Z7ohio32
Z7ohio32
I am concerned about planting my Brassica plot too early. I planted it the 1st of July ( after reading it's best to plant mid to late July). The plot is healthy, and has had great rain supply. But I fear it may start to rot by the time it frosts here, which is usually the second week of october. Is it in trouble?
loneranger
Well-Known Member
your lucky to have had a great rain supply. Mine is still and not germinating in the dust.
dbltree
Super Moderator
It may be fine, a little borderline but I would just watch that it doesn't start going to seed in late September, if not it should work out ok for you...
Z7ohio32
Z7ohio32
dbltree said:It may be fine, a little borderline but I would just watch that it doesn't start going to seed in late September, if not it should work out ok for you...
Thanks for the input dbltree. I hope it lasts till the frost hits. Really want the deer to benefit from it. I'll keep ya updated with pics.
dbltree
Super Moderator
August 14th, 2011
I planted brassicas on farms that spanned a roughly 50 mile stretch which of course have received varying amounts of rainfall. The whole area has been excessively dry with the last significant rainfall on June 28th, so with planting done the third week of July all soils were powder dry already.
Near my home we have had less then a 1/2" in 46 days now and it had virtually no effect on the dry soils which still look like this...
Zero germination thanks to no rain and mediocre organic matter
leaving nothing but bare, empty fields
35 miles to the west they received an inch of rain on top of the 1/2" we had and germination has now reached nearly 80-90%
Sown with a Brillion seeder, the seeding is uniform and coming up well
Fields with poor organic matter are a little less uniform
Then those with better OM
The Groundhog forage radish are clearly growing faster then the rape and turnips
15 miles east with .400" of rain since planting but higher OM thanks to rye/clover plow downs germination is not uniform but growth after germination is good despite the drought.
We have had day after day in which the forecast called for "drenching" rains of 1-2" and yet received not a single drop, so at this point I have little confidence in forecast from anyone. We have been by passed by storms when the forecast called for 70-100% chance of rain...that's just life and a reminder that regardless of how well we prepare, how much money we spend and how correct our planting procedures...we have zero control over the weather. Too much or too little can lead to complete failures or at best mediocre results.
Our only defense is to rely on multiple crops in each plot or field so that one can carry the load when another fails. Building soil organic matter and improving soil nutrients through crop rotations, tilling under green manure crops and soil testing to help us maintain balanced levels of soil nutrients and PH can be great "crop insurance" when the weather challenges us.
On some fields a rain now and then may get us by, on others it will be "rye to the rescue" as we re-plant using rye as the cornerstone in a mix that is far more drought tolerant.
Once brassicas get a good start they can take some dry weather and a friend was fortunate to get an inch of rain right after planting which made a significant difference in growth! He is hoping for rain just as I am but for now...his sure look a lot more promising!
I planted brassicas on farms that spanned a roughly 50 mile stretch which of course have received varying amounts of rainfall. The whole area has been excessively dry with the last significant rainfall on June 28th, so with planting done the third week of July all soils were powder dry already.
Near my home we have had less then a 1/2" in 46 days now and it had virtually no effect on the dry soils which still look like this...
Zero germination thanks to no rain and mediocre organic matter
leaving nothing but bare, empty fields
35 miles to the west they received an inch of rain on top of the 1/2" we had and germination has now reached nearly 80-90%
Sown with a Brillion seeder, the seeding is uniform and coming up well
Fields with poor organic matter are a little less uniform
Then those with better OM
The Groundhog forage radish are clearly growing faster then the rape and turnips
15 miles east with .400" of rain since planting but higher OM thanks to rye/clover plow downs germination is not uniform but growth after germination is good despite the drought.
We have had day after day in which the forecast called for "drenching" rains of 1-2" and yet received not a single drop, so at this point I have little confidence in forecast from anyone. We have been by passed by storms when the forecast called for 70-100% chance of rain...that's just life and a reminder that regardless of how well we prepare, how much money we spend and how correct our planting procedures...we have zero control over the weather. Too much or too little can lead to complete failures or at best mediocre results.
Our only defense is to rely on multiple crops in each plot or field so that one can carry the load when another fails. Building soil organic matter and improving soil nutrients through crop rotations, tilling under green manure crops and soil testing to help us maintain balanced levels of soil nutrients and PH can be great "crop insurance" when the weather challenges us.
On some fields a rain now and then may get us by, on others it will be "rye to the rescue" as we re-plant using rye as the cornerstone in a mix that is far more drought tolerant.
Once brassicas get a good start they can take some dry weather and a friend was fortunate to get an inch of rain right after planting which made a significant difference in growth! He is hoping for rain just as I am but for now...his sure look a lot more promising!
Same central Iowa plot at 3 weeks, what a difference. Dbltree - we can not thank you enough for all the information that we have gained from you over the last year. Everything from seed and fertilizer rates to planting times. We've followed your instructions and look what has happened. Thank you!
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Southern Iowa brassica mix after one week and a couple inches of rain. This was pasture before being tilled under and seeded, no tilled corn to the right got planted late and sprayed late isn't going to produce any corn, good advice on having multiple food sources in one spot as clover and brassicas are going to make it. Thanks again Dbltree!
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KSQ2
PMA Member
Weather is a funny thing. Three weeks ago I was wondering about planting our brassicas in mid-Aug. b/c of the lack of rain. NOW that's it's planting time, I'm having to wait a week longer than anticipated b/c it's too wet. I'll be the first to admit, a WONDERFUL problem to have. Looks like I'll be able to get them in tomorrow evening, we've already tilled in beans and some corn, that both were hit hard by the deer, along with urea. One more quick round with the disk and cultipacker, and we'll be ready to go!
I'll be the first to admit, a WONDERFUL problem to have. Looks like I'll be able to get them in tomorrow evening, we've already tilled in beans and some corn, that both were hit hard by the deer, along with urea. One more quick round with the disk and cultipacker, and we'll be ready to go!We FINALLY are getting a rain in central IA. I ran out in the rain this morning and over seeded some brassicas into my soybeans which were thin in spots. Of course the forecast was calling for rain tom. so I was planning on seeding them today before the rain. But I woke up and it was drizzling so I ran out and did them. We needed a rain bad.
Central Iowa
Life Member
I have some grass coming up in my plots is Clethodim the best choice for this?
Seen the brassica plots for the first time last weekend since planting they look not to bad but a little behind where they should be. looks like we got lucky around the 24th (based on trail cam picts) and caught one of the big isolated southern Iowa storms as we had 3" in the rain gauge.With this mornings rain I think they will make it.
Seen the brassica plots for the first time last weekend since planting they look not to bad but a little behind where they should be. looks like we got lucky around the 24th (based on trail cam picts) and caught one of the big isolated southern Iowa storms as we had 3" in the rain gauge.With this mornings rain I think they will make it.
dbltree
Super Moderator
Three inches!!
....thats not fair Travis! three tenths is a big event over my way...Yep...use 8 ounces of clethodim and 1 quart of crop oil to safely kill grasses in brassicas :way:
Little River Ridge
New Member
"Be careful what you wish for"... That is what I am hearing with the fact that our farm looks to be getting 3+ inches today. We got our 2.5-3 acres of brassicas in the ground last Thursday. The problem is that over half of the plot has poorly drained soil. Will this rain flood them out or is this rain good for them? There shouldn't be too much standing water but the soil will be VERY wet for awhile. THis is our first food plot on the new farm so we are excited about it but nervous as well.
dbltree
Super Moderator
We had brassicas flooded out last year or at least severely impacted by saturated soils so so it can be a problem. In your case it may be fine if sunshine follows for the next few days.
We got just enough to settle the dust...
Central Iowa
Life Member
dbltree said:
Thanks Paul!
bearcatbaseball10
Member
Dbltree,
I have a couple of pictures to ask you about. They are our plots as of today Aug. 18th, they have a mixture of 1 lb DER, 1.5 lbs of each PT and Burkrant Turnips, and 2 lbs GHR per acre. I know that there are a few brassicas in there for sure, which I assume are the ground hogs because of their nature in size....but I'm not for sure. Also, there is a bunch of other small plants in the plot, but with not much experience with this mix, I can't tell if the majority of this is pigweed, or if it is infact brassicas. I know that there is 5 brassicas for in this picture, but all the others....weeds or ?
Here is what the plot looks like standing in the middle and looking back to the south....the WHOLE plot looks like this...so part of me is hoping more of it is brassicas than weeds....
I have a couple of pictures to ask you about. They are our plots as of today Aug. 18th, they have a mixture of 1 lb DER, 1.5 lbs of each PT and Burkrant Turnips, and 2 lbs GHR per acre. I know that there are a few brassicas in there for sure, which I assume are the ground hogs because of their nature in size....but I'm not for sure. Also, there is a bunch of other small plants in the plot, but with not much experience with this mix, I can't tell if the majority of this is pigweed, or if it is infact brassicas. I know that there is 5 brassicas for in this picture, but all the others....weeds or ?
Here is what the plot looks like standing in the middle and looking back to the south....the WHOLE plot looks like this...so part of me is hoping more of it is brassicas than weeds....