Will a frost hurt my food plot in northwest Wisconsin?

By Grant Woods,

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← Grant's Answers — Food Plots
Question
Dr. Woods

I planted my fall crops on August 15th – a blend of brassicas, turnips, sugar beets, kale, rye and barley. We’ve had above average rains and favorable growing conditions since the crops were planted and the crops are coming in pretty well. We have frost warnings tonight in the region of our hunting property. What will a frost do to our fall crops?

I enjoy your videos and any podcast that you make guest appearances on.

Thanks

Mark,

Thank you for sharing the kind words!  

Brassicas, turnips kale, and rye are all very cold hardy. Unless it’s a hard frost and the conditions are just right I doubt it will do much damage to your food plot crops.  

There are many factors such as if the weather has been cooling down and stimulated the plants to “harden off.”  This is a term biologists use to describe the process many plants undergo to prepare for a frost.  If the weather the past week or so have been warmer than normal, then expect the frost to do a bit more damage than normal.

The cooler temperatures should make deer more active during daylight!

Enjoy creation,

grant