Can BW be terminated with effecting turnips/radish?

[BobinCt]

I got too much volunteer buckwheat coming back on my turnip and radish plot I just planted 5 days ago. It’s a late brassica planting but I would just get less tuber which I was fine with and I already have 2.5 acres of brassicas. The last thing I want is the BW. Is there a herbicide that won’t hurt the brassicas but kill the BW? It’s too much BW out competing the brassicas. If there is no answer, I’ll just terminate plot and go with WW since I already got cereal rye.

 

[wiscwhip]

If you just planted the brassicas and they are just seedlings or not germinated yet, just mow the BW off low to the ground and the BW will die.

 

[bueller]

When do you get your first frost? IME volunteer buckwheat germinating late in the year does not compete as much as it first appears that it may. First frost will kill it. Even if that is a ways out the volunteer buckwheat will stop it's vertical growth and start flowering very soon without shading out anything underneath. AND the deer will eat it. If it were me being this late I would just leave the plot as is and overseed with the WW or better yet WR in the next 10 days if possible. No need to nuke or otherwise kill off a green plot in the middle of Sept to plant grains.

 

[BobinCt]

Oct 15-25 first frost. I’m in Ct. Thx for help

 

[wiscwhip]

I would agree with bueller's post above as my first choice, but if you really wanted it gone, mowing it off would be sufficient. In our sandy plots, we NEVER terminated volunteer BW no matter what other things were planted in the plot, free food is free food.

 

[j-bird]

Sounds like a perfect case to use a weed wiper if by chance you have one or can get your hands on one.

I need to make/buy one at some point......

 

[BobinCt]

I learned a lesson to terminate buckwheat earlier than you think. Luckily I planted my other brassicas on Aug 7 and my Sugar Beets on June 4.

 

[yoderjac]

It is funny. I always had volunteer crops of buckwheat with my fall plant and it never impacted it. Things are different locations and they don't need to be that far away. My wife and I bought some land for a retirement home about a 15 minute drive from the farm. I put in a food plot of buckwheat this spring and just did a fall plant of Durana with a nurse crop of WR. I was shocked at how thick the volunteer crop of Buckwheat is! Much thicker than any volunteer crop at my farm. Just shows how differences in soil can matter.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[BobinCt]

Your right Jack. On another property I’ve hunted in the past, in Ct about 45 min from this farm I’m on now, I’ve always planted BW and have terminated later than I have at the current farm and never had a problem. When I say later, I mean in plant maturity, not weeks because weeks can be off due to rainfall.

 

[yoderjac]

Your right Jack. On another property I’ve hunted in the past, in Ct about 45 min from this farm I’m on now, I’ve always planted BW and have terminated later than I have at the current farm and never had a problem. When I say later, I mean in plant maturity, not weeks because weeks can be off due to rainfall.

Yep, on my farm I don't worry. I let it all go to seed and then stand for small game cover until I'm ready to plant. I don't think it will be a major issue at my new place but we will see. Deer love annuls like buckwheat in the fall and hopefully they will keep it from getting thick enough to be problematic for my WR/Clover plant.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[BobinCt]

Here are two pictures of the food plot I was talking about.

 

[yoderjac]

I think I'd be tempted to just let it go and watch. Depending on your deer numbers, they may help with the buckwheat. It looks thin enough for the brassica to germinate. In two weeks, it may start to shade out the brassica, but if you get an early frost it will kill the buckwheat making room for the brassica.

I might be tempted to overseed it with a light rate of WR in a week if things look too thick. Maybe 50 lbs or less. It will germinate and grow at pretty low temps. It seems counter intuitive to add more seed, I know. My thinking is that if the buckwheat does crowd out the brassica, the WR will germinate after the buckwheat is killed by frost giving you something in the field. The brassica has enough head-start on the WR that if it survives the buckwheat, the WR won't hurt it.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[BobinCt]

I don’t think my radishes or turnips have a chance. If you look at the close up pic, 98 per of it is buckwheat.

 

[yoderjac]

I don’t think my radishes or turnips have a chance. If you look at the close up pic, 98 per of it is buckwheat.

I find that buckwheat germinates much more quickly than radishes. You may be out of luck, but if it were me, I'd wait and watch and cross my fingers for an early frost this year.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[BobinCt]

Definitely quicker than brassicas