The Good the Bad and the Rye

The bad news is you are running out of time, the ugly is your plots aren’t prepped and you have poor soil and planting conditions. The good news is , there is a solution to all your problems and it’s name is cereal rye! We’ve all been there before, summer comes and goes, the season is creeping up, and we never got around to the laundry list of hunting chores that we planned the winter before. Stands aren’t set, trails didn’t get cut, and food plots didn’t get planted. But do not panic, there is still hope in pulling things together and finding success in the upcoming season. The lovely thing about managing food plots is the options are endless when it come to the variety’s you can plant and the overall size of the plot. This affords you the ability to choose what works best for you based on your budget and time available. When it comes to late season planting,  a versatile and highly resistant grass known as cereal rye (secale cereale)  can be a solid option. Cereal rye is easy to plant, drought resistant, cold resistant, can adapt to poor soil conditions such as off balanced PH levels, sandy soils, and is highly sought after by deer! It’s a powerhouse of a plant that makes an excellent choice for food plotting. Cereal Rye can be effectively planted well into the deer season in most states. Minimal seed bed preparation is needed as long as you make sure you get good seed to soil contact which can be accomplished with a roller or even seeding right before a hard rain. One of the best benefits of rye is its ability to grow in sandy conditions, which can help you build the soil up while still offering a a desirable food to the wildlife. If you find yourself in a bind this upcoming season pick up some Crooked Bend Last Resort and put yourself back in the game!

-Matt Horn

Crooked Bend ProTeam