The winter oilseed is sown at autumn. As like other winter cereals. It's done so, that it can sprout and grow little already before winter is coming. It's enough small before snow, therefore it will survive. If the plants were too big, then heavy snow could lodge it.Since it sprouted already at autumn, it can start grow faster when spring arrives and start to blossom already in May. And Harvested at august. For summer rape that is sown at spring, Estonian summer may be little short to get good harvest.
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It's very interesting to know that Japanese farmers keep some vegetables on field in winter. I think it's first time to me to hear about it... Well but if the strong cold arrives before snow, then they have to cover the field with something.. like straws or something to keep them from froze bite.. isn't?
Here it's common that farmers grow winter grains. Rye example is absolutely only winter cereal. I don't know, if there even exist different rye. But also wheat, that we grow here is winter cereal.. I think I've heard something about it's summer version too, but it won't mature well in Estonian short summer. And there's also some Winter Barley gained some popularity. Before when I was kid they always sowed barley only at spring and harvested in September - October but for that time the weather might be already too rainy. Harvester can't get seed out so well when it's wet..
I’m surprised that the winter oilseeds have already grown to that height and also they are blooming! I can never see something growing in a field at this time of year. Because farmers in Hokkaido only plant vegetable seeds in their fields once a year, usually in spring, I guess. The winter here is so long with a lot of snow. Instead, they keep cabbages, Japanese radishes and some other vegetables harvested in autumn under snow during winter. You know, the temperature in the snow keeps 0 deg C (32 deg F). That makes vegetables become sweeter. Because vegetables themselves turn their amino acids into sugar to avoid freezing. Amazing works of nature! You can eat these vegetables during winter when it is hard to get fresh ones. They are a little expensive, though ^_^
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Thank you for the comment Kaoru san aneki. :
It's very interesting to know that Japanese farmers keep some vegetables on field in winter. I think it's first time to me to hear about it... Well but if the strong cold arrives before snow, then they have to cover the field with something.. like straws or something to keep them from froze bite.. isn't?
Here it's common that farmers grow winter grains. Rye example is absolutely only winter cereal. I don't know, if there even exist different rye. But also wheat, that we grow here is winter cereal.. I think I've heard something about it's summer version too, but it won't mature well in Estonian short summer. And there's also some Winter Barley gained some popularity. Before when I was kid they always sowed barley only at spring and harvested in September - October but for that time the weather might be already too rainy. Harvester can't get seed out so well when it's wet..
^_^
Instead, they keep cabbages, Japanese radishes and some other vegetables harvested in autumn under snow during winter. You know, the temperature in the snow keeps 0 deg C (32 deg F). That makes vegetables become sweeter. Because vegetables themselves turn their amino acids into sugar to avoid freezing. Amazing works of nature! You can eat these vegetables during winter when it is hard to get fresh ones. They are a little expensive, though ^_^