swat1018
5 year old buck +
Why wouldn't you just drill it using the big seed box for the rye and the clovers in the small? I drill into brassica all the time. It does very little damage.
How many pounds of brassica seed?
- Thread starter Prairie Acres
- Start date
Why wouldn't you just drill it using the big seed box for the rye and the clovers in the small? I drill into brassica all the time. It does very little damage.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
I have not done this. Others have told me you would loose too much of your brassica crop. You have had good results?.....other's verify this?? I sure would rather do what you suggest.
I do what you suggest into my clover all the time....just never did this in brassica. In my clover....after a day or two....you'd never know I drilled through it.
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
I planted these brassicas here in Upper Michigan on July 13-14 - about 3 weeks ago. I always mix in some clovers with the brassica seed and then broadcast cereal rye over the brassicas about 4 weeks after planting. I usually mix my own brassica blend but this year I used John Komps (Northwoods Whitetails) Sweet Feast Brassica mix.
Here is the mix I used with the setting from my no-till drill:
Took these photos this morning - August 2nd - Center Food Plot
John recommends planting at 6#/Acre but I am thinking that it should be something less than that when drilling. Next year I will reduce this rate down to maybe 4#/acre of the brassicas.
Camp 94 Food Plot
Pepper's Post Food Plot - This looks like it is actually thicker than it actually is because I have a lot of crab grass coming up. I will spray this plot with Clethodim today.
Still...I think the planting rate was too heavy...
This is what they looked like the last time I planted the Northwoods Whitetails Sweet Feast mix
Here is the mix I used with the setting from my no-till drill:
Took these photos this morning - August 2nd - Center Food Plot
John recommends planting at 6#/Acre but I am thinking that it should be something less than that when drilling. Next year I will reduce this rate down to maybe 4#/acre of the brassicas.
Camp 94 Food Plot
Pepper's Post Food Plot - This looks like it is actually thicker than it actually is because I have a lot of crab grass coming up. I will spray this plot with Clethodim today.
Still...I think the planting rate was too heavy...
This is what they looked like the last time I planted the Northwoods Whitetails Sweet Feast mix
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Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
By adding the clovers when I plant and then broadcasting my rye now, my brassica plots will look like this next April...
Clovers and rye coming up right after the snow melts to feed my deer...
I will likely see some little aeration holes from the radish....
and by May the plots will look like this - food and cover instead of a bare dirt played out brassica plot...
and if I want a little extra clover I can frost seed some in late winter... This photo is from mid-late June.
I used to walk through my young brassicas broadcasting Urea and cereal rye with my Earthway Spreader...but when you plant 6 acres of brassicas, that is a lot of walking...
so I started just using my cyclone spreader on my tractor instead. 3 week old brassicas will pop right back up within a day or two after driving over them with no ill-effects...
The past couple of years, however, I have gone to applying liquid fertilizer with my sprayer. Monday I will spray the brassicas with a 32% Nitrogen foliar spray.
Clovers and rye coming up right after the snow melts to feed my deer...
I will likely see some little aeration holes from the radish....
and by May the plots will look like this - food and cover instead of a bare dirt played out brassica plot...
and if I want a little extra clover I can frost seed some in late winter... This photo is from mid-late June.
I used to walk through my young brassicas broadcasting Urea and cereal rye with my Earthway Spreader...but when you plant 6 acres of brassicas, that is a lot of walking...
so I started just using my cyclone spreader on my tractor instead. 3 week old brassicas will pop right back up within a day or two after driving over them with no ill-effects...
The past couple of years, however, I have gone to applying liquid fertilizer with my sprayer. Monday I will spray the brassicas with a 32% Nitrogen foliar spray.
Brian662
5 year old buck +
Great stuff @Wild Thing I always appreciate your photos and explanations, very helpful. Glad to see you again this fall!
Do you mind sharing your foliar spray of choice?
Do you mind sharing your foliar spray of choice?
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
Sure - We have a Nutrien Ag supply nearby. It is maybe 35 miles from here but I can't buy liquid fertilizer any cheaper than I can there. Here is a glimpse at some of their products. Most everything they put in 250 Gallon Totes, but I don't need much this year so I asked if I can just get the 32% N in 2.5 Gal jugs if I bring my jugs and they said - fine.
3-18-18 - I use this on my perennial legumes - can't remember the cost - 3 Gal/Acre
7-25-5 - $5.80/Gallon
0-0-30 (Potassium Carbonate) $9.30/Gal
17-0-4-7 (sulfur) - $2.45/Gal - Apply 3-5 gal/acre
32% Nitrogen - 3-5 Gal/Acre - $3.25/gal
They have various other additives for additional fees which you can add depending upon your needs.
They load up the tote for you when you pick it up...
I unload it with the forks on my tractor at the farm...
Measure out what I need - My sprayer is calibrated to deliver 20 gal/acre so if I want to apply 3 gal/acre I add 17 gal of water for each acre I want to spray...
If I have some left over I catch in jugs and save it until the next time, and then rinse out the sprayer.
We don't have any rain in the forecast for a long time so there is no sense in me applying Urea - it would be a waste of time and money. The foliar liquid is perfect for this situation.
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S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I go about 3-4#/acre but I also mix mine with berseem clover and winter peas @10 and 50#/acre. Then in mid to late September I broadcast about 110#/acre of winter triticale. I want to make sure I have plenty of room for other stuff to grow. I have found over the last couple of years I get better attraction going this rout.
I will be planting the first round next weekend.
I will be planting the first round next weekend.
swat1018
5 year old buck +
40-45 on the small seed box is always the sweet spot, it seems.
swat1018
5 year old buck +
Yes, I've done it many times. I almost always drill rye into brassica plots. Sometimes they are failing and thin, other times they are in good shape. The only time I'm hesitant to is when the brassica are super thick and canopied where the ground isn't getting any sun. I'm guessing it wouldn't work in that situation, just because the seed won't get any sun and be shaded out, at least until a good freeze.
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
That probably is a good average setting, but it actually depends upon what "recipe" I concoct each year. Seems I am always changing up to try different seeds out.
Here is a list of settings from actual calibrations I did in recent years. I would have to go back and look at my notes to see what the actual mix is for those settings, and what my goal was for a target rate... I think you will see one here next year for a goal of only about 4-5#/acre of brassica seed, but with probably my standard 4#/acre of clovers added in.
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Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
Coated slow release urea is only a couple dollars more a 50# bag for me. Would you use that at the time of planting over uncoated urea?
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
If available I would use AMS and not urea. Urea is a little hard on soil and soil can usually use more sulfur.
Brian662
5 year old buck +
I would use the slow release unless rain is imminent.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
What a great picture story you tell here WT. Thanks for posting this!!! I will likely add the clover (as you do) next year. Will save me an extra pass. No time for fertilizer this year.....lots of crazy irons in the fire here.....and I just need to get past these issues happening now. Good thing is we got lots of rains since I planted ....all my brassica was germinated the last I saw it....and was coming on fast. Gonna get by as is....for now....and do more as I am able. Crazy year for me. Gonna all work out. It's "just a food plot". Grin.
Foggy47
5 year old buck +
Gotta say.....Wild Thing may be the best advice anyone could follow. He is the real deal.....I am honored to know of him and appreciate his posts: Smile. Thanks my friend! Good to see you here again. Some medical issues here with my wife....but hope we get to the other side of these things....and back in the game soon. First things first. All else can wait.
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
Thanks again Foggy. Agree with you on addressing the health issues for your wife with Priority One. First things first.
Food plots and deer habitat sometimes have to take the back seat. Most of us are just playing in the sand anyway
Hoping that your bride will get well soon.
Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
After reading all the responses in this thread I decided on about 6 pounds per acre. I ended up reducing my plots from 1.5 acres to 1.25 acres and added 5 pounds of red/white clover to the whole mix. I plant tomorrow with a good chance of rain Saturday and Sunday.
