Drilling turnips

[jemski]

Sprayed off some grass for turnips a week ago. I'm keen to get them drilled asap but there's still a lot of grass cover. Have got sheep on it but they aren't too keen on eating it.... will it die off enough in the time it takes to germinate if drilled this week or should I wait until it's been grazed down more?

 

[Mr Mackay]

Hows it being sown ?? If you Einboch harrow it in , I would set the harrows at fullish agressiveness ,then go over again to sow .
The grass will dissappear eventually , depending on the weather

 

[ajcc]

Flail or top it tight?

 

[GTB]

Cattle would soon sort it out and wouldn't use any diesel.

 

[wasted years]

Waste of time scratching into that much cover sprayed or not, I would top it and plough it in , too late in the season to risk a fail, not enough time to do anything about it.

 

[Johngee]

Did the same a couple of weeks ago, topped the field then gave the field a pass with a grass harrow before sowing. Seeds seem to be germinating well now.

 

[neilo]

DD it straight in, or einboch aggressively if that's what you have available. As long as you get some soil contact, the turnips will grow with this rain we're all having. The grass on top will die back, but leave the surface firm for grazing.

 

[jemski]

Contractor drills it for me - I'm not a machinery person but the drill cuts a line, drops in the seed then rolls it...

 

[chris elk]

I'd direct drill into that the Harrow won't do any good on that unless your getting lots of rain constantly, roll down afterwards if possible I'd probably top before drilling too.

 

[Mutch]

Whatever you do, do it ASAP!! And hope for a favourable autumn - the turnips we've grown into wheat stubbles have generally struggled drilled late August, unless temperatures stay high into October and it rains! good luck

 

[digger64]

Sprayed off some grass for turnips a week ago. I'm keen to get them drilled asap but there's still a lot of grass cover. Have got sheep on it but they aren't too keen on eating it.... will it die off enough in the time it takes to germinate if drilled this week or should I wait until it's been grazed down more? View attachment 568092

Strip till drill maybe roll if dry if dry N on asap after drilling or before if wet leave the turf alone it will be gone next spring and stop the mud when you feed it off and feed the wire worms etc helping your crop indirect
ly

 

[jemski]

Whatever you do, do it ASAP!! And hope for a favourable autumn - the turnips we've grown into wheat stubbles have generally struggled drilled late August, unless temperatures stay high into October and it rains! good luck

Yes I'm panicking a little but I haven't had the weather to spray or been able to get someone to do it. Have grazed pre spraying but it would t stop growing!!!!
Spoke to contractor today who said wait til next week to sow, it'll die off and it'll be fine... he's still got 100 acres of turnips to put in...

 

[Kevtherev]

Flail it off then drill or plough it just for @neilo [emoji23]

 

[It was already broken.]

They will grow. Its just how big will they grow? Ours went in this week between wheat and maize but last year ours would have been a third the size of some that were posting pictures on here and I don't get anywhere near the stocking rate I have seen posted.

 

[DrWazzock]

Using a drill that cuts a slot into the soil should be fine.

 

[Jerry]

Whatever you do, do it ASAP!! And hope for a favourable autumn - the turnips we've grown into wheat stubbles have generally struggled drilled late August, unless temperatures stay high into October and it rains! good luck

Its rain too bloody much here!

 

[ploughman1963]

Direct drill, but do it soon - once that grass starts to die the roots wont hold it and it will pull out and block the drill as its working.

 

[neilo]

Flail it off then drill or plough it just for @neilo [emoji23]

Nooooooooo! Although I'm sure there's likely to be a hole in the hedge that the plough would block nicely.

 

[neilo]

They will grow. Its just how big will they grow? Ours went in this week between wheat and maize but last year ours would have been a third the size of some that were posting pictures on here and I don't get anywhere near the stocking rate I have seen posted.

+1, although it is down in the tropical South.

I DD'ed 23ac of turnips after Spring Barley in late September last year, thinking whatever grew was a bonus over leaving justvstubble overwinter, and it would help to retain a few nutrients that might be leached out otherwise. I chucked a cwt/ac of N fert on and shut the gate. Admittedly it was a mild winter, but there was a surprising amount of keep there come March. Planning on doing the same with 17ac again this year, as the extra margin from Winter Barley compared to Spring, just isn't there.

 

[YELROM]

I have some stubble turnips to drill this week with a moores drill in to wheat stubble.
How deep does the seed want to be? just below the surface