News

29/07/2011

Mid Season Growing Notes

Mid Season Growing Notes

Sorghum

Don't despair, sorghum does nearly all its growing in very late July, early August.  Use Jester to control the majority of weeds and don't worry if its 6 inches tall, slightly yellow and seemed to have not grown in weeks. It should start to take off towards the end of this month.

Kale

Early kale suffered in the dry conditions, lumpy seed beds showed fluctuations in germination. In some cases there are plants less than 1 inch germinating next to a 6 inch kale plant.

Later sown kale (June and July) suffered from excessive weed growth. Lentagran has been a useful chemical but not an easy one to physically use. Remember that topping kale that has been invaded by Fat hen or Redshank can work very well, just don't cut much below 8 inches from the ground.

Autumn Promise

Autumn Promise is a late sown recovery/replacement or an after harvest versatile mixture. It's one of the only mixtures in our portfolio that over the last 10 years has not been changed. It works every time; best drilled in wide rows (12 - 15 inches) or can be broadcast and worked in.

It conforms to most wild bird prescriptions and is exceptionally fast growing. If you're broadcasting into a standing crop, Keepers Relief or mustard would be a better option due to the smaller seed sizes.

Utopia

As you have probably seen advertised, Utopia is a black mustard crossed with a wild kale. It grows almost as fast as mustard and looks like a kale plant. For best results sow from the end of June through to the end of July at a rate of 2kgs per acre in wide rows (12-15 inches). It can be broadcast but must be worked in and rolled. This can go in after harvest (on early crops) and will give you season long cover.

Nectar Flower

Under ELS or HLS schemes any new sowing of Nectar Flower Mixture should be managed in the first year. Because of limited chemical use topping is really your only option. The species in this mixture will respond really well to cutting so topping and mulching the cuttings if possible regularly will encourage tillering and further strong growth.

There are some chemicals you can use to take out grass weeds but you will need to consult your local advisor or agronomist.

Points worth Investigating

Jester

Jester is a superb chemical that can be used very successfully on maize and sorghum. Like most effective chemicals Jester is going out of production, although it can still be used up until the end of 2013. It would be worth purchasing some stock because the manufacturer will soon be stopping production, please call for prices.

Croplift

Croplift is a foliar feed that can be sprayed on a very wide variety of crops. It will give an instant pick up for many struggling plants currently under stress. At about £17/ha it can be worth every penny.

Terror Kites

Finally we have an effective silent bird scarer that covers a large area with a one off cost. The Terror Kite which we use here on our trial site can be seen from a distance and packed away after use ready for the next season. Terror Kites are available at £70 plus VAT.

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