Annuals or Perenials

[cassidykk]

What do you find works best, annuals or perennials for food plots?

[Biggreenavalanche]

For my area in NW La, I've tried just about everything, deer here seem to prefer just plain old oats...so, annuals...however, this year I'm going to try a home mix with both annuals and perennials...oats, winter wheat, clover, austrian winter peas and lab lab...will post an update in late winter...hopefully Isaac will not wash my seed out...just planted and here he comes...up here we usually only get lotsa rain and some moderately gusty winds...hope my southern brethren come out of this ok !

rich

oh yeah, I usually keep about 3 acres (out of 26) in a permanant food plot...

[BamaPlowboy]

I usually plant of mixture of brassicas, clover and rye. Though some clovers can re-seed themselves if managed properly. My neighbor has had great success with alfalfa as a food plot plus he gets a couple of hay cuttings off of it.

[Western]

It will depend some what on where you live and the type of soil you have. Most states have done surveys for best food plot mixes, or rather ,recommended ones. I dont think you can go wrong with oats, deer almost every where will feed on them. If you have enough land, several plots may prove effective, one in annuals ( oats and most grains) and one in perennials ( alfalfa, clovers)

I like clovers and alfalfa since they have a decent protein % and fix their own nitrogen (legumes) but growing them here in Texas is a challenge because of heat, I have had good luck with Dryland/Ladack alfalfa developed by Texas A&M I believe.

I haven't had much success with Rye, deer will eat them, but it isn't on their "high" list. I have grown Lab-Lab, it is an aggressive legume, expensive and you probably want to plant it with something like corn or milo that has a tall stalk, my lab lab climbed up to 8'!

I usually grow a winter plot (75% oats 25% wheat- sometimes a bit of arrow leaf clover) then in Spring plow and plant a summer crop such as some type of bean.