Brassicas

[dbltree]

July 2nd, 2013

Brassica planting starts in mid July for us and then we'll switch gears and plant brassicas where the mowed rye straw is now. For the time being though we have oats and annual clovers where the brassicas were last year.



After the oats head out but are still green, we'll clip the tops off leaving only the crimson and berseem behind. Crimson has the rounder leaf on the left...crimson is NOT red clover



Berseem has an elongated leaf as you see here



Some fields we no-tilled but were unable to get sprayed but are still not doing to bad!



The oats and annual clovers are temporary cover crops that help build soils, provide nitrogen for the rye mix this fall as well as keeping our deer fat and happy!

The mowed rye ares can be soil tested as if for corn and for those preparing to stock up, the seeding rates we use as well as general fertilizer recommendations are listed below but use common sense based on soil types in your areas.

Plant ALL in one plot in strips or blocks

Alice, Kopu II, Durana (or comparable) white clover 10% of plot, sow at 6#'s per acre with the rye combination in the fall or in the spring with oats and berseem clover. Correct Ph and P&K with soil tests

Brassicas in 45% of plot

Purple Top Turnips 3#
Dwarf Essex Rape 2#
GroundHog Forage radish 5#

Plant in mid to late July in most Midwest states, or 60-90 days before your first killing frost, Use 200#'s of 46-0-0 urea and 400#'s of 6-28-28 per acre. Follow the dead brassicas with oats and berseem or crimson clover in mid spring at 50#'s oats and 12-15#'s berseem clover an/or same of crimson clover and/or 50#'s of chickling vetch)

Cereal Grain combo in 45% of plot...I use 50# each rye, oats and peas along with radish and clover seed all plant in half of each feeding area

I use 50#'s each of the following:

Winter rye 50-80#'s per acre (56#'s = a bushel)
Spring oats 50-120#'s per acre (32#'s = a bushel)
Frostmaster Winter Peas or 4010/6040 Forage peas 20-80#'s per acre

Red Clover 8-12#'s per acre or white clover at 6#'s per acre (or 20-40 pounds hairy vetch and 20-30#'s crimson clover on sandy soils)
Groundhog Forage Radish 5#'s per acre

Plant in late August to early September, if following well fertilized brassicas use 100 - 200#'s of urea, if starting a new plot add 400#'s of 6-28-28 but for best results soil test and add only what is necessary.

Rotate the brassicas and rye combo each year

 

[dbltree]

I bought a new farm and I am gonna doze 4 acres of trees and am will plant do your brassica blend.

I won't have a tractor so what is best way to till in urea (harrow it in with 4 wheeler?????)

Would you use all the fertilizer you recommend using?

Yes..harrow in best you can and if possible just before a rain to insure better/full incorporation. A woodland area will likely be severely deficient in all nutrients and also expect very low PH, so apply lime as needed per soil test.

Brassicas are like corn, they require copious amounts of nitrogen which is not storable in the soil such as P&K are, so 200#'s of urea will increase yields significantly. Expect heavy grazing so as I always I recommend planting 1/2 the area to the rye mix to provide diversity, avoid having deer decimate brassicas and to provide a food source until spring. Timbered areas also have very low organic matter so beginning a rye mix/brassica rotation will allow one to start the slow building process

Plant ALL in one plot in strips or blocks

Alice, Kopu II, Durana (or comparable) white clover 10% of plot, sow at 6#'s per acre with the rye combination in the fall or in the spring with oats and berseem clover. Correct Ph and P&K with soil tests

Brassicas in 45% of plot

Purple Top Turnips 3#
Dwarf Essex Rape 2#
GroundHog Forage radish 5#

Plant in mid to late July in most Midwest states, or 60-90 days before your first killing frost, Use 200#'s of 46-0-0 urea and 400#'s of 6-28-28 per acre. Follow the dead brassicas with oats and berseem or crimson clover in mid spring at 50#'s oats and 12-15#'s berseem clover an/or same of crimson clover and/or 50#'s of chickling vetch)

Cereal Grain combo in 45% of plot...I use 50# each rye, oats and peas along with radish and clover seed all plant in half of each feeding area

I use 50#'s each of the following:

Winter rye 50-80#'s per acre (56#'s = a bushel)
Spring oats 50-120#'s per acre (32#'s = a bushel)
Frostmaster Winter Peas or 4010/6040 Forage peas 20-80#'s per acre

Red Clover 8-12#'s per acre or white clover at 6#'s per acre (or 20-40 pounds hairy vetch and 20-30#'s crimson clover on sandy soils)
Groundhog Forage Radish 5#'s per acre

Plant in late August to early September, if following well fertilized brassicas use 100 - 200#'s of urea, if starting a new plot add 400#'s of 6-28-28 but for best results soil test and add only what is necessary.

Rotate the brassicas and rye combo each year

 

[stevep]

Dbltree,

I'm getting ready (probably last week of July) to plant brassicas into a newly dozed field. Lime has been applied, and I will have P&K numbers based off of my soil test. Is 200# per acre of urea a good number to go with at initial planting?

 

[dbltree]

Yes...brassicas are heavy nitrogen users and can easily require 100-150# of nitrogen so 200#'s of 46-0-0 urea will usually do the trick

 

[jerred44]

is july 18th or 19th in mid central illinois too early to plant brassicas

 

[goatman]

is july 18th or 19th in mid central illinois too early to plant brassicas

Hope not. I'm planning on getting started. May put some in this weekend.

 

[dbltree]

is july 18th or 19th in mid central illinois too early to plant brassicas

Perfect!

My friend Doug sent me a handy link:

Nutrient Knowledge

Brassicas require high levels of NPK if you want them to perform well, although they may do well on rich, healthy soils with little or no inputs. Like corn however they can easily remove 100#'s each of all three essential nutrients each year which, then is the basis for my suggested 200#'s 46-0-0 urea (N) and 400#'s 6-28-28 tilled in each year before plating brassicas. Always soil test to be certain but nitrogen is not storeable in the soil like P and K and generally is not part of a standard soil test.

Some soils may be very high (or low) in either P or K so may require only one or the other, in which case 6-28-28 would not be appropriate but your local extension agent or Crop Service can offer more information on soils in your area.

a few things to remember...plant 90 days ahead of your average first frost (July 15th to August 1st in Midwest)

Spread fertilizers and lime and till in immediately...urea can be lost to the atmosphere in 24 hours during hot humid weather so till under right after applying fertilizer and cultipack. Broadcast or drill in seed....remember it is very tiny so open gate on bag seeder just enough to let seeds pass thru. Walk one way and then crossways to first pass for more even coverage.

Weigh out seed and measure area to be planted rather then guess and be tempted to apply more seed, applying too much seed is biggest cause for failure in brassica plots. They will perform poorly if plants are too thick. Once seed is broadcast, follow up with a cultipacker to cover seeds in top 1/8" to 1/4" of soil. An ATV/UTV will also work, just drive back and forth using tires to firm soil but do not, disc, drag or till seed in!

Do NOT mix winter rye, oats, ryegrass, clovers etc. with brassicas as they become a "weed" and compete with brassicas for sun, water and nutrients not unlike grass in corn!

Because have a business we use a drill to plant ours which is so much nicer because seed placement and population is precise and accurate but a $25,000 drill is not realistic for the average landowner nor is it necessary. Please share pics of your own planting equipment and growth progress as the season progresses and by so doing, help others learn as well.

Happy planting :way:

Plant ALL in one plot in strips or blocks

Alice, Kopu II, Durana (or comparable) white clover 10% of plot, sow at 6#'s per acre with the rye combination in the fall or in the spring with oats and berseem clover. Correct Ph and P&K with soil tests

Brassicas in 45% of plot

Purple Top Turnips 3#
Dwarf Essex Rape 2#
GroundHog Forage radish 5#

Plant in mid to late July in most Midwest states, or 60-90 days before your first killing frost, Use 200#'s of 46-0-0 urea and 400#'s of 6-28-28 per acre. Follow the dead brassicas with oats and berseem or crimson clover in mid spring at 50#'s oats and 12-15#'s berseem clover an/or same of crimson clover and/or 50#'s of chickling vetch)

Cereal Grain combo in 45% of plot...I use 50# each rye, oats and peas along with radish and clover seed all plant in half of each feeding area

I use 50#'s each of the following:

Winter rye 50-80#'s per acre (56#'s = a bushel)
Spring oats 50-120#'s per acre (32#'s = a bushel)
Frostmaster Winter Peas or 4010/6040 Forage peas 20-80#'s per acre

Red Clover 8-12#'s per acre or white clover at 6#'s per acre (or 20-40 pounds hairy vetch and 20-30#'s crimson clover on sandy soils)
Groundhog Forage Radish 5#'s per acre

Plant in late August to early September, if following well fertilized brassicas use 100 - 200#'s of urea, if starting a new plot add 400#'s of 6-28-28 but for best results soil test and add only what is necessary.

Rotate the brassicas and rye combo each year

 

[jjohnson]

I sprayed 2 acres on the 11th plan on working the field up in the next 10 days. Should I disc in fertilizer even if the field don't get planted right away. Hopefully rain will be in the forecast right after we disc but if its not will the fertilizer still do its job.

 

[Sligh1]

I sprayed 2 acres on the 11th plan on working the field up in the next 10 days. Should I disc in fertilizer even if the field don't get planted right away. Hopefully rain will be in the forecast right after we disc but if its not will the fertilizer still do its job.

Absolutely. If you are putting down Urea (N). You have to cover it or it will go by-by within a day. Not critical if no N is applied but still will help with P&K. Considering they are brassicas, likely the most important component is N and what you're talking about.
*Obviously N is Nitrogen, most forms folks on here use being Urea, the 1st number folks see on a bag like 46-0-0 or whatever. 6-24-24 being more P&K but still some N. Each # represents % or how many lbs it would be per 100 lbs of that fert.

 

[jjohnson]

Thanks Skip. You hear different things from different people and I've always just spread fertilizer and seed and left it. Sounds like I was doing it wrong all along. Stepped up the plots this year from an acre or two to 5-6 acres so I don't want to be screwing it up.

 

[Sligh1]

Thanks Skip. You hear different things from different people and I've always just spread fertilizer and seed and left it. Sounds like I was doing it wrong all along. Stepped up the plots this year from an acre or two to 5-6 acres so I don't want to be screwing it up.

You're darn right about that!!! I even know farmers that do a lot of things wrong, especially when it's "for the deer". Ton of bad info out there, even with the "experts". You stick with the Dbltree and you'll be all set! :way:

 

[Trappertim]

I was brave and planted this weekend.. here's a pic of finished product. 20 ft strip of clover around the outside.. brassica mix is left of the clover with the rye straw on top. To the left of that I Will do the cereal mix in aug. Thanks dbltree

 

[risto2351]

Well looking at the long range forecast next week looks to be dry.

I was going to start some planting this weekend but am now having second thoughts.

I have everything tilled under and ready to go. Just need a small window.

What is everyone else thinking? Wait a week?

Thanks !!

 

[dbltree]

Jess is tilling in fertilizer this week and will plant following that, plenty of subsoil moisture so if seed is planted, it will germinate when we get rain. 90% of our brassicas are planted in rye straw/roots so moisture is there while new sod may be a different story....

 

[northcedar]

I went ahead and hand spread some in between corn rows today. It's my second year of trying it. Last year didn't get them germinated until later in August and they didn't get more than about 3" tall. GFS says rain likely this weekend but Euro model has it pretty dry for an extended period. I assume they can lay there for a while?

 

[risto2351]

Another question for you food plot pros. :way:

I have a u shaped plot. Woods three sides and open field on the North side.

I planted EW and Milo on the open side, about a 10 ' strip for security reasons.

What has been working for everyone, strip plots and how big?
It is approx. 80 yards wide. Could do 2 brassicas and 2 rye at 20 yards apiece?

or

Big blocks. Could section it off in 4 sections?

I also could do it 50-50. That way it would not be so hard when I switch the two

next year.


Thanks for your help.

 

[stevep]

Planted my brassicas this morning and it was starting to rain just as I was finishing up. Dried out for the afternoon, and then started raining again as I was leaving. Hoping to get a good plot. We'll see how it goes.

 

[AIRASSAULT]

The last 3 rain storms to go through I havent gotten a drop.. literally right on the edge of all of them.. i think my yard is more brown now than i was last year.. fortunately I can water my whole plot with a garden hose!

 

[Spiider]

Hello - looking for some confirmation on what I believe I'm supposed to do. I'm about to do my first plot rotation from the winter rye mix to the Brassica mix. Last week I brush hogged down the plot, this weekend I spread lime and fertilizer and disced it all up at 1-2".

I'm going to put down the Brassica mix this week, do I need to do anything other than spread and then cultipack? Or does it require any further discing than what I did after I fertilized yesterday?

 

[stevep]

Planted this weekend.

Some pics from yesterday's brassica planting. This is a first time plot on ground that we bulldozed late last year. Trying to get it in shape for some plots. It's come a long way in 6 months.

After running a harrow over it to break up the soil, and work the fertilizer in just a bit:

My "tractor"... LOL. This ATV worked awesome, considering that it's the only thing I have available to work the plots.

After broadcasting the seed. This field is going to have Dwarf Essex Rape, Purple Top Turnips & Groundhog Radishes.

After Cultipacking:

And this is how it looked as it started to drizzle when I was leaving. This is my first ever plot, so I'm anxiously watching it to see what I've done right and what I've done wrong. The other half of this field is going to be clover / winter rye, which I'll be planting mid-August.