Chufas – Wild turkeys love chufas. Chufa is a perennial sedge that produces small tubers underground. The top of the plant looks like a grass. Chufa is an African variety of nutsedge. Some nutsedge varieties can be a weed but chufas do not grow aggressively enough to become a problem.

Chufas in our area should be planted April-July depending on rainfall. Chufas grow well in sandy or loamy soils but can be grown in clay soils too. Chufas prefer a pH of 6.0-7.0 so most soils in our area will need lime before planting. As always, I recommend a soil test prior to applying lime or fertilizers.

Chufas take approximately 90-110 days to mature. When the tops turn brown, the turkeys will begin to scratch the chufa tubers out of the ground. Be aware that wild hogs will also root up a chufa plot in a hurry. Plot size can range from 1/4acre to several acres.

Chufas can be grown from seeds or dried tubers. Planting rate for tubers is 15-40 pounds per acre. Planting rate for seeds is 40-50 pounds per acre.

UF/IFAS EDIS Chufa Publication

NWTF Turkey Gold Chufa Publication

Speaking of turkeys, the Black Water Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will be holding their annual banquet, March 7, 2015 at the Crestview Community Center. Doors open at 5:30pm with dinner starting at 7:00pm. Single ticket price is $55 and a couple ticket price is $85. This ticket price includes membership in the NWTF which includes a magazine subscription to Turkey Country. For more information or for tickets, you can contact Corolla Anderson at 850-306-1103.

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