants with natural fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorous, such as compost tea, for good root development. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers like manure, which can give turnips an unpleasant flavor. Keep the soil pH above 6.0 to avoid fungus problems like club root.

What crop Do deer like the most?

Deer love soybeans, but no single crop can meet all of a deer’s year-round needs. Diversity is best, both in your food-plot options and in natural forages that occur outside food plots.

Are radishes good for a food-plot?

Radishes are part of the brassicas family along with turnips, canola and rapeseed. It’s a very popular food-plot choice throughout most of the country and deer gravitate to it where it’s available. This food-plot seed variety is a very good option for most deer hunters.

Why do deer like radishes?

Deer also seem particularly fond of the taste of radishes. Like most members of the brassica/mustard family, radishes convert starches to sugars when cold temperatures occur, making them especially appealing during the late fall and winter.