WR?

[Yarg]

I planted winter Rye this past Labor Day and decided to let it go to seed. Am I supposed to wait for the seed heads to all drop and then mow it.. so my question is when to mow it to get the best usage of seed that was created. Thanks

 

[yoderjac]

Mow/cultipack at the same time you would normally plant the winter rye.

 

[Yarg]

I still have standing Rye from last year that I have let go to seed and I'm planning on mowing with the hopes of maintaining good Rye stand. If I wanted to broadcast radishes into this would I be better off doing it immediately before mowing... would that Rye stemmy thatch be too tough on emergence...or after mowing before rain. Thanks

 

[yoderjac]

It is always best to plant before a rain. It is possible for thatch to be too thick for light to enter, but I doubt you would have a problem. If the thatch is so thick that light can't get through, seeds certainly won't, so if you mow before you broadcast you would not have seed/soil contact. I would wait until you have rain in the forecast, Surface broadcast your radish into your standing WR and then mow it. If you have a cultipacker, I'd use that as well but it is not absolutely necessary.

Keep in mind that when WR dies, it loses much of it's moisture content. Once mowed and it makes contact with the soil, microbes speed decomposition over standing rye.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Yarg]

It is always best to plant before a rain. It is possible for thatch to be too thick for light to enter, but I doubt you would have a problem. If the thatch is so thick that light can't get through, seeds certainly won't, so if you mow before you broadcast you would not have seed/soil contact. I would wait until you have rain in the forecast, Surface broadcast your radish into your standing WR and then mow it. If you have a cultipacker, I'd use that as well but it is not absolutely necessary.

Keep in mind that when WR dies, it loses much of it's moisture content. Once mowed and it makes contact with the soil, microbes speed decomposition over standing rye.

Thanks,

Jack

Thanks

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

For me it would depend If I wanted radishes growing or rye. I did the same thing last year and the rye smothered out all of my brassica. If your stand is thick I wouldn't wast the seed but then again you'll never know unless you try.

 

[Yarg]

I'm planning on cutting my seeded out WR around labor day. The WR is still holding more than half it's seed currently. I am noticing a lot of weeds especially in the thinner WR areas so I decided I will spray also. I want to introduce chicory, Birdsfoot trefoil and some more clover in different parts of this section as well as some radish.

So my question is when is the latest I could spray without killing off the WR... When is the seed viable.. I know the seed will not be affected but is it going to be germinating at different times.. also the Rye plants themselves that gave seed, they are now dead as they completed their life cycle, right? Thanks

 

[Tree Spud]

3 weeks ago I sprayed a 1 acre of thick WR with gly. Then just broadcast seeded white clover, PTT, and GH Radish then knocked it down with a cultipacker.



Twp weeks later shoots are coming up. I think the WR after a couple of rains packs down and breaks down pretty quickly.

The WR alleopathic effects will continue from the roots and stalks, and the WR will start to sprout also. There was also white clover with the WR so I should have some good N in the soil also.

 

[JFK52]

I planted 5 long fire lanes with winter rye last fall. I tried to plant before a forecast rain. The rain came, 4 inches of it in a little over two hours. Needless to say, most of the winter rye washed out in all of the fire lanes as they have a slight slope to their topography. There is some standing rye growing and I plan to brush hog the area, spray gly, disc and replant fresh winter rye this August. The rye did not come in thick enough to keep the weeds out of the fire lanes. At $15 for a 50 pound bag, this is one of the cheapest seeds you can plant. My goals were to help build up the soil, keep the weeds out and give the deer a green spring food source. All my other winter rye food plots accomplished these goals.

 

[NT179]

I would hesitate planting treefoil. We never had any around here then some farmers brought it in. It is very invasive, showing up everywhere now. If it's in your area is one thing but if it isn't, I would keep it that way. I guess we hate it because our horses won't touch it and it's taking over the farm.