Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

Brassicas

Too deep is major issue with drill. I think my favorite “no till” method is to use cultimulcher into a totally smoked seed bed. But hauling cultipacker/mulcher is pain! Drill- go slow & make sure the depth is not too deep. & clearly make sure seed rate doesn’t go out too heavy.
I even like broadcasting or drilling into open canopy or destroyed grain like corn or beans.
The obvious- premium fertility &/or quality soil are game changers.
So many advantages to doing no till if u can work through those issues.
All advanced with no-till: Weeds, moisture, soil building/erosion issues, soil ecology, etc.
Be in great shape done right. Heck- in any case, however planted, check back with a bag spreader to fill in sparse areas & watch for weeds & folks will be golden.
So with cultimulcher I assume your broadcasting seed?
 
So with cultimulcher I assume your broadcasting seed?
Yepper. If u really wanted to be fussy & had the time…. After u drilled u could roll it. Sorta defeats purpose of drilling a touch but would also be benefit. Splitting hairs. I usually drill & check back after things are germinated to assess the stand & add a bit more as needed.
No till coulters really are not needed unless u have a lot of trash. Just barely get into soil.
a minimal Til drill without coulters (cheap old junker that are laying around farms all over) work excellent as well.
 
Yepper. If u really wanted to be fussy & had the time…. After u drilled u could roll it. Sorta defeats purpose of drilling a touch but would also be benefit. Splitting hairs. I usually drill & check back after things are germinated to assess the stand & add a bit more as needed.
No till coulters really are not needed unless u have a lot of trash. Just barely get into soil.
a minimal Til drill without coulters (cheap old junker that are laying around farms all over) work excellent as well.
You think it would work if I smoked with herbicide and just ran my brillion over it to plant seed ? Not breaking ground up ?
 
You think it would work if I smoked with herbicide and just ran my brillion over it to plant seed ? Not breaking ground up ?
i would sure think you would be fine as long as the rain came shortly afterwards...but i suppose that can be said for when you til the ground as well
 
I know that brassica plots should be in by the 29th of July. Being in far Northeast Iowa would it be okay to put them in now? I know we are about a week or two ahead of Southern Iowa as far as the first frost. Looks like a good rain coming the next couple of days and then nothing afterwards. Thanks in advance.
 
I know that brassica plots should be in by the 29th of July. Being in far Northeast Iowa would it be okay to put them in now? I know we are about a week or two ahead of Southern Iowa as far as the first frost. Looks like a good rain coming the next couple of days and then nothing afterwards. Thanks in advance.
in theory if you two weeks ahead of southern IA you should be ok...might be a hair on the early side but if we hit a dry spell you will probably be ok.
 
Maybe you're further north than me. I'm in Northern Clayton county and I know there have been very heavy rains up in Allamakee. We've caught some decent rains lately and the crops look good but I dug in a ladder for a stand last week and it had rained over an inch in the previous 3 days. Muddy on top but 4 inches down it was dry dirt. I always plant my brassica mix the last couple days of July. If you've got plenty of moisture down deep, you'll be fine planting now before the rain that's coming. On the other hand, if you don't have the moisture down deep, plant now and it germinates and then heat and dry weather dries out the top before the roots get down there, it might be trouble. Weather is always a crapshoot. 2nd half of July is historically hot and dry.
 
I'm in Waukon. We've had some rain but only a inch or two. Main reason I would like them in now is precisely like you mentioned that usually the water shuts off right after I plant them late July. I don't want to have them mature too early and go to mush on me either.
 
I'm in Waukon. We've had some rain but only a inch or two. Main reason I would like them in now is precisely like you mentioned that usually the water shuts off right after I plant them late July. I don't want to have them mature too early and go to mush on me either.
I think you’ll be fine. I start a week early because I plan on something breaking or weather issues. Week early or week late- no biggy. Won’t get mushy until radish gets hard frosts. Over-mature - if plant way too early - just means bigger & more fibrous & not as desirable. Again- a bit early is fine.
I’m burning down soon with labeled rate of 2,4-d & Gly. (2,4-d if hard to kill stuff). Gonna be go time soon!
 
I think you’ll be fine. I start a week early because I plan on something breaking or weather issues. Week early or week late- no biggy. Won’t get mushy until radish gets hard frosts. Over-mature - if plant way too early - just means bigger & more fibrous & not as desirable. Again- a bit early is fine.
I’m burning down soon with labeled rate of 2,4-d & Gly. (2,4-d if hard to kill stuff). Gonna be go time soon!
I agree with your assessment of things always breaking Skip. I always know something will break and wonder what it will be. They are in and pulled out of the field at 10:00. I made sure we did a slow cultipacking with the rain coming.
 
Last edited:
Good stuff!
I planted my turnips last weekend but it's popcorn fart dry here and no rain in the forecast.
Plan B will be oats/rye in a month.
 
If planted to heavy is it better to disk down and try again or let it be? I think my scale was incorrect. Would like some
bulbs for late season.

2f96ce334897dd8d937be704b1eb51e8.jpg

9b9b7d5293bdd3e5a8bb841d52b7c4d1.jpg
 
Last edited:
If so what are the alternatives?
Yes way too thick....I would till that up immediately....go back with a light seeding of brassicas and then fill in with rye/oats....personally that is what I would do

Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk
 
One time I was helping Skip do a brassica plot and after some miscommunication I over planted the plot way too heavy. The brassicas ended up just competing with each other and the strongest ones grew and turned out alright. Not sure if it was a fluke deal or not though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Just pour on the fertilizer should be ok. Probably get lots of " pool ball" size bulbs

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
I was wondering that. Wondering if all would be non-existent because of the competition and not grow at all or if by putting more nitrogen on it they would get the nitrogen they need and grow some bulbs.
 
Top Bottom