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Austrian winter peas are closely related
to garden
peas. They can grow to length of 5 feet or more if planted in fertile soils.
Winter peas create reddish purple blooms which resemble sweet peas.
When compared to other winter
legumes, The Austrian winter pea is a superior soil improvement / soil building crop. It
tends to produce greater tonnage matter
per acre and will even continue to grow through colder months. This extra
growth yields a large
amount of organic matter that can be turned under in the spring.
Type: cool season annual legume
Uses: Austrian winter peas will make a great food plot or addition to a
mixture planted in the fall to attract deer. Also excellent for a garden areas
soil builder to improve your soil. Highly favored by whitetail
deer, these
fast growing peas will attract deer to a plot soon after germination making them
a favorite of bow hunters.
Planting:
- Date: Sept. - Oct.
- Rate: 50 lbs. per acre or 1 ¼ lbs.
per 1000 sq. ft.
- Depth: ½"
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Time: September - October
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Method: Well-prepared, firm seed bed, alone or with a small grain. 1 inch
deep.
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Grazing: Not suited to grazing because of livestock damage from trampling.
Excellent for wild game food plots and as a plow down green manure crop.
Austrian winter peas if planted in the fall will also return to growth in the
spring.
Best For:
Deer, Turkey, Rabbits, and Quail
Origin: Common variety from Europe
Adaptations: Well-drained loam or sandy loam soils of the Southeastern
US
Benefits: Adds nitrogen to soil and provides winter erosion control.
Nutrition: High quality, similar to White Clover.
Maintaining soil fertility is a big
challenge for food plots. Austrian winter peas are legumes that will grow through the winter
months, when growing conditions are not favorable for other plants. This
pea produces a heavy vine growth that will also decay rapidly when plowed under.
The same soil is then in shape for planting crops such as vegetables, cotton or corn
that require fertile soils. The
increased yield of crops following a crop of Austrian winter peas is
a benefit of the usage of this plant.
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Huntland.com
Growing a wild tomorrow!®
Huntland®.com is a division of Seedland,
Inc.
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