Spring after brassicas

[jlane35]

I planted 2 acres of just brassicas. I broadcasted winter rye a few weeks ago but I don’t think it took. What is my best option for the Spring, would it be oats, so I don’t have bare soil or undesirables take over?

I would like to have something to throw and mow into again. And would a Spring planting allow me to plant a monoculture of brassica again?

 

[George]

Most likely your rye did take and will be up next spring, frost seed clover into it.

G

 

[KSQ2]

I sprayed my sprouting brassicas last spring and then later put buckwheat into them. That made a GREAT medium to t&m into this fall. I’ve been very impressed.

 

[jlane35]

I sprayed my sprouting brassicas last spring and then later put buckwheat into them. That made a GREAT medium to t&m into this fall. I’ve been very impressed.

I never have brassica resprout, I’m expecting my field to be a bare dirt come late winter. It should be easy to tell if the WR germinated but the brassica is so thick right now I can’t see any.

And I’m not sure what happened last year but my buckwheat was a failure in every plot. It never got taller then 6 inches. I even broadcasted some into a clover field I mowed low and it germinated great but never got tall. The year before it was 3 plus feet tall and perfect T and M material.

 

[jlane35]

Most likely your rye did take and will be up next spring, frost seed clover into it.

G

I already have 3 acres of clover. I’m hoping to keep this acreage as an annual plot of some sort to have late season attraction.

The deer haven’t been in our clover fields in the last few weeks.

 

[George]

I already have 3 acres of clover. I’m hoping to keep this acreage as an annual plot of some sort to have late season attraction.

The deer haven’t been in our clover fields in the last few weeks.

I know. in those plots I would just terminate the rye and clover. I also would just rotate those plots into spring weeds like hemp, lambs quarters, pig weed. They are as good or better browse than what we plant and are good for the soil, just don't make seeds.

G

 

[RGrizzzz]

Give the rye time ++. Have you been monitoring soil temps? Have any frost yet?

 

[jlane35]

Give the rye time ++. Have you been monitoring soil temps? Have any frost yet?

No I don’t monitor the soil temperature. And no frost yet. Our lows have been in the high 40’s but mostly 50’s up to this point.

 

[RGrizzzz]

No I don’t monitor the soil temperature. And no frost yet. Our lows have been in the high 40’s but mostly 50’s up to this point.

As long as it's got soil contact, and sunlight, it's growing. Could the brassicas be shading it out?

 

[jlane35]

As long as it's got soil contact, and sunlight, it's growing. Could the brassicas be shading it out?

That’s my concern. This is my first time overseeding into existing plots. I had good luck in my clover field that I broadcasted then mowed and a smaller brassica and crimson clover field that was browsed down more. But my two acres of Winfred and PTT next to each other are still more full. So I want to plan for worst case scenario.

 

[Elkaddict]

I’ve tried a host of things to prepare brassica plots for spring planting. Late broadcast rye (at a heavy rate like 200lbs per acre) has worked best. I’ve also had success broadcasting oats in the spring only to terminate for for a late July planting of brassicas. I’ve also done the same with buckwheat. In truth, I’m usually too busy to plant, and when I get a flush of weeds, bare ground concerns are alleviated. I would encourage you to rotate clovers and brassicas regularly. I suspect my invasive weed problems (lambsquarter and quick weed) may in part be due to brassica mono culture planting too many years in a row.

 

[MarkDarvin]

I planted 2 acres of just brassicas. I broadcasted winter rye a few weeks ago but I don’t think it took. What is my best option for the Spring, would it be oats, so I don’t have bare soil or undesirables take over?

I would like to have something to throw and mow into again. And would a Spring planting allow me to plant a monoculture of brassica again?

When do you ideally plant brassicas there? I wonder if your planting date wouldn't be past the time when you'd get viable seed from a spring cereals planting and cause you an excessive sprouting problem. I wonder if you might have to do two plantings, one as soon as the soil wakes up, and then another to land your right over your ideal planting date where you can mow-kill a high tonnage (carbon) crop.

I don't seem to have a growing season that long. I couldn't get my rye heads to shatter upon mowing this year, but I was also using a low RPM and dull brush hog to do it.

 

[jlane35]

When do you ideally plant brassicas there? I wonder if your planting date wouldn't be past the time when you'd get viable seed from a spring cereals planting and cause you an excessive sprouting problem. I wonder if you might have to do two plantings, one as soon as the soil wakes up, and then another to land your right over your ideal planting date where you can mow-kill a high tonnage (carbon) crop.

I don't seem to have a growing season that long. I couldn't get my rye heads to shatter upon mowing this year, but I was also using a low RPM and dull brush hog to do it.

I try to shoot for mid to late June. This year I planted around the 4th of July. But if I miss that window I wait to plant in August when the right weather presents itself.

When I planted this year I felt like I had some rye reseed itself so I sprayed cleth. In my other field I had rye and crimson clover reseed itself. I sprayed that with cleth also but the crimson clover is extremely thick right now.

 

[MarkDarvin]

I try to shoot for mid to late June. This year I planted around the 4th of July. But if I miss that window I wait to plant in August when the right weather presents itself.

When I planted this year I felt like I had some rye reseed itself so I sprayed cleth. In my other field I had rye and crimson clover reseed itself. I sprayed that with cleth also but the crimson clover is extremely thick right now.

I think you're in cereal grain country, but I'm not sure which one. Are you broadcasting, or can you get a tractor across the plot early? My default is always barley if there is a toss up, but forage oats might be the winner here. I don't know when you get to viable seed down there.

 

[jlane35]

I think you're in cereal grain country, but I'm not sure which one. Are you broadcasting, or can you get a tractor across the plot early? My default is always barley if there is a toss up, but forage oats might be the winner here. I don't know when you get to viable seed down there.

I think I could get a tractor and a disc around the plot once or twice to open up the soil mid March if that’s what you mean. But regardless I would be broadcasting with a hand spinner or the quad broadcaster then running the cultipacker around with a quad.

 

[MarkDarvin]

I think I could get a tractor and a disc around the plot once or twice to open up the soil mid March if that’s what you mean. But regardless I would be broadcasting with a hand spinner or the quad broadcaster then running the cultipacker around with a quad.

The one year my established white clover plot didn’t flood, I broadcast barley onto frozen ground and walked away. It outran the clover that year. It didn’t get huge throw and mow biomass though. Once the deer took the seed heads, I couldn’t even find evidence of the straw.

I’ve become a big fan of going early on cool season stuff since then. It worked really well.

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[dogghr]

That’s my concern. This is my first time overseeding into existing plots. I had good luck in my clover field that I broadcasted then mowed and a smaller brassica and crimson clover field that was browsed down more. But my two acres of Winfred and PTT next to each other are still more full. So I want to plan for worst case scenario.

That is why I overseed brassica AFTER the leaves are browsed off. Then I go w RC and grain. I’ve done it as late as Mid Nov. With our warmer weathers , plantings tend to be later.
After a good freeze , and deer back off acorns some, they will clear your brassica.
But then you know these days my throw is a mix any more and mostly counts on natural self reseeding brassica clovers and grains each year. Thus I sit here w no farm trips for plantings knowing plots are self managing.
Good luck. I think your rye will grow.


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