Question for the group! Over-Seeding Rye and Winter Wheat into standing beans???

Spike_Horn_Shooter

5 year old buck +
Would you guys over-seed into these green standing beans or wait until they yellow up some more?

I have two days of rain coming this Saturday and Sunday, temps in the 60-70s. Busy father and hard to take vacation without limited notice.

Northern NY
Zone 4a / 3b
Average first frost date: September 15
Soil is good quality, but clay.

Beans were no-till drilled in mid-June. Probably 200k to 250k plant population. Perfect rain all summer. Good canopy coverage. Good pod production. Slight duff under beans. Plan would be to broadcast 150/acre of VNS winter rye and wheat on September 7.

Ideal hunting window is Oct 12 youth weekend and November rut hunts.

I have drilled rye mid September with good success and deer attraction, but never over seeded standing beans.

Should I broadcast now with the impending rain, but thick green bean canopy or take my chances and wait until the beans yellow up some, but might not catch perfect rain?
 
 

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I think waiting until the beans start to yellow is about the time to over seed. jmo
 
Once you see the first yellow leaf, they start to change quickly. Last year I spread rye when I saw the first one and had good success.
 
Actually, I see you are in NY and your average first frost date is coming up soon. I would broadcast before that rain if it were me. Assuming you follow historical averages, your beans are on borrowed time. My vote changes to do it now. 😊
 
WR will germinate down to 32 F; however, you are nearing your 1st frost and they will need time to establish roots for following spring green up.

Our 1st frost is ~4 weeks away and I am putting my WR out this weekend. With the rain coming, I would broadcast now.
 
I'm broadcasting WR into beans tonight after work on the slight possibility the 47% chance of rain tomorrow actually happens.

That said, I'm in the broadcast now group.
 
I'd broadcast now. I'm doing a mix of 50% oats for early season and 50% WR for mid+ season, then the beans provide late season protein :-)
 
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I have no problem waiting and probably won’t over seed mine until the leaves are brown and just about to fall. I didn’t over seed my rye last year until early October and had a thick stand of 7’ tall rye by August.

I want my rye not to be any taller than 4-5” by November. That keeps the does around during a time of year when bucks are doing nothing other than running around looking for them.


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If having browsable rye by October 12th is your goal I think I would wait another week or two. That's a week for germination and nearly two or three weeks to grow. The standing beans, I assume they will still be there leafless but with pods drying, might help keep deer off the rye...maybe. But, planting now if you have the time brings no great disadvantage - except to the guy harvesting the beans. It's all a crap shoot!
 
If having browsable rye by October 12th is your goal I think I would wait another week or two. That's a week for germination and nearly two or three weeks to grow. The standing beans, I assume they will still be there leafless but with pods drying, might help keep deer off the rye...maybe. But, planting now if you have the time brings no great disadvantage - except to the guy harvesting the beans. It's all a crap shoot!
@FarmerDan. Should have mentioned - I have no intent to harvest these beans. Just going to leave them standing for deer.

The mid October hunt is youth weekend, and I wanted to keep some of the bucks that are hitting these green soybeans interested and on a similar pattern.

This is my 1st time growing beans, but I’ve heard that deer lose interest after the beans yellow up but picks back up when it gets colder.
 
Thanks for the input everyone.
 
I'm in the wait until they yellow camp. They need some sunlight.
Which was my main concern. The rye and wheat might germinate, then head south due to lack of sunlight. Which might be exacerbated if we have a warm fall and the beans stay green.
 
If your beans aren’t yellowing and thinning how are you broadcasting? My beans are 3.5-4’ tall and think. It would be miserable broadcasting into that.
 
If your beans aren’t yellowing and thinning how are you broadcasting? My beans are 3.5-4’ tall and think. It would be miserable broadcasting into that.
Dawgs, they are Ag beans with a maturity of .9 and 1.1. They are about 2-3’ tall. I have 3 roughly square 1 acre plots. Plan was to just walk through them with a hand spreader.

One plot has conventional rows, as seen in the pictures, which I already broadcast a radish mixture. The other plot I drilled in a crisscross pattern and there are no rows. It is thick but is walkable.
 
If your beans aren’t yellowing and thinning how are you broadcasting? My beans are 3.5-4’ tall and think. It would be miserable broadcasting into that.

I broadcast last year. Can confirm the miserable part.


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You guys are to nice to your beans. I drive my side by side through them with the broadcaster on the back.
 
You guys are to nice to your beans. I drive my side by side through them with the broadcaster on the back.
Unfortunately I try to be respectful to the farmer. If they were my beans I’d absolutely do that
 
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