So getting ready to pull the trigger on my seed order and wanted to see what you all thought of this mix.

Per acre
oats 20#
wheat 25#
Rye grain 15#
Winter peas 10#
Crimson clover 10#
White clover 5#
Chicory #2
Rape 5#

Trying to setup a buffet for them.

Thanks.

Looks a little heavy if that is per acre numbers.

I cut down on the amount of brassicas and increase the cereal grains.

Yeah I would get the grains up to about 75 and the rape down to 1 or 2 lbs.

Thanks for the inputs.

I was considering not using Rape at all but wanted at least some brassica option there even though it wont ever see a freeze probably.

So maybe...
Per acre
Oats 25#
Wheat 25#
Rye grain 15#
Winter peas 8#
Crimson clover 5#
White clover 5#
Chicory #1
Rape 1#

Crimson clover has a seeding rate of 12lbs/acre if i'm not mistaken. White clover is 8 lbs/acre, these are planted alone rates. Is this going to be a perennial plot? If not, I would leave out the white clover and chicory because they are perrenials and wont do much until spring. In other words are you going to plow this up in the spring and plant something else? If so leave the perrenials out.

Blum......I believe that durana is 3-5 lbs according to the bag. 3lbs was an overseeding rate and 5lbs was if you were planting a new stand. I'm not sure about ladino, it may be different.

Mowens.....How big are these plots you're planting??? You're still at the very low end of cereal grain rates.

Blum - I didn't intend a perennial plot as much as an all seasons option. I wanted the plot to last through as much of the year as possible, and maybe replant again this time next year. Still trying to figure this out.

CNC - I have a 2,1, and a 1/2 acre plot to plant. If I increase the cereal grains my concern would become competition to the other plants and have to scale back or remove them. While doable I want as many options as feasible to draw the deer. Down here on the coast we don't get winter and we have forage all year long in the woods.

This is JMO....but the way I look at is that the cereal grains are the main staple of a mix like this. It’s what will continually feed the deer from planting until the end of winter. All the rest of that stuff is just sweeteners to make things a little more attractive. Brassicas will dominate the grains and shade them out if you plant them too thick. That’s why I said back off your rate of them. Once they’re eaten though, that’s pretty much it for them. Deer love radishes. If I was gonna load a mix down with a brassica component then it would be radishes. The deer will likely keep them eat down to where they don’t ever shade out the cereals.

Your cereal grain rate won’t make a big difference on the clovers until next spring. That’s when you may or may not need to mow to thin them out a little. Whether it’s 50 lbs/ac or 100 lbs/ac….your clovers will have room to establish. Cereal grain rates really need to be matched to browsing pressure. That’s why I asked how big your plots were. Normally the smaller the field, the heavier the grazing pressure on the individual plants. For plots less than 1 acre, I’d go 100-150 lbs of cereal grains depending on deer density. For larger plots you could back off to 75 lbs er so…….50 lbs is the recommended rate for a “nurse crop” for establishing clover stands….not a rate for heavy grazing. Experiment with it and find what works best for you.

I'm not really attempting to answer your question just thinking out loud. I wonder how much the crimson and white clover will compete in the spring. Crimson seems to grow taller and faster. This might smother some of the white clover. I don't know for sure. I can tell you that I'm skipping crimson clover altogether because the white clover lasts much longer in the plot. Crimson clover will fade fast as summer approaches. White clover will last all summer long with timely rain events.

Lastly, if using the mix above, be sure to sow your tiny seeds separately. Those don't need to be covered as deep as the grains.

So based on the ideas here we go

So maybe...
Per acre
Oats 25#
Wheat 35#
Rye grain 15#
Winter peas 8#
White clover 5#
Rape 1#

Gets me up to 75# for grains and cuts out the crimson and chicory which seem to be an issue. Still get some options for the deer.

I like that a lot better. Just watch each field for yourself and see how it’s holding up to the browsing pressure. If it looks like a putting green then up your stocking rate of cereal grains next year and try to make the soil more productive….maybe add a little more N……75-100 lbs of cereal grains is about the most common stocking rate. A really knowledgeable deer manager from the Midwest that is now passed away always promoted 150 lbs in heavy pressure situations. He had scads of deer using his fields out there. Not saying that you have to plant that thick or even need to…..just know that it’s not unheard of….tailor the stocking rate to the size of the field and deer density. Use your own eyes to decide.... Make the field as fertile as it can be to help increase productivity. The white clover needs a good pH so keep that in mind if you haven’t tested or limed. It also does better in soil that holds a little moisture. If this isn’t the case with you fields right now then yuchi arrowleaf or crimson might be alternatives to look at……I like me some yuchi.

IMHO I would put out the oats and other larger seed, then cut them in. Then over seed with the small clover, radish, etc seed. I think the deer will eat white clover a lot better than the crimson also. The winter peas, if a deer nips the top out of it, it is gone. I've never liked to plant them because of that, I like oats a lot more also.

Count me in on the yucchi arrowleaf train. I had deer still using the yucchi on into july. It's a little pricey but is an excellent reseeder. I had it growing in several fields where I hadn't planted it in a couple of years

I wouldn't be opposed to swapping the white for arrow.

I haven't seen the soil sample test yet waiting on that now. Nothings been planted here in 3-4 years so, we shall see.

Im not against dropping the Winter Peas, I had no idea they would crap out like that, but would like to replace it with something else. Suggestions?

Timber - That was my plan use the disc on the large oats then come back and drop my clover etc and use the cultipacker.

I think deer also prefer white clover to crimson, but they are available at 2 different times of the year. Crimson grows well in the fall, white does not. It is just sending down its roots to get them established before its spring explosion. Both have their places, but count me in on the yucchi clover. Big fan here.

Yuchi is my favorite clover right now. There’s also an “apache arrowleaf” which I think is supposed to be a step up from the yuchi. I’m not sure what the differences are though or if it would even be relevant for most of us. If I can find it and it’s not crazy expensive….I’m gonna try some “medium red clover” this year. I hear good things about it. It’s supposed to last deep into summer as well.

The Apache Arrowleaf is resistant to diseases the Yuchi is not. I have been using Apache for about 3 years and love it. Tried Barduro(Red) Clover last year and it did well also.This year I am gonna try Frosty Berseem Clover and Fixation Red Clover, along with the Yuchi. I seldom add Crimson because after years of planting it, it pretty much takes care of itself.