In areas with shorter growing seasons, chufa will still produce tubers but not as many as when reaching full maturity. As it matures, the tops will turn a golden brown color. After the tops have turned brown, the turkeys will begin scratching the chufa tubers out of the ground. If chufa has not been planted in an area before or it has been several years since last planting, it is a good idea to pull some of the plants out of the ground or disk a strip so the turkeys will find them. Sandy or loamy soils are preferred, but it will grow even in clay soils.
Turkeys can have a more difficult time scratching the tubers out of hard clay soil.
If you plant in clay soil, run a disk lightly over the patch in the fall, after the chufa has matured, to break up the soil. A soil test will reveal the proper amount of fertilizer and lime to add to the soil. Using the proper amounts may actually save you money. Work the fertilizer and lime into the soil with a disk or drag. Broadcast seeding is the most common way of planting chufa.