Brassicas

[KSQ2]

Paul, a couple of weeks ago we planted 1/2 an acre of forage rape and turnips. We put down about 170 lbs. of urea after broadcasting the seed. We covered it all with a 5 by 12' chainlink drag with cinder blocks on it. We dragged before and after broadcasting. It looked great by the time we were done. This was the problem, although the soil had some moisture in it, by the time we disked, and dragged two times, the soil was getting pretty dry. We planted on Aug. 22nd and today (Sept. 2) we're getting our first rain. I could see some plants getting a start this past Saturday when I took a look at it. Will the remaining seed come up with the rain, or has it been too long? I guess if they don't come up, we'll have a very nicely prepared spot for a little more winter wheat.

 

[dbltree]

Will the remaining seed come up with the rain, or has it been too long?

It should come up as long as none of it got buried to deep or anything. I have seen germination be spotty for several weeks until rain spurred it on.

 

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

My brassicas have been eaten to the stem as well and the foxtail is overtaking the plot. What a change from last year. Next year its going to be rye and peas only. :drink1:

 

[dbltree]

My brassicas have been eaten to the stem as well and the foxtail is overtaking the plot. What a change from last year. Next year its going to be rye and peas only. :drink1:

Amazing, once they figure out how tasty they are they can smoke the whole plot in days!

I couldn't believe it when they even reached inside the exclusion cage and ate those off as well!

I have nearly 3 acres total and they are just killing of them!

While the exact same brassicas I planted on a friends place remain untouched and are growing like crazy!

Some folks are noticing the "purple" color or stunted brassicas which is almost always nutrient deficiencies which usually is from lack of nitrogen.

Brassicas are like corn and are heavy nitrogen users and require 60-90#'s of actual nitrogen tilled in at planting to keep them growing and flourishing.

Heavy rains have leached some nitrogen beyond root zones so top dressing addtional nitrogen may be necessary.

If using urea be sure to apply it within 24 hours of a minumum 1/2" of rain or risk losing it to denitrification.

If deer devour your brassicas then following them with more brassicas may bring about no harm but if they don't eat them, the rotting leftovers make a breeding place for disease and pests and you are better off rotating to a different crop...

 

[dbltree]

My friend Cory sent me some pics of his Purple Tops and rape...

Beautiful brassicas!! :way:

Looks like his fall cereal grains are coming on great too!

Those brassicas are yet another example of why if they are properly planted and fertilized...your not going to get other crops to grow with them once they form a canopy! :way:

 

[KSQ2]

Paul, what do you think about Evolved Harvest seed? First of all, is five lbs. enough to plant a half acre? I followed their directions to a tee, and almost nothing germinated (1% germination would be generous). I'll be replanting to wheat in a week or two now. From the description I gave you above, do you think I used too much fertilizer and burned the seed? I'm just about ready to pull my hair out! This is the second time I've tried Evolved Harvest, both times the results were pitiful.

 

[dbltree]

Paul, what do you think about Evolved Harvest seed? First of all, is five lbs. enough to plant a half acre? I followed their directions to a tee, and almost nothing germinated (1% germination would be generous). I'll be replanting to wheat in a week or two now. From the description I gave you above, do you think I used too much fertilizer and burned the seed? I'm just about ready to pull my hair out! This is the second time I've tried Evolved Harvest, both times the results were pitiful.

I don't know anything about that product but I have never had any brassica seed fail to come up and I have fertilized very heavily at times with no side effects.

Sow 5#'s per acre, so your seed was double what you needed.

Cultipack, sow brassica seed and re-cultipack to cover so if you had to drag seed in then it's possible that if got buried? Brassica seed is like clover seed, just barely covered or pressed into the soil.

You can always do a ragdoll test to test germination but if you have done everything else right then it would make me suspicious...

 

[KSQ2]

Perhaps I covered the seed too deep? I dragged the disked seedbed before broadcasting, then I dragged it again. It moved just enough dirt to cover the fertilizer well. I can't imagine much of it being covered more than a quarter of an inch. I don't have access to a cultipacker. They've gotten expensive around here at the auctions and most of what I plant I drill. If I can find one cheap next year, I'll probably jump on it.

 

[Hat Trick]

Brassicas at 6 weeks

The South Pasture plot is not looking good. In fact I am so disappointed in the way this plot turned out that I didn't even snap a single picture.

The Crossing Plot has some grass growing in it, but my dad hit it with select a couple days ago. That ought to do the trick, it is certainly coming on good.

The 14 acres plot is my main plot where we have implemented some manipulation tactics and created an open gate. This plot os looking awesome and has good turnip production already. The deer have yet to touch it yet.

 

[dbltree]

Looking good! What do you suppose went wrong in the one field? Did you do any soil testing before hand?

Remember to check through the edgefeathering thread to learn how to block runways to the fields and create only a few openings. This also creates edge browse at the same time...

 

[Hat Trick]

Looking good! What do you suppose went wrong in the one field? Did you do any soil testing before hand?

Remember to check through the edgefeathering thread to learn how to block runways to the fields and create only a few openings. This also creates edge browse at the same time...

Yeah, hopefully my piece on the manipulation tactics I used for the 14 acres plot will be on Midwest Whitetail next Wednesday.

We tested soil all over the farm, but not in this spot this year. We have a rotation to test certain areas every other year. However that wasn't the problem. The problem was I planted them too thick on that plot. They germinated well and were extremely thick. There is a picture back in this thread. Part of the plot it didn't germinate at all and I know it was from the problems with the ATV seeder we had(not doing that again!). Then we started to spread the fertilizer from a pull behind and the belt came off and spread it really thick in a large area and burned the field. Eventhough you helped me and gave me all the info you still have to get through all the "field issues" with the equipment and such. There is some good spots in it, but I am a perfectonist and not happy with it. I'm just glad we did the one that meant the most last (14 acres plot) to get everything sorted out.

I am trying to convince my dad we need a pull behind tiller, he's a tough sell on everything, but he'll come around like he does with everything else:grin:

Also, how much taller can I expect them to get before they reach their peak?

 

[dbltree]

Also, how much taller can I expect them to get before they reach their peak?

Mine get knee high or better with plenty of nitrogen and no grazing early in the season.

 

[Hat Trick]

Okay, that's what I thought. I am a little worried since they are only 8 inches high or so after 6 weeks. Hopefully that is normal. My dad just put 60lbs of fertilizer on them yesterday so hopefully that makes them shoot up. Remember we only put down 40lbs at the time of planting since that's all we could get at the time.

 

[risto2351]

Found a volunteer turnip the other day in my clover plot.

Hope they all grow this big.

 

[dbltree]

Hope they all grow this big.

Dang that's a dandy! :way:


Nannyslayer sent me some pics of some brassicas he seeded into a corn field that had been trashed by about 35 head of cattle that got loose in it
Nothing worse then trying to get cows out of a field of corn and they really make a mess of things as they crash around it knocking whole areas flat.

Some places you can see the flattened corn while othes the corn is standing and others where weed growth has increased no doubt due to sunlight and cattle tearing it up.

At any rate it gives plotters some options as brassicas seed is inexpensive and easy to broadcast into almost any standing crops that are at a point where enough sunlight can penetrate and give them a chance to grow.

These were planted later (then a usual planting)but anything that grows at this point is a plus and the brassicas are not competing with the corn (or soybeans) at this stage of the game.

Where landowners have wildlife damage around the edges of a corn field, short, wide row corn or better yet, early maturing soybeans, then broadcasting brassicas can just add some fall forage for less then $15 an acre...

 

[corygnc]

Canola and PT Turnips

Here is some pics of Canola and PT Turnips. Canola is closest to the camera and PT Turnips are in the back. You can see the color difference.

They look good here but haven't had much rain and look a little weak right now. I probably planted them a little too thick.

Soil Preparation and Fertizing was all from recommendations of Dbltree and it was :way:!

Thanks Again!

 

[risto2351]

Paul,
with a good chance of rain next week.
Should one do a little top dressing with some fertilizer to
possibly help the brassica catch up?

 

[dbltree]

Paul,
with a good chance of rain next week.
Should one do a little top dressing with some fertilizer to
possibly help the brassica catch up?

If you tilled in plenty of nitrogen at planting, it probably needs rain or perhaps some other missing nutrient?

The forecast I see doesn't look real promising at maybe 40%, we need 80-90% chance of a 1/2" or more before taking a chance on broadcasting urea.

Adding nitrogen can of course be helpful at this stage of the game as it can encourage a flush of new growth but rain is imperative within 24 hours and a couple tenths could actully do more harm then good.

If you give it a shot, leave a strip without any and see how it compares and consider soil testing this next winter to see if anything else is missing?

 

[dbltree]

I have brassicas planted on several farms in dozens of strips and different plots which is always interesting to see varying results.

The exact same seeds and fertilizers can yield different results if there are huge differences in grazing pressure.

I planted one strip of brassicas in a tree planting that gets heavily traveled but is also along side oat/pea plantings and now rye/oat/pea plantings as well.

I fertilized this strip heavily with 250#'s of 6-28-28, 200#'s of urea and added pell lime to boot and it now looks like this!

With the reasons fairly obvious

meanwhile on another farm where they haven't been touched, same seed same fertilizer...the results are much different!

I could throw all kinds of fertilizer on the first plot but nothing is going to bring them back at this point. Heavy grazing has removed any possiblity of canopy, and canopy is what protects the soil surface from drying out.

The last picture shows how thick and lush they are (ungrazed) and they can survive just fine on limited surface mositure because roots have traveled deep into the subsoil at this point.

The decimated brassicas have shallow root systems simply because they have put all their energy into growing the top or leaf portion and at this point they are all but spent.

With our first decent chance of rain due in Sunday I will broadcast winter rye onto the now bare soil at 150#'s per acre. If we get enough rain to germinate the rye, it will happily soak up the unused nitrogen in the soil and then recycle it next spring rather then "using it up" like wheat or other cereals.

 

[risto2351]

Paul,
I will hold out then.
I did till in plenty of Urea when I first planted it.

I will see what this next rain will do.
There are a couple of areas that are real sparse.
This particular area it is usually like that year after year.
Soil sample is in order I think.

Will take pictures this weekend.

Tony

If you tilled in plenty of nitrogen at planting, it probably needs rain or perhaps some other missing nutrient?

The forecast I see doesn't look real promising at maybe 40%, we need 80-90% chance of a 1/2" or more before taking a chance on broadcasting urea.

Adding nitrogen can of course be helpful at this stage of the game as it can encourage a flush of new growth but rain is imperative within 24 hours and a couple tenths could actully do more harm then good.

If you give it a shot, leave a strip without any and see how it compares and consider soil testing this next winter to see if anything else is missing?