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Chufa

Deer, waterfowl, turkeys and most other wildlife love the taste of Chufa nuts.

Chufa grows a nutlike tuber just under the surface of the ground.  It should be planted after the danger of frost has past and reaches maturity in 90-100 days. It can be easily grown in most places where corn is grown.

Planting Instructions:

• In Virginia, Chufa may be planted after final frost in April, May, June and July.
• Cultivate plot 4-6 inches deep
• Add 120 lbs 10-10-10 and 200 lbs lime per 1/4 acre.
• Broadcast seed (9 lbs. per 1/4 acre or a 50'x200' rectangle) and cover with 1 inch of soil.

Deer love these Chufa nuts.  To introduce your deer herd to Chufa dig up 5 or so clumps and shake the loose dirt out of them, exposing the tasty nuts.  Place the uprooted nuts in a pile and your deer will take it from there.  In extremely heavy clay soils you may want to disk the plot a few times so that they can get to all the nuts.

For waterfowl, plant chufa in an area that can be flooded during the Fall or Winter.  Often ponds are drained and planted with Chufa during the early summer and flooded after the Chufa matures to make an excellent waterfowl habitat.  Follow normal planting directions.

 friends.  You do have to be very careful when planting that all the nuts are covered with soil or the turkeys will scratch up the seed and devour your crop before it sprouts!  Turkeys regularly feed on the tubers of native plants.  They scratch up the roots of plants, eating any bugs & tubers they find.  In most soil types the wild turkeys will find the nuts pretty quickly, but in heavier soils or new areas it may be necessary to turn over a few clumps of Chufa to help them find the tasty tubers waiting for them just under the surface.  You can also turn up larger portions of your plot after it is mature by lightly disking, but by doing so you will risk introducing deer and other wildlife to your Chufa plot.