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Rape vs turnips

We tried Bonar, didn't like the outcome as much as DER or some of the other hybrids. Bonar is a longer season brassica(85 to 90 days) compared to DER(typically 60 - 70 days), so planting it when you typically plant brassicas in your area could be later than what would be optimal. Bonar is less forgiving of dry ground than Winfred, I would opt for Winfred over Bonar on your sand. You could really tell when the Bonar was becoming "drought stressed" when we planted it compared to others we had in the ground at the same time, which showed a lesser affect of the lack of rain. I do not believe we tried Barsica, although it may have been part of a BOB mix we used at one time?
 
wiscwhip said:
We tried Bonar, didn't like the outcome as much as DER or some of the other hybrids. Bonar is a longer season brassica(85 to 90 days) compared to DER(typically 60 - 70 days), so planting it when you typically plant brassicas in your area could be later than what would be optimal. Bonar is less forgiving of dry ground than Winfred, I would opt for Winfred over Bonar on your sand. You could really tell when the Bonar was becoming "drought stressed" when we planted it compared to others we had in the ground at the same time, which showed a lesser affect of the lack of rain. I do not believe we tried Barsica, although it may have been part of a BOB mix we used at one time?
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Funny whip, I was just reading about Winfred. It is said to be have better drought resistance than some of the other brassicas. Hunter on the other is said to struggle in dry conditions.

Thanks for sharing your experience with Bonar. I like to toss a little bit of brassicas in with my buckwheat plantings so may I'll try the long season Bonar this year.
 
bueller said:
It helps but will never turn this beach sand into high quality fertile soil.
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^^^ Just isn't going to happen on that glacial lake bottom sand. Not in one lifetime anyway.
 
wiscwhip said:
^^^ Just isn't going to happen on that glacial lake bottom sand. Not in one lifetime anyway.
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Yep. But there is a plus side. Most don't plant plots around here. And the ones that do usually have limited to no success. So those of us with good plots see really good usage by the deer.
 
The last couple years I've added a pound of kale to my mix, a little more pricey than the others mentioned. I added it for diversity in the mix.
 
Rutabaga?
I just bought a half acre worth of seed. I'm going to try it for the 1st time this summer.

SW Pa
 
This was cut and pasted from a different forum (wasn't sure if I could give links to other forums on this site, and I hope I can cut and paste as well).
I thought it is useful info on brassicas. Take it for what it's worth. Hope it helps.



Brassicas vary in maturities from 6 weeks to 20 weeks to reach maturity. Here is a run down on brassicas.

Turnips take 60 days to reach maturity and shouldn't be planted until early August. They give moderate nutrition and are a source of winter bulbs. If you plant purple top turnips in May or June, the bulbs will become woody and unpalatable and the forage will be mature and bitter.

Rutabaga take 90-100 days to reach maturity and produce bulbs that resemble turnips but are about 1.5 times larger than turnips. They produce more top growth than turnips are are sweeter and more palatable than turnips. They can be planted in June because they take longer to reach maturity.

Dominion Swede is a 150 days until maturity. The large yellow fleshy bulb provides a sweeter winter bulb source. It tends to have better aphid resistance than many brassicas. Because of the slow growth pattern, it is a spring and early summer option for those who want to get your food plots in early.

Dwarf essex rape. Most rapes sold on the market are dwarf essex. It is a short variety that matures in about 60 days. The advantage of rape is it's ability to tolerate shade and low pH areas. It gives one average nutrition and doesn't give one nearly the tonnage as other brassicas.

Bonar Rape. It is a slower growing rape that takes 90- 100 days to reach maturity. It produces larger paddle type leaves and can be planted in June because of the longer maturity. It reminds me a lot of Winfred brassica.

Hunter brassica is a fast growing brassica that matures in 50-60 days. Plants are susceptible to drought and aphids, and are best suited to heavier soil conditions with periodic summer moisture and/or irrigation. It can be multi grazed and is of moderate nutrition.

Pasja/pacer brassica. They are fast growing and mature in 50-60 days and are more drought tolerant than hunter. They also have a better insect resistance and better disease resistance package.

Winfred brassica. It matures in 70-90 days. It is a cross between kale and turnips and it stays green down to 5-10 degrees. It gives one a lot of top growth and can grow as tall as 4' tall. It produces a lot of large paddle type leaves. It tends to be better in drought tolerance and disease resistance. It can be planted in June and if one clips it, it produces more leaves.

Kale. There is a number of varieties than range in maturity from 70 days up to 120 days. They can be planted earlier as a result of their slower growth pattern. The giant types take a lot longer to grow. Kales stay green down to 5-10 degrees. They tend to be more palatable than other brassicas and have better nutrition levels.

Appin turnip. They mature in 70-100 days. They don't produce that much of a bulb and are more of a heavy forage producer. They could be planted in June but early August is preferred.

Seven top turnip. It is a fast growing turnip that matures in 50 days. It is a forage turnip that is used mainly for the nutritious leaf growth. It is a cool season brassica that should only be planted in the fall.

Radish. Radishes mature in 40-50 days and produce a good amount of top growth as well as the large deep growing roots. They can be planted in the spring to help loosen the soil but they mainly are planted in august or september. They are semi cold tolerant and are more palatable than many of the traditional brassica varieties. There are numerous names for radish varieties but all daikons are of similiar genetics as they are all grown in the same area on the west coast and by a handful of seed producers.

Ethiopian cabbage. It is a fast growing, drought tolerant brassica that matures in 45-60 days. It can be planted as a warm season brassica source but then it will mature and lose quality. It should be planted as a companion crop.
 
Hey Tap, I know where you got that ;). I read it earlier when I was researching some of the varieties mentioned by others in this thread. Thanks for posting.
 
Btw, posting a link to something like that is perfectly fine. Although the cut and paste job is likely read by more on here vs a link, and now it's searchable on the forum for the next guy researching one of those varieties.
 
Could you plant a few varieties side by side to see what grows best and what the deer like? Seems like every place is a bit different. Here in se mn, im going away from ptt and using Der and groundhog radishes. I might have to try some of the hybrids listed though, they sound like good options.
 
X-2 on the Pasja. ^^^ Post #20
 
Ben.MN/WI said:
Could you plant a few varieties side by side to see what grows best and what the deer like? Seems like every place is a bit different. Here in se mn, im going away from ptt and using Der and groundhog radishes. I might have to try some of the hybrids listed though, they sound like good options.
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I think that's what I'm going to do. I usually make an order from welter's each spring. I'll try 3 or 4 different varieties from there this year. I'll seed one plot with a mix. Another (my better ground that I've been building longer) I'll do in sections and see which grows the best for me.
 
MO, what's in the Bulls-Eye brassica mix you sell? Couldn't find the type of seed on Lacrosse's web page. My deer seemed to utilize it more than the PTT/DER I've planted in the past but perhaps they're just aquiring more of a taste for brassicas.
 
MoBuckChaser said:
Bullseye is just a typhon turnip. Very expensive white turnip. That is why we only sell them in 2lb bags. Deer seem to love typhons. But you pay dearly for them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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You gave me some at Wildfire's farm tour. Figures they are spendy. Was that the only turnip in the mix? I have some video of deer throwing back their heads and seemingly choking as they try to get the down.
 
MoBuckChaser said:
Email me the video if you dont mind.

I have had many guys say the deer go nuts over those but can't figure out why. Because PTT is a white turnip white a purple covering. Typhon's are a all white turnip. But at $11lb verses $2 a lb for PTT, now you know why they have them packaged in 2lb bags.
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Bulb is small but white. Perfect eating size.
 
Is there an american seed source? I'm always up for trying new things. I did a search and everything i could find was from overseas. $11 per # is spendy but plantings of this nature require low seeding rates with plenty of room between plants. From what I could tell the Delilah and Rondo stubble turnips had white bulb that is much smaller than a ptt.
 
Green Cover Seed has some interesting seeds available in their catalog. African Cabbage, a few different radishes, and collards (and other stuff, too). I'd like to hear about experiences with collards, African Cabbage and maybe a few other things in their catalog. Check out the link and post some thoughts.
https://smartstore.greencoverseed.com/product-category/brassicas


Green Cover Seed also publishes this, but I couldn't find it on their website...

(cut and pasted from their email newsletter)
If you have not gotten your copy of our brand new beautiful 44 page Soil Health Resource Guide, see as at one of the events listed below or call us or email us to request your free copy. This publication features great soil health information on why and how to use cover crops, cover crop selection, herbicide use, fertility, cover crops and grazing, and much, much more. A good resource for you as well as anyone who is interested in learning more about soil health. Consider getting a few extra copies and giving them to your landlords as a resource to support what you are doing for the health of their soil!
Call us at 402-469-6784 or email Adam for a copy adam@greencoverseed.com
 
If I am not mistaken, Stu planted some Ethiopian Cabbage either last year or the year before, so he may have some insight on those.
 
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