Planting Brassicas Too Early

[younggun1849]

Typically I plant my turnips/radishes around July 20-25th, and I get some really big bulbs and leafs. I was talking with someone saying to plant later because you don't want them to get that big, something about they don't taste as good as when they are smaller. I'm leaning towards planting August 10-15th this year and see if I notice a difference.

 

[jsasker007]

I think more is better to feed the deer over winter but if it's only a kill plot then go for the most attractive.jmo

 

[Peplin Creek]

I wouldn't change your planting date. If they are already eating the bulbs, then what's the point of planting later and risk having less tonnage. Or worse yet, planting the middle of august and then getting a week or two without rain and the plot never really gets going. I haven't noticed any difference in attractiveness between plant size. I plan on getting 3 plots in this upcoming week because I want the extra tonnage, otherwise it's gonna get wiped out quick. If your looking for extra attractiveness. Drop a bag of rye down the first week of sept. That will help with attractiveness throughout the season.

 

[g squared 23]

July 25, rain or shine.


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[bbcoach]

I go by the 60-90 day rule for my Brassicas. Plant 60-90 days before your average first frost date. 60 days will give you great tops and 90 days for great bulbs. In Wisconsin, I would go for 90 days. With the early leaf drop, very little farm crops and little browse after September, I would want all the food I could have through hunting season and beyond. Having green protein and root crops will definitely help you harvest a deer and feed them longer. Check your average first frost date, back up 90 days and plant. My guess for planting Western Wisconsin would be sometime in July. Here in Eastern NC, I shoot for the 15th of August for a Nov 10th first frost date. Last fall, my PTT bulbs were the size of softballs and the tops were 2 feet tall. Growing time + good rain + nitrogen will insure GREAT brassicas. Good Luck.

 

[Wild Thing]

I very much agree with going with the 60-90 days prior to average first frost date....which is why I planted my brassicas yesterday (July 11th). I have planted them earlier in the past and got great tonnage with huge leaves and bulbs and they were devoured just as readily as when I got them planted too late and had only small plants.

 

[wiscwhip]

Typically I plant my turnips/radishes around July 20-25th, and I get some really big bulbs and leafs. I was talking with someone saying to plant later because you don't want them to get that big, something about they don't taste as good as when they are smaller. I'm leaning towards planting August 10-15th this year and see if I notice a difference.

Do your deer eat them? If so, it doesn't matter what a human thinks about your planting dates, let the deer decide. If you notice the deer not eating them, maybe try something different at that point, until then, plant them as usual and move on to other things. If you are really that set on doing something different, I always say to try both ways and compare. Split the plot in half, try your "experiment", put up exclusion cages on both sides and watch. Only then will YOU know what YOUR deer prefer.

 

[j-bird]

Do your deer eat them? If so, it doesn't matter what a human thinks about your planting dates, let the deer decide. If you notice the deer not eating them, maybe try something different at that point, until then, plant them as usual and move on to other things. If you are really that set on doing something different, I always say to try both ways and compare. Split the plot in half, try your "experiment", put up exclusion cages on both sides and watch. Only then will YOU know what YOUR deer prefer.

Like Wisc says.....listen to your deer! Trial is fine, but don't "fix it" if it isn't broken!

 

[Mortenson]

My plots are only partly sun, and I don't add much if any fertilizer, so they never race toward the finish line. I spun on 3 plots of brassicas today, the 14th. Ideally it'd be the 24th instead, but we had chances of rain this weekend, and I learned to not let those go by. I've seen it stop raining on a number of years in July and not start again til my mom's bday of 8/22. For a guy who plants into moisture that may or not matter as much, but throwers need the rain more to achieve the planting so to speak. My big rain this weekend came in a day early and I missed it. But today had more chances, so I gambled (seed is cheap) and lucked out with what I'm guessing is .4" which should get the job done on top of what is wet ground from last night's 1". If it goes down like some years, today's seeding will only half catch, and it'll leave a nice opportunity to toss in a couple more lbs within the next month, for those more tender, young plants and bulbs. I actually consider that a best case scenario. And as stated above, you can also spread a bushel or more of cereal rye at a later date.

In closing, I think guys who till and plant into a wide open field with adequate fertilizer can play the August time frame. Throwers on oddball plots need to get started sooner, which will also leave time for correcting some bad luck along the way.

 

[Mortenson]

And here now on 7/31, it's again looking like it was a good thing I went in a little early when we had the rain chance. It hasn't rained since that day, and there isn't a good chance in the 7 day forecast. It's just hard to catch a rain in later July into early August. I still need to assess my germination, and hopefully by 8/15 we get a rain in case there's a need for a few more lbs of seed.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

We have had a couple decent rains in my area but it has been very spotty. Where my plots are located keeps getting missed unfortunately.

 

[BobinCt]

S.F I have the same luck. Happened to me last year attempting to plant my brassicas.

 

[Aaron]

I planted my plots today in NW Wisconsin. We had dry weather for weeks and the weather changed in the last day. We got some good rain so I planted all but 1 plot this morning. I mowed 3 weeks ago and sprayed last weekend. Disced and dug Thursday night and disced this morning. Plots were moist but look good. I will add fertilizer later in a week or so. I have 1 plot left for winter rye or wheat, and will reseed any holes I find in the plots I did today. More rain came after planting.