Stubble turnips, kale etc

[Treemover]

Thinking of trying our hand at this.

Any advice which to sow and when?

Any other tips?

2 wettish fields we have, thinking of ploughing the lot, putting grass in drier parts and turnips or kale in wetter bit?

Have heard some advising to sow a few strips of grass to help with moving on electric fence?

Next year will be putting on drier ground so might sow alternate strips?

 

[Great In Grass]

28 pages of excellent reading attached, hope it helps.

 

[alan6430]

Is it possible to mow kale and make bales and wrap it? Would be pretty cheap form of protein for winter if you could?

 

[Thick Farmer]

Is it possible to mow kale and make bales and wrap it? Would be pretty cheap form of protein for winter if you could?

Yes, but you need to use lots of wrap.

 

[Great In Grass]

Is it possible to mow kale and make bales and wrap it? Would be pretty cheap form of protein for winter if you could?

That was all the rage some years ago, I've never seen it done on farm, could the bales turn into quite a mess?

 

[Walterp]

A farmer on BFF used to do it, it was a wet and messy business but it did OK.

 

[linga]

I have seen and smelt a bale of kale silage...and I didnt have to get too close in order to smell it !

 

[Walterp]

Us and Treemover may be in the same position - so what are we trying to do?

Aims: (a) to lay down a new and improved ley and (b) to get a decent break crop and (c) which will also improve the ground and (d) at not too much expense and (e) provide either extra fodder or give an early or late bite on the shoulders of the seasons.

Are the top four options:

1. Forage rye?

2. Forage rape?

3. Kale?

4. Just put in some IRG?

 

[neilo]

Thinking of trying our hand at this.

Any advice which to sow and when?

Any other tips?

2 wettish fields we have, thinking of ploughing the lot, putting grass in drier parts and turnips or kale in wetter bit?

Have heard some advising to sow a few strips of grass to help with moving on electric fence?

Next year will be putting on drier ground so might sow alternate strips?

Are you aiming to graze these forage crops, and if so, when? If it's for winter keep, don't plant them on your "wetter bits" or you will spoil more than you graze.

I'd avoid ploughing if at all possible too, all that does is make it a bottomless mire when the stock go in. DD (preferably) or min-till if you can, which will leave a firm base for grazing.

As to sowing grass strips, that sounds like an extra complication/expense. If you want a strip for putting a fence on, just leave it bare by missing a bit every now & again. If you are grazing with cattle, it's not necessary anyway, just move the leccy fence up to the crop and let them graze under it.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Cattle is it,

 

[Walterp]

OK, if it's DD then some Winfred if you want Autumn grazing or forage rye if it's a early Spring bite?

All after taking the grass off first, if it's hay then the later entry means rye, right?

 

[Treemover]

The weather ground is for now; and drier areas for autumn n winter.

We have suitable areas that are not what we would call "tillage land" but I'm just looking to get our land more productive.

I heard or read that you have to strim if you want to use an electric fence; whereas using a grass strip helps with many fronts.

I have to plough the wetter areas anyway. Bury the rushes!!