Planting early for plots with low sunlight?

[BJE80]

One of my small (kill) plots has too many large trees around and does not get as much sunlight as I would like. Have you ever tried planting a few weeks early for fall planting in an attempt to make up for that issue? Say 2nd week in July for Brassicas? The plot has been a success the last few years in terms of growing and attracting deer but bulb size has been suffering because of it. My goal next year is to start thinning it out but it won't happen this year anymore. Will planting early give them more time to grow and help out?

 

[Terrific_tom]

If you are getting good growth you could try planting a little earlier. Also maybe broadcasting some nitrogen on after your brassicas are growing [about 4 weeks] might help too. Nothing replaces good sunlight for growing.

 

[BJE80]

If you are getting good growth you could try planting a little earlier. Also maybe broadcasting some nitrogen on after your brassicas are growing [about 4 weeks] might help too. Nothing replaces good sunlight for growing.

Yeah that is something I missed too last year. I should of given them a shot of N which I didn't do. I think it is worth a shot. Especially since my ground is nice and damp most of the time and I don't have to worry about burning them up.

 

[Deer Kar]

You might want to consider limbing up some of the surrounding trees. Or taking a few out. I had the same predicament on a small plot. The big trees rob the nutrients and I took a few trees out it help a bit. I now ring the out side with clovers and rotate center area with brassicas and a combo oats/AWP.

 

[foggy]

Some of my better brasica was grown on the "shady side" of my woods. The shade preserved the moisture and the brasica flourished....outperforming the sunny-side crop. Of course the reverse could happen with enough rainfall. Most of my food plots are in partial shade.

 

[BJE80]

I'll get some urea down this year. It just didn't happen last year. I fertilized for my soil test at time of planting but I think some extra N would not of hurt.

But will planting early help or not? I know I could use more sunlight.

 

[Terrific_tom]

It may help with bigger bulbs. A lot depends on timely rainfalls, proper amount of nitrogen and no early freeze in our location. Try a split planting, plant half in early July and the other half in late July. In my experience rainfall and fertilizer were the 2 main factors in getting bigger bulbs.

 

[foggy]

I've got a few years of experience with brasica. I have gotten quite variable results.....mostly based on the rainfall we get. I almost always get a dry August....and that really sets-back my efforts. Some of the better years I have had....is when I planted right after July 4.....and we got a canopy to keep things from drying up. I'm going to go early with part of my brasica (late June?) and plant more after July 10 or so.

Timely rain and nitrogen is everything in my sandy soils.

 

[foggy]

Personally I don't think a couple extra weeks in July are going to do much for bigger bulbs. If you did a spring planting before the trees leafed out...then I could see it happening. I just picked up 5 lbs. of green globe turnips and will be planting them next week (hopefully).

Its not the extra growing time.....it's catching some of the June and early July rainfalls. Gives the plants some time to put down good (deep) roots and a canopy to shade them. By mid summer rain just does not seem to happen.

 

[BJE80]

I wonder if planting in June would just cause my plots to get consumed before fall and hunting season. No idea really. Just thinking out loud.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

What kind of seeding rate did you use? I went a little heavy on the seeding rate last year because i "zero tilled" into killed sod. I thought i wouldn't get as high of a germ rate because of "less than ideal" seed bed prep (i was WAY wrong). I had much higher germ rates and basically I had a bunch of ping-pong to golf ball sized turnips throughout the plot. on the margins where the seeding rate was a little lower I had big softball sized turnips.

 

[foggy]

What kind of seeding rate did you use? I went a little heavy on the seeding rate last year because i "zero tilled" into killed sod. I thought i wouldn't get as high of a germ rate because of "less than ideal" seed bed prep (i was WAY wrong). I had much higher germ rates and basically I had a bunch of ping-pong to golf ball sized turnips throughout the plot. on the margins where the seeding rate was a little lower I had big softball sized turnips.

Overseeding brasica has been one of my biggest problems in time gone by. With brasica seed.....MORE is NOT better!! Escpecially with purple top or green globe turnips. These days I measure my plots and calculate the lbs per area.....then apply ONLY that much seed. Crowding turnips is a No No. BTDT

 

[West Branch]

Another +1 on the over seeding of brassicas. We did that last year, our first time planting them, and had a bunch of golf ball sized turnips. Talked to a neighbor who plants 3-4 acres of ptts every year and he mentioned making sure they are spread out. His are softball sized and the fields haven't been fertilized in a few years.

 

[BJE80]

Overseeding brasica has been one of my biggest problems in time gone by. With brasica seed.....MORE is NOT better!! Escpecially with purple top or green globe turnips. These days I measure my plots and calculate the lbs per area.....then apply ONLY that much seed. Crowding turnips is a No No. BTDT

100% agree. I seeded too heavy the first year I planted brassicas and I found out why its not a good idea to do that. :D

 

[Bill]

We fly on Brassicas with airplanes into standing corn all the time. They grow in the shade and explode when the corn dies back. Biggest problem would be to much seed per acre and no residual N to be picked up by the Brassicas.

I always wondered how guys got such good looking brassicas in the corn. I could never see walking rows with a hand seeder as a way to get good distribution of seed. Do you do that in MO or up north.

 

[foggy]

Cost is about $21 an acre for the air seeding, if you have enough acres. Seed is about $35. Soil and Water pays up to $85 an acre cost share. Its a no brainer!

Hmmm......OK.....will they fly seed 1/8 acre and 1/4 acre plot sizes? ;)

 

[Deer Kar]

Hmmm......OK.....will they fly seed 1/8 acre and 1/4 acre plot sizes? ;)

I can bring over a 36 row corn planter if the plane can't make it . Ha.

 

[foggy]

I can bring over a 36 row corn planter if the plane can't make it . Ha.

The 'chinery size these days just blows my mind.