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Brassicas

loneranger said:
As I said, had to till up an area that had radish and turnip up and growing in it. But weeds were taking over. Since new planting,,now need just a little rain to get it goin. After constant deluges for 3 months,,weather service is beginning to down play rain chances. This morn was a storm just west of me about 20 miles but it died. After all the moisture,,Ironic that I need just a little. I think we may have turned the corner on widespread deluges?
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My plots are a watery, weedy mess. I am done, this will be 2nd year of flooded out brassicas. Last year I started over with a rye and clover mix, which did well. At this point I don't have the time nor the patience. Mother nature has been a real bitch. One of the two might actually produce it has a few brassicas already around 9-12 inches tall and very leafy sadly of the one acre plot maybe a 4th of it looks like this. Bad deal all around.
 
I see Bedford is SW Iowa. Unfortunately you are in the area most likely to get more rain. Farther east where I am,,not so much.
 
U do have some options. None of which r easy but doable... 1) Spray the whole area with Round up, (possibly add some more treated N) & spread or pack more seed on. 2) find ground that's not as low lying and quickly start from scratch. 3) see if brassicas bounce back and over grow weeds. Spray with stuff like clethodim for example if weeds r grasses. 4) seed them to the rye mix later if they don't make it

I've had some wet bottoms that have been a bomb. Bottoms & poor soil hillsides u run the risks of too much rain and too little rain. I think I'm going to almost permanently stay out of both if possible. Nice flat or slightly sloped ground that's got good soil & is very well drained is the obvious choice. Not easy to find sometimes & often cropped already but what I shoot for. I got a few bottoms that r a mess this year. U got time for other options so keep plugging & u won't regret it.
 
Don't know about the rest of ya,,but my newly emerged Brassica could use a little shower right now. I know SW Iowa, Lamoni,,Centerville, Oseola,,got rain Sunday and this week a lot also down in MO. Over here in the east, we did not get any . Lots of deep moisture yet,,but the top of my clay is drying. Best chance is Sat nite. Computer models are all over the place as to where a rain complex will go. My bet,,western Iowa and into MO. Throughout the past 3 wet months Iowa was in a SW flow. This week we have transitioned to a NW flow. This typically is a dry pattern for Iowa. After Sat,,dry for next week. Ten days here my place since last rain.
 
Sligh1 said:
U do have some options. None of which r easy but doable... 1) Spray the whole area with Round up, (possibly add some more treated N) & spread or pack more seed on. 2) find ground that's not as low lying and quickly start from scratch. 3) see if brassicas bounce back and over grow weeds. Spray with stuff like clethodim for example if weeds r grasses. 4) seed them to the rye mix later if they don't make it

I've had some wet bottoms that have been a bomb. Bottoms & poor soil hillsides u run the risks of too much rain and too little rain. I think I'm going to almost permanently stay out of both if possible. Nice flat or slightly sloped ground that's got good soil & is very well drained is the obvious choice. Not easy to find sometimes & often cropped already but what I shoot for. I got a few bottoms that r a mess this year. U got time for other options so keep plugging & u won't regret it.
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I sprayed the top half of the plot that showed promise. Reseeded bare spots will see what happens. I still think it will attract deer just disappointed on the outcome. Those of us that are short on equipment KNOW how much time and sweat goes into them (didn't even mention $). Rain forecasted again today and tonight.
 
I was late getting my brassicas in. The plot last year was spotty and had a lot of grass come in with it. So I sprayed it this summer, and because it was always too wet, I didn't get it disced until last night. Worked until dark. Then this morning, in the sprinkling rain, i seeded it and rolled it in with the tires on my ranger. It's raining now. I guess I'll see what happens. Anything is better than nothing. Hopefully I can get into the cereal grains side of the plot and get that worked up before the end of this month. And then plant it early September.
 
Yes rain did get into south western Iowa this morn and died out. A few sprinkles here in the east. Big complex supposed to form tonight and roll across Iowa from I-80 south. Thing is,,last complex dove down to Kansas City. I am skeptical how far north next one rides. If,,it forms at all? Ring of Fire, so far this summer has really hugged MO.
 
Let's say a guy is seeding with a hand spreader and the ground is a little rough where you can't see your steps. How are you sectioning off to ensure no overlap in seed?
 
arm said:
Let's say a guy is seeding with a hand spreader and the ground is a little rough where you can't see your steps. How are you sectioning off to ensure no overlap in seed?
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if I'm hand seeding, I first walk one direction back and forth until covered and then walk perpendicular to first direction until again covered. So there is quite a bit of overlap. But that gives a good constant coverage
 
arm said:
Let's say a guy is seeding with a hand spreader and the ground is a little rough where you can't see your steps. How are you sectioning off to ensure no overlap in seed?
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I find it actually gets a little difficult in big plots. I find it extremely useful to get a couple of pieces of lath and paint the tops orange (any old stick or object would work). I jamb them in the ground at opposite ends and it gives me a target to walk to. Prior to walking back in the other direction you just move the target object over. So if walking 10' grids (guessing), you move the target object over twice the distance (20' in this example) as you are cutting the distance in half walking back. Hopefully that makes sense.....

It doesn't take much longer to do and when you can't see footprints and you are out in the middle of a large plot I find it really helpful.
 
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MY area got just enough. Between 1/2 and 3/4s. Rain last night maximized in two areas. Ft Dodge to Iowa City and Omaha down across SW Iowa into Central Ill. NW and NE got basically missed and some gaps inbetween. Next best chance supposedly Next Sunday. You can tell it's Aug,,rain chances are getting farther apart. I was lucky for what I got, as it seemed all night the rain would keep sneakin around me, North and South!
 
loneranger said:
MY area got just enough. Between 1/2 and 3/4s. Rain last night maximized in two areas. Ft Dodge to Iowa City and Omaha down across SW Iowa into Central Ill. NW and NE got basically missed and some gaps inbetween. Next best chance supposedly Next Sunday. You can tell it's Aug,,rain chances are getting farther apart. I was lucky for what I got, as it seemed all night the rain would keep sneakin around me, North and South!
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Your rain gauge must have a hole in it.
 
IowaBowHunter1983 said:
I find it actually gets a little difficult in big plots. I find it extremely useful to get a couple of pieces of lath and paint the tops orange (any old stick or object would work). I jamb them in the ground at opposite ends and it gives me a target to walk to. Prior to walking back in the other direction you just move the target object over. So if walking 10' grids (guessing), you move the target object over twice the distance (20' in this example) as you are cutting the distance in half walking back. Hopefully that makes sense.....

It doesn't take much longer to do and when you can't see footprints and you are out in the middle of a large plot I find it really helpful.
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That's what I was thinking too...2 acres is big enough to get turned around in. I'll use that suggestion, thanks
 
skyleralan said:
You will be fine no perfect science.
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I agree. Go slow, seed light while pacing yourself (I walk slow, lightly open door for seed but I do spin hand crank very fast or same thing if I do a PTO spreader which is trickier. UTV mounted spreader has its advantages too). It just takes time to kinda "get a feel for it". If you're new to it, go super light and if you need to add seed later & go over it twice, I'd rather do that vs realizing I'm seeding at double or triple the rate and out of seed. The only way to have "close to perfect seed rate" with no no overlap is with a drill. But, drills have draw backs as well. I own a drill but most the time, I still go with broadcasting method on brassicas. I have the UTV spreader too but for some reason I keep going back to the shoulder bag spreader or my plastic tub spreader that I also wear with harness and turn the handle. Really like it. Just my preference, doesn't mean it's right.
 
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arm said:
Let's say a guy is seeding with a hand spreader and the ground is a little rough where you can't see your steps. How are you sectioning off to ensure no overlap in seed?
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If you have someone with you, have them walk in your previous tracks just in front of you so you can see where you just had been. We just did this for the first time this weekend on a 2 acre plot, worked good.
 
No hole,,and I was outside when it rained. Not that much. Radar estimate maps show it also. I am satisfied for what I got. Quad Cities said NW Ill got little if any. My Brassica took right off today!
 
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