field of yellow flowers in october

[john t]

down here in Hampshire i have noticed a field in yellow flower, looks like oil seed **** ,maybe slightly brighter in colour ,im only able to see it briefly as i drive past, what is this likely to be any ideas ?

 

[Jimmy]

Cover crop mustard most likely. A useful addition to winter stores and pollen provider.

If you are lucky it might have been co-planted with winter OSR to soak up some of the cabbage stem flea beetle pressure. Mustard is quicker growing and takes a hit from the beetle, leaving the OSR relatively unscathed. At least that's how I understand it.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Green manure mustard maybe.
I've seen fields of osr that have been combined and there's seedlings flowering but there very small.
Could even be brassicas do you have a pic?

 

[wightbees]

We got fields of white flower plants?

 

[john t]

yes mustard , never though of that, its not a full field, but maybe 50 yards at the end ,i was just surprised to see such a bright yellow field in october, if i get the chance will try to detour and check it out, certainly could be a useful crop,

 

[beeno]

Pollen chart have mustard as dull, rusty, orange. Had some of that come in on fairly large scale, so not neighbours' dahlias. Can someone confirm this as being brassica family I would have thought shades of yellow.

 

[Into the lions den]

At this time of year the yellow ones will be mustard....and it is likely to be chopped down and turned in any time now.
The white ones, sometimes with some pinkish/purplish flowers on a proportion of the plants is radish...not the little salad radishes, a special type for cover crops. This is more often (than mustard) sown in a mixed playing with phacelia and crimson clover (and sometimes other things) in the mix.

Either way they are a good late pollen source until chopped.

 

[Swarm]

Pollen chart have mustard as dull, rusty, orange. Had some of that come in on fairly large scale, so not neighbours' dahlias. Can someone confirm this as being brassica family I would have thought shades of yellow.

Dahlia is not dull, rusty orange.

 

[enrico]

We got fields of white flower plants?

That is buckwheat. Loads of farmers using it this year as green manure.

 

[beeno]

The interpretation of colour is a tough one!

 

[Into the lions den]

That is buckwheat. Loads of farmers using it this year as green manure.

The buckwheat being grown up here...usually as part of a mix....is fairly unobtrusive, and pale pink. Good if the bees go for it however, we hardly see a bee on it, they seem to prefer other constituents of the mix.

Only once saw a full field of buckwheat only, in Herefordshire. Looked good.

 

[wightbees]

I thought buckwheat, googled it and looking similar.

 

[Into the lions den]

Got a pic of the radish on my Twitter feed...on 23/09/2017......there is some obvious phacelia in the mix but there was also buckwheat and crimson clover but not visible in shot. There was a lot last year, a bit less this year, but still quite a few fields. Tried to paste the link to the pic here....beyond my technical ability.

 

[wightbees]

I do stalk your twitter some great stuff there, worth a look every one