Winter Rye Question

[TooTall71]

For those that have done/do winter rye as a nurse crop....

When is the latest you can plant it? I was thinking 2nd week of September. I know it will stay green well into fall as long as there is no snow but I put in buckwheat on a new field to help generate organic matter and pull up some nutrients, so I want to get the most out of the BW crop that I can. This is in Coshocton county.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Mid-September is usually fine for Ohio. The southern portion anyways.

 

[at1010]

Mid-September is usually fine for Ohio. The southern portion anyways.

yes you'll be fine with it. I don't think you are going to notice an increase in your OM by and significant amount by allowing BW to grow for an extra month or so. OM in soil can take a very long time to increase. IF you are not planting on tilling the BW under and just want to plant WR into it you should be fine to do that as well, anytime really from here on out.

Just my thoughts.

 

[TooTall71]

yes you'll be fine with it. I don't think you are going to notice an increase in your OM by and significant amount by allowing BW to grow for an extra month or so. OM in soil can take a very long time to increase. IF you are not planting on tilling the BW under and just want to plant WR into it you should be fine to do that as well, anytime really from here on out.

Yep, was planning on doing the "throw and grow" thing and spreading WR seed, then mowing the BW to get a good thatch layer/OM builder over top.

 

[at1010]

Yep, was planning on doing the "throw and grow" thing and spreading WR seed, then mowing the BW to get a good thatch layer/OM builder over top.

Ya you'll be good bud. The entire OM discussion is something that I go back and fourth with personally. Many guys have gave up tilling because it takes away OM from the soil. Although that might be true, I like working dirt. Planting beans. Fertilizing, etc. I feel like the OM is the new topic everyone wants to have and how we all need to have a no till drill. I am not spending the money on one anytime soon that's for sure haah

 

[rsmith]

I planted some buckwheat, oats, and wheat 2 years ago and I don't think it really made a difference in using it for OM. You may be better off frost seeding some clover and winter wheat and letting that pull some nutrients up cause clover, at least in my opinion from where I'm at, will draw more deer and also supply the deer with more nutrients then WR would. Also clover will come back every year and is fairly easy to maintain. Just have to frost seed over an existing plot to establish a thick plot and in a year or 2 you are good to go! Just my opinion on what may be a good/better option to plant instead of WR. If you did go the clover/wheat route just broadcast the wheat in the same you would with WR, then in the early spring when the weather is thawing and freezing every other day like it does in Ohio, broadcast clover pretty heavy on the spot and then let it grow. Then use a weed wacker or brush hog after the wheat turns brown to open up the canopy a little to let sunlight into the clover and it should do fairly well. That is at least what I do. And maybe some fertilizer if you wish to add it after a soil test is done.

 

[at1010]

I planted some buckwheat, oats, and wheat 2 years ago and I don't think it really made a difference in using it for OM. You may be better off frost seeding some clover and winter wheat and letting that pull some nutrients up cause clover, at least in my opinion from where I'm at, will draw more deer and also supply the deer with more nutrients then WR would. Also clover will come back every year and is fairly easy to maintain. Just have to frost seed over an existing plot to establish a thick plot and in a year or 2 you are good to go! Just my opinion on what may be a good/better option to plant instead of WR. If you did go the clover/wheat route just broadcast the wheat in the same you would with WR, then in the early spring when the weather is thawing and freezing every other day like it does in Ohio, broadcast clover pretty heavy on the spot and then let it grow. Then use a weed wacker or brush hog after the wheat turns brown to open up the canopy a little to let sunlight into the clover and it should do fairly well. That is at least what I do. And maybe some fertilizer if you wish to add it after a soil test is done.

Did you get a soil test that gave you an OM reading? How did you make the decision it didn't help to increase OM in soil bud?

When did you plant the grains. I have my oats smashed by deer every year on multiple farms.

 

[rsmith]

I did not have a soil test done but natually you should have a increase due to the presents of the grain being there. I think that if you were looking to increase nutrients in your plot fast that getting a soil test and adding the right amount that it needs would be far more benifical then adding a second grain to the mix and waiting for who knows how long to see returns. Also my testing with just grains, oats and wheat to be exact, in my plot versus planting wheat and clover in my plot was no scientific study nor was it in a controlled group by any means. Just the deer in my area seemed to hit the clover and wheat a lot harder then the oats and wheat. It may be due to the warmer weather that stuck around last year longer, it could be a million and 1 factors. Just merely suggesting something that a lot of biologist including Grant Woods and Lee Lakoski suggest planting to supply deer with year round nutrients, a good cover crop, and draw nutrients to the top of the soil, and also create OM when mowing it down. But you can do whatever you want to do.

 

[TooTall71]

I did not have a soil test done but natually you should have a increase due to the presents of the grain being there. I think that if you were looking to increase nutrients in your plot fast that getting a soil test and adding the right amount that it needs would be far more benifical then adding a second grain to the mix and waiting for who knows how long to see returns. Also my testing with just grains, oats and wheat to be exact, in my plot versus planting wheat and clover in my plot was no scientific study nor was it in a controlled group by any means. Just the deer in my area seemed to hit the clover and wheat a lot harder then the oats and wheat. It may be due to the warmer weather that stuck around last year longer, it could be a million and 1 factors. Just merely suggesting something that a lot of biologist including Grant Woods and Lee Lakoski suggest planting to supply deer with year round nutrients, a good cover crop, and draw nutrients to the top of the soil, and also create OM when mowing it down. But you can do whatever you want to do.

That's a good point. I'm really only doing WR this fall because that shit will grow in your truck if you leave it there long enough. Didn't have time or resources this year to do any lime/fert so I figured buckwheat and rye were a safe bet to get something growing and have a good spring plot for the turkeys as well.

P.S I DID frost seed 2 of my plots this past Feb. and the germination rate was friggin unreal....I'll never go another year without it. Had nice clover stand all summer.


and last week I mowed, tilled, and threw down radishes, forage brassicas, and turnips(the deer in our area seem to LOVE any kind of brassica/radish, hence why I did the whole field that way).

 

[rsmith]

That's a good point. I'm really only doing WR this fall because that shit will grow in your truck if you leave it there long enough. Didn't have time or resources this year to do any lime/fert so I figured buckwheat and rye were a safe bet to get something growing and have a good spring plot for the turkeys as well.

P.S I DID frost seed 2 of my plots this past Feb. and the germination rate was friggin unreal....I'll never go another year without it. Had nice clover stand all summer.
View attachment 46099
View attachment 46100
and last week I mowed, tilled, and threw down radishes, forage brassicas, and turnips(the deer in our area seem to LOVE any kind of brassica/radish, hence why I did the whole field that way).

Very nice man! Looks like a great looking plot you got there. Shouldn't have a problem drawing deer in at all with that. Good luck and keep me updated on what you do.

 

[at1010]

I did not have a soil test done but natually you should have a increase due to the presents of the grain being there. I think that if you were looking to increase nutrients in your plot fast that getting a soil test and adding the right amount that it needs would be far more benifical then adding a second grain to the mix and waiting for who knows how long to see returns. Also my testing with just grains, oats and wheat to be exact, in my plot versus planting wheat and clover in my plot was no scientific study nor was it in a controlled group by any means. Just the deer in my area seemed to hit the clover and wheat a lot harder then the oats and wheat. It may be due to the warmer weather that stuck around last year longer, it could be a million and 1 factors. Just merely suggesting something that a lot of biologist including Grant Woods and Lee Lakoski suggest planting to supply deer with year round nutrients, a good cover crop, and draw nutrients to the top of the soil, and also create OM when mowing it down. But you can do whatever you want to do.

Ok I must have misunderstood. I was thinking you were saying that clover adds more OM to the soil vs. buckwheat. It very well might and I am unsure and thats why I was asking.

I am also a big fan of Dr. Grant Woods, however hard to compare to his cover crops when he has a drill to drill in brassicas/oats/wheat into standing beans.....I am green with envy!

 

[NAC1989]

Where do you guys get your buckwheat seed? I can only find it online and would prefer to just get it locally if possible.

 

[Bigslam51]

Where do you guys get your buckwheat seed? I can only find it online and would prefer to just get it locally if possible.

I buy my seed at the local grain elevator, Mt Eaton elevator. Just bought a bushel (56#) of winter rye the other day for $13.50

 

[Bigslam51]

Check out this thread I found while Google searching winter rye, very informative.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/cereal-rye-winter-rye-fall-rye-grain.297455/

 

[jagermeister]

Local farm coops are the place to go for generic seed. Buckwheat can sometimes be hard to find though. If you can't find it locally you could order through Merit Seed and have it shipped.

 

[NAC1989]

Local farm coops are the place to go for generic seed. Buckwheat can sometimes be hard to find though. If you can't find it locally you could order through Merit Seed and have it shipped.

Ok thanks for the info! I'll check the trupointe here but I have a feeling they won't have any. Seems like last time I was in there they didn't have much in the way of seed. I did check out Merit Seed so I may end up ordering through them.