Does rape die out after a hard freeze or to?
10-19-2002, 07:34 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Livonia Mi USA
Posts: 551
RE: Does rape die out after a hard freeze or to?
Usually, rape will turn after a hard frost or two. It may appear a purple color. It will get really sweet after the frost/color change. We have not seen the rape come back without reseeding it.
Romans 10:9 Psalms 42
Romans 10:9 Psalms 42
10-23-2002, 07:56 AM
#7
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: morocco indiana USA
Posts: 35
RE: Does rape die out after a hard freeze or to?
i'm currious about rape. i never heard of it until i came onto this forum. i live in indiana, and never see anything advertized about it. where can a person find information about it and buy some seeds? i would like information on this.
10-23-2002, 10:33 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Does rape die out after a hard freeze or to?
We planted dwarf essex rape the spring before last (2001), with a white clover blend. It didn't excite me much, or the deer, they fed around the rape in the clover. It did do a good job as a nurse crop for the clover in its 1st summer (2001). In the fall last year, I mowed it and incidental weeds in the clover down to about 6". We had a mild winter by our standards with only about 60-70" snow for the year, and about 30% of the rape plot came back in the spring (2002), tall and spindly. I ended up mowing the plot twice this past summer to keep the clover in check, and to try to eliminate the rape left in the 1-1/2 acre plot. While it is almost gone now (1-1/2 years since planing) there are still a few clumps here and there - its wonderfully leafy, but the deer still tend to ignore it in favor of the excellent clover plot that developed.
I think the reason mine never completely died off was because, I never let it seed out, and tried to mow it when the yellow flowers opened. The root systems that the rape made are very large on these plants, remember they are similar to turnips, parsnips and or beets - all brassicas. I wish the deer liked it more, but my experience was that they did not prefer it - hard frost or not.
I think the reason mine never completely died off was because, I never let it seed out, and tried to mow it when the yellow flowers opened. The root systems that the rape made are very large on these plants, remember they are similar to turnips, parsnips and or beets - all brassicas. I wish the deer liked it more, but my experience was that they did not prefer it - hard frost or not.