# Combination bee/deer planting...anyone have experience with Sainfoin?



## Rave1 (May 8, 2021)

Sainfoin is good. This year I planted Hairy Vetch it comes back every year, my sainfoin didn`t.


----------



## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Sainfoin is definitely one of the heavy-weight bee forage plants.
Hands down.


----------



## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Sanfoin needs a slightly alkaline soil much like the sweet clovers.

Alex


----------



## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

PFiji said:


> My Mother has asked for a couple hives to be placed at her house. It's a prime beekeeping location, pasture, worked fields and wooded creek bottoms. When I was a kid, the farmer 1/2 mile across the field always had hives and did very well with them. She's all excited and going down the usual what can we plant for the bees route. Mom. You live in the middle of a nectar smorgasborg. In a mile radius, it's a beekeepers dream. Between the trees and the pastures you're all set. Only thing that could hurt you is if the girls get sprayed on a crop field. If you get insanely lucky one of those crop fields will hit with something they like and can work.
> 
> My Step-father is a deer hunter and has really gotten into food plotting. His Christmas gift from us has been seed for the plots in the past.
> 
> ...


give it a try.
is this dedicated food plot or plan and make hay.
if you are cutting it then I would recommend birdsfoot trefoil.
after the last cutting it blooms again in fall will bloom til first frost.
for a dedicated plot.
I use whitetail institute White clover, mow when the bloom is mostly over and it blooms again.





Whitetail Institute Product Lineup - Fall - Spring - Annual - Perennial - Food Plot Seeds


Whitetail Institute offers a full line of the top whitetail deer nutrition products available, including food plot products to meet virtually any need and situation, scientifically formulated mineral and nutritional supplements, deer attractants, herbicides and other outstanding products.




whitetailinstitute.com





GG


----------



## PFiji (Dec 25, 2016)

For now, dedicated food plot. Cutting for hay is a sidebar. 

Never thought about birdsfoot trefoil. That might work really nice in the poor soils here. 

Big fan of whitetail institute products. I started buying tractor supply clearance plot seeds years ago to give to hunting relatives as Christmas gifts.

My current collection of plot seed:









If you get a chance, check your local tractor supply for Fusion. Berseem clover, ladino clover and chicory. Ours has it marked down to $17.99. Gaylord had it at $8.79, but we didn't make it up in time to get any before it sold out.


----------



## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

PFiji said:


> For now, dedicated food plot. Cutting for hay is a sidebar.
> 
> Never thought about birdsfoot trefoil. That might work really nice in the poor soils here.
> 
> ...


I'll check for the sales prices.
so a perminiant plot somewhat is determined on when you want the food (all year) a clover would work
Fall (wintergreens)(red top Turnips) but if you also want bee blooms then you are left with the clovers and alphalfas.
I would look at one that is NOT in the 2 mile circle, as then you add a bloom.
Allsike for example likely has 20 acres and the 1/2 acre you add will not really add much. if there is no tree foil there, I'll stick to that, trefoil honey is very good. I have trefoil on my farm and the deer come out well for it.

GG


----------



## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

for the deer plots, try buckwheat into crop rotation. plant about 4 weeks before summer dearth hits. then end of august you can smash down and plant brassicas for deer. if the brassicas dont get enough moisture or the deer over-browse, you can follow with grains if needed. rye is a heavy hitter that germinates and grows at temps in the 30s. check our whitetail habitat solutions on youtube. lots of experience in michigan. check out northwoods whitetails for brassica seeds. buckwheat and rye are much cheaper to source local. clovers can be finicky with soil. there is always pollinator blends, but they are expensive and take 2-3 years before they really take off. i never herd of sainfoin but i will look it up.


----------



## PFiji (Dec 25, 2016)

I've got some Birdsfoot Trefoil and Ladino Clover seed inbound. I appreciate the suggestion on the Birdsfoot Trefoil as this was a seed I hadn't thought of. 

Still think I'm going to pick up some Sainfoin to test plant as well. With the price of that seed though, it's going to take a little more thinking.


----------



## PFiji (Dec 25, 2016)

COAL REAPER said:


> for the deer plots, try buckwheat into crop rotation. plant about 4 weeks before summer dearth hits. then end of august you can smash down and plant brassicas for deer. if the brassicas dont get enough moisture or the deer over-browse, you can follow with grains if needed. rye is a heavy hitter that germinates and grows at temps in the 30s. check our whitetail habitat solutions on youtube. lots of experience in michigan. check out northwoods whitetails for brassica seeds. buckwheat and rye are much cheaper to source local. clovers can be finicky with soil. there is always pollinator blends, but they are expensive and take 2-3 years before they really take off. i never herd of sainfoin but i will look it up.


My brother and I are toying with a 50lb bag of buckwheat from the mill planted down close to the creek. Then flooding it for ducks when the time comes. It's a good time shooting ducks in flooded buckwheat. If someone squeezes on an old 4 row planter we'll be having a really good time with corn and soybeans too. 

They plant rye and brassicas pretty consistent most years. Works fine, but there really isn't anything to differentiate it from what most other people in the area do, or the surrounding ag fields.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Anything good for deer that isn't grass is great for bees in general. Birdsfoot trefoil, any kind of sweet clover or other clover (Sanfoin, Ladino, White Dutch, Crimsom, Yellow sweet, White sweet, hubam. nothing wrong with red but honey bees won't work it), buckwheat, chicory, radishes, turnips...


----------

