Last Year's Standing Rye and Clover

[westonwhitetail]

Hi All, I have a plot that was planted last year in clover, brassicas and overseeded with winter rye. This year the rye and clover have come back and looks great. I like the standing rye for the cover this summer. The clover has filled in nicely in about 50% of the plot. I am thinking about leaving the half of this plot as is in standing clover and rye for the fall. The mature standing rye adds vertical cover and my hopes is it will reseed itself. I don't want to mow it because I like the cover (its 4-6' tall in areas). Will it reseed itself if left standing?

The other 50% of the plot that the clover didn't take well (I believe this was due to poor seeding coverage in this area), I plan to broadcast brassicas, spray and mow. I know it will do fine with some timely rains. I would mow this brassica part of the plot in a pattern to encourage more edge with the taller rye surrounding it .. WIll the mature rye hold up for a part of the bow season to keep that vertical cover or will it start to fall over later in the summer?

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Hi All, I have a plot that was planted last year in clover, brassicas and overseeded with winter rye. This year the rye and clover have come back and looks great. I like the standing rye for the cover this summer. The clover has filled in nicely in about 50% of the plot. I am thinking about leaving the half of this plot as is in standing clover and rye for the fall. The mature standing rye adds vertical cover and my hopes is it will reseed itself. I don't want to mow it because I like the cover (its 4-6' tall in areas). Will it reseed itself if left standing?

The other 50% of the plot that the clover didn't take well (I believe this was due to poor seeding coverage in this area), I plan to broadcast brassicas, spray and mow. I know it will do fine with some timely rains. I would mow this brassica part of the plot in a pattern to encourage more edge with the taller rye surrounding it .. WIll the mature rye hold up for a part of the bow season to keep that vertical cover or will it start to fall over later in the summer?

My presumption is that the rye will out compete the brassicas. How big of a plot is it and what was your seeding rate of rye?

I only ask because sise now that it is mature you will more than likely have about 10x the amount of rye that is recommended per acre. Nothing is going to be able to grow when mixed in with that.

But then again The Great Jeff Sturgis claims that brassicas will out compete the rye.

Just give it a go and see what happens.

I will also presume that a good amount of that rye will be on the ground by bow season.


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[bigboreblr]

Here in NY, they harvest rye end of july usually. I get my bags of rye in a small 1 to 2 week window before they sell out. Early August, just have some plan B seed incause you do the whole thing.

Thinking maybe more than 50%, leave the last 15 feet or so for "brushy" edges. I'd mow that up in the spring though.

If the feed is good, the does will bring the bucks. Bowhunt downwind of the field maybe 20 yards in, 10 if your not that great of a bow shot. 500 yard wide fields of soybean or corn, they just cruise the edges of the field where I hunt farmland.

Long term, thin out some trees on your common staging sides, like downwind prevailing winds, where they exit the field and go elsewhere. Make it brushy with brush. Down 3 or 4 less desireable trees on the field edge every year. Could even leave the tops there to add to the thicket.

 

[westonwhitetail]

My presumption is that the rye will out compete the brassicas. How big of a plot is it and what was your seeding rate of rye?

I only ask because sise now that it is mature you will more than likely have about 10x the amount of rye that is recommended per acre. Nothing is going to be able to grow when mixed in with that.

But then again The Great Jeff Sturgis claims that brassicas will out compete the rye.

Just give it a go and see what happens.

I will also presume that a good amount of that rye will be on the ground by bow season.


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The plot is 1.5 acres. I overseeded 2 bags of rye last fall over the plot.

Do you think the rye seed is already viable for reseeding? I guess I was assuming if I mowed the area for a brassica planting now, there wouldn't be any germination yet.

Maybe I'll mow it now and wait 2 weeks, then spray and broadcast the brassicas then. That might take out some of the reseeded rye

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

The plot is 1.5 acres. I overseeded 2 bags of rye last fall over the plot.

Do you think the rye seed is already viable for reseeding? I guess I was assuming if I mowed the area for a brassica planting now, there wouldn't be any germination yet.

Maybe I'll mow it now and wait 2 weeks, then spray and broadcast the brassicas then. That might take out some of the reseeded rye

I am assuming it has been viable for a good 2 weeks or more.


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[Diesel5610]

I have done exactly what you are talking about. The deer loved the standing rye and would spend a lot of time feeding and bedding in it. Mine was full of deer beds. I have had straight rye that they did not use this way, I think having the clover in it is what makes the difference.

The rye will reseed itself and you will be good this year. The rye will be very thick the following year because it is really way above the recommended seeding rate but there will still be clover in there. I have only gone 2 years with this process so I can’t tell you how many years the clover survives doing this. I am actually getting ready to start a plot or two with this combo this year.