Brassica botch

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So this year on the test proprty I did an experiment with spring planting of brassicas(shot plot) also a mid june planting. I cant for the life of me find the card with the pix must be in a trail cam somewhere. But these are the facts of the experiment so far.

1)Shot plot doesnt need to have a frost before they eat it hard, once it reachs maturity the starchs begin converting to sugars on their own and its game on for the buffet.
2) with proper soil and fert I have over 3 ft of top on my turnups and 4 ft on the rape. before they began hammering it down.
3) weed control is a real issue when spring seeding even if rounduped at seeding time the bigger weeds get a head start and pass the shot plot proir to it forming a canopy to choke out the weeds.
4) during times of extreme drought/heat the plants will harden off much like native vegitation, seeming to be dying but in reality just maintaining life. Cool but bad because all of the tonnage you grew all spring is now browning and the fert you put down to grow the plants is wasted.
5)Rape will grow a tap root well over a foot long when mature and turnups top size does not determine the size of the bulb.
6)Rape and turnups are biannual plants meaning they do not die their first winter(similar to Bull thistle)their first year of life is spent growing the big tops we love and a massive root system we dont see. and the second years growth is spent soley on growing a large stock that will flower and then seed out. Some might think cool… DEFINATLY NOT if you do not kill the plot early the next spring it will seed on you giving you 1000s of degenerate seed that will soak up all fert layed down requiring extra round up and years of random rape plants.

Inconclusion the best time to plant Shot plot is mid to early July regardless of the amount of tonnage gained by planting early and do not fertilize heavy until after the heat of summer has past. I have found best time to begin with the Urea is once the plants reach 12 to 14 inchs. Hope this info saves a few of you some time and money.

Good stuff Ben thanks for the heads up

We have had trouble timing our planting of shot plot twice now. Most of our northern property is heavy soil/clay ground. They look more like ponds than plots now. Oh well, maybe next year. On another note, I ran across a little blurb on the buck forage oats site talking about brassicas toxicity-anemia. Anyone have any experience with or about it?

Its all lies from advertiser!! I will post a link when I get home, virtualy impossible in free rangeing deer herds, maybe if you penned them in a brassica patch. Just a bunch of hype!!

Mr jigger, that qoute by Fred is awsome! Never heard it before but it sums up my feeling exactly, I thought I was the only one with remorse after a great kill!

Good to hear. I’ve seen it only from buck forage oats ads. That’s why I ask. I couldn’t believe most everyone selling and/or planting brassicas isn’t looking out for the animals they love.

Fred Bear was my kind of guy. I have a decal with the quote…I just can’t find a window big enough to put it in….maybe the picture window in the front of the house

Ben,

This info is so invaluable. Can’t thank you enough for sharing!!

Great info Ben! Thank you for sharing your experience and valuable knowledge with us. Keep the food plot advice coming!

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On another note, I ran across a little blurb on the buck forage oats site talking about brassicas toxicity-anemia. Anyone have any experience with or about it?

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Here is the link to a guy who knows better than most all!
http://www.growingdeer.tv/view/ask-grant/?g=2

I have a small kill plot planted in Shot Plot that I planted in late July. Came in great. Now as far as next spring goes, how soon would you kill the plot and can I get away with just tilling it up or do I have to wait until it greens up before hitting it with round up?

You can try tilling but as stated above rape has huge taproots and is hard to kill, one treatment of round up by june 1st will do the trick and set you ahead for the next fall plant