Brassicas

[dbltree]

Year 1 B ---> M ----C
Year 2 M ---> B ----C
Year 3 B ---> M ----C
Year 4 M ---> B ----C (plant white clover with the rye mix "M")
Year 5 M---> B ---> C ---> (the previous year clover planting becomes the new -C-)

This is kind of a good explanation of a crop rotation between white clover (C), brassicas (B) and the winter rye/oats/forage peas/forage radish/ red or white clover mix (M)

Each year the brassicas and mix are rotated while the perennial white clover remains as is but when the white clover starts to thin and needs to be rotated we rotate ALL the strips.

To prepare we start our white clover with rye the fall preceding the complete rotation, then in year 5 we turn under the old clover strips and plant brassicas. We move the rye mix to the brassicas and of course the previous rye strips are now perennial white clover.

A 5 year rotation is shown but it could be a 3 or 4 year rotation if for some reason the clover thinned earlier. ALL of the strips or blocks would have some type of clover in them during the summer months (brassicas tilled under and planted to annual clovers and red or white clovers planted with the rye)

Under this rotation our soils are NEVER bare an unproductive expect for a few days while seeds germinate. Deer are NEVER without feed...year around! We always have all of our favorite crops/plants in any plots and yet disease and pests will not be a problem.

Weeds are far less likely to be a problem either because these crops either suffocate weeds or prevent them from growing....

 

[risto2351]

Keep us posted on how that works out next fall! :way:

November 25th, 2010

The temp. dropped to 14 degrees this morning which took the forage radish from "frosted" to "froze"

I kept these somewhat protected by planting them in the garden next to the house but deer finally discovered them and have been chowing down.

Unlike the rich black prairie soils Iowa is known for, we live on very poor clay subsoil that was once woodland habitat. I hauled in some top soil for or garden but it's only a few inches deep yet the Groundhog forage radish thrived by adding urea to give it plenty of nitrogen.

I decided to dig one of the forage radish roots up and see what it looked like?

You can see the hard clay soil that I had to literally chip away from the root but it still had grown downward about 10" and of course way beyond that with the actual tap root.

I finally chiseled the root out of the rock hard soil and measured it at around 20", note how the root is somewhat bulging where it tried to push it's way down but grew outward as it did.

The actual root mass far exceeds that of most turnips which is interesting and of course the benefits to the soil are also much greater then with other brassicas.

For those that have had trouble getting deer to eat brassicas, the forage radishes are helpful in getting them to accept them. I planted some forage radish in a row and mixed brassicas in a row right beside them. Deer previously refused to eat the common brassicas but once they started feeding on the GHFR, they eventually started on the other brassicas.

GHFR...

Mixed brassicas

Regardless of which brassica seed mix you choose next summer I would consider adding GroundHog Forage Radish to your planting because it is not only irresistible to whitetails but also has awesome soil building attributes as well.... :way:

Paul,

Will the deer still keep on eating the leaves even though they are wilting with the cold temps or start going for the tubulars?


I see they are eating my tops now but still have a bunch left to eat.

Thanks.

 

[dbltree]

Will the deer still keep on eating the leaves even though they are wilting with the cold temps or start going for the tubulars?

I see they are eating my tops now but still have a bunch left to eat

Usually but it depends on what other food sources they have of course...

 

[nannyslayer]

Pulled a purple top out of my plot yesterday while checking a camera. Planted August 7th, ended up putting on 150lbs of actual N, and 39-39-39 over the whole plot. So in all, it got 189lbs of N. From what I have seen with past experience, if your turnips are planted a little later, and you pour the N to them, they will still produce a decent crop, take it moisture is there.

 

[nannyslayer]

One this if for sure though, I WILL be trying some radish's next year. :way:

Everything I have seen here has me convinced that they would work great in my area, and I bet the deer will love them.

 

[dbltree]

Dang that's bigun Brian! 189lbs of N...gieesh...and I though I was bad!

 

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

One this if for sure though, I WILL be trying some radish's next year. :way:

Everything I have seen here has me convinced that they would work great in my area, and I bet the deer will love them.

X2. Radishes and rye are getting broadcasted into the beans next year.

 

[nannyslayer]

Dang that's bigun Brian! 189lbs of N...gieesh...and I though I was bad!

I get to sweep the floors in the fertilizer buildings.

 

[bowhuntr311]

It grows roughly to the same heights as the other brassicas and produces a tremendous amount of root tonnage (I think more then turnips possibly).

So by looking at the pictures I could easily see the possibilty of equal or more tonnage. Im all about the tonnage due to lack of space. Heres where my thought process is going with the radishs. By looking at the pictures the radishs look "carrot" shaped. As far as the deer eating the root itself it would appear they would break at groundlevel leaving 1/2 in the dirt? Now the majority of foodplots are planted in poor blow sand, however if the ground freezes Nov. 1st which is reasonable I doubt the deer are going to be able to get the other half. When I get decent turnips the deer will either "dish" them out or they are able to pop them out whole.
Do you think your going to lose a certain percentage of the crop (root) to broken off plants?

Mixing it with other brassicas (or winter rye) seems to be the most effective way to utilize GHFR because they will focus on it and allow the other brassicas to grow.

What sort of seeding rate would you do if mixing GHFR with rye? Usual planting dates for rye for me is right around labor day, although after speaking with several other avid food plotters in the area sounds like more people are planthing closer to august 15th to try to get more tonnage out the rye. Thier saying the rye is 6-8in tall by first frost, where mine is usually 2inches. Any thoughts or comments about the taller rye?

 

[dbltree]

The part of the root that stays in the ground they are unlikely to dig out but that part is useful for breaking up soil compaction.

Our rye and oats got nearly knee high and they have eaten it almost to the ground so you could no doubt plant a little earlier!

December 7th, 2010

Temps have been down around 10 to 15 degrees at night for awhile now which has nuked everything not winter hardy.

The brassicas are pretty well frozen now, leaving them somewhat flattened

The rape plants are still being grazed however

and these GroundHog forage radishes in the garden are still being attacked nightly

It's a little easier to see the roots now that the forage is wilted and while there are plenty of Purple Top turnips

the Barkant turnips seem to be larger

The brassicas in my larger plots have been mowed to the ground some time ago but here where they are a little "finickier" they cleaned up the GHFR early on, then worked on the rape plants and left the turnip tops untouched. We'll see how long before they hit the turnip roots in this plot.

View of the "strip" plot....clover in the foreground, brassicas in the center and the rye combination in the background.

While this plot is to small to feed deer year around the concept works like a charm when grown on a larger scale and insures whitetails will always be feeding in this same spot all year long and not....the neighbors....

 

[dbltree]

December 18th, 2010

Remember these brassicas....August 30th?

Today...wiped out!

2 acres worth!

200#'s of urea and 400#'s of 6-24-24 at planting...devoured!

They are still working on the roots but they aren't going to last long

Fortunately the winter rye/pea/radish combination is taking up the slack in the strip plots

and they have the second round of forage radish roots to clean up yet

It's often hard to predict or be certain of how long and food source we plant might last and therein lies yet another problem when landowners plant one food source in this field and another in a different field. Deer adapt to feeding one place, then run out of feed and abandon that spot leaving stands and blinds unproductive. They then start new and often unpredictable patterns that leave hunters frustrated and disappointed. To the extent possible utilize one central field or food plot area and plant multiple food sources that are capable of feeding, holding and adapting deer to using not only that field but the same runways day after day, year after year.

How are your brassicas? Any left? Tops...roots? Did deer use them a little...a lot or never touch them? If not used what where they feeding on nearby?

2 out of 3 farms they wiped out the brassicas, the third they killed the GHFR early, grazed the rape plants but as of yet have not touched the turnips. They do however have acres of corn and bean stubble to pick through along with the rye combination strips...

 

[Jetboatgreg]

Here in Northeast Pa i am experiencing the same results...I cked my brassica plots this weekend and most all the greens are gone. Although there is a considerable amount of turnips and forage radish that are still in the ground..some nibbled on other not touched.

We have also had below normal cold here...but no or just a skiff of snow. The turnips are all "frozen". I still have some corn left and they are still hitting that. So it will be interesting to see if they start foraging later in the year on the remaining turnips.

Greg

 

[dbltree]

Mike sent a couple pics from WI of deer out in his strips of soybeans, sugar beets and Groundhog Forage radish/Purple Top turnip plantings....getting lot's of attention right now!

Good chance Mike may have a successful late season hunt!

Mike is wise and plants multiple crops that keep deer fed all winter and he notes that right now they are hitting the above mentioned crops and not touching his corn yet. One advantage of multiple crop species is that they may leave one source at first which allows it so be "stockpiled" for when they are in dire need.

Lot of winter yet in WI so I have no doubt his corn will eventually be stripped bare as well...

 

[dbltree]

Hard to believe the once lush brassicas of summer...

have now been reduced to this....

Yet there is still plenty of valuable and nutritious feed available under the snow

and it's pretty obvious that I am not the only one who is aware of that...

The brassicas tops even though frozen and matted against the ground are still providing plenty of food.

The Ground Hog forage radish roots, many the size (in diameter) of a baseball bat appear to have been consumed first leaving the turnip roots as the next choice for dinner

The ground is matted with tracks

and some turnip roots are laying on top where deer pulled them up as they ate the tops

Turnips are not highly favored forage and rank dead last behind the radish and rape/canola foliage but that is a good thing! If deer focus on other food sources and allow the turnips to grow they will be rewarded in mid winter when they need it most.

In southern areas where there are mild or no winters, turnips may not be a necessary part of a brassica mix but in the north they are an excellent source of feed for the winter months and become then....a crucial tool in providing food sources for our whitetails all year long. A combination of food sources that together provide year around attraction is what adapts whitetails to living on and around our property, it's what keeps them using the exact same runways, day after day, year after year and makes their actions for the most part...completely predictable.

Brassicas alone can never provide year around feed but they can be used in combination with other crops such as clover, winter rye, soybeans etc. and those combination can be rotated to make disease and pests a non-issue. Don't make the mistake then of planting only brassicas..include other great crops in the same field/plot in strips or sections that allow for easy rotation.

You'll be amazed at the difference you see in deer numbers in only a few short years...

 

[dbltree]

January 4th, 2011

There are often many trains of thought regarding the use of turnips in a brassica mix or in a habitat program period. If deer eat rape and radish early on then why add turnips? Often deer may not focus on turnip tops as well as the more palatable rape/canola and radish plants during the forage/grazing season leading some to believe that planting turnips is a waste of time and effort.

My own experience has been that turnips can be a crucial element in holding and adapting whitetails to our properties by helping to provide the sometimes missing link during difficult winter months. Planting a radish/rape/turnip mix in mid summer then works very well as deer focus first on the forage radish, then on the rape and in doing so allow the turnips to grow and yield large tuberous roots. This is a form of "stockpiling" that livestockmen often utilize and the same principle can be used in our habitat programs.

Any crop that can produce enough winter feed can work well including corn, soybeans, milo and sugar beets but often those crops get decimated early on and even if fenced at first may not be able to provide a food source all winter. Winter rye is very helpful because it stays green under the snow but it to may be grazed to the ground and not able to provide significant forage in mid winter.

Turnips...if not decimated early on can fit perfectly into our habitat program and keep deer on our property as well as keeping them fat and healthy through the most challenging winter weather. My friend Rich sent some pics of one of his turnip/radish plots recently and commented on the unbelievable amount of feed there!

This is a summer view

and this is the plot now

More feed then they can possibly eat it appears!

Rich notes that while they are eating both turnip and radish roots they appear to be concentrating on the turnip roots at this point and he has been culling does from large groups of deer that gather every evening to feed on the turnips.

If you haven't tried brassicas consider adding a small area to see how your deer react to them, sometimes it takes several years for them to adapt to them and other times they decimate them before season. Adding Ground Hog forage radish usually cause deer to focus on the radish tops early, adapting them to feeding there and exposing them to the rape and turnips.

A good mix to start with that is inexpensive and very productive might include the following:

5#'s Ground Hog forage radish
3#'s Purple Top Turnip
2#'s Dwarf Essex Rape

Always check locally for seed but here is a source if you need one that is reasonably priced and will sell seed by the pound.

Welter Seed & Honey

One can play with seeding rates and experiment but that is guideline that can work well for most landowners. Plan on using 80-100#'s of actual nitrogen per acre for best yields and don't forget to take advantage of the turnips in the late seasons to trim your deer numbers if need be....

 

[dbltree]

January 20th, 2011

Funny how when the snow piles up and them temps drop to below zero...."finicky" deer seem to like turnips after all!

They have been scratching around for the turnips pretty steady in the test plot where they ate the GHFR in September, the rape in November and now....they are finding the turnips pretty tasty in January

Plenty of roots left to eat too...amazing how much feed there is when you fertilize and grow a good crop

The combination of forage radish, forage rape and turnips work well together and when planted beside other crops such as clover and rye...we end up with all year food sources that keep deer from visiting the neighbors....and then not returning...

 

[651]

5#'s Ground Hog forage radish
3#'s Purple Top Turnip
2#'s Dwarf Essex Rape

Per acre correct?

 

[dbltree]

5#'s Ground Hog forage radish
3#'s Purple Top Turnip
2#'s Dwarf Essex Rape

Per acre correct?

Yes....and to that I apply 300-400#'s of 6-24-24 and 200#'s of urea (46-0-0) nitrogen for best results. I plant in strips....brassicas, winter rye, brassicas, winter rye...and then rotate them each year.

This is the mix I plant to rotate brassicas too because the red clover will help furnish a portion of the nitrogen needed by the brassicas and the rye and radishes will help pullup subsoil potassium.

Winter rye 50-80#'s per acre (56#'s = a bushel)
Spring oats 80-120#'s per acre (32#'s = a bushel)
Austrian Winter Peas 20-80#'s per acre (4010 or 6040 field peas will work fine for 1/2 the price)
Groundhog Forage Radish 5#'s per acre
Red Clover 8-12#'s per acre or white clover at 6#'s per acre

I also make sure I have some white clover and then the combination of ALL these crops in ONE place will help hold and adapt deer to your property by providing all they need year around.:way:

 

[651]

Thanks!!!!!!

 

[dbltree]

January 25th, 2011

I checked the brassica strips in another field recently and deer were hitting them pretty hard.

Anyplace there are some turnips or tops left they are scratching for them!

Interesting to is that there is standing corn not far away

Brassicas that include turnips in the mix really help to keep deer adapted to using our feeding areas all year long

This spring we'll plant these brassica strips to annual clovers and then till that under in late August to plant the winter rye combination and move the brassica strips to the rye strips where there is red clover planted now...perfect rotation that allows us to have so many great food sources all in one field! :way: