Kings Game Cover and Conservation Crops has recently launched a new mixture, Kings Summer Blend. This exclusive cover crop mixture provides quick growing cover and a robust canopy. The team at Kings has combined the winter hardiness of Coleor hybrid kale with quick growing Abyssinian mustard/kale cross varieties, Carbon and Utopia, Summer Blend to produce a mixture that has the potential to supply two years' cover.
Many growers are keen to produce a good kale but worry about the difficulties of doing so successfully because establishment is often hampered by ground conditions and weeds, as well as the single biggest issue facing brassica growers and forcing many to move away from kale: the dreaded flea beetle. Summer Blend is the answer for these growers.
Richard Barnes, from Kings, reassures those that have had bad experiences and are wary of kale: "Summer Blend is ideal even for sites where kale establishment has previously proved difficult. The Coleor it contains is treated with Seed-Life™ to provide a valuable nutrient boost during the critical establishment period and is proven to improve crop development to help you get the best results. Summer Blend's prompt establishment also helps to suppress the challenge from both weed and flea beetle, making it the perfect solution for growers."
Though planting decisions so far this year have been complicated by unpredictable weather, there is still plenty of time to introduce Summer Blend, which can be planted from early June through to early August. It can also make a good base for a later sown wild bird seed mixture for stewardship options when mixed with buckwheat and fodder radish.
Richard concludes: "Following the challenges of both this year and last year, we're excited to be able to offer Kings Summer Blend; it has the potential to deliver excellent results which will help give growers some confidence back."
For more information about Kings Summer Blend and how it can fit into summer cropping plans, contact Kings on 0800 587 9797 or visit www.kingscrops.co.uk.
