# Rye/Winter Wheat/Oats Mix?



## Pinefarm

I'm going to create a new plot next year in a long strip where we clear cut big pines. It'll be some 50 yards wide and 200 yards long. The soil will be pretty crappy until I can lime it well. Probably 5.5 ph and sand with pine needles, judging by similar plots we've made. However, I have had oats and rye grow in them and the deer did eat some. My question is, is there any harm in planting rye, WW and oats all together next August? Kind of to see what takes and what the deer eat. I assume it's not a problem, but I don't want to waste any money. I hope to have the ph around 6.2-6.4 in about 3 years.


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## answerguy8

[email protected] said:


> I'm going to create a new plot next year in a long strip where we clear cut big pines. It'll be some 50 yards wide and 200 yards long. The soil will be pretty crappy until I can lime it well. Probably 5.5 ph and sand with pine needles, judging by similar plots we've made. However, I have had oats and rye grow in them and the deer did eat some. My question is, is there any harm in planting rye, WW and oats all together next August? Kind of to see what takes and what the deer eat. I assume it's not a problem, but I don't want to waste any money. I hope to have the ph around 6.2-6.4 in about 3 years.


There is no problem with mixing them. But if you want to see which plant your deer prefer plant them alone in strips.


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## fairfax1

You gotta love an acronym.

BBTBob....we planted these three this year. But just Wheat and Rye last year.

It appeared to me that wheat was the most attractive in October & November. I did notice this afternoon though that there was more pawing in the snow in the area where we planted oats this year. However, it was in a 'mixed' area -- where we just brush-hogged in early August the mature rye started last year, disced, and then broadcast oats for this year. So, I suspect that all the rye seed shattered from the mature heads came up as volunteers amongst the oat seedlings. I don't know which one they are pawing to get to..oats or rye. The oats were supposed to have winter-killed....but they looked pretty green to me, just prior to all this snow.

The wheat was getting some pawing....though not as much as the other area.

So, like AnswerGuy posted.....seperate them well enough to know which seedling is which.


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## plugger

Thats been a real dependable mix for me. For oats I use buckforage oats as they dont winter kill as quick as regular oats. Winter wheat has always drawn deer better than rye for me but it seems rye will grow when nothing else does. If you allow the rye or wheat to mature and stand through a season it is a great draw for turkeys.


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## Backwoods-Savage

Bob, we've planted oats and rye together and also in strips but never have tried wheat with them. Actually the only reason is we've not had much luck with deer eating the wheat. Have no idea why though.

We also planted Buck Forage Oats and regular oats side by side. They definitely preferred the bfo for some reason and like plugger said, the bfo don't kill off so soon. This year we had rye and bfo side by side. In October, they did prefer the oats but as it got colder they went for the rye more. However, with the dry this year they may have went for the rye just because the oats were'nt doing much. We are going to try the same thing next August. Good luck to you.


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## Jeff Sturgis

That type of the soil is not the best for wheat and wheat is also much less tolerant of low ph.

I use oats/rye when I plant in combination with perennials, but I use all rye when I'm not because the oats can turn brown on me by early Dec and I like more green in the field. I used a rye/wheat combination in WI with good, heavy dark soil and the deer mowed it all down.

If you really want to mix it, I'd still go with 50#'s of rye per acre to give you the best chance for success, and then mix 25#'s each of wheat and oats.

I planted this year on 8/10 and could have stood to plat a little later, even all the way up here. Downstate I had the guys on a property I looked at in Gaylord plant only rye Labor Day weekend, after liming 2tons per acre and 2 sprayings 4-6 weeks a part and their results couldn't have been better on fairly light and sandy soil. They had lush green carpets and LOTS of deer hitting the plots all season long.


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## Swamper

BBT - we planted that mix for the first time ever in NW lower MI (within your general area). Deer absolutely loved it, and all three grew very well despite the deer attempting to mow it. Good plan - Swamper


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## bhntr

Great topic. I was wondering why you guys plant in August?. Wouldnt the crop be at a more tender growth stage and possibly more attractive to deer through the whole season planting later like the middle/end of Sept.?


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## Jeff Sturgis

I like mid-August because I mix a lot perennials in and when I do I use oats as well. We get our first frosts in early Sept. so an early frost can do a number on the young oats and if we get a cold Sept/Oct growth can be limited. This year Labor day would have been perfect but it was unseasonably warm. In WI this year Labor day was perfect for us to give us a lush carpet the deer used all season. Too late you don't get a lot of tonnage, to early and you get too much..kind of a balancing act but for up here I like Mid-August and downstate or into WI I like Labor day to even mid-Sept.


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## JAG

Jeff, I planted bfo on labor day weekend. They did well. Should I be surprised that they are still green under a foot or more of snow? The deer are still digging in em as we speak.


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## sagittarius

NorthJeff said:


> ... Too late you don't get a lot of tonnage, to early and you get too much..kind of a balancing act but for up here I like Mid-August and downstate or into WI I like Labor day to even mid-Sept.


 Yes, In SE WI Labor day was abit too early this year. The WW/Oats grew to about 15" because the weather was warm and wet. With about 8" of snow on the ground, the deer are digging a bit in the WW, but 3x more in the white clover.


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## Jeff Sturgis

Jag, up here the BFO turns brown usually in December sometime...maybe early, maybe later..but they should stay green well into January in lower MI through lower WI.

Our WW and rye planted Labor Day south of Lacross stayed just a few inches high the entire season, until they abonded it for the brassicas in late Nov.


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## brokenarrow

By me the deer are usually gone by Jan,5th or so, they leave my woods for the yards. Of course this all depends on the snow cover. A few years back there were no tracks (hence no deer) by Dec.24th. I had some good green food still in a plot but no deer to benifit by it. 
Yarding is not a factor in most parts of my state south of hy64 (Wi.) usually untill early ino the following year


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