When to Overseed Soybeans and Corn

[Freeborn]

When are most of you planning to overseed your beans and corn this fall? I plan on overseeding clover and Rye into my beans and corn but wondered how to time the seeding. Seems like I have heard you should seed a couple weeks before leaves yellow.

I'm in south Ottertail County.

Thanks!

 

[biglakeba$$]

I did brassicas over 2 weeks ago... no rain till 2 days ago. Hope something grows. I have never had an overseeding work very good but keep trying.

 

[Freeborn]

I have had luck overseeding Rye into soybeans but would like to get an early start this year so I get better growth. I typically put rye down very heavy and even with poor germination I get a decent stand. I have to say Rye is great at weed supression and good for a spring food source.

You overseeded into what 2 weeks ago? Seems early but if it works? I was thinking of overseeding the weekend of August 16th or the 23rd.

 

[biglakeba$$]

corn and beans.....

My rows are 30" wide, so there is room in there. I give up on overseeding. You need rain to pound it in. And the last few years July and August have been a thorough bust on getting rain. It would be nice to watch the forecast and run up to do it. But I don't have quite that much luxury or freedom to run up last minute because a big rain cloud is headed in the right direction.

 

[sandbur]

As I posted in another thread, foggy has overseeded brassica all ready. I also tried some in the flooded out areas of my corn plot-maybe 3 weeks ag or more.

I am planning on the rye going in about Sept. 1 or so. One year I tilled and planted on Aug. 14 and the rye was too mature for deer use by the rifle season.

 

[Freeborn]

My experience with over-seeding in Ottertail is the benefits are seen the following spring in the way of weed suppression, spring green-up food and as an OM builder. The last couple of years my rye grass has been very short (a few inches) when over-seeded in fall and when it was killed by frost.

I did plant an acre of LC mix and an acre of brassicas in June that should provide plenty of food this fall. If we could get rain it would be a different story. Last year I put down 150 lbs of Rye per acre and am thinking I will put down 200 lbs this year. I purchased my rye last year so I am ready to go. This will be my first year over-seeding red clover and would like to make certain it gets established before the frost kills it. My first frost date is Sept 29th. I want the clover to provide OM and N-credits for next years corn crop.

 

[Freeborn]

I'm thinking my soybeans will be mature by the 2nd or 3rd week of September so leaves should begin to yellow the 1st week of September. If it takes a couple of weeks for seeds to germinate and show growth I should overseed probably the 23rd. Im headed to the farm this coming weekend and think I'll go ahead and overseed as I wont be there again until labor day weekend and thats to late. Hopefully we get some rain next week.

 

[biglakeba$$]

I forget where you place is Freeborn..... email me at mchristi@brocade.com. Just curious how close we are. I have talked to many people online over the years and cant keep everyone straight.

 

[foggy]

My soybean crop was kinda a bust in many areas......and in areas where they did grow well, the deer ate them. So, I over seeded a brasica mix into them about two weeks ago (GHR / PTT / GGT/ DER.....and a little red clover mixed in for spring). Seems that the seeds had just germinated and were putting on a little growth before we got the big soaker over the weekend. I believe I lucked out for a change.

As MO said.....early is better. If you don't catch a rain.....you still have time to try it again. That was my logic with planting the mix above. If it fails.....I would plant Rye.

 

[sandbur]

My soybean crop was kinda a bust in many areas......and in areas where they did grow well, the deer ate them. So, I over seeded a brasica mix into them about two weeks ago (GHR / PTT / GGT/ DER.....and a little red clover mixed in for spring). Seems that the seeds had just germinated and were putting on a little growth before we got the big soaker over the weekend. I believe I lucked out for a change.

As MO said.....early is better. If you don't catch a rain.....you still have time to try it again. That was my logic with planting the mix above. If it fails.....I would plant Rye.

picture from foggy's on last Tuesday. I'm impressed with what he has done. Even his Rain Dance ain't bad at times. He must have had a good teacher.

 

[MNAaron]

This year we over seeded our soybeans around July 4th since we knew our soybeans weren't going to amount to much (not going to make full canopy due to heavy browsing) and we wanted to get something else going to suppress the weeds and take away some of the browsing pressure. Foggy really needs to step up his rain dancing since we haven't gotten enough rain to get them to germinate yet. The rains keep missing us thus far.

 

[foggy]

This year we over seeded our soybeans around July 4th since we knew our soybeans weren't going to amount to much (not going to make full canopy due to heavy browsing) and we wanted to get something else going to suppress the weeds and take away some of the browsing pressure. Foggy really needs to step up his rain dancing since we haven't gotten enough rain to get them to germinate yet. The rains keep missing us thus far.

I'm telling 'ya.....make a campfire.....get yo-self a canoe paddle.....and start stroking yourself around the fire....while chanting in tempo with your moccasin steps: HI.....how....are....you. HI....how....are....you. (ad-nauseum)

Repeat until (1) morning.....(2) you run out of beer.....or (3) the neighbors call the cops. ;)

It may not rain....but its cheap entertainment. :))

 

[biglakeba$$]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 

[sandbur]

I'm telling 'ya.....make a campfire.....get yo-self a canoe paddle.....and start stroking yourself around the fire....while chanting in tempo with your moccasin steps: HI.....how....are....you. HI....how....are....you. (ad-nauseum)

Repeat until (1) morning.....(2) you run out of beer.....or (3) the neighbors call the cops. ;)

It may not rain....but its cheap entertainment. :))

Does the Dance pace pick up when you are in a boat with a hornet's nest??

 

[Freeborn]

I’m primarily seeding for soil improvement and a spring food source rather than a fall food source. I also planted both my corn and soybeans with a planter at 17" rows so my plant density is high so my plots have canopied and the ground is shaded. I’m trying to time it so my seed will germinate and will have started to grow when the leaves turn yellow. I have planted soybeans the last few years and in my opinion they are a great late season draw. First year with corn so we will see how corn works as a draw as well as cover.

 

[bwoods11]

I spread some brassica and rye into my beans and it looks to be doing well. Some years it just does not work. We had some timely rains and maybe the cool weather will prevent the little sprouts from drying out. Started in late July.

Has anyone tried spreading straight radishes into beans?

 

[MNAaron]

We have spread tillage radishes into our beans and they worked great. I actually prefer radishes over PPTs since they seem to come up easier/quicker in our soils.

 

[j-bird]

Planting on a 17" row will give you great production of your corn and beans, and better weed control, but may hamper your fall plantings due to a limited growing season. Planting on a 30" row will reduce your corn and bean yeild, and open up the chance of more weeds, but will give you more room and thus time for your fall plantings to grow. It's a trade off and one only you can really answer as to which is best for your situaton. In either case I stick with clovers, brassica and cereal grains. The amount of time these have to grow is limited by the amount of sunlight they get and that is controlled by how thick your corn and beans are. I time my planting to when the beans start to yellow as I know the amount of light on the ground is increasing and will only get better. Good luck.