Cold comfort on game crop
Shooting Times & Country|June 09, 2021
Bad weather is a major headache at this time of year, but all is not lost, advises Liam Bell
Liam Bell
Cold comfort on game crop

We always used to plant the bulk of our game crops in May. The triticale used to go in mid to late March, the maize was usually planted by mid-May, and the millets in early June when the ground was warm enough. This year, the weather has turned it on its head.

In March, it was too wet to get the triticale in and by mid-April, the ground was so dry that even the spring corn planted elsewhere on the estate stood still for weeks and did very little. April was also one of the coldest and frostiest on record and the first part of May was both cold and extremely wet.

As I write, our seed is still languishing in bags in the shed, waiting for things to improve.

We have decided against planting any spring corn this year, as we missed the earlier planting window and anything that goes in now will be all stalk and leaves, with little to no feed value. In its place, we are putting in more millet mixes to provide the feed and lighter cover that we’d have got from the cereals.

Modern varieties of silage maize will tolerate some frost, but that is not the case with the older varieties that we use as game cover because of their tougher stems and better standing ability.

Had we planted any, I am certain the hard frosts we have had would have taken the tops off any of the plants that were showing. In turn, that would have checked their growth and may even have killed them.

Far better to wait until conditions are right and the soil is warm enough for the seed to germinate and the plant to get away quickly.

This story is from the June 09, 2021 edition of Shooting Times & Country.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the June 09, 2021 edition of Shooting Times & Country.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRYView All
United we stand
Shooting Times & Country

United we stand

Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Serious matters
Shooting Times & Country

Serious matters

An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning

time-read
3 mins  |
August 02, 2023
They're not always as easy as they seem
Shooting Times & Country

They're not always as easy as they seem

While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Debutant gundogs
Shooting Times & Country

Debutant gundogs

There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting

time-read
4 mins  |
August 02, 2023
When the going gets rough
Shooting Times & Country

When the going gets rough

Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
Shooting Times & Country

The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition

In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make

time-read
4 mins  |
August 02, 2023
A step too far?
Shooting Times & Country

A step too far?

Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work

time-read
6 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Two bucks before breakfast
Shooting Times & Country

Two bucks before breakfast

A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem

time-read
6 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Stalking Diary
Shooting Times & Country

Stalking Diary

Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill

time-read
2 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Gamekeeper
Shooting Times & Country

Gamekeeper

Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside

time-read
3 mins  |
August 02, 2023