Brassica plots

[mikmaze]

this year trying swedes, adding them to the mix, PTT GHR and crimson clover, then toss winter rye on top in october. seed is shipping now, just got to get it,here, get the dirt ready, and go for it. swedes peak my interest as they speck 1 to 1 1/2 lbs per ac, so cheap as far as cost per ac.

 

[Mortenson]

I used to say I'd throw and grow my brassicas anytime after 7/4 when the chance of a good rain is high. Nowadays I'm pushing that back at least a couple weeks for a beginning date. Late July early Aug would be ideal for my area. There's a decent chance of rain this afternoon, so I am a little tempted to go and spin on just a couple lbs to get a few going, and then come back in a few weeks to thicken it up. Might do that. My deer love them. I'm looking to squeeze in a few more fraction of an acre sized plots of straight PTT this year for winter food... help keep some deer away from the sharpshooters.

Hey finahol, please tell us you shot the buck in your picture. That guy is a monster.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

this year trying swedes, adding them to the mix, PTT GHR and crimson clover, then toss winter rye on top in october. seed is shipping now, just got to get it,here, get the dirt ready, and go for it. swedes peak my interest as they speck 1 to 1 1/2 lbs per ac, so cheap as far as cost per ac.

I think that planting swedes this time of year most would want to up the planting rate since they are a full season crop and will not need the room for the short term growth they will get. Not sure with you southern guys though....

 

[Tap]

My deer wipe it out and stunts it every year. I may get some bulbs in the 2” range by fall.

It's one of the reasons why I'm trying Impact forage collards. One of it's attributes is it's ability to withstand browsing. The growing leader is very close to ground level so it will usually continue to re-sprout (so they say).
It also requires vernalization in order to go into maturity and produce seed, so it seems that it can be planted as early as you want (even in spring) and it won't bolt until it goes thru vernalization, meaning it will continue to produce forage until winter.
It's supposed to be very cold tolerant, too. It withstands low temps. It does not grow a bulb so it's not like a turnip but if deer pound your turnips as they sprout, you ain't getting bulbs anyway.
Here's a link to Green Cover Seed Impact collards.
Is anyone else growing it?
https://greencoverseed.com/product/1063/

 

[scott44]

I planted a couple plots today, I moved the plots some so I couldn't use last years rye so I did a TnM instead of a throw and roll. I also bought a 6' finish mower so I got a more even mulch/thatch than I've got with my brush hog, I ended up making a 3 passes lowering the mower each pass.

 

[SWIFFY]

On my farm I only plant Groundhog Radishes and occasionally some Rape. The radishes are all the deer will eat. I do about 7-8 other plots for other people in other parts of our county. In areas with high deer densities and high browse pressure I plant GHR, PTT, and DER and Winfred Rape lately. Also I plant closer to the 4th of July in those areas.

I find if the deer love them and eat them to the dirt... then an earlier planting is ok. If they get "woody" or over mature, the extra tonnage it just help them last a little longer into the hunting season. At home where there are less deer, I try to stay strict to not planting much more than the 60 days from our typical frost date.

As someone else said, for $1.82/lb its tough not to find a reason to spread them around. Ill even spread them in my standing corn where its thin in August and have good results.

 

[woodduck]

I planted a couple plots today, I moved the plots some so I couldn't use last years rye so I did a TnM instead of a throw and roll. I also bought a 6' finish mower so I got a more even mulch/thatch than I've got with my brush hog, I ended up making a 3 passes lowering the mower each pass.

I also use a finish mower when I T&M. Sometimes I brush hog high first then go back over with finish mower. It does make a nice mulch.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I also use a finish mower when I T&M. Sometimes I brush hog high first then go back over with finish mower. It does make a nice mulch.

Do you notice better germination with the several mows or the brush hog then mow low method than just going over it once with the mower? I am thinking of doing this to plant brassica into an existing buckwheat plot and this sounds like a really good idea. Thanks!

 

[mikmaze]

I think that planting swedes this time of year most would want to up the planting rate since they are a full season crop and will not need the room for the short term growth they will get. Not sure with you southern guys though....

so have you, or anyone else tried them mid summer planted? If they are truly a full season crop I may do a dance, been looking for a crop to grow all summer like that without bolting trouble.

 

[woodduck]

Do you notice better germination with the several mows or the brush hog then mow low method than just going over it once with the mower? I am thinking of doing this to plant brassica into an existing buckwheat plot and this sounds like a really good idea. Thanks!

When I use the finish mower I mow it a few times and lower the mower height each time like Scott did. When I brush hog 1st then finish mow I only make one slow pass with the finish mower. I haven't noticed better germination with one method vs the other. I usually brush hog when the weeds and grasses are tall and I don't lower the finish mower all the way because it seems to bog the mower down. I'm just trying to scatter the weed debris more evenly. I have never throw & mowed into buckwheat, I roll it down. Not that mowing wouldn't work I just haven't done it.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

so have you, or anyone else tried them mid summer planted? If they are truly a full season crop I may do a dance, been looking for a crop to grow all summer like that without bolting trouble.

This is my first year with swedes. I planted them the last week of May. I dont have any pictures of them but I a disappointed so far. Theses were Throw N Roll then spray planted. Germination was good and as expected they are slow growing. Maybe I just need to be patient but there really isn't any root/tuber to speak of. The plants that I inspected have somewhat of a banana shaped root that is about 1" long above the ground and about the diameter of a pencil. I may give them a heavy dose of urea and see what happens. If I am not pleased with the growth in 30 days I think I'm going to lightly till and plant a mix of peas, MRC, W barley, radish, and sunflowers.

Maybe they are just like sugar beets whereas they dont do much for a couple of months then really put on the tonnage. Time will tell.

 

[mikmaze]

thank,s st, maybe they are puting down that root to take advantage of the coming cooler moister weather, and then wham, off they grow. Next year I'm tossing em in in the spring .

 

[don]

Scott, over here in Mecosta co I have generally planted brassicas 2nd week of august, but i am leaning towards a week earlier this year. Going to t&roll last couple of years they seem to start a bit slower and havent had as big of bulbs. Still refining this technique. I have switched to trophy rape from DER, it seems to get bigger and better preference. I buy seed from Remus. Hoping to terminate the volunteer clover and rye tomorrow and be ready to plant Aug 8. PTT and GHR seem to do well in my soils. I added some collards to the mix last fall and they got hammered. Always experimenting. I worked on reducing the amount of clover in the plots this year in favor of later summer brassicas and now the deer wanna hammer the remaining clover. Go figure. After 3 mostly dry weeks it looks like nearly 2" of rain on my ground last 2 days.

May I ask where in Remus do you purchase your seed ? Dars Barn ?

 

[Tap]

I bought a variety of brassica seed from Green Cover Seed.
Here is the rag doll test of the collards.
This amount of germination happened in LESS THAN 24 HOURS! I am amazed.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[Bassattackr]

I usually steer clear of "buck on a bag" mixes but this year I'm trying RWW Plot Topper in my beans. Might plant later in August / Early Sept with grains rain depending..

I wanted to make my own diverse mix but this blend had everything I wanted so I just went with it. Fingers crossed!

 

[finahol]

May I ask where in Remus do you purchase your seed ? Dars Barn ?

Sorry, I missed this. But yes. Formerly Dar’s barn. Now Remus farm and garden.

 

[Barndog56]

I've had Red Turnip Beetle problems when planting in early July. Now I aim for August 1st and the beetles are gone before my stuff gets growing. Just PTT and Groundhog Radish for me.

 

[Turtlesprings]

Planning the food plots this year and i went back and checked my records. I have some plots that have had radish and turnips for the last 3 years. Im worried that my rotation schedule is off. The soil tests will be sent off tomorrow and i am paying for the sulphur test to see if it is depleted. The question is, Should i be worried about going 4 years in a row without a rotation?

 

[BobinCt]

Turtle: Yes, you should.

 

[BuckSutherland]

Planning the food plots this year and i went back and checked my records. I have some plots that have had radish and turnips for the last 3 years. Im worried that my rotation schedule is off. The soil tests will be sent off tomorrow and i am paying for the sulphur test to see if it is depleted. The question is, Should i be worried about going 4 years in a row without a rotation?

Multiple years of the same crops and you are inviting in undesirable pest and diseases(bacteria, bugs, fungus, etc). Brassica likes rotation. You can still do year after year, but expect to not be as good as if you're rotating.