Can I apply urea twice?-First time to have good brassicas

Derek Reese 29

5 year old buck +
I have a brassica plot that is doing really well (8-15" height lots of growth), but we still have a few weeks to go until first frost (usually mid October or so here).
I applied urea on 9/7 which really helped, but I also have rye and clover in the same field (they are doing well also).
Would a 2nd application of urea (thinking mid next week) do more harm or help at all?
I can get a 50lb bag for 20$. Thanks for your input.IMG_4759[1].JPG
 
OH MAN! That's a beautiful field!
 
As long as you have soil temps above about 48 degrees F, soil organisms will be mineralizing nutrients and making them plant available (if they aren't already). That's the cutoff I would use for fertilizing with a product like urea. With that said, I am normally one to try and rely on natural soil N and keep my N fertilizer rates low. I probably would fertilize if you have some yellowing (which it doesn't appear that you do), but otherwise, just let the brassicas and clover do their thing. I don't think it would do any harm, but make sure you can apply it when you know you are going to get some rain within 24 hours (but try for when you are expecting no more than 0.75 inches).
 
As long as you have soil temps above about 48 degrees F, soil organisms will be mineralizing nutrients and making them plant available (if they aren't already). That's the cutoff I would use for fertilizing with a product like urea. With that said, I am normally one to try and rely on natural soil N and keep my N fertilizer rates low. I probably would fertilize if you have some yellowing (which it doesn't appear that you do), but otherwise, just let the brassicas and clover do their thing. I don't think it would do any harm, but make sure you can apply it when you know you are going to get some rain within 24 hours (but try for when you are expecting no more than 0.75 inches).
thanks! the last time I got done spreading the urea it rained within 15 minutes! After last yea's super dry August/September this year has been great with almost too much rain.
 
OH MAN! That's a beautiful field!
Thank you! it's the first time in 15 years that I have gotten good brassicas (also did things right this time and sprayed and waited for rain so I think that helped)
 
Wish my brassicas looked that good this year!
 
Nice work, that’s a beauty


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Something to think about. This may not be the case with brassica but…

Sugar beets sugar content increases if they are starved of nitrogen toward the end of the growing season.

Your growth looks just fine. The fact that the deer don’t have them mowed off yet tells me that tonnage isn’t an issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Something to think about. This may not be the case with brassica but…

Sugar beets sugar content increases if they are starved of nitrogen toward the end of the growing season.

Your growth looks just fine. The fact that the deer don’t have them mowed off yet tells me that tonnage isn’t an issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thats an interesting concept...I am wondering if the same is true with brassicas (this was a mix from Merit) I am totally surrounded by very nice ag fields (there is a corn field less than 50 yards from this field) as well as alfalfa, beans, hay and corn...so I am hoping they leave my field alone until about November or so when the rut gets cranking..then they can eat all they want!
 
Thats an interesting concept...I am wondering if the same is true with brassicas (this was a mix from Merit) I am totally surrounded by very nice ag fields (there is a corn field less than 50 yards from this field) as well as alfalfa, beans, hay and corn...so I am hoping they leave my field alone until about November or so when the rut gets cranking..then they can eat all they want!
On our farm, we have alfalfa, clover, 10+ acres of soybeans, sorghum, and brassicas planted. The deer right now are walking past everything else to get to our brassica plots. A few years ago when we first started planting them the deer didn't touch the leaves and only got to the bulbs in January. This year, they are just mowing them down and not allowing the brassicas to get more than a 5 or 6 inches tall.

Your deer are going to move to them eventually. I always like using exclusion cages to get a better idea of how much browse pressure there is.
 
On our farm, we have alfalfa, clover, 10+ acres of soybeans, sorghum, and brassicas planted. The deer right now are walking past everything else to get to our brassica plots. A few years ago when we first started planting them the deer didn't touch the leaves and only got to the bulbs in January. This year, they are just mowing them down and not allowing the brassicas to get more than a 5 or 6 inches tall.

Your deer are going to move to them eventually. I always like using exclusion cages to get a better idea of how much browse pressure there is.
that's a great idea..i also have 2 cameras on the plot (which I check way too frequently) to keep an eye on when they start using it...also this plot is 50 yards above my house so once I see they are starting to hit them hard I can hunt it twice a day (with the right wind of course)....also our archery season in PA doesn't start for another week so I don't really want them to be in that field yet...
 
I just put down a second feeding of fertilizer on my brassicas 2 days ago. I figure I have less than 30 days before a good frost left ( on average for WI ). It has been a great year around me for brassicas.
 
I’m still trying to figure out Imgur, bear with me…F65AE16B-BEE9-49F1-BD18-3A2C0B7C3443.jpeg
 
I find that excessive fertilizer causes the excessive growth in the foliage making steams & leaves tough and less desirable. More fertilizer also accelerates weed & grass growth.
 
I find that excessive fertilizer causes the excessive growth in the foliage making steams & leaves tough and less desirable. More fertilizer also accelerates weed & grass growth.
I decided to hold off on applying more....I will use this fall as the benchmark, then maybe do some more experimenting in the future...for now everything is set for PAs archery opener on Saturday (though I probably won't hun that field till next week)..thanks!
 
Top