Brassica planting times

[Tmayer13]

So I learned brassica planting dates like most on this site from Double tree. I have always followed his timing of planting around the end of July and always had beautiful large lush brassicas. Today I was listening to a podcast where they were talking with someone from Real World wildlife seed and they continuously talked about planting their brassica seed around labor day...and it got me thinking that alot of "TV hunters" you see on social media all plant them later into August. I've never planted mine late so I have no clue how they would turn out but I have to imagine they would have subpar bulb growth...or maybe they really don't know to plant them earlier? I just find it odd that the only people I know that plant brassicas at what I would call the right time frame are people from this site. I realize it varies on location but these today we're from Illinois and Wisconsin. Just wondering what others thoughts are on this

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[northcedar]

I'm in your camp. I've heard all the Labor day stuff before too and still don't buy it. They'd never amount to anything if I tried it that late. If it's mid July it's game on and I'll be keeping my eyes peeled on the big rain chances. If I can't get them in by the 1st week of August I'm worried. It's worth mentioning that most of my plots don't get all day sun, and I don't typically use commercial fertilizer.

 

[Daver]

There are many variables, and some of the key ones have already been mentioned in the first two posts...soil quality, exposure to sunlight, fertilizer usage, soil dryness, subsequent rains, etc. I have planted brassicas even a little after Labor Day and still been satisfied with how they turned out...although that is pushing it on the lateness scale. If that late, I use relatively few turnips and tilt the mix more towards radishes, as the turnip bulbs need more time to grow. I plan on planting most of my brassicas this coming weekend...a little later than I prefer, but it has been so dry in my area again this year that I have learned that I am better off waiting a little later and getting into some rain than planting them in dust and then getting NOTHING in the way of rain on them for a couple of weeks.

I did plant rutabagas about 3 weeks ago now, they definitely need the extra time to grow the bulbs. I would have been glad to plant the turnips and radishes this past weekend, as we did get about 0.7" yesterday, but we had out of town plans and it wasn't feasible for me. Your results may vary depending on a range of factors, but generally, it is good to get them in late July to early August...but it can be done IMO all the way up to Labor Day...although the later you go, the less growth, particularly as it relates to the bulbs, you will get.

Add - I am in far southern Iowa...not quite Missouri, but things could also vary by where you are in terms of north and south, etc.

 

[NWBuck]

I'm up north in the state, and I'd probably opt for rye grass if planted as late as labor day. A lot of that gets put in as a cover crop up here after silage gets cut in September, and it can be a late season deer magnet. I also don't like putting turnips in much before the last couple of days in July...turnips get too big. I shoot for rain in the forecast sometime in the first week of August, but I've put them in as late as August 18 with good results. I think ours went in on July 29 and August 5 this year.

NWBuck

 

[cybball]

Got my turnips and radishes planted July 31st. Rained on them that night and several times since. Went today and the sides of my plot (sides of a ridge) looked awesome. Coming up thick and nice. Middle strip that runs the top of the ridge was sparse. Glad I got them in when I fid though. Still also going to put in winter wheat and rye and some clover Labor Day weekend.


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