Thinking about adding brassicas to my Fall mix

[Mike Bolin]

Last winter I opened up a 1/4 acre for an additional food plot. I had some forage oats left over from last year so I planted them this spring primarily as a cover crop. The oats have died off now and the smartweed was starting to take over, so I mowed the plot and the sprayed it with glyphosate 4 days after mowing.
If weather permits, I am going to spread a ton of ag lime and 150# of fertilizer (per my soil test) next week and disc it in. Then plan to wait a couple of weeks and spot spray any new weeds. Mid to late August my intent is to plant a clover mix with winter rye as a cover crop. Big Tine is a local company, well known for their deer feed/supplements. They have gotten into the food plot seed business and gave me a brassica mix to try out. Having never planted brassicas before, I am wondering if any of you have had any success planting brassicas into a clover/rye mix? The brassica mix I have is for 1/4 acre and I'm not sure how much, if any of the brassica to add to the plot. I do have a couple of 1/8 acre spots that I could plant the brassicas, but am thinking the diversity in the new 1/4 acre plot would be a good idea. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[scott44]

Last winter I opened up a 1/4 acre for an additional food plot. I had some forage oats left over from last year so I planted them this spring primarily as a cover crop. The oats have died off now and the smartweed was starting to take over, so I mowed the plot and the sprayed it with glyphosate 4 days after mowing.
If weather permits, I am going to spread a ton of ag lime and 150# of fertilizer (per my soil test) next week and disc it in. Then plan to wait a couple of weeks and spot spray any new weeds. Mid to late August my intent is to plant a clover mix with winter rye as a cover crop. Big Tine is a local company, well known for their deer feed/supplements. They have gotten into the food plot seed business and gave me a brassica mix to try out. Having never planted brassicas before, I am wondering if any of you have had any success planting brassicas into a clover/rye mix? The brassica mix I have is for 1/4 acre and I'm not sure how much, if any of the brassica to add to the plot. I do have a couple of 1/8 acre spots that I could plant the brassicas, but am thinking the diversity in the new 1/4 acre plot would be a good idea. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

I'd add them maybe 1/4 - 1/2 the bag of brassica mix I'd want about 1-2# / acre equivalent.

 

[jsasker007]

Sounds like good advice above. If you go too heavy on seeding rate it will dominate instead of compliment the plot.

 

[BuckSutherland]

I would most certainly skip the disk. If you have the plot dead just broad cast the seed and fertilizer and leave it. The disk is gonna germinate a whole bunch of extra weeds for you to deal with.

 

[Bill]

Don’t know where you are located. So this advice is climate dependent. In N MO I always add clover to my brassicas planted mid July to early august. The clovers won’t do much until spring so their not competing with anything.

From good advice I never added rye or any grains to brassicas because they can out compete them.

but since I’ve learned that if I come back mid September and broadcast rye into established brassicas it works out great. Enough time for the rye to germinate but not dominate. Then in the spring the rye nurses the clover along and the brassicas are long since dead.
Won’t work in the south but shines in the north.

 

[Mike Bolin]

Thanks for the feedback gentlemen!
Bill, I am in west central Indiana so broadcasting the rye in September should work out fine. Thanks again!