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Kester's Wild Game Food Nurseries INC

Brassicas forages are high quality, high yielding, and fast growing crops that are high in protein.  Members of the Brassica family include kale, rape, turnips.  Brassicas have been use by farmers for years now an within the past few years have been found to be very beneficial for Whitetail deer.  Generally they produce high quality forage for deer in late summer, fall, and in the winter months.  Brassicas are annual crops which are highly palatable and easily digestible for whitetail deer.  Both

Food Plots For Deer

Kale: (A)

Kale has the greatest cold tolerance of the Brassica and provides a lush forage crop.  Very attractive to deer and turkey because of the cabbage type leaves that it produces .  Kale is an excellent fall forage crop for wildlife because it stays green long into fall and winter.  Grows 10 to 18 inches tall.  Does best on upland soils.  Matures in 75 to 90 days.  Plant 4 to 5 pounds per acre.    Price List

Chicory: (P)

Puna Chicory, a broad-leaved perennial herb, became commercially available as a grazing species with the release of Grasslands Puna in 1985. Chicory yields well from early spring to late autumn, producing highly digestible forage, high in minerals, and palatable to deer. A perennial with excellent drought tolerance.  Chicory can grow well on a wide range of soil types, including sands, peat and silt loams. It grows best on highly fertile soils such as loams, with good water-holding capacity, and moderate to good drainage. Chicory lacks persistence on heavy clays because of fungal diseases of the crown and tap-root, and grows poorly on sandy soils deficient in nitrogen. Soil pH should be 5.6 to 6.2,  Grows 8 to 12 inches tall. Plant 2 to 4 pounds per acre.   Price List

Turnips: (A)

Turnips, an excellent late-fall forage, can reach maximum production in 80 to 90 days after establishment. Turnips can range from predominately leaf to root varieties.  Turnips have excellent nutritional value with high energy content (leaves have 69% total digestible nutrients; roots have 86% total digestible nutrients), Plant turnips in late July or early August for late fall grazing.  A brassica that is very winter hardy.  Will stay green to provide some late fall and winter feeding for wildlife.  Plant 3 to 4 pounds per acre.   Price List 

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the tops (stems and leaves) and roots (bulbs) deer will eat and are very nutritious.   Brassicas require good soil drainage and a soil pH between 5.3 and 6.8. Seeds should be planted in a firm, moist, seedbed with 6-8 inch rows. Fertility requirements are similar to wheat.