Half a pound of Forage Rape

[Derrick Hughes]

Another 40 acres of grass going in tomorrow,
I'm sticking half a pound of rape in , dad used to do it in dry times, said it shaded the grass from the hot sun
Thoughts ?

 

[neilo]

I’m not convinced it conserves moisture by shading as a fast growing rape plant draws a lot of moisture up from the soil. It’s all extra early keep in a grazing ley though.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Well If it's as dry in Ceredigion as it is here , with the cold SE winds we are still getting and no rain in the forecast nothings going to grow ...our peas, where they have come up, slowly, then they are turning their toes up ...

 

[Tarw Coch]

Another 40 acres of grass going in tomorrow,
I'm sticking half a pound of rape in , dad used to do it in dry times, said it shaded the grass from the hot sun
Thoughts ?

Your dad seemed to do a lot of the same stuff mine did.
It strikes me that the more educated farmers become, the more I realise how much they knew years ago long before college educations and degrees, a lot has been forgotten in between

 

[Agrivator]

Maybe all the ''predators'' that attack emerging grass and clovers will concentrate on the rape instead. And rape is vigorous enough to withstand it.

 

[som farmer]

Your dad seemed to do a lot of the same stuff mine did.
It strikes me that the more educated farmers become, the more I realise how much they knew years ago long before college educations and degrees, a lot has been forgotten in between

when I left sealehayne, Jake Usher, told me, you haven't learn't anything here, that you couldn't learn at home, except, to learn there are different ways to skin a cat, and how to have a damn good time ! Often think about that, not quite true, but near enough.
Did learn about putting a 'cover' crop with grass reseed, used barley, instead of rape this year, as hopefully a silage ley, grazing rape, both work well, on later spring reseeds.

 

[Bury the Trash]

when I left sealehayne, Jake Usher, told me, you haven't learn't anything here, that you couldn't learn at home, except, to learn there are different ways to skin a cat, and how to have a damn good time ! Often think about that, not quite true, but near enough.
Did learn about putting a 'cover' crop with grass reseed, used barley, instead of rape this year, as hopefully a silage ley, grazing rape, both work well, on later spring reseeds.

Bit of barley is good cover, takes the wind off comes up quicker and in drier conditions than others and as long s it's not too thick it wont smother the small grass and clover seedlings even a s low as
half cwt an acre will do.
Handful of rapeseed per acre wont hurt but usually put in to add bulk early grazing not a s a nurse plant, better forwhen theres more moisture as well, like in a late summer or autumn reseed.