Food Plot Invasion

[Wacenturion]

Had a couple previous threads on wildlife enhancement efforts on my property this year.  Thought I would add an interesting update.  Everything was going great and slowly things began to turn white.  Being six hours away, my first thought were Oxeye daisy, a Class C noxious weed.  It had been listed as a Class B until recently.

Last night a friend that waters my fruit trees when temperatures get hot, pulled a plant and sent a photo or two.  Made for a somewhat easier ID as my cellualar cam photos didn't allow me to zoom in to accurately see the leaf structure on the stems.  Relief when I didn't see the telltale Oxeye leaves.

Turns out to be one of two Chamomile varieties, in this case German Chamomile, which grows higher and has denser fern like leaves.  Has an apple floavored smell to the flowers.  The other variety Roman is low growing and has parley like delicate leaves.  As you may or may not know, Chamomile is the world's fifth largest selling herb and although it has many applications, it is generally known for it's tea.  The flowers are cut and dried and steeped in boiling water to make it.

Told my hunting buddies, the next time down we'll all have tea and crumpets.  Yelp answered back........"What kind of candy a** deer camp you running down there".

[meatwhack]

Are they eating that or something else in the plot. Also what do they seem to be hitting the most it seems like you planted a variety if I remember correctly.

[Wacenturion]

Are they eating that or something else in the plot. Also what do they seem to be hitting the most it seems like you planted a variety if I remember correctly.

Don't think they are touching the Chamomile.  Plot was planted with Whitetail Institute Extreme (small burnett, Berseem clover and Brundage wheat).  My guess is that they are after the small burnett first.

[nwwanderer]

Dog fennel is nasty stuff, they do not seem to eat my small burnet this time of year, I am betting on small weeds, lambs quarter, prickly lettuce and field bind weed.  May be new growth one some of your other seeds.  It will take a good eye to figure it out

[Wacenturion]

Dog fennel?  Might have thought as well that except flowers appear to have a sweet apple smell, indicitive of German Chamomile, and not the stinky smell of Dog Fennel.  But, I'm not there and I'm going on pictures and smell description.

[Wacenturion]

NW....a couple comparison photos....German Chamomile vs. Dog Fennel
1st...drawing of German Chamomile
2nd..drawing of Dog Fennel
3rd...German Chamomile plant
4th...Dog Fennel plant
5th...German Chamomile
6th...Dog Fennel

 

[nwwanderer]

You are probably right, there is a bunch of them, seven or eight at least.  Good chance it is actually mayweed, I tend to call them all dog fennel and much worse at harvest time, nice plot

[KopperBuck]

Some kind of chamomile anyways. We bought a place that that has a pasture that is basically bulbous blue grass and mayweed. They live together well... can't wait to rip it up. That stuff blows, but if you get a good stand it's not a big competitor.

[Wacenturion]

NW, Kopper.... after several more hours of internet research I believe it is Mayweed Chamomile as it has an skunky odor.  Scentless Chamomile another of the group is a class C noxious weed.  Oh well, have to plan my attack on it.  Mowed those plots and sprayed heavily to kill everthing before using the cultivator and disc.  Originally was in a nice stand of orchardgrass, tall fescue and timothy, like the rest of the 50 acre field.  Must have been a lot of seed from years past just waiting in the ground.  Was expecting to see thistle, which there was some, but not all those flowers.  The thistle is pretty easy to eliminate by spot spraying.  Pretty hard to spot spray all the mayweed, so that's not really an option except were there is just a few randomly scattered plants.