First no till brassica plot

[corydd7]

I've planted rye the last three years in this spot, nothing else has grown so after improving the soil the last few years, I gave it another try this year. Beets and Greens from WTI. 

Sprayed the rye and just put the seed on top July 4th. So far so good, just need to fill in some spots I missed.

[Will_C]

That's encouraging. I plan to try a no-till half-acre this weekend. I have killed off the winter wheat, plan to seed, mow, and culti-pack. I have a half acre right beside it I will do conventional tillage on. It will be an interesting comparison. I'll be planting a mix of radish, turnip, and perennial clover.

[LET EM GROW]

Your attempt is perfect, but your seeding looks to thick for brassica plantings. Hope im wrong! Too thick of a planting will stunt growth. Keep us posted though. I enjoy seeing more no till approaches! 

[wolc123]

18 minutes ago, LET EM GROW said:

Your attempt is perfect, but your seeding looks to thick for brassica plantings. Hope im wrong! Too thick of a planting will stunt growth. Keep us posted though. I enjoy seeing more no till approaches! 

I thought the same thing.

I always have best luck with brassicas by going light on the seed and heavy on the fertilizer.  The purple-tops get to be the size of basketballs when I do that.

 

 

Edited July 13, 2021 by wolc123

[LET EM GROW]

2 hours ago, wolc123 said:

I thought the same thing.

I always have best luck with brassicas by going light on the seed and heavy on the fertilizer.  The purple-tops get to be the size of basketballs when I do that.

 

 

Correct. The ideal spacing is about 4-5max germinated seeds on a paper plate. The more spacing the better they grow, Brassicas do not like competition. But the bigger they get the bulb may become less desirable as it becomes more like  woody browse rather than a treat. I like to keep them no bigger than softballs if i can help it. But i also pick Late July and Early August and find when the moisture is present to seed. 

When you rbulbs get that big, do they just eat whats above the ground? an leave the rest? 

[corydd7]

Yeah I agree. I didn't expect that kind of germination. I'll do some thinning in a couple weeks when I head backup. 

[corydd7]

I'm doing the same thing in a old clover plot. I sprayed it Sunday, I'll head up about 10 days from today. Might have to spray again because it rained not to long after I sprayed.  I will definitely keep the 5 seeds to a paper plate in mind, that's a great tip thanks! I figure spreading the planting dates will be good and I'm trying Big N beasty for the first time. 

Would it be a problem to lightly add some red clover into these plots?

[phade]

I know some beets can be earlier planted but is July 4 early for brassica in your area?

We've been moving our brassica planting later and later each year with better results IMO. Our sweet spot has been August 8-15 this past year. Good seeding rate, quality soil amendments - and lots of fertilizer lol. 

Our July plantings have had much less activity on them due to what I believe LEG noted with less palatability. We had 80% of our bulbs be softball or smaller this year and we had barely anything left come shed season. And what was left...was the big stuff.

[corydd7]

It is a bit early but WTI planting dates say July 5th is the first planting date. This isn't in Orange county it's at my cabin in the foothills of ADK so it gets cold quick. Also if the plot doesn't grow it gives me time in September to do wheat or rye again. 

But yes I'm impatient, the weather lined up and I dont always have time to go up there every week so I went for it.

[phade]

I'd just be on the lookout for brassicas going to bolt and getting larger than softball size. The problem isn't growth, it may end up "looking good" and the deer avoid it. That said as you noted you are in colder climate space for planting and low ag/food sources, so they may still look at it positively compared to other available options.

 

[corydd7]

Ok I'm going to wait till August based on your advice for big n beasty. If it doesn't come out good its definitely your fault. I will take a free trail cam as an apology. 

[phade]

This is the equivalent of big and beasty planted 8-15 for you. You can probably do the same a few weeks earlier I would suspect. August 1.

They love a quality fertilizer 30 days post planting. 

[land 1]

I use BnB and plant no earlier then august 1st but once the 1st gets just wait and plant before rain

[stubborn1VT]

Some good advice in this thread.  I now wait until August to plant brassicas.  I'm trying to cut back my seeding rate as well.  I just go back and hit the bare spots with winter rye or wheat.  Giving them a shot of nitrogen once the plants are 4+" tall will give them a heck of a growth spurt (as long as there is enough moisture).  

As for adding a little clover, it can be done.  I would suggest cutting your seeding rate even further on the brassicas, as they will just shade the clover out.  I gave up on this method and now frost/snow seed to get clover going for the spring/summer.  This may not be an option for you since you don't live close by.  

Trying different things is part of the fun and how we learn.  I'm interested in no-till methods, but even more interested in no spray methods.  I guess I need to find someone to fabricate a crimper for me.  

[wolc123]

7 hours ago, LET EM GROW said:

Correct. The ideal spacing is about 4-5max germinated seeds on a paper plate. The more spacing the better they grow, Brassicas do not like competition. But the bigger they get the bulb may become less desirable as it becomes more like  woody browse rather than a treat. I like to keep them no bigger than softballs if i can help it. But i also pick Late July and Early August and find when the moisture is present to seed. 

When you rbulbs get that big, do they just eat whats above the ground? an leave the rest? 

They usually dont hit them hard  until all the standing corn is consumed.  Usually by February 1 or so, they eat everything down to ground level.  I usually only put in a couple small plots of turnips.  This year I am going to mix in some radish.

 I plant the turnips in early August.  If we get a a few days of sub-freezing temps, late in gun season or ML, the greens must get real attractive to the deer.  Under those conditions, I have seen them exit standing corn up to 10 minutes before sunset to get at the turnip greens.  They never touch any bulbs, even little ones, if there is any corn left around.

Since global warming, we havent seen too many sufficient stretches of cold weather during deer season to make that happen where I am (a little bit south of Lake Ontario, east of the Niagara river, and north east of lake Erie.  Unless the wind is blowing directly from the east, which it rarely does, all that close big water keeps the cold from setting in until January on most years lately.

[LET EM GROW]

I would stick to a mid to late July Planting since we are getting moisture right now. Im in Steuben County hills and if we plant ours any later than Mid August on less than perfect growing seasons, We dont get exactly what we expect. I shoot for end Of July Early August when moisture is present.

As for adding red clover you certainly can, but you wont see it this year. Your better off Spreading that a couple weeks before frost and again frost seeding more clover blends into in February March. 

If you are trying to add as much food for fall winter as possible, Depending on acerage available, Big blends are where its at, IT will feed deer on warmer winter days as well as extreme cold days. SMall cereal grains, to peas and annual clovers as well as radish, turnip bulbs etc..  Plus this helps no till for the next planting 

[Robhuntandfish]

im looking to plant the weekend of July 24th.  Looks like a cooler weekend according to the long range forecast.  We are putting in food plots for the first time and of course a neighbor about 1/2 mile away put in a good sized new cornfield.  Hoping it doesnt draw too much away from us as our plots will be small.  

[LET EM GROW]

8 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

im looking to plant the weekend of July 24th.  Looks like a cooler weekend according to the long range forecast.  We are putting in food plots for the first time and of course a neighbor about 1/2 mile away put in a good sized new cornfield.  Hoping it doesnt draw too much away from us as our plots will be small.  

Corn is good, but you can do even better with the right seed blends. providing you have a good sized plot. especially with available cover nearby. Seed blends are best because you offer a "buffet style" dinner plate. certain species are preferred at certain times of the season. If its your first plot, I highly suggest a good big seed blend(like a deadly dozen type) to see what the deer will eat, and as mentioned before in other posts, Brassicas sometimes wont get eaten for a couple years. And if that's how these deer are, Its best to start with a blend, as they eat the species they like they are only tempted to try the big leaf plants they never seen before while feasting on the rest.. 

Just my opinion. 

[Robhuntandfish]

33 minutes ago, LET EM GROW said:

Corn is good, but you can do even better with the right seed blends. providing you have a good sized plot. especially with available cover nearby. Seed blends are best because you offer a "buffet style" dinner plate. certain species are preferred at certain times of the season. If its your first plot, I highly suggest a good big seed blend(like a deadly dozen type) to see what the deer will eat, and as mentioned before in other posts, Brassicas sometimes wont get eaten for a couple years. And if that's how these deer are, Its best to start with a blend, as they eat the species they like they are only tempted to try the big leaf plants they never seen before while feasting on the rest.. 

Just my opinion. 

thats what we are planting is a blend.  We are doing one real small kill plot with a "honey hole" blend. 

 Then the other larger spot doing an area of honey hole, then a larger area of a whitetail mix, then a small area behind that of radish. 

Thinking gun season the radish comes more into play so that will be farther out, then the mixes more in bow range for earlier season. (ie @Lomax master plan!)  But it still wont be a huge area as we just arent able to do that there so just planting in the existing trails. 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Robhuntandfish

[corydd7]

Getting there. About 40 days since planting so I hit it with 160 pounds of urea as suggested on the planting instructions. 

Following advice, I just today planted big n beasty in the clover plot I killed off. Suppose to rain tonight and next couple of days so I took the three hour ride up today.

I had no luck spraying this year. Each time I could make it up we had rain the next day, so killed off yes but not as killed compared to previous years of spraying.  

[G-Man]

Hope your fertilizer gives them a boost definitely to many seed to close.  Deer may help you thin it out a bit. I literally have to run tonget proper seeding rate with a hand spreader. It always looks scarce till about 30 days in and then it jumps and tops become 2 ft plus tall and in diameter

[GreenDrake]

I was finally able to get the fields disced on my new property Friday. Planted WI Tall Tine Tubers then over seeded with the WI Winter Peas mix. I am not over optimistic. But hope I get something out of it. Its been a rough summer for me and I just planted it bc I HAD to try. Just bought this 140 acres in 6k this spring. Hunted it last year. Im getting a lot of bears on cam still. 

[Farflung]

Green Drake- May I inquire where in 6K you are. I am astraddle the 6K/5H boundary near Remsen.

[stubborn1VT]

31 minutes ago, GreenDrake said:

I was finally able to get the fields disced on my new property Friday. Planted WI Tall Tine Tubers then over seeded with the WI Winter Peas mix. I am not over optimistic. But hope I get something out of it. Its been a rough summer for me and I just planted it bc I HAD to try. Just bought this 140 acres in 6k this spring. Hunted it last year. Im getting a lot of bears on cam still. 

Just a suggestion (in case your plots don't grow to their potential), overseed with a combination of winter wheat and winter rye.  Good luck with your plots and congrats on the land purchase!

[corydd7]

Picture with the bear is the same plot as my original post. Beets and greens WTI, two problems, I overseeded and the deer have been eating it the last month. Everyday there is a doe with two fawns that are bulking up. Put some rye in there and fertilized today. It is still a draw but disappointing. 

Second is big and beasty seeded property and planted in early August as suggested by Phade and others. It is looking pretty good hopefully the urea from today gives it a nice boost. I'm going to refrain from putting rye in there.

Third is red clover that has exceeded expectations and is getting hammered right now. I'm going to top it with a little rye and hope for the best.

 

All no till some better then others.