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Brassicas

Is everyone getting seed purchased? Not a bad idea to get it now before prices move up. Won't be long and we will be putting it in the ground. I saw fertilizer is still cheap right now too.
 
The deer hit our brassica hard up here in upper Michigan around early September, even without frost. I had some leftover seed from last year, so I planted it last week just to see how they take to it.
 
I plant my brassicas in mid to late july and have huge turnips and radishes. If you plant them now they would turn rotten long before they freeze. Now the dwarf essex rape part of my brassica mix they might like but I think it is still way too early.
 
Well, all of my seed is in. Bought 3lbs of the T Raptor hyrid brassica from Welter anyone tried it before (cross between a turnip and rape)? Always fun to try something new. Also purchased my radishes from Cabelas for the first time, was actually on sale thought what the heck.
 
Can you broadcast turnips with a bag spreader? When I spread urea, what needs to be done after? Just put seed on top? Drag it before sending? Pretty new to brassicas so any advice would be great. Don't have much other than a four wheel, spreader, sprayer, and cultipacker.
 
1. Work the ground
2. Spread urea
3. Drag or disc in the urea
4. Cultipack
5. Spread turnip seed
6. Cultipack
 
Can you broadcast turnips with a bag spreader? When I spread urea, what needs to be done after? Just put seed on top? Drag it before sending? Pretty new to brassicas so any advice would be great. Don't have much other than a four wheel, spreader, sprayer, and cultipacker.

I have not found a bag type spreader that works well for brassicas. The seeds are so small and it has proven hard to get a bag sprayer dialed in to the right seed rate. I have had better luck with the hand type spreaders. It seems you can adjust the hand spreaders in finer increments. I have the same issue with clover. It could be I just haven’t found the right bag spreader, but I’ve had a few. The bag type work well for the rye, wheat, oats, etc.​
spray, fert, Disc/till, cultipack, seed, cultipack. That’s what I would do.​
 
Can you broadcast turnips with a bag spreader? When I spread urea, what needs to be done after? Just put seed on top? Drag it before sending? Pretty new to brassicas so any advice would be great. Don't have much other than a four wheel, spreader, sprayer, and cultipacker.

Yes, you can broadcast it just fine with a bag seeder. Like always start with it set barely open. Last thing you want to do is dump lots of seed. All brassicas like space to grow so don't overseed. Also, don't mix your seed or you will again be dumping some out especially if mixed with larger seeds like your radishes.

With your urea wait for the turnips to get 3-4 inches tall and right before a rain apply it to give them an extra boost. Can boadcast if pellitized just like your seed.

Are you going to be able to have the plot disced or filled prior to seeding? Lots of guys use a drag it barrow before and then after seeding. Just don't want to bury your seed too deep in the process.
 
Ryan Boswell hit the nail on the head. You must cover urea or you will lose it. The Brassica seeds only need to be less than 1/2 inch deep.
 
I have not found a bag type spreader that works well for brassicas. The seeds are so small and it has proven hard to get a bag sprayer dialed in to the right seed rate. I have had better luck with the hand type spreaders. It seems you can adjust the hand spreaders in finer increments. I have the same issue with clover. It could be I just haven’t found the right bag spreader, but I’ve had a few. The bag type work well for the rye, wheat, oats, etc.


spray, fert, Disc/till, cultipack, seed, cultipack. That’s what I would do.

Lots of guys like the Earthway I believe bag seeders I have went to the solid plastic Solo brand seeder/spreader and love it. A little pricey, but it does a great job with small seed.
 
I don't know why I can't remember this, but do you guys spray / kill your clover when it comes time to plant brassicas, or do you just till it under? I think last year I just tilled it under, but wanted to make sure.
 
I do brassicas and even the mixes different sometimes. I actually still rarely do brassicas through drill. Dunno - just don't like it as well. Buddy on here made great point of lowering his lbs to like 2-ish (maybe 3?) lbs acre and go over twice for better coverage. Great idea from him!!
But- my fields are thick nasty clover. Almost like if I needed to kill it for drill- 3-4 qts round up, ams & really 2,4-d applied at rate that would be gone in about 2 weeks.
This year- since my brassicas are on good soil- I'm putting my heaviest disc on it - 24' IH 496. It rips it to shreds. But also pulling with 200hp as well. When I run my small tractor and small disc- honestly- I like going over it different directions about 4-6 times depending how bad. Likely I'll disc now, spray in couple weeks while planting. I may even cultipack now too. Seed, cultipack again and spray. Should work just fine. I've seeded lots of ways but likely this will be my plan of attack this year. Doesn't mean it's the best way but thankfully plenty ways to skin a cat as long as u have right nutrients, on top of weeds, right seed timing, weather & good seed/soil contact, low seed rate, etc I may not get seed quite as deep doing it the way I described but brassicas it'll be just fine!
 
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We have lowered our brassica rates as well. Went from 8 pounds per acre to 6.5 pounds per acre with better results. Bigger turnips/radishes. The stuff needs room to grow, and the small seeds are real easy to overseed.
 
I have been following the Dbl tree mix for a few years now and usually mow my6 clover short one week and the next week I run my tiller thru it and then cultipack and seed and pack again the same day.
My question is this year I have access to a great plains pull type no-till drill with multiple seed boxes. Do I still till my clover under and at what point should I do this? what 's anyone's thoughts on preparation for planting the brassica mix? Thanks
 
I have been following the Dbl tree mix for a few years now and usually mow my6 clover short one week and the next week I run my tiller thru it and then cultipack and seed and pack again the same day.
My question is this year I have access to a great plains pull type no-till drill with multiple seed boxes. Do I still till my clover under and at what point should I do this? what 's anyone's thoughts on preparation for planting the brassica mix? Thanks

U will likely have more success with a better seed bed if u rotary till. U are also stiring up more weed seed but late summer weed pressure is not as bad and clethodim & crop oil will roast grasses later. Now- N utilization, probably slightly better tilling as more will be incoporated under the soil but most the N is in the root systems anyways so kinda splitting hairs. Where I may be a bit concerned- if u don't work ground- u can have a hard time killing that clover. Which if plants don't die- u won't utilize that N or some. There's for sure ups and downs to both. I'm gonna likely do some of both this yr and I own a GP drill. I can usually broadcast seed as fast or faster than I can drill. Maybe. I just personally like the broadcasted brassica seed as it fills in and spread more naturally and grows better IMO. But - absolutely something nice to be said about nuking the ground, putting treated urea down, drilling and done. It works and handy. So - my opinion ups and downs to both again but let some others chime in cause lot of ways to tackle it...
*if tilling in clover- anytime now is good as it starts to break down the plant material and make N available.
 
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