Can You Direct Drill Turnips?

Stubble turnips are palatable , energy-rich and offer dairy farmers the opportunity to fill a feed shortage over the summer. They can be direct drilled with a Moore Uni-Drill (or similar) into a recently silaged sward in May or June. There is no loss of soil moisture and minimum expenditure involved.

Can you drill turnips?

Oats and turnip can be planted at the same time using a grain drill with a second, small seed box for turnip seed. If a small seed box isn’t available, the turnips can be broadcast ahead of oat drilling. The soil disturbance from the drill is generally enough to get the turnip started after a rain.

How do you broadcast turnip seeds?

Plant only 2 to 3 pounds of turnip seed per acre. The seed is very small, so barely cover it. Simply broadcasting seed onto tilled soils works well for many growers, especially on rough seedbeds where rainfall or irrigation washes soil onto the seeds for soil coverage.

Can humans eat stubble turnip?

A fairly deep rooted plant, stubble turnip is mainly grown as a feed for farm animals though it is also suitable for human consumption, especially if eaten when small[87, K].

What is a direct drill?

Direct drilling is a system of seed placement where soil is left undisturbed with crop residues on the surface from harvest until sowing. Seeds are delivered in a narrow slot created by discs, coulters or chisels.

How late can you plant turnips for deer?

Turnips grow fairly quickly and reach maturity in 75 to 90 days. They grow well in both southern and northern climates. Turnips can be planted in late summer in northern climates or early fall in the southern states. Different turnip varieties produce different proportions of leaves and roots.

Do deer like purple top turnips?

Purple Top Turnip a brassica family plant that deer love to consume. This nutritious turnip has the characteristic of growing with the globe exposed so deer have easy access to the entire plant in food plots. The plant and roots are nutritious and protein filled, readily consumed by deer.

Should you soak turnip seeds before planting?

Still, I like to mix in standard application of a balanced organic fertilizer, watered in well, before planting turnip seeds. Additionally, deeply soaking the prepared bed helps encourage strong germination.

What is the best fertilizer for turnips?

Feed turnip plants with natural fertilizer containing potassium and phosphorous, such as compost tea, for good root development. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers like manure, which can give turnips an unpleasant flavor.

How effective is broadcast seeding?

Broadcast seeding is of particular use in establishing dense plant spacing, as for cover crops and lawns. In comparison to traditional drill planting, broadcast seeding will require 10–20% more seed. It is simpler, faster, and easier than traditional row sowing.

When can you drill stubble turnips?

Stubble turnips are palatable , energy-rich and offer dairy farmers the opportunity to fill a feed shortage over the summer. They can be direct drilled with a Moore Uni-Drill (or similar) into a recently silaged sward in May or June.

Will cattle eat turnips?

Turnips will range from 70 to 80% TDN and 14 to 22% CP. Thus oats and turnips make a great feed source for growing or lactating cattle such as fall calving cows. If we assume 70% TDN for the mix, the cost would range from $0.025 to $0.07 per lb of TDN.

How late can you sow stubble turnips?

Growing stubble turnips
From sowing to feeding takes 75 days, so consider when the crop is needed for feeding and work back to calculate the sowing date. This will be in April or May for a summer feed, but it is more often sown in late July or early August for an autumn/winter crop.

Should you roll after direct drilling?

Don’t drill too deep
Roll afterwards.

What are the benefits of direct drilling?

Direct drilling offers many benefits over traditional plough-based systems of crop establishment which include:

• lower costs and energy inputs.
• less wear and tear on machinery.
• improved soil structure and less risk of damage from machinery.
• reduced soil erosion and runoff.
• increased beneficial invertebrates and earthworms.

Why is direct drilling used?

Direct drilling saves germination moisture by leaving the soil undisturbed and allowing harvest residues to remain on the surface as good protection against evaporation.

Do deer prefer turnips or radishes?

The deer will eventually eat the turnip greens but the radishes are preferred. This has been my observation from the years we’ve been doing this. If I had only one to choose, it would be radish.

Do turnips come back every year?

Now Answered. Dill, radishes, arugula, cilantro, broccoli raab, turnips, and any form of mustard will yield mature seeds in time for fall reseeding in most regions if allowed to flower and set seed.

What time of year do you plant turnips?

For a late spring harvest, sow turnip seeds about 2 to 3 weeks before the average last spring frost date. For an autumn harvest, sow turnips in late summer after summer crops of onions, squash, beans, or sweet corn. For a later autumn harvest, sow seeds in early autumn.

Can you plant clover and turnips together?

As the wheat begins to mature next spring the clover should come on strong and dominate the stand. Turnips can shade out the clover and make it difficult to control weeds next year.

How late can you plant purple top turnips?

You must plant them so that you have 45 to 65 days before daytime temperatures reach 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Alternatively, sow them in late summer for a fall harvest after high temperatures have passed, or in regions with cooler summers, sow them every two weeks through the middle of the summer for a continuous yield.