Rye?

[BlakeJ]

I know squat about food plots, but I was wanting to put a little strip in behind the house this fall. I've heard rye is the easiest.

Can you guys give me some pointers on what seed to buy and how much, when to plant, etc? Should I go with ryegrass or cereal rye? It'll be about 1/3 acre.

Thanks!

[Kurdawg]

Rye is easiest deer like it, but almost zero nutritional value, and if you don't use annual rye it will overtake everything!!!

If you can disc, till, or rake soil, then plant oats, they grow great and deer love them.

Or you could plant clover, red crimson clover is best for winter time.

[BlakeJ]

Not gonna disc this year, which is why I was looking for the easiest route. Maybe next year.

[Drycreek3189]

Rye ( the grain ) , not rye grass. Rye grass should be viewed as an invasive species IMO. Little to no use to the deer and a PITA to the planter.

[Perkins7581]

Just spread rye across ground before a rain in with grow.

[mchildress]

Might be better off with whole feed oaks.

[Plan B]

Cereal rye grain over ryegrass without question.

[NelsonV]

Deer have a hard time digesting rye through their rumen. Plus as stated above there is no nutritional value at all.

[BlakeJ]

How much should I order and where from?

[dc1986]

Winter wheat and oats are great for plots and have some protein value.I found them both for $21/50lbs sack.

[60 Deluxe]

I haven't checked yet this year but I paid $16 a bag for seed wheat last fall. Oats were about $4 less but they were not certified seed. I expect prices to be a bit lower this year based on the commodity prices. I'm not sure if seed prices track with commodity prices, though.

I planted oats two years ago and had a great stand up until the first hard frost, then I had next to nothing. Last year I planted wheat and had forage until spring. Wheat is more cold tolerant than oats. My neighbor planted rye two years ago on about forty acres. That field would have forty to about a hundred deer on it every evening. He wasn't too happy about that but I guess that they like the taste of rye. My oats, which were about a quarter of a mile from his rye, would only have a handful of deer each evening.

[unclefish]

Use cereal rye (elbon if you can get it) and for 1/3 acre I would buy a 50lb bag. If you are just broadcasting on top of the ground I would use the whole bag because you won't get normal germination as you would with drilling or even discing/dragging.

I would avoid annual rye grass because as the others have mentioned its hard to get rid of and not preferred by deer.

Good luck!

[gingib]

wheat and feed oats should both be below $11 a bag. GO this route and not RYE unless you can get elbon rye like UNCLEFISH said...he is the man!

[deer farmer]

The deer love rye grains on my place and like UF said it's pretty easy. I would seed and then mow or brush hog, letting the cuttings cover the seed (not necessary but works better) And watch the weather and do this just before it rains.

[armadillophil]

Be sure you are get the right seed. Ive had feed stores try to sell me rye grass before. Cereal rye has plenty of nutrition for deer.