With up to 25% protein in its leaves, Bayou Kale is an excellent deer food plot component. Rich in vitamins A, C, and the B group, Bayou Kale has a high feeding value and is equivalent to early spring grass in quality with high crude protein between 16% and 18%. Bayou Kale will grow better in colder weather and has a cold tolerance higher than any other brassica species. A frost will also sweeten the leaves and increase palatability. Bayou Kale is a fantastic follow-up to grass & white clover grazing, allowing animals to continue grazing later into the winter months. Kale can achieve maturity in as little as 90 days and will allow for two crops a year. Winter killed if not pastured closely, Bayou Kale is rich in minerals such as potassium and calcium and will accumulate sulfur over time.
| Growth Pattern | Although root systems are shallow, Bayou Kale plants can grow to a height of up to 2½ feet. |
| Interseeding | Provided adequate moisture, Bayou Kale will make both fall and spring pasture. With irrigated conditions, oats or barley can be sown in the spring and used for pasture after grain removal. It’s also possible to plant into a crop of early corn at the last cultivation. |
| Did You Know? | Seeds/Lb: 175,000
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Adaptation
Plant Bayou Kale in sandy loam to light clay soils. Intolerant of waterlogged conditions, Bayou Kale prefers mild, moist climates with deep, rich, mellow soils. Palatability goes down with warmer weather, but it can survive in temperatures down to 10°F.
| Soil Conditions | Soil pH: 5.5 – 7.0
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| Growth | Optimum Growth Range: 45°F – 75°F |
Establishment
| Planting | Due to Bayou Kale’s rapid growth rate, good dry matter production can occur within 150 days under ideal conditions. Sow Bayou Kale as early as possible into firm, moist soils to increase dry matter yields.
Seeding Depth: 1/4″ – 1/2″
Monoculture: 5lbs/ac – 8lbs/ac
Mixes: 15lbs/ac – 20lbs/ac
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| Germination | Min Time To Emergence: TBD
Ideal Temp: 43°F
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Management
| Grazing | At an average consumption rate of 50 lbs. per cow per day, 2 acres of Bayou kale will feed 100 cows for one month. Chopping, hand-feeding, or limiting grazing to a few hours a day will help avoid trampling damage. If planted in the spring and grazed in the late summer (with time for regrowth), it is possible to produce a good crop for late winter or early spring grazing. Grazing can occur for an entire growing season provided enough plant remains after a rotational graze to allow for recovery.
Earliest Time To Graze: 18″
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Fertilizing | Apply 20 lbs. sulfur per acre before planting or as a spring top dressing when fall planted. Use caution with nitrogen applications as too much nitrogen can cause nitrate poisoning.
Nitrogen At Planting: 50lb N – 50lb N
Nitrogen During Grazing: 50lb N – 50lb N
| Hay/Silage | Utilization for silage can happen in areas receiving 40” – 60” inches of irrigation or precipitation annually.
Timing: When basal leaves have dried
Cuttings: 1
| Recovery | Provided kale isn’t grazed past the bud needed for regrowth during the fall (located near the soils surface), Kale will recover and be ready for spring grazing as well.
Minimum Graze Height: 3″
Rest Period: TBD
| Mixes |
- Annual Ryegrass (10 lbs/A)
- Oats (60 lbs/A)
- Red Clover (12 lbs/A)
| | Yield | Tons of Dry Matter an Acre: 10 t/A
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Considerations
| Competition | |
Risks | | Diseases | | | Pests | |
Please Note:
All information provided is the result of research, our own experience, or the experiences shared by our customers.
We strongly encourage consulting additional resources before planting to ensure the best fit for your location and needs.
For questions or advice or to share your experience, contact us.
