New plot

[Peeps]

I'm going to be planting a new brassicas food plot next week. The area was previously part of my back lawn so it consisted of short grass. The grass has been nuked and lime previously spread and I'll be picking up soil test results before planting. After the kill off I worked the soil some with my 4x8 drag harrow with the spikes down. The soil is somewhat sandy with leftover dead grass on top. My plan is to spread the rec fertilizer and urea and work that in with my drag and then broadcast my seed. Should I then drag over the seed with the teeth up to lightly cover and pack with my 4 wheeler tires as I don't have a cultipacker yet or should I skip using the drag to cover? This is my first try at brassicas. Thanks

 

[wiscwhip]

Most brassica seed only needs to be covered with about 1/4" of soil, so whatever you do, it won't have to be much. I think your plan sounds good, but if the soil is very loose and you suspect you will get them too deep, you could skip the drag after broadcast and just pack them. For future reference, you could do half of the plot each way and see what your results end up being.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I like the idea of dragging half and running over half with the ATV to see which option works best. it's pretty easy to bury small seed too deep, so I'm guessing the half you run over with the ATV will be the best.

Before I got a cultipacker I had pretty good luck just spreading the small seed on disked and dragged soil. I let the seed just sit on top of the worked soil and the next rain seems to work it in pretty well and produced good results.

 

[scott44]

I think the drag might get them a little deep, I might just pack them with the tires of the ATV. I have used an old bed springs with a couple cinder blocks on it before I got my cultipacker, worked ok.

 

[wiscwhip]

I think the drag might get them a little deep, I might just pack them with the tires of the ATV. I have used an old bed springs with a couple cinder blocks on it before I got my cultipacker, worked ok.

I don't think that would be much different than flipping his drag harrow spikes up and running over the plot.

 

[scott44]

I don't think that would be much different than flipping his drag harrow spikes up and running over the plot.

Sorry I missed that part about flipping it over , yes flipping it over would do the same thing. Just coming off midnights and I'm still half a sleep.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

With the brassica seeds you mentioned you actually dont even need to anything more than broadcast them right into the dead sod from your lawn. I plant all my plots this way. if you have loose sandy soil i would think breaking up the sod wouldn't be to your benenfit. I would think keeping that sod intact would help retain moisture and nutrients better....besides brassicas are good at getting through it with those large taproots and tubers.

I just mowed these strips into crimson clover/oats (foreground greener area) and crimson clover/medium red clover/rye (background browner area), i will spray them with gly next week and let them brown down, check to see if i need to spray again, then I will just broadcast my brassica mix right into the dead stuff. Those small seeds find their way down through all the little holes and voids and get to the soil...a good hard rain helps that happen faster though.


this is me seeding last years brassicas (opposite strips from above pic) into the dead thatch.


what it looked like about 10 days later with a couple good rains. it looks a little spotty but it did fill in nicely. cant seem to find pics of from like September though.

 

[Peeps]

I picked up my seed and I'm heading up to the land after I'm done with work Monday morning. Here's my plan: I'm going to spread the rec fertilizer and urea per soil sample results, use my drag to work that in a bit, spread the seed, and then pack it in with the 4 wheeler tires. I think dragging after broadcasting may burry the seed too deep with my loose top soil. I'm then going to broadcast the extra brassicas seed in my standing WR plot from last year to see if any germinates. I will keep everyone up to date with the results.

 

[wiscwhip]

Pics!!!;)

 

[scott44]

Sounds like a good plan, good luck!

 

[Peeps]

I planted this plot and another yesterday afternoon. It was perfect as the rain started 20 minutes after I finished planting and it rained hard at first with a soaking rain then most of the night. The soil test was surprising. I was expecting a low ph but it came back at 6.3. Wow. Everything else was high except my nitrogen levels were low so I put urea down. I'll post pics of the progress as it starts growing when I get back up here.

 

[Peeps]

The green in the middle is a trail/road running thru the plot.

 

[Peeps]

Just made it back up here and checked on the plot. Not good so far. No germination in most of the plot. 2 days after I planted I had a Dozer cross the plot and pop out 2 stumps in the plot. Most of the germination is where the Dozer drove and worked making me believe the rest of the seeds did not get pushed in enough as I font have a cultipacker yet. I'm currently watching a doe chew on the ones that did germinate. I can't get back ip here for 2 weeks. NE WI. Is that too late to replant the brassicas? Or should I just plant winter rye there then and try again next summer?

 

[rocksnstumps]

I planted rape, radish, and rye Aug 4th in Shawano county last year. Turned out pretty good until it got munched late Sept. If you're thinking turnips for late season, might be getting a little late. Likely bulbs won't get very big. The year I did PTT planted in mid June and got some nice size but also first year and they left them alone until late in the year

 

[BuckSutherland]

If you are on the fence plant half as an experiment and do something else with the other half. First hand experience is priceless. I would say you have plenty of time yet.

 

[Peeps]

I didn't pack it with tires as it downpoored rt after I finished planting. Then it didn't rain for over a week or more. I'll post some pics.

 

[wiscwhip]

Just made it back up here and checked on the plot. Not good so far. No germination in most of the plot. 2 days after I planted I had a Dozer cross the plot and pop out 2 stumps in the plot. Most of the germination is where the Dozer drove and worked making me believe the rest of the seeds did not get pushed in enough as I font have a cultipacker yet. I'm currently watching a doe chew on the ones that did germinate. I can't get back ip here for 2 weeks. NE WI. Is that too late to replant the brassicas? Or should I just plant winter rye there then and try again next summer?

It is not too late to replant brassicas in that plot. If you won't get back up for 2 weeks, just plant some daikon radish and your rye and call it good. This time pack it even if you have to beg, borrow, or steal something to get it done. You may not get maximum bulb growth, but the leafy greens should take off and be a good draw for archery season.

 

[SD51555]

I think you're warmer in NE WI than we are in NC MN. We replanted second week of august last year and still got a good stand of diakon and rye. I'd go for it with those two like Whip suggests.

 

[Peeps]

No updates yet. I worked this weekend so I won't be out to the land till next weekend. I'll give an update and pics then. Going to be busy up there. I plan on spreading some more seed in this it if needed-rape radish rye plus some urea if it ever rains again. Been real dry for awhile now. Then I need to knock down my old WR in another plot and spread a lil more rye there. Plant a new opening with WR and some rape. Spray another new opening and maybe seed that too. Dig in 2 kiddie pool water holes and gill them. Spray a trail and trim it. And maybe paint and put in some more t posts on the property lines. I think I might run out of time for all of that.

 

[Peeps]

Oh ya. Most importantly I need to sit back and drink a bunch of beer too.