Pure Brassica Plots

[neonomad]

Apologize if this has been discussed, I did do some searching… I think there’s some merit to “mr rhymes with Beff Blurgis’s” opinion that grains etc compete with brassicas.

But I do rely on the green stuff growing late spring / early summer to roll down over buckwheat or whatever else… so what are some approaches to best dealing with this if going heavy on brassicas in a plot? Stick to planting in July / early Aug then over broadcast with grains and annual clovers in Sept? Springtime grains broadcast? Other? Thanks!

 

[TenPoint]

I tried grains w/ brassicas last year at the time of planting. Never again. I'm going brassica w/ a little clover mixed in for next spring. Then frost seed a little more in the spring and done. It'll be cereal grains next august.

 

[Tree Spud]

Apologize if this has been discussed, I did do some searching… I think there’s some merit to “mr rhymes with Beff Blurgis’s” opinion that grains etc compete with brassicas.

But I do rely on the green stuff growing late spring / early summer to roll down over buckwheat or whatever else… so what are some approaches to best dealing with this if going heavy on brassicas in a plot? Stick to planting in July / early Aug then over broadcast with grains and annual clovers in Sept? Springtime grains broadcast? Other? Thanks!

Heavy on brassicas will stunt their growth, they are also nitrogen consumer.

Diversity is better than monoculture contrary to Sturgis. Plant some red clover which is a nitrogen producer and i would go heavy on WR in early september. Personally I would plant turnips of radishes before I would plant brassicas.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I believe turnips & radishes are members of the brassica family. So is kale. An online search of brassicas revealed many more plants than I thought were in the brassica family. Cabbage, brussels sprouts, rape, bok choy, collard greens, rutabagas, to name a few.

 

[Robert86]

I believe turnips & radishes are members of the brassica family. So is kale. An online search of brassicas revealed many more plants than I thought were in the brassica family. Cabbage, brussels sprouts, rape, bok choy, collard greens, rutabagas, to name a few.

You are correct.

 

[Tree Spud]

I believe turnips & radishes are members of the brassica family. So is kale. An online search of brassicas revealed many more plants than I thought were in the brassica family. Cabbage, brussels sprouts, rape, bok choy, collard greens, rutabagas, to name a few.

Yes, I was referring to just forage brassica and not bulb producers. Unless you plant forage types that will regrow, deer can wipe them out pretty quickly.

Winfred forage brassica is a good choice as it producers a bulb and can be grazed 3-4 times with regrowth.

 

[gunfun13]

I plant pure brassicas (often mix in some annual clover) around Aug 1. Then over seed with rye in mid September. I'm not real consistent with the hand spreader so there is usually some bare areas to fill in.

I don't understand the soil builder blends that mix both and recommend August planting dates. I've had grains become too rank and unpalatable to deer when planted September 1. No self respecting deer in my area (S. mi) is eating an 18" blade of rye in October.

 

[Robert86]

In the pictures are purple top turnips and dakion radishes that I bought from the feed mill and mixed together. Spread on July 31st. I had plenty of green that the deer ate and the bulbs were huge. This buck came out opening night of gun season in wisconsin. Pure brassica's has alot of pull on deer.

 

[neonomad]

I’d been away from this forum for awhile but glad I recently logged back in, not sure if there’s a better resource out there. When I said heavy on brassicas I didn’t mean broadcast rate, just that it would be nearly dedicated brassica plots. I’m working on an order now, spose I’ll add some winfred to the mix. I’m now planning to stick with a September grains overseeding or two, which lead me to another thought, when would be the best time to put annual clovers down, I think add those to both the brassica, and the oats / peas plots.

 

[yoderjac]

We often talk about brassica as though all the plants in that family behave the same. They can be quite different. Monocultures of N seeking plants are not generally a good idea. Both soil and deer benefit from variety. I plant a lot of brassica (PTT, GHR) but it is distributed over lots of plots at a low seed rate mixed with other plants. For me, it is mostly T&M mixes.

One approach I like is to take an older clover field and suppress it by mowing it flat, almost scalping, or using 1 qt/ac gly. Then drilling a brassica like GHR into it. I do this in the fall with rain in the forecast when cool evenings are favoring clover.

 

[TenPoint]

I plant pure brassicas (often mix in some annual clover) around Aug 1. Then over seed with rye in mid September. I'm not real consistent with the hand spreader so there is usually some bare areas to fill in.

I don't understand the soil builder blends that mix both and recommend August planting dates. I've had grains become too rank and unpalatable to deer when planted September 1. No self respecting deer in my area (S. mi) is eating an 18" blade of rye in October.

That was my issue last year when I thought I’d be smart and add some cereals in with the brassica in an early august planting. I planted cereals mid august and it was still way too early. Now I’m thinking more Labor Day weekend. This is south central Wisconsin so similar to you.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I planted clover/brassicas/grains together last fall...mowed/sprayed before hand then staggered the planting with the brassica and clover first in early August, followed by the grains (WR/WW) broadcast 4 weeks later (just after Labor Day). It worked to perfection, with the clover slightly popping under the canopy of brassica. I used a 5 brassica mix and planted a little heavy (which I know is discouraged) but with great results. There were brassicas in that field until March and the clover and WR came up great this spring. I did add some urea about 5 weeks after planting the brassicas and it definitely helped.
I think a pure brassica plot would work...but your soil had better be pretty decent and your weeds should be small (I think some brassicas would outcompete them).
Start of Archery Season-early October

Mid-Spring..yellow flowers are brassicas that didn't get totally killed off..

 

[yoderjac]

I planted clover/brassicas/grains together last fall...mowed/sprayed before hand then staggered the planting with the brassica and clover first in early August, followed by the grains (WR/WW) broadcast 4 weeks later (just after Labor Day). It worked to perfection, with the clover slightly popping under the canopy of brassica. I used a 5 brassica mix and planted a little heavy (which I know is discouraged) but with great results. There were brassicas in that field until March and the clover and WR came up great this spring. I did add some urea about 5 weeks after planting the brassicas and it definitely helped.
I think a pure brassica plot would work...but your soil had better be pretty decent and your weeds should be small (I think some brassicas would outcompete them).
Start of Archery Season-early October
View attachment 44507
Mid-Spring..yellow flowers are brassicas that didn't get totally killed off..
View attachment 44508

That method works well for me as long as I keep the brassica component between 2 and 3 lbs/ac

 

[Derek Reese 29]

That method works well for me as long as I keep the brassica component between 2 and 3 lbs/ac

I think my total was 6 lbs at just over a half acre and it was broadcast with no cultipacking...and to note we had 9 inches of rain in September....which I think helped? haha

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I planted my radishes way to heavy last year. Usually the deer have them all "topped" by mid october. Last year they hardly touched them. My theory is that they were so thick that the deer didn't like to walk through them. There was some browsing on the edges but that was about it. I would say don't go over 4#/acre but again everyone else has a different situation. Some may want to go up to 10-12#/acre just to stay ahead of the deer, I don't have that issue.

 

[bigboreblr]

You may want to put in perennial clovers too. Some areas, annual clovers do not make it through the winter. You'll appreciate winter forage for your herd. Medium red clover is a good choice in annual tilled plots as well as no-tills. It survives a cold winter fine, comes out well in the spring, however, if you mow your plots more than once, it will not produce enough to self reseed and keep going past year 2.

I personally feel there is no bad time to put clover seed in. It is often planted too deep in tilled plots, which is the leading reason of a poor stand of them. I will put about 1/3 of the clover in with tillage (spring harrows) and the remaining 2/3's i broadcast right on top and roll it in. Personally kinda prefer uncoated seed, I think it gives the birds a tougher time finding the seed, specially when frost seeding it.

I did some yard clean-up about june 17th and seeded clover and oats in 2 areas. One area around a rock garden got water almost daily. The other only got 1 watering when I dragged the hose way down there to water my rpviacy screeing cedars and 2 or 3 oaks. The watered stand is doing better, but the unwatered one is alive.

In NY, planting clover anytime in august, or even as late as septemeber is enough for it to make the cold winter into spring. I always spread about 4-6 lbs/ acre in febuary in my plots as well. I've done early may, june, and mid july clover plantings, often without supplemental water. All came out ok. Ideally early to mid august here in zones 4-5 parts of NY.

plotspike clover blend and imperial whitetail have done well by me. Plotspike has annual crimson and perennial medium red in there. I finally found a place that sells various clovers by the lb. I still buy the plotspike, but mix in ladino and dutch white into the mix.

If you dont have a good tillage system, or are going no-till. You can't beat daikon raddish. Makes a 5 or 6 inch deep hole in the ground. Its basically a sprinkle on plug aerator for your food plot. My wife didnt like the smell of them rotting though....... Deer didnt care at all, they yank up them nasty mushy ones and gobble them up in the late winter / spring.

 

[Tree Spud]

Red clover is a good choice for over seeding in the fall into existing crop. Spring green up is excellent food source.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Yes, I was referring to just forage brassica and not bulb producers. Unless you plant forage types that will regrow, deer can wipe them out pretty quickly.

Winfred forage brassica is a good choice as it producers a bulb and can be grazed 3-4 times with regrowth.

We've been planting "Pasja" hybrid brassica along with PTT, GHR, and DER for a few years now. I believe "Pasja" is one of the forage types - at least advertised that way. Our deer seem to hit the GHR tops first out of our 4-variety mix, but they and the PTT always seem to make bulbs that the deer eat later in the winter.

Anyone know the different names / varieties of the forage types of brassicas?? I'm always looking to learn more.

 

[yoderjac]

I think my total was 6 lbs at just over a half acre and it was broadcast with no cultipacking...and to note we had 9 inches of rain in September....which I think helped? haha

I find brassica shades out most of my other seeds about 2-3.

 

[Tree Spud]

We've been planting "Pasja" hybrid brassica along with PTT, GHR, and DER for a few years now. I believe "Pasja" is one of the forage types - at least advertised that way. Our deer seem to hit the GHR tops first out of our 4-variety mix, but they and the PTT always seem to make bulbs that the deer eat later in the winter.

Anyone know the different names / varieties of the forage types of brassicas?? I'm always looking to learn more.

Barkant Forage Turnips are another good one. You could also consider forage kale.