Winter Rye Grass

csantamaria 4/4/2015, 3:53 pm

I thought I'd be smart and plant rye seeds in the fall in my SFG. ( Read that I could turn it over and get nitrogen in the spring.) Have a healthy stand of grass and roots are so thick I can't pull it up by hand and don't want to punch holes in my landscape cloth under the soil using a garden rake or hoe. Any ideas?

**Turan** 4/4/2015, 4:12 pm

Keep it cut so it does not flower. You can use the top growth in the compost pile or as mulch over the beds. You can plant through it things like squash and cabbages. plants that are big enough to not get lost in it. Keep the grass cut until it plays out in the hot weather. It will all rot eventually and leave you the richer.
I hope you did not do all the beds? If you did you might need cut the sod formed into strips. Shake your mix out and then use the grass in the compost (roots too) or use it as mulch.

I am assuming this is annual ryegrass.....

Good luck Winter Rye Grass 3170584802

csantamaria 4/4/2015, 5:51 pm

Thanks so much. I'll not do that again! I put it in two 4x8 sections. Beautiful here in VA. Happy Easter!

**jimmy cee** 10/7/2016, 10:02 am

Another bed ready for winters sleep. Rye starting to come up....

Winter Rye Grass Rye_be10

has55 10/7/2016, 5:02 pm

which is it, cereal or annual rye? also , have you tried to grow the rye with or garden plants or is it too much competition? looks good.

**jimmy cee** 10/7/2016, 10:20 pm

has55 wrote:which is it, cereal or annual rye? also , have you tried to grow the rye with or garden plants or is it too much competition? looks good.

The center I purchase it from calls it rye grain, I think the same as cereal rye. it's a heavy growth that stay robust.
No I don't plant with others, just use it as a cover crop during the off season.

Winter Rye Grass Rye10

has55 10/7/2016, 11:37 pm

jimmy cee wrote:
has55 wrote:which is it, cereal or annual rye? also , have you tried to grow the rye with or garden plants or is it too much competition? looks good.
The center I purchase it from calls it rye grain, I think the same as cereal rye. it's a heavy growth that stay robust.
No I don't plant with others, just use it as a cover crop during the off season.

does it winter kill? how do you use it? I f not winter kill, how do you get it incorporated for the soil food web> Have you seen a change in your plants condition (better or worse) since you been using it? I plan to order this for my retired summer beds- Fall Green Manure Mix Cover Crop Seed

**jimmy cee** 10/8/2016, 11:09 am

has55 wrote:
does it winter kill? how do you use it? I f not winter kill, how do you get it incorporated for the soil food web> Have you seen a change in your plants condition (better or worse) since you been using it? I plan to order this for my retired summer beds- Fall Green Manure Mix Cover Crop Seed

Rye stays green throughout the winter, even under snow....Last season I became concerned about the roots, they were deep and throughout the beds so I dug lot up and left lots there. after 2-3 weeks roots were all gone. This time I will just cut the rye down and let it all decay by itself. Probably a month before planting.
No change in plant growth, I started using compost tea and I believe that in itself overtakes all else.

has55 10/8/2016, 1:10 pm

from what I learned from Dr. Ingham and Gabe Brown, you can leaves the roots in and plant right next to them, esp daikon. I'm going to use the daikon in my tomatoes beds next year. it's like a more fungi soil since it it's approaching a tree like structure according to what I read. I believe it's in the research journey videos. all post more as I find out. Thanks for the info. was it cereal rye or annual rye?

**camprn** 1/16/2017, 6:31 pm

has55 wrote:from what I learned from Dr. Ingham and Gabe Brown, you can leaves the roots in and plant right next to them, esp daikon. I'm going to use the daikon in my tomatoes beds next year. it's like a more fungi soil since it it's approaching a tree like structure according to what I read. I believe it's in the research journey videos. all post more as I find out. Thanks for the info. was it cereal rye or annual rye?

Leaving the root mats in a SFG box defeats the purpose of having a 6 inch deep friable mix and doesn't lend itself to best growing conditions.

Cover crops and green manures are not recommended for the average SFG, as evidenced by the OP query.

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Winter Rye Grass

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Rye starting to grow...

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