livestock 1
Member
Any advice on growing kale for feeding lambs. Never done it cost? How to actually do it?
Advice on growing kale
- Thread starter livestock 1
- Start date
I don't grow it but I do plant it for a neighbour and it's fairly easy he ploughs out old grass then this is the strange bit now spreads muck on the ploughing then I power harrow it and drill and roll .
I wasn't convinced about the muck on ploughing till last year as the wheelings are bad but some of the field didn't get any at all and didn't come to much of a crop .
He's now doing kale twice then back to grass to level up rougher hill ground before getting back to grass the second time we've sometimes not been ploughing a couple of times I've just put the sumo trio through it depending on ground conditions
I wasn't convinced about the muck on ploughing till last year as the wheelings are bad but some of the field didn't get any at all and didn't come to much of a crop .
He's now doing kale twice then back to grass to level up rougher hill ground before getting back to grass the second time we've sometimes not been ploughing a couple of times I've just put the sumo trio through it depending on ground conditions
We grow it for out wintering suckler cows, spray off old pasture and direct drill it with aitchison drill, choosing the right variety for sheep would be the main thing, if it was me I’d be going with a shorter soft stem variety with plenty leaf to stem ratio! We grow giant stuff for the cows which is more hardy in sharp winter but the stem can go woody on it as the season goes on! Loads of choice out there so just have a good read up, we find it great as a winter ration for the cows! We plant in may, had Digestate under it lately but before I’ve never given it any help! Good look?
mghley
Member
- Location
- Derbyshire
Out of interest, when are you thinking of planting and when will it be available for grazing ??
livestock 1
Member
I’m just in the consideration phase at the moment. Planting in May was advised by a friend who grows it.
digger64
Member
Careful to early and it might bolt also pigeons give it hell if they have no other feed source a availiable at that time of year .
livestock 1
Member
What is the window for growing kale?
I would like to graze it late if possible for prime Hogg job.
digger64
Member
Ours is for suck cows finshed 3 days ago but was in flower , have put hogs in when I had to much for the cows March / April , in the past couldn't see them for a week and drawing them would have needed a team of beaters , they got it down and stopped it flowering then put hoppers in whilst they took the stalks down eventually when they learned how . Not sure Whether you would get a high enough dmi to fatten them later without the hoppers though as the stems on the cow types are really hard at that time of year also the teeth issue to think about , but a massive yield on a small area that's frost hardy .livestock 1 said:
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
Maris kestrel, drill towards end of may and it's hungry for potash. I like to drill it into ploughed seedbed personally but have seen people do a good job of direct drilling it aswel. I drill 2kg/ac with einbock but would up the rate for direct drilling. Biggest mistake you can do is drill it to late as its expensive if you don't get more of a yeild than a crop of rape or a hybrid variety. No nitrogen in seedbed, save it for about three to four weeks after drilling, makes a big difference! Don't drill after mid June, might aswel put hybrid or rape in later is the main thing to consider.
Was the muck rotten or quite fresh? or does it not matter much?
- Location
- East Sussex
We used to grow a lot of Kale but Flea beetle and drought summers have made it almost impossible.
However one tip to successful crops is to plant it as late as possible (historically before the last Thunderstorm in July) us land that has a Ph above 6.5, preferably Direct Drill into ground that is already bare and apply plenty of 20:10:10
livestock 1
Member
Blooming heck it’s a hungry crop then?
That's at a good altitude and won't have had any fert or anything else for a good 30 yrs it's basically hill ground being reclaimed it was drained in the 80s and has evidence of being ploughed but that's it
- Location
- Scottsih Borders
Rape is far cheaper seed wise. It can be sown later than kale, and Hobson is the variety of choice for winter hardiness.
livestock 1
Member
The land I’m looking at is reasonable/average hill land. Maybe not good enough for kale or would need a lot of attention to crop well. Would rape be more suited? The pet who have good crops of kale here have more arable grade land which mine is certainly not.
deleted user 837354
Member
These forage crops do need good fertility about, they don't grow on fresh air. Granted you will get some N mineralised if you plough but don't rely on that for P and K. It needs feeding, particularly in a tough season.
Seed costs are not mental. Seed bed just needs good seed:soil contact and firm ideally but definitely warm. Keep an eye out for the flea beetle, slugs and most of all, pigeons.
There are some weed control options but nothing too clever.
Soil sample and sort soil problems before starting so the reseed behind it is off to a flying start. Excellent crop and quite rewarding to grow. Choose the right variety, everyone will have their preferred ones in your region.
Good spray off with glyphosate to begin with is key.
Seed costs are not mental. Seed bed just needs good seed:soil contact and firm ideally but definitely warm. Keep an eye out for the flea beetle, slugs and most of all, pigeons.
There are some weed control options but nothing too clever.
Soil sample and sort soil problems before starting so the reseed behind it is off to a flying start. Excellent crop and quite rewarding to grow. Choose the right variety, everyone will have their preferred ones in your region.
Good spray off with glyphosate to begin with is key.
livestock 1
Member
Would you elaborate on the reseed I haven’t thought this far ahead?
Im assuming burning it off would be required even if I plough it?
I am a novice to any of this I’ve only grown turnips and done a bit of reseeding of grass in the past
deleted user 837354
Member
What would you like me to explain specifically?
Whether you spray it off or not would depend on what weeds or residue you have. Often I have seen forage crops grazed down to basically nothing leaving a few stalks and bear dirt mostly. In that situation a sumo or something set fairly shallow would be enough to loosen up the top layers and give something for a combi drill to work with. Might not even need that. Some people have grazed their crops off by October, if it is mild people will chance it and put the grass seed in then, others keep going and reseed in the following spring.
I would not plough the field twice- once for the kale and then for the grass as it isn't often needed, depends on how wet the season is and what the field is like after. Also many people plaster dung on the land after grazing the forage crop off and only have a plough in their armoury. There is no hard or fast rule, people adapt to the season, their resources, the soil and their climate. What we get away with in the South West used to surprise me.