Winter Food Plots Using Imperial Winter-Greens
 According to which part of the country you live in, your deer
food plot either looses it's allure or becomes mired in snowfall
during the winter season. A serious game manager or hunter knows
that you must have a continual supply of attractive food for deer
and other wildlife in your food plots or the wildlife will stop
coming.
A late season planting of Imperial Winter Greens will solve this
issue. Deer, like humans, need their greens and this blend of
winter greens gets sweeter as the weather gets colder. This
blend of cold season brassicas are specifically designed for late
season food plots. Brassicas by nature actually sweeten with a hard
frost.
Winter-Greens is a drought resistant blend of select brassicas
(specially developed greens) that withstands cold temperatures and
will even stand tall out of the snow so that the deer can easily
find it. You know this will keep them coming to your food
plot on your property.
The brassicas in Winter-Greens are palatable to deer right
away, and they get even tastier after a hard frost. So, while other
food plots are becoming less appealing, or are getting eaten down,
Winter-Greens is getting better. And don’t think the deer don’t know
it!
Winter-Greens Preferred 4-to-1 Over Other Brassica
Food Plots
The Whitetail Institute knows food plots. It also
knows brassicas. Brassica has been a late-season food source
component in various Whitetail Institute food plot products since
1993. One of the biggest obstacles the Institute researchers had to
overcome with a pure brassica blend was palatability. Researchers
tested hundreds of brassicas and brassica blends and after years of
testing, finally discovered a specific blend of “hybrid” brassicas
that proved to be incredibly attractive and produced tons of forage.
In fact, in “cafeteria tests” performed using wild, free-ranging
whitetail deer across the U.S., Winter-Greens was preferred over
other brassica food plot products by at least 4-to-1. That’s right,
4-to-1. Now that’s a considerable difference.
Winter-Greens Makes Your Deer Food Plot Healthier
You and I will buy Winter-Greens because it will
attract
 deer to our property for late-season hunting or watching. But there is
another tremendous advantage to Winter-Greens. It also gives our
deer an exceptionally nutritious, easy-to-eat food source during the
most difficult time of year for deer—old man winter.
Let’s face it, we want big bucks. And bucks get big when they get
the nutrients necessary to grow antlers during the antler-growing
season. That is the main mantra of The Whitetail Institute’s
Imperial Whitetail Clover and other food plot products. That said, a
buck can have the best nutritional food sources available starting
in the spring when he begins to grow antlers, but if he is in sorry
shape due to the rigors of winter, his system is going to direct a
lot of those nutrients to his body.
The point is this: all things being equal, a buck that is healthy
going into the antler-growing season will produce a better set of
antlers than a buck that is a victim of the hardships of winter.
Winter-Greens, because it does so well in the snow and cold and
because it is so readily available to the deer, will give your deer
a better start on their antlers. Of course, this applies to the
health of your does too.
How to Determine Your Food Plot Strategy With Winter-Greens
Winter-Greens food plot seed is an annual. I
recommend that you determine where your deer tend to hang out on
your property during the late fall or winter and then supplement
your food plot plan with a plot of Winter-Greens in that particular
area. We already know deer will naturally follow the path of least
resistance when it comes to food. Why make it any more difficult for
them?
You will most likely have some activity on your Winter-Greens food plot
before the first frost, but the majority of activity will occur
after the first HARD frost. At this point, the deer will make a
decision based on the taste and availability of other food sources
relative to Winter-Greens. In other words, don’t expect the deer to
ignore other food sources and make a beeline to your Winter-Greens
food plot just because you’ve experienced a hard frost. But once other
food sources lose their appeal (and they will) or once the snows
come and other food plots get covered, that’s when Winter-Greens will
really attract the deer. Remember the situation I described at the
beginning of this article and the availability component of
Winter-Greens. You could very well, with the right conditions, have
a virtual deer parade to your Winter-Greens food plot.
Another huge advantage of Winter-Greens is it is extremely drought
tolerant. With just reasonable amounts of rainfall, Winter-Greens
will produce a lot of high-quality winter food.
FAQ'S About using Winter Greens In Your Food Plot
Q: What led to the development of
Winter-Greens?
A: The Whitetail Institute has more experience researching brassicas
on wild whitetail deer in North America than anyone. The Whitetail
Institute has been researching and providing brassicas to hunters
and managers since 1993, long before anyone else was even in the
food plot market. All this research led to the development of
Winter-Greens.
Q: Why is Winter-Greens better than other brassica products on the
market?
A: Winter-Greens is far more attractive than other brassica blends
on the market. Independent cafeteria-style testing done all across
the country has proved that Winter-Greens is preferred by deer 4 to
1 over other brassica blends.
Q: What makes Winter-Greens more attractive than other brassica
products?
A: The secret to the unequaled attractiveness of Winter-Greens is
that the main brassica varieties used in the blend have a genetic
background of highly palatable vegetable-type brassicas. Because
they are brassicas, the plants in Winter-Greens produce tons upon
tons of high quality food, and because these particular brassicas
have a vegetable genetic background,Winter-Greens is ultra-sweet,
resulting in a food plot that is far more attractive than the
ordinary, straight-forage brassicas.
Q: Is Winter-Greens being promoted as a high-protein antler building
food plot product?
A: No, by far the highest usage of brassicas is in the winter months
and as we all know deer in North America don’t grow antlers in the
winter. But, Winter-Greens is an excellent winter food source to
help keep deer more healthy through the winter.
Q: When will deer start using a Winter-Greens food plot?
A: Heaviest usage of Winter-Greens typically occurs after the first
hard frost. However, Winter-Greens is incredibly attractive, and
studies have shown that in some instances deer have started using
Winter-Greens even before the first frost. As the temperature gets
colder the usage increases.
Q: Why does the heaviest usage of Winter-Greens often occur after
the first frost?
A: Studies have shown that in many cases, deer will start using
Winter-Greens before the first hard frost. However, heaviest usage
often occurs after the first hard frost because frost causes the
plants in Winter-Green to convert starches to sugars, which further
“sweetens” Winter-Greens.
Q: When should I plant Winter-Greens?
A: Planting dates are available on the Winter-Greens bag and at
www.whitetailinstitute.com or by calling 1-800-688-3030.
Q: In what type of soil should I plant Winter-Greens?
A: Winter-Greens performs best in soils that are well-drained but
almost all soils will grow a good stand of Winter-Greens.
Q: To plant 50 days before first frost I may have to plant in July.
Will Winter-Greens still grow in a period when it is typically hot
and dry?
A: Though excessive drought can harm Wintergreens, it is extremely
drought tolerant and will almost always withstand the heat and dry
weather of the summer months.
Q: What type of soil pH does Wintergreens require?
A: Winter-Greens performs best when planted in a 7.0 pH, but good
production should be expected in a pH as low as 6.0.
Q: What type of fertilizer is required for Winter-Greens?
A: The recommended fertilizer usage for Winter-Greens is 400
lbs./acre of 20-20-20 or equivalent fertilizer. However, a soil test
is recommended to show the exact fertilizer blend and lime required
for optimal results.
More Information on Winter Greens For Food Plots
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Seed Type - Annual, summer fall
planting lasts through fall winter season
-
Soil Type Required - Well drained
to heavy soils
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pH Level - 6.5 to 7.0
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Sunlight Required - 4 to 6 hours
of broken, filtered or direct sunlight
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Protein Content - Up to 36%
-
Seeding Rate - 6 lbs per acre
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Equipment Required - Tillage
equipment needed to break and smooth soil
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