Help with plot

[Lagrangehunter]

Hello everyone,
finally signed back up since the change.

I need advice from the experts. I planted rape, wheat, oats, and clover plots on our lease a few months ago. Everything is coming up very good and the deer are finally using it. The rape was coming up great, but all of the sudden it started turning a purplish and shriveling up. I did everything I was supposed to(lime and fertilizer)

What is going on. Help

LGH

 

[struttinsouthern]

im not sure im sorry all i have is austrian winter peas and clover and mostly oats

 

[Woody]

LGH --- sounds like it is starving for nitrogen?

Rape is a heavy feeder and I have better results when I fertilize twice.

 

[early riser]

Lagrangehunter?

When you planted your clover, did you plant it seperatly in a diferent plot or is it all mixed in with the rape, wheat, rye and oat plantings, was the clover innoculated, or did you use seed that had already been innoculated. Like everyone else has suggested, hit it with some nitrogen, If you didn't innoculate the clover. Clover needs to be innoculated to be able to produce it's own nitrogen and also help increase the nitrogen in the soil. If the clover was mix planted with all the other items and not innoculated it may not be producing nitrogen, thus using all the nitrogen avaialble, as is all the other mixed plants, depleating the soil more rapidly of it's nitrogen,. Had the clover been mixed planted and innoculated, it might have produced a little more nitrogen than using it all up quicker.

I know if rape is planted late, the early growing season is shortened and when the cold weather and frosts hits small plants they will turn purplish and quit growing, I have seen late rape plantings at Crabapple turn purple and quit growing . How has your rape grown? I have rape with leaves as big or bigger than my hands already. We had a light frost Saturday morning at Crabapple. If the plants are very small or young, they will sometimes quit growing and turn purple when the early frosts get to the very young plants that haven't matured.

However I see you say you planted several months ago, but I am just wondering the size of the rape at present and if it has matured over those several monts or if it is still small an inmature plants? Any of these could be your problem.

e.r.

 

[Lagrangehunter]

Er

I planted the clover,oats, and wheat together and it was not inoculated. Then I overseeded with rape. I planted the first weekend in September and everything was coming up great. Most of the rape came up to about 6 -8 inches and had pretty big leaves, then they just stopped. Now it is starting to turn the purplish color.
If it needs more nitrogen, how much should I plan on spreading out, and should it be 34-0-0 or something else.

On a good note, the wheat, oats, and clover are up really good and some buckwheat from the summer is reseeding for some new growth until it frost.

I really appreciate your advice.

thanks,

LGH

 

[Killdee]

Me and Deuce just hit ours in the last week or 2 with ammonia nitrate.Id wait till just before a rain,If you put it on wet plants and it dont rain on it, it can burn your plants.
Killdee

 

[FootLongDawg]

Have you had any rain? If you have been getting enough rain, I would apply more fertilizer

 

[rip18]

Hello Lagrangehunter -

"it started turning a purplish and shrivelling up".

I've got a couple of questions:

1. Can you take & post a picture?
2. Is the rape the only thing showing abnormal color?
3. Have you gotten the local extension agent to look at it?

I agree with everyone else that it is probably a nutrient deficiency, but I think it is probably something other than nitrogen - the three mostly likely are phosophorus, manganese, or boron.

Boron deficiencies are fairly rare, but the brassicas (rape, kale, swedes, turnips, etc.) require higher amounts of boron than many other plants. The shriveling up part definitely sounds like boron.

Phosphorus deficiency would be hard to be believe if the plot has been limed & fertilized to test for more than 4 years.

Manganese is a possibility, especially if the older leaves are turning purple first.

I've got some pretty good info on this stuff at home, but it could take a while to dig back up.

Good luck!