This fall I did a plot a little over half an acre of rape, turnips, and sugar beets (half throw n mow and it turned out awesome). I would like to plant, preferably throw n mow, something in the spring so that it does t go to weeds and plan to plant brassicas again in the late summer. Any suggestions out there? I’m in northern Indiana zone 5b
What to plant after brassicas
- Thread starter tbarile
- Start date
WTNUT
5 year old buck +
Not sure where you are, but a cheap clover seed is always good. Go make your own mix of reds and whites. Berseem clover will germinate well and start early in the spring in most areas. The clover will add N to the ground when you burn it down with Gly next fall.
As you know brassicas are good natural weed suppression tools as well.
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Diesel5610
5 year old buck +
I have frost seeded Medium Red clover in my turnip plots with very good luck and use it for your scenario fairly often. They have a Berseem that is reportedly able to be frost seeded now, I see it listed in Welters, I have not tried it. I have also done buckwheat but you need to wait a little longer before seeding as the buckwheat needs a warmer soil before planting. You need to seed a bit heavy with the buckwheat as it is better being lightly disced but you can just broadcast it, especially right before a good rain and good soil contact.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I like crimson clover and will be doing what you are planning this spring as well.
Rit
5 year old buck +
They call it Frosty Berseem.
Does anyone know if Buckwheat seeds that don’t germinate in the fall are viable the next spring? I had a good crop of BW that went to seed. I had another crop come in from the seed and some of that went to seed. It was shorter than the initial crop but did get some use.
Northwoods Whitetails
A good 3 year old buck
We follow Brassica with a spring planting of peas/oats/ crimson clover combo.
The old dbltree/Lickcreek method.
The old dbltree/Lickcreek method.
Northwoods Whitetails
A good 3 year old buck
One thing I tried as an experiment was to add 100 pounds of inoculated winter peas per acre to the brassica plots. One of the notill guys I follow ( Dave Brandt ) always planted winter peas and radishes ( in preparation for corn the next spring). He believes the nodulation from the peas increased the size of the radishes by 20%. It was the first time trying it. I will admit, I had the best stand of brassica ever. But I also got the fertilizer inputs right as I had a soil test done prior to planting.
How are you planting this? Thanks
Wild Thing
5 year old buck +
I wouldn't recommend planting brassicas in the same plot again this year. It is usually best to rotate something else into it the following year to reduce the risk of pests/disease. This was recommended by Paul Knox (AKA Lickcreek/Dbltree). I usually plant oats and mammoth red clover to keep the weeds at bay and then do a fall planting of cereal grains and clover and then rotate back to brassicas the following year.
if I remember reading that correctly I think he recommended no more than two years in a row of brassica before rotating out??
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
I have went 5 years in a row with no issues, but I plant Winter rye in it in the fall, and it comes up in the spring then I let it grow antil it dies out on its own, then plant brassicas back into it again in July, rinse and repeat. No disease issues for me.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
For others reading this, If you're not also planting clover with your rye, you should. The N that the clover fixes is a much more plant available form of N than the commercial fertilizers many of us use on our plots. Plus over the years you are going to lower the amount of weed competition you have instead of increase it by commercial fertilizer and herbicide use.
Rit
5 year old buck +
Just curious of your planting time. Do you plant your brassicas mid July/early August then broadcast WR later? I’m heading into year 3 of a similar roatation but I think I had some disease issues this year. I planted everything mid August this year and my WR got taller than I would have liked by October and was covered in black spots.
I plan on putting in a late Spring cover crop and want to convert to brassicas around August 1st then top seed WR around September 1st.
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
I am north of you, so my dates are probably a couple weeks ahead of yours, but I plant my brassicas 4th of July weekend, then I plant the winter rye Labor day weekend. Mostly for the convenience of having the extra time to do so, then the dates, but it has worked well with me.
I do like the idea of planting clover in the rotation in the fall, I did this the first couple years, but then I was discing everything up, now I lightly drag it to expose black dirt, then spread the seed.
I do like the idea of planting clover in the rotation in the fall, I did this the first couple years, but then I was discing everything up, now I lightly drag it to expose black dirt, then spread the seed.
so what do you do before you plant your fall seeds in your clovr and rye do you spray it or what
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4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
The only time I have sprayed was when I first started the plot, and I will spot spray when needed. There is basically always something growing, and I just add the seed into what is growing. Basically to start with I would just spray this spring, and again late June, plant your brassicas early July, then toss winter rye and clover seed into the standing brassicas, then as the brassicas die off the winter rye grows in? Then come spring, the clover, and winter rye really take off, then the rye will die off early June, then I seed the brassicas into the winter rye and knock the winter rye over with a drag to cover the seed, then repeat again in the fall. The clover I would assume would continue to grow throughout the year. I had only planted the clover in my plot on year one.
