Brassicas

[rnh2]

Has anyone planted any for fall grazing? The good the bad the ugly? Thought about inter planting in fescue and volunteer ryegrass. Has anyone used oats for fall grazing?

 

[Lbass]

I can't help much as i've never got a decent stand of brassicas, i firmly believe that is caused by me planting them with cereal rye way to late in the season.

I can tell you though that Stan Smith and the Ohio University Beef Extension has done the legwork on planting spring oats in the fall. They have observation studies and even a couple videos with slides on youtube.

And just on a personal note. If you are planning to drill oats. You might as well mix in some feed corn. It's cheap, doesnt need much moisture in early growth stages, grows colder than sorghum and can make some nice growth before frost. But that's an opinion. Good luck

 

[Dirt Farmer]

I planted some daikon radishes in a wheat field a few years back. I don't think anything took a single bite of one before they froze out. I'm probably going to try them again this fall in a mix. They got big and I didn't notice a downside.

 

[Lbass]

Also. This time of year you might find bin run oats for 5.00 instead of 15.00 a bag at the Co-op. I see them on craigslist occasionally. Have no idea in your area, but an hour of looking and calling around might save some real money.

 

[jdg]

In south GA, hybrid turnips like T-raptor and Winfred have been a good companion crop to my spring oats planted in September. The small seeded brassicas really like a prepared seedbed though. If you are overseeding, considering grazing radish, although cows will choose many other brassicas over that one. It's larger seed is more likely to come up in a competitive sod. Brassicas are extremely wet, so you have to slowly introduce the cattle to them, and ideally strip graze and provide hay. You can stomp them out if you overgraze.