What Can I Plant for Rabbits in a Food Plot?

Many gardeners still see rabbits as nuisances. Others keep rabbits as pets. Wildlife habitat gardeners cultivate landscapes to encourage wildlife for watching. A food plot can be created to store those waskly wabbits from the family garden or to give opportunity for wildlife watching or both. Choose a mixture of plants to encourage rabbits to take up residence around a food plot.

Food Plot Location

Before the food plot planting starts, it’s important to choose the right place. Rabbits prefer low and dense cover for quick access when predators like hawks, coyotes, dogs and many others come calling. An present overgrown fence line, fallen trees, low growing scrub brush, and berry brambles all present good cover for rabbits. Access to water is crucial. If you do not have a natural stream or pond, you may earn a little pond or add another type of watering hole for those bunnies. Keep in mind the large three for wildlife habitation in any certain place; food, shelter and water.

Clover

Clover is a preferred food of rabbits and supplies much of the nutrition they need during warmer parts of the year. Cottontails will consume a number of clover such as White clover (Trifolium repens L.) found in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 1 through 13. The seeding rate will vary based on the particular clover utilized; nevertheless, white clover has a seed rate of 20 lbs. per acre. Planting times for many clover types like white clover is between September 1 and October 15.

Grass

Grass would seemingly be a sew-it-and-forget-it proposition when feeding rabbits. But consideration regarding the type of grass is necessary. Tall fescue grass (Festuca arundinacea), found in plant hardiness zones 2 and 5 through 9, as an instance, is highly dangerous and crowds out plants like weeds, coarse grasses, as well as wildflowers that are beneficial to rabbits, so you may want to avoid putting it. A good alternative is perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne L.), hardy USDA zones 1 through 9 and 11 and 12. Sew this at a rate of 20 pounds per acre during September and October.

Other Food Plot Plantings

A variety of food types can help keep rabbits interested in an area. Mix in soy beans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) , hardy in USDA zones 1 through 11, with tempting yearly vegetables like carrots (Daucus carota) and turnips (Brassica rapa rapa). Winter grains including wheat (Triticum aestivum), hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8, will not only add variety but will stretch the season of the rabbit’s food garden and supply extra cover.

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