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Now What - Weak Brassica Plot?

MO-APE

MO-APE

Member
I got a late start on my 2 acre Dbltree brassica plot (turnips, radish & rape seed planted on August 9th) and missed the rains on the MO/IA border. All three plants have germinated and are about a 1/2 inch high, but with 0% chance of rain for the next 10 days I feel like they will likely shrivel away.

I know I could over seed Dbltree's Cereal Grain mix, but that part of my plot has had that mix the past two seasons (primarily winter rye with last year's "soaking wet summer & fall" :) ) ...I'm worried about disease, etc. Would it be OK to run it one more year? I also have another 1.5 acres already prepped for the cereal grain plot.

Any other backup plans you guys can think of? I was thinking field peas and more GH forage radish, but that would obviously only give me a month or so of food at best. I thought about red clover & oats as well, but I'll be in the same predicament with moisture.

Obviously there isn't a silver bullet for "little to no" moisture, but would love some creative ideas!
 
I feel your delema, I planted one area with rape and radish-peas, and hit the last big rain, in SE ,IA,. I did not have time to work up my other areas until the next weekend, and planted then, but rain stopped. Now we have hit the usual dry season and small plants that I have up are on life support. The first area is large. Last season the same thing happened. I reseeded with the rape and radish and it finally did rain, and plants came up ,but by mid Oct, were still quite small. Still the deer ate it. Was gone by mid Nov, but it helped keep the does around. My reseeding choice this year is tricticale.
 
Now we have hit the usual dry season
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Given up on plot decisions until some rain returns, this way if it's really late in the year before more moisture, we won't waste our time.

Any one hear if EHD/midge fly is back ? shrinking pools of water and dry creeks again.
 
loneranger said:
I feel your delema, I planted one area with rape and radish-peas, and hit the last big rain, in SE ,IA,. I did not have time to work up my other areas until the next weekend, and planted then, but rain stopped. Now we have hit the usual dry season and small plants that I have up are on life support. The first area is large. Last season the same thing happened. I reseeded with the rape and radish and it finally did rain, and plants came up ,but by mid Oct, were still quite small. Still the deer ate it. Was gone by mid Nov, but it helped keep the does around. My reseeding choice this year is tricticale.
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I haven't even got my brassica seed down and I'm contemplating saving the seed for next year with this drought. I'm considering tricticale as well. I see the seed on Welters for $18 for 50 lbs and recommends 100-120 lbs stand alone. Do you mix your tricticale with anything? WW or GHFR for example? I'm already planting a few acres of the cereal grain mix.
 
think you plant it just like you would rye. It's a combo-rye and winter wheat. Welters will not have it until first of Sept. I have some on order. I might check d
DesMoines forage, but it is a planting that traditionally is later,,like rye it will germinate in cool soil,,lots of time for it to grow. It is bound to rain sometime between now and mid-Oct anyway.?
 
More heat into the middle of next week. Summer is BACK! Cross yourfingers and pray, if you want rain. Only isolated chances :mad:
 
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