Brassica Food Plots for Deer: Rape, Radish & Turnips
Brassicas are the late-season secret weapon of food plotting. Plant them in summer and they may sit untouched for weeks — then the first hard frost hits, the plants turn sweet, and deer pile in right when hunting season peaks. A well-timed brassica food plot can be the best late-season draw on your property.
What Are Brassicas?
Brassicas are the cabbage family — for food plots that means rape, radish, turnips, and kale. They produce huge amounts of leafy forage plus, in the case of turnips and radish, an edible root deer dig in late winter.
Why Deer Hit Brassicas After a Frost
Here's the magic: cold weather converts starches in the leaves to sugars, so brassicas actually get sweeter and more palatable after a frost. That's why a plot deer ignored in September gets hammered in November and December — perfect timing for hunting season.
The Main Brassicas for Deer
Rape
Fast-growing, leafy, and cold-tolerant — one of the top late-season greens.
Radish (Tillage / Forage)
Deer eat the tops and the roots, and the deep taproots break up compacted soil — a double win for your dirt.
Turnips
Leafy tops draw deer early, then they dig the bulbs once cold weather sets in.
How to Plant a Brassica Plot
- Soil test first — brassicas are heavy feeders and want good fertility (soil testing guide).
- Plant in mid-to-late summer, roughly 60–90 days before your first frost.
- Broadcast onto firm, moist soil — brassica seed is tiny, so don't bury it deep.
- Rotate your ground — don't plant brassicas in the same spot year after year, to avoid disease buildup.
The Easy Way: Plant a Blend
You don't have to buy single-species brassica seed. Both our Snowline Select and Renew blends include brassicas like rape and radish alongside other cold-season forage, so you get the frost-sweetened draw without guessing on a mix. Find them in the Fall & Winter Plots collection.
The Bottom Line
Brassicas are all about timing: plant in summer, let the frost do its work, and you'll have a sweet, high-draw plot exactly when you're in the stand. Pair them with cereal grains for an even longer feeding window, and see how they fit your overall fall and winter plot plan. For the full strategy, start with our complete food plot planning guide.
Want frost-sweetened forage? Check out Snowline Select and Renew in the Fall & Winter Plots collection.