Brassicas

[dbltree]

Got my brassicas plant July 23, 09 and the mix included the following from Welter Seed

Dwarf Essex Rape Seed
Purple Top Turnips
Appin forage turnip
Barkant Forage Turnip
Barnapoli Rape Seed
Pasja Hybrid Brassica
Oilseed Radish

I planted the mix at 5#'s per acre and closer to 8#s of the oilseed radish but I would mention there is no real need to plant ALL of those. Any combination of rape and turnips will give one feed well into the new year between the forage rape and the turnip roots.

I had an old clover plot that was becoming over run with brome, so I seized the oppurtunity to make use of the nitogen from the clover and kill off the grasses at the same time.

Clover is tough to kill with roundup but easily killed with tillage so I nuked the field with 2 quarts of roundup and a quart per acre of crop oil concentrate and still the clover didn't exactly keel over...

***CAUTION*** remember NOT to use 2-4D just before planting brassicas because residual effects will kill the emerging brassicas.

The grasses however were toast and that was my main concern

I got out the big guns to break up the heavy sod

Then tilled all of the plots with my rear time tiller

and then spread 200#'s pf 6-28-28 and 150-200#'s of 46-0-0 urea and re-tilled that in

Then broadcasted the tiny seed with a small hand seeder closed down to the very smallest opening to keep from over seeding.

The oilseed radish seed is a hair bigger then the rape and turnip seed but I mixed it all together and it went thru just fine.

After seeding I ran the cultipacker over everything to cover the seed and firm the seedbed, leaving it looking like this

It was a long day and the sun was setting when I finished, tired and sore and happy as a lark! :way:

 

[Central Iowa]

Wet Or Dry Plant Turnips The 25th Of July

Planted a majority of my brassicas today. Always heard from an old time plotter "wet or dry plant turnips the 25th of July" No pictures it was all I ccould do to get the work done. Happy plotting!

 

[bowhuntr311]

I planted these a week ago. And Im wondering now if I planted them too heavy or not heavy enough? I had a plastic bag inside of a paper bag labeled turnips. I received them from the MN Deer Hunters Association, however, I have no idea if they were STRAIGHT turnips or if it was a mix that was split? There were 2 kinds of seeds, all same sized, all dark colored, like most brassica seeds. Maybe rape and turnips?

I tried to use my hand as reference.

 

[dbltree]

Hard to say but most likely a mix of both...they are planted plenty thick enough but hopefully the deer will help you out with that!

Here's both rape and turnip seed mixed

 

[risto2351]

Well I started here last Sunday.

Had the tractor come on in.

Put a little fertilizer on and disked it in.

Did a little cultipacking.

Had the boy help with the mixing of the seeds.

Broadcasted the seed.

Cultipacked again.



Done

Had to cultipack with the ATV on this one.

Hopefully it will rain now.

Now to see if it will grow.

 

[dbltree]

Nice work Tony! Was there red clover in that rye that you disked under?

Mike from WI sent these pics of his brassicas coming up already!

Mike tilled under oats and berseem clover, another great soil building combination, and then planted his brassicas.

He had 7000 gallons of hog manure added this spring and tilled in 50#'s per of urea when he planted so...stand back! That's stuff is gonna grow!

 

[risto2351]

Nope,
I opted for the white clover instead. Figured I would get a little
more nitrogen for my brassicas. Also like the height of the white clover.

 

[dbltree]

Nope,
I opted for the white clover instead. Figured I would get a little
more nitrogen for my brassicas. Also like the height of the white clover.

Wise thinking! White clover can fix considerably more N and is certainly easier to till under and cost per acre is really no different!

The only thing red clover has over white is more pounds of dry matter per acre to till under but other then that, white is probally as good or better choice. :way:

 

[risto2351]

Already have a few sprouting after only a week.
Now we need some rain.
They look a little thick but I would rather have that than have the deer mad at me.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj268/risto2351/DSC08649.jpg

 

[dbltree]

We got a soaker this morning! I checked an mine are popping up with all this heat and humidity, a nice rain every week would be nice now! :way:

Don't forget you can add forage radish to your brassica mix, with your fall winer rye/pea planting, or over seed into standing soys or corn to breakup soil hardpan, scavenge nitrogen, inhibit spring weed growth and feed deer this fall!

Welters has regular oilseed radish and an improved variety called GoundHog brand radish (not listed...just ask for it when you call)

GroundHog Radish

Oilseed forage radish seed

Just another little trick to spending less on fuel and fertilizer and still ending up with better results!

 

[Hat Trick]

I haven't had the time to post pics, but I'll see if I can get that done in the future. I actually videotaped the whole process from start to finish on all 3 Brassica plots. They are all new plots as well. I probably overseeded them, hopefully that isn't a huge deal. The success rate was 87% on the average for the three seeds I planted (Bonar, DER, and PTT). So I planted 12 lbs per acre, giving me a net of almost 10.5 lbs per acre:grin: I've seen people plant anywhere from 3-10 lbs per acre and the seed was so small I was worried. I'm sure they are going to be THICKThey had already germinated and started to come up after only a weeks time. I planted on the 25th of July in North Central Missouri. I will take some pics this weekend and post them beginning of next week. I hope I didn't screw them up by planting too much but man did they look good coming up after only a week. They are going to have plenty to eat, I hope they do like them! Around one of my plots I spent over 60 man hours manipulating their travel to the plot and set my stand in a spot where I funnel them into the plot. I have pics of them using my funnel so that part appears to be working. I am extrememly happy on when I planted, we have gotten 3 timely rains on them so far, and now the weather is turning hot, just like I want and then more rain is in the forcast for early next week.

 

[jjohnson]

Already have a few sprouting after only a week.
Now we need some rain.
They look a little thick but I would rather have that than have the deer mad at me.

Fear Not Tony. Rain should be here Thurs and Friday... Looking Good

 

[risto2351]

JJ,

Did you plant yours across the way from me??

If so how are they coming along?

Hope you are right on the rain.

 

[jjohnson]

Haven't planted anything yet. Just haven't had the time. Hopefully I'll have something in the ground next week.

It's Raining too...

 

[dbltree]

Here are my brassicas 15 days after being planted (July 23rd planting date)

We have had a couple good rains but some dry stretches as well so germination is a little spotty in places with some still coming up.

Couple places I must have overlapped a little and got them a tad too thick

Some places they are just now coming up

A few thin spots here and there but really, thinner is better for optimum growth

but for the most part the stands look great and with timely rain they should grow rapidly now

I tilled in plenty of urea so I'm hoping they will keep ahead of grazing...last year they were being heavily grazed by Sept first and wiped out by Oct 1st (so much for waiting for a frost... )

I need to get a cam put out there and see what all goes on out there.....

 

[risto2351]

JJ,
Thanks for the rain dance. It is much appreciated.
With the hot weather coming it was a welcome relief.
Sure hated to see all that effort go to waste.

Will be planting oats and peas later in the month.

Good luck on your plots.

 

[Hat Trick]

Here are my Brassicas after 14 days, planted July 25th. You can tell where I started the 4 wheeler seeder

The South Pasture Plot

The Crossing Plot

14 Acres Plot

 

[dbltree]

14 Acres Plot

Holy Cats! That's some serious brassicas!

Nice work...they look great!! :way:

 

[Hat Trick]

Holy Cats! That's some serious brassicas!

Nice work...they look great!! :way:

Ha ha, that's just the name of the plot, its only an acre I'm sure you were joking, but just in case, lol.

 

[letemgrow]

I am going to scatter seed some rape this next week I am back since the 1 acre bean plot did not get very good germination and the beans that came up were mowed down quickly. Any particular rape variety that is better than the others??