Scully Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 On rough shoot this morning, getting very wet (proper British summer) was very impressed with cover crops. This is a working farm and not a proper driven shoot as such, and we don't have a lot of money so we just put down cover crops where we can in an attempt to hold birds and provide shelter and food for all manner of creatures. We put down a mixture called Labrador and Setter which consists of Quinoa, barley(?)kale, sunflowers, maize, and a lovely plant the name I forget now which is a beautiful lilac colour and rape. Everything is blooming and the sunflowers are truly majestic, covered in bees and a multitude of insects. Later in the year when all turns to seed, they will be covered in birds as they were last year. Great to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 phsillia (that's the wrong spelling but your lilac flower) our maize is possibly 6ft which is too high for my liking as it goes over but growing conditions have been very good our way ( south Lincolnshire) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted August 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 phsillia (that's the wrong spelling but your lilac flower) That's the one; kept thinking it was a womans name but had Cecelia stuck in my head. Thanks for that. The maize amongst it is only about 2 foot high, but maize only crops in other fields is well up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Phacelia I think, and the barley looking stuff is probably triticale, the maize looks good but the mix was flattened by slugs, beeb replanted and slowly catching up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jameskeeper Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 My maize is ridiculously high this year, 7/8ft in places. As said it will fold over once the cobs come out. The weather has been perfect for it though here(Cambridgeshire). Very hot with regular rain on it. Wild bird mix is coming on really well also though overly thick. Will be hard to drive birds out. Though rather that then it all being patchy and the maize only reaching knee height like previous years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIDES EDGE Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Drought in Kent maize is patchy Eutopia has not germinated but birds doing well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 Our maise is spectacular 6-7ft high on most sites but will it last and will the first high wind flatten it?? Noticed a lot of weeds 2/3ft high between rows. A pretty flower which we tried to spray off unsuccessfully but it looks as though this will give extra cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quickshot Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 As with previous post, ours is 7-8 foot, but full of thistles and one patch in particular, red shank. Unfortunately couldn't spray it out this year due to under sowing with millet. Will see how it goes, but looking forward to having proper cover this year! QS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr pigeon Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 Our maize is flying, its dwarf variety but strong thick stems and good cobs. Chicory is nearly 7ft tall and thick as billieo. Millet is just starting to seed. Kale/rape cross is suffering under weeds as its to hot to spray! Plenty of time yet though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted August 8, 2014 Report Share Posted August 8, 2014 what variety is your kale/rape and what chemical do you use for weed control in it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted August 8, 2014 Report Share Posted August 8, 2014 Get out and spray early am or evening if its too hot during the day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted August 9, 2014 Report Share Posted August 9, 2014 A few years ago on a shoot near me the shoot owner planted giant sorgum and in similar conditions to this year it must have gone up at least 12 foot which early season was horrible to try to keep a line but after the first frosts or gales it was almost impossible to get through. Never saw it again thank god. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr pigeon Posted August 9, 2014 Report Share Posted August 9, 2014 I think its called carbon? I'm not aware of the spray as farmer does the cover crops and he's now away for a couple of weeks. I know he did spray yesterday morning though and the weeds are looking sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dob Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 Mr pigeon, is that sick as in I'll or sick as in down wiv da kids? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 Sunflowers are drooping now but rest of crop looks fine; all seed pods plump and drying nicely but still lots of greenery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich1985 Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 Drilled slightly later this year and there great, sunflowers now in full bloom, millet looks great, it's tall and thick. Last years were terrible. Doubled the amount of reared we put down and wild have done very well so fingers crossed for a good season! Any thing could happen yet tho so I'm not counting my pheasants before they've been shot! Heavy snow fall early wouldn't do my covered any favours. Fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted September 7, 2014 Report Share Posted September 7, 2014 put my feeders out in the covers today, saw two nice groups of English, several places where they have been dusting,don't expect them to use feeders yet but got access at the moment before land is worked. been happy with the amount of birds I've seen we are all wild and shoot cocks and French partridge, covers doing very well seem to be large numbers of cobbs on which are low so hope it will stand ok. ATB to all the others for the season ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KFC Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 It's been a bit of a slow start because of the dry but, over the past couple of weeks, they've got a spurt on. Maize is amazing. Our main problem has been Rabbits but we''ve had a concentrated shooting and trapping programme which has dramatically reduced the numbers. We've had to be extremely careful with the traps though because we did lose 3 Partridge in them. We also had to be careful to pick up all shot Rabbits because of Buzzards. We tried using the Rabbits for diversion feeding but all it did was attract more and more Buzzards. One morning I counted 15 Buzzards with 3 of them on one Rabbit. As soon as we picked the Rabbits up then the Buzzard numbers reduced to the usual two pairs. It's all a balancing act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted September 8, 2014 Report Share Posted September 8, 2014 Some pictures of ours in this thread http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/280612-pulsar-rapekale-hybrid/page-2?do=findComment&comment=2618335 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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