Rape vs turnips

[bueller]

I've been trending away from turnips for various reasons. I'm thinking of planting a straight rape plot or two this year. Welters has dwarf Essex, bonar, and barsica varieties. Anybody know which of these will canopy the quickest? Our sand dries out very quick especially during a late summer - early fall planting.

 

[bueller]

The only rape I have ever planted was included in a BOB I used years ago. I forget what variety it was but it grew well.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

To answer your question, No. My guess would be the one with the shortest maturation date. If you want them to canopy as soon as possible no mater what you plant, up your N rates at time of planting and hit it with a foliar a couple week later.

 

[bueller]

I used to strive for big turnip bulbs but no longer care to provide winter food. In order to grow large bulbs on my sand I had to keep the seed rate low. This created a couple issues. The plants didn't canopy. Dry ground along with weeds and grass competing was a never ending battle. Less plants also meant the greens were consumed quickly, my deer don't wait for a frost to hit brassicas. My thoughts are that I can plant rape at a higher rate eliminating all of the above issues. Only negative is less food going into winter but as I said that is no longer a goal of mine.

 

[bueller]

Vivant performed well on this test.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...sgEi4NjIuywK4-TbQ&sig2=xq6V8WuEQzPrfz3md9E5dg

 

[wiscwhip]

We tried a good number of the ones in that trial over the years. T-Raptor worked well on our old place, but I wouldn't spend more money to get it vs Vivant.

 

[bueller]

I'm planting an acre at most so cost isn't really too much of a concern. Fertilizer costs me more than seed. Looks like a mix of rape and hybrid brassicas such as vivant and/t-raptor may be the way to go. Thanks guys. Hopefully we get some rains after planting to get them up and canopied.

 

[bueller]

Just remember, T-Raptor is a Rape cross. I like doing a mix, see which one does best in adverse conditions, and if the deer prefer one over the other in your area.

Just sayin.....

I agree, I need to experiment some and see what works best for me on my ground.

Is vivant not a rape cross?

 

[wiscwhip]

Yes, Vivant and T-Raptor are both "hybrid rape" varieties.

 

[wiscwhip]

We tried probably 18 - 20 different kinds of brassicas on our old place. Everything from the old standby's like daikon radishes, DER and PPT to the hybrids like Vivant, T-Raptor, and Appin turnip. We even tried BOB mixes on our smaller areas, because they made sense from an ease and financial standpoint at the time(got the seed on post season sale cheap). Both Frigid Forage Big-N-Beasty and Antler King Honey Hole worked well for us. Not really much variance in whether they ate them or not, as they ate them all. Near the end before we sold the place, we just went with the old standby's because they were easy to get and cheap.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Instead of fighting it you could plant it in crops that will build it for a few years instead. No till options?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Vivant or T-Raptor .... Is either one better for clayish loam ??

 

[wiscwhip]

Vivant or T-Raptor .... Is either one better for clayish loam ??

As always, my reply is for you to try them both. They are usually around the same cost wise, so not really a difference there.

 

[bueller]

Instead of fighting it you could plant it in crops that will build it for a few years instead. No till options?

I don't till at all. Frequently plant buckwheat and rye. Soil is definitely built up from what it was but it's still beach sand underneath. I know I can grow decent turnip crops but a thicker stand of rape looks to be a better option for me to try.

 

[wiscwhip]

Beuller, have you tried Winfred Hybrid Forage brassica? It is a turnip/kale hybrid and we had luck with it as well.

 

[bueller]

Beuller, have you tried Winfred Hybrid Forage brassica? It is a turnip/kale hybrid and we had luck with it as well.

I have not. My priority in the past was large bulbs so most of my plantings have been focused towards that so I have limited experience with rape or forage brassicas. Pasjas did grow pretty well for us.

 

[Tap]

I've been trending away from turnips for various reasons. I'm thinking of planting a straight rape plot or two this year. Welters has dwarf Essex, bonar, and barsica varieties. Anybody know which of these will canopy the quickest? Our sand dries out very quick especially during a late summer - early fall planting.

Just another point of view...
If the soil is so sandy, I might be looking into plants that build OM.

 

[bueller]

Just another point of view...
If the soil is so sandy, I might be looking into plants that build OM.

Buckwheat will precede the brassicas and be rolled down prior. Winter rye growing now will precede the buckwheat and be rolled down prior to the buckwheat. Lots of OM being added to these plots year after year. It helps but will never turn this beach sand into high quality fertile soil.

My brassicas get overseeeded with rye every year starting the process all over again.

 

[Peplin Creek]

A buddy of mine planted over an acre of DER and they ate it to the ground by the end of November. I planted Winfred this year and couldn't be more impressed with it but it was a late season draw. Leafs were huge and the deer are still digging for the root stalks. (I didn't know they liked them.) if it was me I would probably do a mix of DER, Winfred and I would throw some radish in it to mine some of the nutrients and bring em to the surface. This would maybe give you a bit more balance throughout the fall.

 

[bueller]

Has anybody planted either bonar or barsica rape varieties? How did they compare to the cheaper dwarf Essex?