cant grow brassica - one spot

[buckhunter10]

OK ALL,

I have a spot behind my house that I just cannot get brassicas to grow. I cant figure it out. I soil tested and the PH was fine. I did need to add 3 bags of 6-24-24 and one bag of 46-0-0.

I planted a half acre of brassicas and top dressed it with oats. The brassicas that did grow I noticed are nipped 3/4 leafs. We have had a very solid amount of rain this year. Although I know I have a high deer density around me, there are still a bunch of beans still green in the fields, I am having trouble believing my little plot is drawing deer in that much.

What do you all think?

Also - oats are growing well.

Here is my thought. I am thinking about overseeding the thin areas with some diakon radish seed I have left over, and a clover mix. That way next spring I can leave it in clover/chicory to build up OM, and Nitrogen in soil before tilling strips in it to try brassicas again. That is my gut feel at least.

ok im done rambling.

 

[swat1018]

Put out an exclusion cage.

 

[Jack Terpack]

The first three years I planted brassica's in the plot behind my house, the deer never touched them that I could tell. I was about to give up. The fourth year it seemed that they were not growing at all. I was stumped. Then it dawned on me and I put up an exclusion cage. The brassica's were growing but the deer had finally found them and would nip off every one as soon as it broke ground. I put an electric fence around them for a couple years and had a bumper crop that the deer would destroy in a couple days once I took it down. (It's only about a 1/4 acre plot.) Maybe that is the issue you are having. An exclusion cage will tell the true story.

 

[buckhunter10]

I should have mentioned, I do have an exclusion fence. I am noticign that even in the fence the stuff near the edge of the fence was nipped!I am still not seeing the growth that I would have thought out of the plants.

Would planting a clover mix this time of year make sense?

 

[j-bird]

I would bet your getting use from other critters other than deer maybe. Groundhog, chipmunks, mice, lord knows what. Use hardware cloth at the bottom of the exclusion cage to prevent the smaller critter from getting to the inside plants. Also maybe set up a cam and see.....you may have more deer coming to visit than you think as well. IF its truly a growth related issue - you may need to take a soil sample and get a detailed analysis of it as you may have some micro nutrient issue. Insects or some other cause could be at plat as well.

 

[dogghr]

I’m like others, I think critters are beating you to the draw. I really have a harder time growing brassica anymore cause deer feed on them as they grow, they love them hence your comment they are eaten at 3 leaf stage. I used to grow waist high crops, but haven’t seen that for years do their attraction. I now just overseed brassica into the grass and weeds which hide the brassica and give them a slight better chance of survival and tubor growth. I simply overseed with RC and grain when dirt starts to show from browse, which is usually late Oct, early Nov.
Another thing, need to hit again in 30 days with urea to give them a boost. And as much as rains are important, brassica love a good hot sun. Your plot may not have that, or i’ve Seen in a real rainy year, they don’t do quite as well without that dry hot spell.

 

[buckhunter10]

Thank you all. I did do a soil sample Jbird.

I really think it is just browse but I am shocked cause I have hundreds of acres of beans around me but deer must be coming in at night and hammering it. I ordered another cameara so I can get a better idea of what is going on with these crops.

Down at the farm I can grow 1/2 to acre waist high crops with big old bulbs, no problem at all! Frustrating to say the least that I cannot do it here. At least the oats look great!

 

[j-bird]

Thank you all. I did do a soil sample Jbird.

I really think it is just browse but I am shocked cause I have hundreds of acres of beans around me but deer must be coming in at night and hammering it. I ordered another cameara so I can get a better idea of what is going on with these crops.

Down at the farm I can grow 1/2 to acre waist high crops with big old bulbs, no problem at all! Frustrating to say the least that I cannot do it here. At least the oats look great!

The reason I questions the soil test is some are far more generic in nature than others. Some do not get into the micro nutrients and the like that can make a difference. Some simply measure the basics and that's about it. I saw you did a test, just wasn't sure exactly what was reported. Not that I am an expert on reading them....

I bet you have other critters than deer visiting. Also keep in mind that deer and other critters eat more than just one thing. I have acres and acres of soybeans and the deer still browse the "weeds" in the field and at it's edge all the same. If you set up a cam, angle it down, because I bet it's critters much smaller than deer.

 

[JFK52]

At what depth are you planting the brassica? I keep my rape seed very shallow. I use a spike tooth drag before the cultipaker except when I plant brassicas. Then I only use the cultipacker and make sure it is planted only 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep at the most. Just a thought although I tend to agree with the small critters and deer use of this field.

 

[farmhunter]

I've got a spot that wont grow brassica - in fact it wont grow anything. Beans, corn and Brassica - wither up and die. They germinate and get a good start - My soil is decent enough - I think its that there is bedrock real close to the surface here and normal summer temps overheat and dry out the soil. Looking over the plot - it is literally the top of a hill - about 1700 ft elevation - highest in the area. Its something like that - the soil is fine enough.

 

[sagittarius]

Down at the farm I can grow 1/2 to acre waist high crops with big old bulbs, no problem at all! Frustrating to say the least that I cannot do it here.

Have you ever sprayed Raptor, 12.1% Imazamox, clearcast in that location the last couple years? Any 2,4-D residue? Try tilling that spot a bit deeper, it mixes things up, helps dilute excess residues. Maybe add some composted manure to the spot to stimulate organic microbe activity, rejuvenate soil.

 

[buckhunter10]

Have you ever sprayed Raptor, 12.1% Imazamox, clearcast in that location the last couple years? Any 2,4-D residue? Try tilling that spot a bit deeper, it mixes things up, helps dilute excess residues. Maybe add some composted manure to the spot to stimulate organic microbe activity, rejuvenate soil.

Never been sprayed other than with GLY. I was looking yesterday and I noticed that the stuff in my exclusion fence, although smaller, it is much higher then surrounding brassicas. Which tells me that the deer are just eating me out of house and home.

 

[buckhunter10]

Well this spot has essrentialkh been a bust. I’m not sure why but I scene tried to seed more brassicas in and the orchard behind house has brassicas growing nicely but the other field won’t put on growth. They are all like stunted. I think I need to get some clover growing there for a couple years.

Can I seed rye and clover in the next couple weeks?

 

[swat1018]

Well this spot has essrentialkh been a bust. I’m not sure why but I scene tried to seed more brassicas in and the orchard behind house has brassicas growing nicely but the other field won’t put on growth. They are all like stunted. I think I need to get some clover growing there for a couple years.

Can I seed rye and clover in the next couple weeks?

In Ohio, yes. It's getting a little late for clover, but should be ok. Good time for rye.

 

[dogghr]

Well this spot has essrentialkh been a bust. I’m not sure why but I scene tried to seed more brassicas in and the orchard behind house has brassicas growing nicely but the other field won’t put on growth. They are all like stunted. I think I need to get some clover growing there for a couple years.

Can I seed rye and clover in the next couple weeks?

I'm slightly more south than you but higher elevation. I put those down every year over brassica late Oct/early Nov and they do well.