Plot prep

[rmickey]

I have a 1 acre plot that I started dbltree's mixes in last year. I terminated the half with oats/rye in late May with Roundup. I'm planning on putting the turnips/radishes mix in that spot in the next couple weeks. I would like to keep tillage to a minimum as it was weeds for a few years and I don't want to disturb those seeds more than I have to. Right now, I have a pretty heavy blanket of dead rye that is laying on the ground. I'm looking for opinions on how to proceed.
Do I:
1. Seed over the top and hope the seed makes it to the ground?
2. Burn it off, then seed?
3. Seed, then try to get someone to mow it with a bush hog? (my preferred method, but don't know if I can get someone out there)

I like the idea of the thatch covering the seed and holding in the moisture a little bit, but I'm not sure I will get enough seed to the ground if I just leave it.

 

[Daver]

How are you intending to plant your brassica seed? If you can have it drilled in then I would just leave the rye straw there. It will hold moisture and suppress weeds and a good drill will go right through it.

If you do not have access to a drill, which many people do not, then I would try to find someone to come and do it for you.

 

[rmickey]

I'm not going to be able to get a drill in there. I was planning on the broadcast and pray method that's worked for me before.
I burned it off last year and it did fine but I'd rather leave the straw there for the reasons you stated. Those seeds are tiny but I don't know if even a really hard rain would drive enough of them to the ground. I have a harrow, but I'll just end up with a pile of straw under it every few feet if I don't burn it.

 

[Daver]

If you can't get a drill to it and you don't want to till it, but you have a harrow, then I would still leave the rye straw there. I would broadcast my seed and then lightly harrow across the top of the rye a couple of times and that should "shake" your tiny brassica seed through the straw mat down to the soil.

I can't say that I have done this, but I suspect it would work out OK.

 

[turtlshell]

Last year, I tried mowing and broadcasting over the leftover "thatch", followed by a final mow & pack...we didn't get any rain and my results showed it. Pretty much a waste of time, seed and $$$ for me.

Hope your results are better, but I wouldn't have high expectations.

 

[Daver]

Last year, I tried mowing and broadcasting over the leftover "thatch", followed by a final mow & pack...we didn't get any rain and my results showed it. Pretty much a waste of time, seed and $$$ for me.

Hope your results are better, but I wouldn't have high expectations.

Without any rain, the brassicas that I had "professionally" drilled in didn't do very well last year either. I would have thought that your approach would have worked reasonably well, but I suspect the killer was the lack of moisture.

 

[boonerz]

I've been in that situation. I mowed and sprayed. Burned a week later and disced soil. Waited for small regrowth and sprayed with roundup again. Broadcasted and rode over with cultipacker. Worked great.

 

[turtlshell]

, but I suspect the killer was the lack of moisture.

No doubt...which is why I said, I hope his results this year are better...thus mine (and yours) will be too

The climate-tracking environmental professional that i am, has some doubt...as so far this year has been a borderline mirror to last year. However, we're supposed to be setup for a El Nino...which means cooler and wetter than normal all summer and fall...perhaps warm and dry winter. We'll see.

Regardless, given the recent stretch of rain pattern we've endured...I'm ready for some "Climate-Change"!!!

 

[Daver]

Just working off of memory, we have to be ahead on rain at this point in the year in SE Iowa, compared to last year. OR at least, once my spring planted crops got in we have received several more rains on them than last year. Last year, it seemed that when things finally got planted then POOF, no rain the rest of the summer. My soybeans were only about 10% successful last year, this year I suspect it will be 90%+ successful.

I will be very curious to see how things look this weekend when I am down at the farm. My spring planted beans, EW and milo were up and looking decent about 2-1/2 weeks ago, but hopefully we haven't had TOO MUCH rain on them in the past few storms.

 

[rmickey]

Maybe I got my brassicas in earlier than you guys, but mine did great.
9/2/13

Radish. 9/20/13

Purple Top 10/12/13

Could have been my help that made mine grow so well!

I hope we can get some timely rains so everyone has similar results this year.

 

[Daver]

RMickey, those plots look awesome. If you recall, when did you plant and did you have any rain on them once planted?

In my case, once the brassicas went in last year it was bone dry for several weeks, then we got a little rain and we had some germination/growth. But for most of my brassica plots, it was fair at best and much of it didn't get close to "fair".

The better areas for brassicas for me were areas that had rye the year before and I had let the rye grow through the summer before turning those areas to this brassicas. That actually preserved just enough soil moisture to pop some turnips/radishes.

 

[rmickey]

I planted on 7/1. I did get a couple decent rains right after I planted, but then nothing for the next few weeks. That spot was a mostly failed brassicas plot in 2012. It got over-run with grass and weeds in the spring so I killed it, burned it off and then tilled. I'll probably give it the next couple days to dry up a bit and then get my seed down this weekend. I don't want to miss out on the rain we may get early next week. You never know when the next one is coming this time of year. I'm going to lay down a little extra seed this year since I'm going no-till.

 

[Daver]

I planted on 7/1. I did get a couple decent rains right after I planted, but then nothing for the next few weeks. That spot was a mostly failed brassicas plot in 2012. It got over-run with grass and weeds in the spring so I killed it, burned it off and then tilled. I'll probably give it the next couple days to dry up a bit and then get my seed down this weekend. I don't want to miss out on the rain we may get early next week. You never know when the next one is coming this time of year. I'm going to lay down a little extra seed this year since I'm going no-till.

By the looks of your plots, you know what you are doing, but I have learned from experience that it is easy, very easy, to put down too much brassica seed and then growth is stunted because of over crowding, etc.

 

[rmickey]

Thanks Daver. I've heard that as well and I'll keep that in mind.
Do you usually add fertilizer when you plant or is it better to let it get started, then fertilize?

 

[Daver]

Thanks Daver. I've heard that as well and I'll keep that in mind.
Do you usually add fertilizer when you plant or is it better to let it get started, then fertilize?

Brassicas are nitrogen lovers and anytime I tried to skimp on fertilizer with brassicas has been a mistake. So I always incorporate my fertilizer at the time of planting with them. I am not saying you couldn't fertilize later, I just have never tried that so I don't know.

 

[rmickey]

Expecting rain this weekend, I went ahead and bought my fertilizer and prepared to plant on Friday morning. I chopped up the thatch with my ATV disc then pulled my harrow around smooth it out a little. I ended up with this:

I broadcast my fertilizer and seed and drove the ATV around on it to push the seed into the ground a little.

We got some good rain over the weekend. I had some places where the seed was washed into a low spot, but the thatch did a pretty good job keeping it in place. I went out to check it last night and was pleasantly surprised to find quite a bit had already germinated. The other half of this spot will be planted in the oats/rye mix in mid to late August.

I saved a little seed back in case I have some really bare spots, but after a quick look last night I think it will be fine. I know I'm a little early for dbltree's recommendations, but I hated to see another rain come and go without my seed on the ground.

 

[Daver]

... I know I'm a little early for dbltree's recommendations, but I hated to see another rain come and go without my seed on the ground.

Dbltree's recommendations are solid, to be sure, BUT, all bets are off when we have such dramatic drought conditions as we have had the past couple of years. Right now, SE Iowa is in pretty good shape as far as soil moisture and given that, you might be "out there" a little early. But who's to say what will happen over the next 6-10 weeks.

If it dries up, then you might have the only good plot of brassicas anywhere around. While you might be a couple of weeks ahead of the game, I don't think you are running too big of a risk.