Rye really likes to be packed hard

[momatt]

I didn't get the NRCS drill this year so I had to disc then broadcast and cultipack. There was good soil moisture, but the discing dried it out and of course the seed is all at the surface. My big 100hp diesel tractor is a little much to pull a little 8 foot packer and my little gas farmall is down so I pulled it with my pickup. Four days later the rye in the tire tracks has all germinated in nice 3 inch purple shoots while absolutely nothing has germinated in the cultipacked area. I think its probably more about moisture than the extra soil seed contact. No radishes or oats germinated at all anywhere.

 

[jsasker007]

I would say you are right but the rest of the seeds will follow suit with germination----I have not had good luck broadcasting oats for some reason. They seem to do much better for me if I can get the oats covered with a little dirt.

 

[sagittarius]

I didn't get the NRCS drill this year so I had to disc then broadcast and cultipack. There was good soil moisture, but the discing dried it out and of course the seed is all at the surface.

You could use the disk to cover broadcasted seed. Just lower 1"-2" into soil and make a single pass ... works great.

 

[SWIFFY]

I always use a drag behind the atv and that seems to work well. Even with the thatch and debris on the ground the drag is enough to disturb the soil and cover a lot of the seed

 

[Bill]

I just toss it and forget it. The rest will catch up with some moisture.

 

[Tree Spud]

I didn't get the NRCS drill this year so I had to disc then broadcast and cultipack. There was good soil moisture, but the discing dried it out and of course the seed is all at the surface. My big 100hp diesel tractor is a little much to pull a little 8 foot packer and my little gas farmall is down so I pulled it with my pickup. Four days later the rye in the tire tracks has all germinated in nice 3 inch purple shoots while absolutely nothing has germinated in the cultipacked area. I think its probably more about moisture than the extra soil seed contact. No radishes or oats germinated at all anywhere.

WOW! Gonna write that one down in my log ... grows in the cracks of my drive way and in the bed of my SUV ...

 

[jsasker007]

Grows to 6" in my broadcast seeder if I forget to clean it out and that's sitting in my dark shed with NO moisture.

 

[BenAllgood]

I hope you guys are right about rye growing under the most adverse conditions with no incorporation. I seeded 2 1/2 acres of it in a freshly hayed field with no rain for a week now. I don't have high hopes, but I did it mainly as an experiment to see how it would do in extreme circumstances. I've mostly done wheat and oats for cereal grains and wouldn't have tried them in this situation. I'm not banking on it though.

 

[Kooch]

This thread us useless without pictures.