Eliminating Surviving Turnips

[KSQ2]

Hey guys, trying to survive our girl’s online schooling; makes me wish I wasn’t working from home!
Anyway, got a question for ya. This past fall was my first time in years to plant a brassica plot; it was very successful. The problem now is the surviving purple tops; they are beginning to flower. Per Paul Knox’s advice I tilled them under years ago and planted oats and clover; it has been too wet to get that done this year. Can I simply mow them down and broadcast annual clover? Will they continue to grow and flower again? Do need to mow them and then spray with gly? I definitely don’t want them going to seed. I plan to put the plot back to cereal grain and perineal clover this fall. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Buck268]

I spray then mow or till. I just disc up mine last weekend and will spray this weekend. This years rotation will be alfalfa and clover with 30lbs of oats for cover.

 

[KSQ2]

You disked before you sprayed? Does your disk not turn over a lot of ground?

 

[TheOldOak]

I have the same issue, lots of turnips that survived the winter that are now sprouting up from the bulb, never seen this before. I planted a lot more turnips, we had a pretty mild winter with little snow, and the deer obviously didn't need the quantity I planted last fall.

 

[Buck268]

You disked before you sprayed? Does your disk not turn over a lot of ground?

My PTT plot this year was 2 acres and it was loaded this year. My disc turned over about 3-4 inches and rolled up everything pretty well. I always have sprouting PTT and Radishes each year and this method has worked well for me and I do rotate my plots every year.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Volunteer turnips are not the worst thing to have in a deer foodplot. I don't think I'd waste any chemicals getting rid of something that my deer might nibble on. I'd disc them and plant the oats and clover, if any new turnips grow they're just a free bonus.

 

[KSQ2]

I’m sorry guys, I didn’t explain it very well. It’s too wet to work the ground and I’m afraid they are going to go to seed before I can get it disked. Paul always said letting them go to seed would not be good at all. I was wondering how to kill them without working the ground. When I disked the ground in the past, it took care of them without fail.

 

[MarkDarvin]

I’m sorry guys, I didn’t explain it very well. It’s too wet to work the ground and I’m afraid they are going to go to seed before I can get it disked. Paul always said letting them go to seed would not be good at all. I was wondering how to kill them without working the ground. When I disked the ground in the past, it took care of them without fail.

I'd send Baker a PM in case he doesn't see this. He's got entire fields of flowering brassicas right now.

My guess is there is a point you can mow them off, but they've likely got to be done growing and pivoting to flower and seed formation. This is outta the SARE book.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I’m sorry guys, I didn’t explain it very well. It’s too wet to work the ground and I’m afraid they are going to go to seed before I can get it disked. Paul always said letting them go to seed would not be good at all. I was wondering how to kill them without working the ground. When I disked the ground in the past, it took care of them without fail.

No, you explained it very well, I didn't read it right. Farmers don't want turnips reseeding because they will lower yields on the next crop, but growing stuff for deer turnips are just more food, so I'm not sure why Paul would say turnips reseeding are a bad thing in a food plot, but if you want to get rid of them there's many options. For cheap options, Glyphosate will kill them, 2,4d will kill them, (with a 7 to 30 day carryover) and so will almost any other herbicide. However, Clethodim, Stinger, and a few other herbicides that target grass will not kill them.
If they got to seed and are coming back volunteer in your clover and cereal grain mix and you want to get rid of them there's an a fix for that too. Butyrac200 (2,4dB) is not my favorite herbicide for clover because it's not as effective on some really tough weeds, but it has one great thing going for it, it's the only herbicide that I know that can be used on a clover and grain mixture, and should easily kill turnips.

 

[KSQ2]

No, you explained it very well, I didn't read it right. Farmers don't want turnips reseeding because they will lower yields on the next crop, but growing stuff for deer turnips are just more food, so I'm not sure why Paul would say turnips reseeding are a bad thing in a food plot, but if you want to get rid of them there's many options. For cheap options, Glyphosate will kill them, 2,4d will kill them, (with a 7 to 30 day carryover) and so will almost any other herbicide. However, Clethodim, Stinger, and a few other herbicides that target grass will not kill them.
If they got to seed and are coming back volunteer in your clover and cereal grain mix and you want to get rid of them there's an a fix for that too. Butyrac200 (2,4dB) is not my favorite herbicide for clover because it's not as effective on some really tough weeds, but it has one great thing going for it, it's the only herbicide that I know that can be used on a clover and grain mixture, and should easily kill turnips.

If I remember right, Paul’s reasoning had to do with the nature of reseeding brassicas being hard on the soil. He was definitely not a fan of planting brassicas continually year after year on the same chunk of dirt without rotating.

 

[KSQ2]

I'd send Baker a PM in case he doesn't see this. He's got entire fields of flowering brassicas right now.

My guess is there is a point you can mow them off, but they've likely got to be done growing and pivoting to flower and seed formation. This is outta the SARE book.
View attachment 18540

Thank you! I would much rather broadcast oats and clover and mow than be dependent upon the weather to dry enough to till.

 

[dogghr]

I’ve never terminated brassica. Not a problem for a food plotter. I would simply overseed RC into the plot. Actually I overseed late Oct or Nov my brassica w RC and WW or WR. That prevents bare soil thru winter and spring as the brassica leaves are browsed leaving behind the tubers. Following fall I rotate w a grain and clover.
That last commment is not true actually. Anymore I plant a mixture of grains clovers and brassica late summer. Repeated plantings of brassica in non monoculture plots are not a problem.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Letmgrow]

If I remember right, Paul’s reasoning had to do with the nature of reseeding brassicas being hard on the soil. He was definitely not a fan of planting brassicas continually year after year on the same chunk of dirt without rotating.

Probably Paul's reasoning was brassicas (turnips) should not be planted in the same plot more than two consecutive years due to a fungus which can form and is difficult to get rid of.
I would spray the plot with Glyphosate, let the plot lie for a few days then till and plant.
Lynn

 

[THE LLC]

Mow or spray. Me, I’d mow. If they try to flower again, mow them again.

 

[Baker]

Good luck with your girls on line schooling. Way above my skill set which I learned having 2 daughters.Tornado watch has me inside so dinking around on computer.

I don't worry about turnips or radishes going to seed at all. That said they are just a part of a winter mix including clover, small grains , and chicory. Nonetheless at 3lbs/acre radishes and 1 lb acre turnips there usually is a pretty good stand with them all going to seed.Never had any problems with that as summer brassicas in the deep south don't do well at all and assuming Kansas has hot summers suspect your results similar. They don't compete with existing clover and chicory at all which with a moist summer last all thru the summer. In fact I consider them part of the fertility for the soil and clover.

I think if you mow them after they start bolting before hard seed it will kill the plant. I dont ever disc but think that would terminate them also. Lastly, I've been planting radishes and turnips in same field as part of a mix every year for years with no problem.

I have a video on my property tour thread that shows them in full flower and if nothing else quite beautiful

 

[KSQ2]

Good luck with your girls on line schooling. Way above my skill set which I learned having 2 daughters.Tornado watch has me inside so dinking around on computer.

I don't worry about turnips or radishes going to seed at all. That said they are just a part of a winter mix including clover, small grains , and chicory. Nonetheless at 3lbs/acre radishes and 1 lb acre turnips there usually is a pretty good stand with them all going to seed.Never had any problems with that as summer brassicas in the deep south don't do well at all and assuming Kansas has hot summers suspect your results similar. They don't compete with existing clover and chicory at all which with a moist summer last all thru the summer. In fact I consider them part of the fertility for the soil and clover.

I think if you mow them after they start bolting before hard seed it will kill the plant. I dont ever disc but think that would terminate them also. Lastly, I've been planting radishes and turnips in same field as part of a mix every year for years with no problem.

I have a video on my property tour thread that shows them in full flower and if nothing else quite beautiful

Thanks for the input. I believe what Paul was getting at years ago wasn't the inclusion of a brassica in part of a mix. What he did not recommend was exclusively planting brassicas alone year after year in the same spot. I have seen the negative affects of that firsthand. A local farmer, just because he's a good guy, planted purple tops in a small patch for years with any type of rotation. He did this just for folks to come in a pick turnips each fall free of charge. He finally stopped doing this, not because he had a change of heart, but because the little 2 acre field will no longer grow the turnips; I don't know if the field would grow anything at this point.