shade tolerant brassicas

[Mike Bolin]

I am wondering about the shade tolerance of brassicas in general. I have close to a 1/2 mile (by 6'-10' wide) of old skidder trails that get 4-5 hours of sunlight that I am wanting to plant a fall and winter food source on. The trails have been in a white clover/winter rye mix for 2 to 4 years, depending on the trail. These trails get hit hard and I have been overseeding with WR and clover in late August early September. The trails lead to a 1/4 acre opening that was a staging area when it was logged 4 1/2 years ago. The 1/4 acre is planted in a red/white clover mix and is doing great. So thick and lush that it's hard to walk thru.

I did a little chainsaw work today to try and get a bit more sunlight to the trails. PH on the trails vary from 6.0 to 6.5 via 2 samples from each trail. I also applied 200# of pelletized lime to the trails this afternoon, ahead of rain forecast for late tomorrow on thru Friday.

Any input as to whether a brassica blend has a chance to grow in these conditions? Late August thru September, 2/3 of the trails will gradually pick up an additional hour or so of direct sunlight.

 

[Diesel5610]

The brassica plots that I have done in my woods plots where they get about the sunlight you are describing have never done well. I have tried a few times and keep going back to rye, oats and clover for those plots in the fall and buckwheat through summer when the clover gets thin. The brassicas grow but never as well as they should without decent sunlight.

 

[DDC]

agree with Diesel. Never had a good plot with that much sunlight. Oats, rye and wheat are a different story but my brassicas looked really thin and ugly.

 

[Tap]

Look into Winfred hybrid turnips.
I got some mail ordered Winfred seed in Feb. There was a handful of spilled seed in the box. I have a thread titled "My new plot", about some of the spilled seed getting into a relief cut in my sidewalk and it germinated and grew (tiny plants) for of 2 months before it died from lack of soil.

I tossed a little of the seed under a blue spruce along my driveway. The spruce had the bottom 5 feet of branches removed and I just frost seeded into the bed of pine needles. The spot is on a North slope, and under a dense pine canopy. It MIGHT get 2 hours or less of low angle, low intensity, eastern sun. I was amazed at how well the turnips did. I plant on experimenting with some larger, shade plots in July.
For a while, we were picking a few of the leaves each night to add to our salad. It was delicious. Well, I guess the deer discovered it because it's been pretty much wiped out.
Here's the "spruce plot"...

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[Mike Bolin]

Tap-I went back and read your post. Thanks for the input! No more area than I am dealing with, I am going to give the Winifred a shot on at least a couple of the trails. Thanks again!-Mike

 

[Tap]

Tap-I went back and read your post. Thanks for the input! No more area than I am dealing with, I am going to give the Winifred a shot on at least a couple of the trails. Thanks again!-Mike

You're welcome and I hope it works for you. Finding shade tolerant forages is a hurdle for lots of us. There just aren't very many things that do well in shade.
My experience with Winfred is extremely limited, to say the least, so I'll be anxious to hear how it works out for other guys.
Keep us posted on your success.

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