Let's discuss the best cereal rye varieties.

[Catscratch]

Did a quick search for start of harvest dates per state.
MN came up with;
Rye - July 15th
Winter Wheat - July 18th
Oats - July 24th
Barley - July 26th

So if you're just looking for a cereal that heads out late then you might buy a couple of weeks with barley instead of rye. The data I looked at didn't account for different or improved varieties.

 

[Foggy47]

I bought some VNS Bin Run Rye from a local fertilizer and feed store. Evidently they bagged some rye from a local farmer and sold it for a cheap price a few years ago. At the time I thought it was a good deal. The following year I developed pigweed problems.....which took me a while to get my arms around. The feed store quit selling rye the following year......and said they would not offer it anymore. Riiiiight. Buying bin-run seed might not be in your best interests. The few dollars you save on that seed can cost allot frustration and effort in the future. My 2 cents.

^ That experience got me away from an future row crops, tillage and bare soil. Anytime I planted beans or corn.....I got pigweed as a bonus and it quickly outcompetes the row crops. Nasty stuff and now you gotta get into Liberty Link seeds and more expensive chemicals to combat the weeds. Visious circle.

I suppose that in some ways I am grateful for my experience in this area......as I learned to crowd out the pigweed and moved into no-till methods and my drill. In the long-run this is going to be far superior to what I have been doing.....and allot less work! (and expense) Hard lesson to learn tho.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Cat,
Guess a bit confused in your list. Is that mixing fall planted and spring planted grains in your list? Would think oats and barley are spring planted. Fall planted grains have the advantage of being there for early spring green up right after the snow melts. Right after the snow melts and frost coming out is typically a very sloppy, muddy time of year and any planting is going to be delayed a few weeks or more leaving a gap in potential food source when needed after a long winter up north

 

[omicron1792]

I bought some VNS Bin Run Rye from a local fertilizer and feed store. Evidently they bagged some rye from a local farmer and sold it for a cheap price a few years ago. At the time I thought it was a good deal. The following year I developed pigweed problems.....which took me a while to get my arms around. The feed store quit selling rye the following year......and said they would not offer it anymore. Riiiiight. Buying bin-run seed might not be in your best interests. The few dollars you save on that seed can cost allot frustration and effort in the future. My 2 cents.

^ That experience got me away from an future row crops, tillage and bare soil. Anytime I planted beans or corn.....I got pigweed as a bonus and it quickly outcompetes the row crops. Nasty stuff and now you gotta get into Liberty Link seeds and more expensive chemicals to combat the weeds. Visious circle.

I suppose that in some ways I am grateful for my experience in this area......as I learned to crowd out the pigweed and moved into no-till methods and my drill. In the long-run this is going to be far superior to what I have been doing.....and allot less work! (and expense) Hard lesson to learn tho.

I like how you think Froggy. I’m doing same thing except with clover this year. Planted a bunch of different varieties in different combinations and will see how it looks in the spring.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Clover also works well to crowd out pigweed after a timely mowing or two to prevent from setting even more seed. The weed seed has put enough in soil with even one flush that it stays around for years though.

Learned my lesson with bin run oats for my pigweed troubles and gotta keep something else growing all the time or you end up having to go defconn 1 on chemical warfare which not wanting to do.

 

[Catscratch]

Cat,
Guess a bit confused in your list. Is that mixing fall planted and spring planted grains in your list? Would think oats and barley are spring planted. Fall planted grains have the advantage of being there for early spring green up right after the snow melts. Right after the snow melts and frost coming out is typically a very sloppy, muddy time of year and any planting is going to be delayed a few weeks or more leaving a gap in potential food source when needed after a long winter up north

I didn't look at plant dates, went straight to average start harvest dates. I got the impression that Foggy wanted to explore at the latest rye could be crimped and that got me curious if another cereal could fill the bill. Like you mentioned there are a lot of other factors in making something work, but a list of options isn't always bad to look at. I made the list as a curiosity exploration.

 

[Foggy47]

I didn't look at plant dates, went straight to average start harvest dates. I got the impression that Foggy wanted to explore at the latest rye could be crimped and that got me curious if another cereal could fill the bill. Like you mentioned there are a lot of other factors in making something work, but a list of options isn't always bad to look at. I made the list as a curiosity exploration.

Yep.....clover is a HUGE part of my means to control pigweed as said above.....and supply's the bulk of my nutrition throughout the year. The Winter Rye gets planted in Late August or Early September depending on rain and weather. It is a fail-safe crop for my deer going into winter.....and grows down to 33 degrees F.....and the deer seem to like it until it's frozen solid. Even then....it's got roots in the ground to supply more benefits come spring.

Then it's THERE in spring at the very first green up......and I got huge number of pic's of deer that NEED that nutrition that the rye provides when the snow is disappearing. Within a few weeks the clover comes on to be a better source of nutrition.......but that rye is just a huge bennefit to my deer when you see how their ribs are sticking out and how little energy remains here in zone 3. The ground is still frozen in some places....but that rye is supplying food for starving deer. If I knew a better crop to feed my deer....I would plant some.

Within weeks .....the deer's health has returned in my area. An absolutely amazing feat.

Going further through the season.....the rye supplies the allopathic properties to keep weeds at bay.....and is the perfect companion for my varieties of clover below. Then....if I can let it grow long enough....it supplies fawning cover for newborn fawns and their moms. Further......it will later provide for more soil nutrients when it releases it's values as it is terminated via my crimper. At which time I use it as a mulch to futher prevent weeds.

What more can you ask from a low-cost cover crop?? I rest my case. Grin.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Yep.....clover is a HUGE part of my means to control pigweed as said above.....and supply's the bulk of my nutrition throughout the year. The Winter Rye gets planted in Late August or Early September depending on rain and weather. It is a fail-safe crop for my deer going into winter.....and grows down to 33 degrees F.....and the deer seem to like it until it's frozen solid. Even then....it's got roots in the ground to supply more benefits come spring.

Then it's THERE in spring at the very first green up......and I got huge number of pic's of deer that NEED that nutrition that the rye provides when the snow is disappearing. Within a few weeks the clover comes on to be a better source of nutrition.......but that rye is just a huge bennefit to my deer when you see how their ribs are sticking out and how little energy remains here in zone 3. The ground is still frozen in some places....but that rye is supplying food for starving deer. If I knew a better crop to feed my deer....I would plant some.

Within weeks .....the deer's health has returned in my area. An absolutely amazing feat.

Going further through the season.....the rye supplies the allopathic properties to keep weeds at bay.....and is the perfect companion for my varieties of clover below. Then....if I can let it grow long enough....it supplies fawning cover for newborn fawns and their moms. Further......it will later provide for more soil nutrients when it releases it's values as it is terminated via my crimper. At which time I use it as a mulch to futher prevent weeds.

What more can you ask from a low-cost cover crop?? I rest my case. Grin.

........And Paul Knox is smiling down from Heaven

bill

 

[PrairieShadow]

Zone 3b here. I've used hazlet the last couple years and the deer had been hammering it right up until this ice storm we had last week. Now it's under 1" of ice. WR is by far my most used late season food source.(maybe right after corn I guess) Brassicas seem to be a early late season food source but its abandoned after a couple really hard freezes. We might actually get above freezing again next week it looks like.

 

[SD51555]

It's been a number of years since I've had a good stand of rye going into the winter. I've got one this year in my nursery plot. In the past it wasn't a favorite, but I've got the numbers for it this year. It'll be neat to see if they eat it.

 

[Foggy47]

It's been a number of years since I've had a good stand of rye going into the winter. I've got one this year in my nursery plot. In the past it wasn't a favorite, but I've got the numbers for it this year. It'll be neat to see if they eat it.

I drilled 100 lbs / acre of Winter Rye (Elbon) into a lush stand of clover and other assorted forage in late August. Also more red clover, radish, turnips, DER, and some AW peas. The clover is so aggressive that it outcompetes everything I planted except for the Rye. I have little rows of rye that are about 6-8" tall.....poking through that clover.....going into the fall. I also broadcast more rye over the plot in mid September as I had a few bags left over. Did almost 10 acres this way......all in long food plots that wend through my land. Not sure it's evident in these pics?

 

[SD51555]

I drilled 100 lbs / acre of Winter Rye (Elbon) into a lush stand of clover and other assorted forage in late August. Also more red clover, radish, turnips, DER, and some AW peas. The clover is so aggressive that it outcompetes everything I planted except for the Rye. I have little rows of rye that are about 6-8" tall.....poking through that clover.....going into the fall. I also broadcast more rye over the plot in mid September as I had a few bags left over. Did almost 10 acres this way......all in long food plots that wend through my land. Not sure it's evident in these pics?

I put my chip back in the nursery cam before I left last week. That's where my rye crop is located. I hope the batteries hold up for one more week. They were down to 60%, lithiums. When we retrieved Omaha Steve's doe from the north plot, there was still a decent amount of food left out there. But snow like this changes everything. It could be a ghost town since winter just roared in overnight last week.

 

[Catscratch]

Yep.....clover is a HUGE part of my means to control pigweed as said above.....and supply's the bulk of my nutrition throughout the year. The Winter Rye gets planted in Late August or Early September depending on rain and weather. It is a fail-safe crop for my deer going into winter.....and grows down to 33 degrees F.....and the deer seem to like it until it's frozen solid. Even then....it's got roots in the ground to supply more benefits come spring.

Then it's THERE in spring at the very first green up......and I got huge number of pic's of deer that NEED that nutrition that the rye provides when the snow is disappearing. Within a few weeks the clover comes on to be a better source of nutrition.......but that rye is just a huge bennefit to my deer when you see how their ribs are sticking out and how little energy remains here in zone 3. The ground is still frozen in some places....but that rye is supplying food for starving deer. If I knew a better crop to feed my deer....I would plant some.

Within weeks .....the deer's health has returned in my area. An absolutely amazing feat.

Going further through the season.....the rye supplies the allopathic properties to keep weeds at bay.....and is the perfect companion for my varieties of clover below. Then....if I can let it grow long enough....it supplies fawning cover for newborn fawns and their moms. Further......it will later provide for more soil nutrients when it releases it's values as it is terminated via my crimper. At which time I use it as a mulch to futher prevent weeds.

What more can you ask from a low-cost cover crop?? I rest my case. Grin.

You got it figured out! Can't argue with how well it works for you.
Here's 2 reasons I like awnless wheat. Deer are highly attracted to the heads. I don't see the same thing with rye. Plus for me wheat fills all the same winter benefits as rye. (I still mix in some rye every year though)

 

[SD51555]

You got it figured out! Can't argue with how well it works for you.
Here's 2 reasons I like awnless wheat. Deer are highly attracted to the heads. I don't see the same thing with rye. Plus for me wheat fills all the same winter benefits as rye. (I still mix in some rye every year though)

You just gave me an idea...

 

[Foggy47]

You got it figured out! Can't argue with how well it works for you.
Here's 2 reasons I like awnless wheat. Deer are highly attracted to the heads. I don't see the same thing with rye. Plus for me wheat fills all the same winter benefits as rye. (I still mix in some rye every year though)

I'm not ever sure I got it figured out. I've found......About the time you get believing that.....there is another curve ball comes your way. It's always a work in process around my place. Last year I learned I cannot grow brasica in my perennial clover without teminating that clover before planting. My Rye is pretty forgiving......but I do consider adding some other grains to my efforts.

I have planted some winter wheat in the past. I am unsure that it will winter as well in my area tho. I may need to re-consider w. Wheat .....and at least try some or add some to my rye. I've never really evaluated some of these myself.....just read and saw a few videos on such. I am not much of an agronomist.....just learning by trial and error.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I didn't read all of the responses. That review IMO is meaningless. Yield is what they care about. What you need to know is winter hardiness, and what it does below ground. (depending on the reason you are planting it) If I plant when everyone else plants, it matures way to quick and the deer don't touch it. I didn't plant any this fall because of time but the next time I do I will be waiting until October.

 

[Catscratch]

You just gave me an idea...

Oh crap!

 

[bigboreblr]

Maybe try this. Take a field area and mow it sometime in may. Right after it just starting to show seed development. Check out zadocks ceral development scale. Doing this to parts of a field may provide mid to late summer food while the remaining field goes dormant from the end of the cereal life cycle. Possibly rotating the field mowing in thirds over a 3 year period. This may make some of your field produce seed later. Could even boradcast bucwheat on the front of the tractor while you mow.

Do 2 or 3 1/4 acre spots, one a week and see what it does. Maybe each week just mow 1/2 and mow n put a summer crop in the other half. Looking to feed critter for about 4 or 5 weeks while they have other sutff to eat. And of course while the little guys are near cover. Mowed sections can be good spot to predator hunt, if allowed by your state in that time period.

 

[omicron1792]

You got it figured out! Can't argue with how well it works for you.
Here's 2 reasons I like awnless wheat. Deer are highly attracted to the heads. I don't see the same thing with rye. Plus for me wheat fills all the same winter benefits as rye. (I still mix in some rye every year though)

Seems like awnless triticale really could be the magic grain. If you can find consistently at a good price.

 

[Catscratch]

I'm not ever sure I got it figured out. I've found......About the time you get believing that.....there is another curve ball comes your way. It's always a work in process around my place. Last year I learned I cannot grow brasica in my perennial clover without teminating that clover before planting. My Rye is pretty forgiving......but I do consider adding some other grains to my efforts.

I have planted some winter wheat in the past. I am unsure that it will winter as well in my area tho. I may need to re-consider w. Wheat .....and at least try some or add some to my rye. I've never really evaluated some of these myself.....just read and saw a few videos on such. I am not much of an agronomist.....just learning by trial and error.

Reports from guys I (we) might know is that wheat doesn't always do all that great up your way. I'm just saying I've done a lot of experimenting and observing and have come up with some stuff that works for me. I believe rye is that "stuff" that works well for you.