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Buffalo, New York

I planted my first year of Winter Rye back in November and it is currently up and looking ok. Some areas look better then others.Some are fuller and other areas have almost nothing. If I plan on setting my Hoops up around the 25th of April....How soon from now should I mow/weed wack it down and let it dry before tilling it under?

Any other advice anyone has to help it from reappearing during the season is appreciated also.

Thanks...

3/20/2010 2:35:05 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Well Jeremy, I took full advantage of 72 degree weather today to spray mine with Roundup. This will give it a month to die off before tilling. If you lack a supply of Roundup, keep it cropped to a height of 4" or so before tilling.

3/20/2010 6:08:48 PM

Rhode Island

why would you spray roundup on a coating of winter rye?
The advantages to winter rye is so you can roto till a GREEN MANURE into the spring soil .
By killing the rye you are losing most of the benefits of a GREEN MANURE.
Yes the rye helped prevent soil erosion during the winter but, nothoing more if you kill it rather than tilling it under.
when tilled under it breaks down very fast.

3/20/2010 6:43:27 PM

Ohio

I always thought it was better to kill the winter rye early with round up, because the green manure grass temporary takes nitrogen from your soil untill it the grass breaks down. I thought the reason for tilling winter rye in was not only to help with erosion but for more organic matter for your patch?

3/20/2010 7:02:07 PM

Waquoit Mass

till the rye in asap. the longer you wait the more you will have to beat up your soil.

3/20/2010 7:19:29 PM

Ohio

I think I might have been doing my cover crop wrong then, when it comes to tilling it in near the beginning of the season I do exactly what Joe does, I also spray it with round up, wait until it turns brown then till it in.

3/20/2010 9:14:31 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

Farmers around here who plant rye after soybeans or corn silage normally kill it and notill. And they are building up their organic matter. There are a lot of roots in the soil to decompose into organic matter, and if you have earthworms they will pull the dead residue into the soil. If you till the ground you kill worms and introduce more oxygen into the soil. The oxygen stimulates the aerobic soil bacteria that break down organic matter into carbon dioxide that is lost to the atmosphere. The dead rye on the surface will act as a mulch to preserve soil moisture and hold down weeds. Too much tillage breaks down the soil structure, leading to more compaction problems and crusting after a rain.

Ome of the biggest advantages of rye is the alleopathic effect that it has on small seeded weeds. That helps whether or not you till. You probably don't want to let the rye got too tall if you are going to kill it with roundup. Maybe mowing once or twice might keep it from leaving too much long residue on the soil.

3/20/2010 10:50:58 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

I grew it strictly for the biomass and have no desire to mow it and deal with the clumps. I can get an easy source of nitrogen from calcium nitrate.

3/20/2010 11:11:14 PM

Buffalo, New York

it is only 2-3" tall right now.....so i should mow it in the next week and till it under or just mow it first and then let it sit?

3/21/2010 3:56:04 AM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Best bet Jeremy is to do a web search on growing green manure, cover crops. I've never heard of a gardner spraying a cover crop with roundup. If your going to use roundup, what would of been the use of growing the green manure in the first place? All you have to do is plow it under or roto-till it under about three weeks before planting.Then till the soil up again 3-4 days before you plant.

3/21/2010 7:26:42 AM

Deer Park WA

Our winter rye is now about eight inches tall, we like to get it as tall as possible before we till it in because like pap says it breaks down very fast. We wait until about 3 weeks before germination to till it under. Round up on cover crop NO WAY, but to each their own I guess...

3/21/2010 2:58:03 PM

Western PA

I am on the NO roundup side!

If you plan on tilling your patch either way, I just don't see any reason why you would want to use roundup. if you don't plan on tilling then it might make sense. of course my opinion might be a little biest due to the fact I think monsanto is part of the nazi regime..

I have done alot of reading on cover crops and it looks like there are alot of different ways to incorporate them into the soil. I think the best way is to let the crop grow as tall as poss. (do not let it get to bloom) run it down with the mulching mower then till it right in GREEN about 3 weeks prior to planting no other tilling is needed after that, it will break down pretty quick and give alot back to the soil!!

No monsanto needed!

3/21/2010 3:12:02 PM

Litchfield N. H. 03052

Turn in your cover crop of rye under while it is still grass and before it starts to produce sead heads. The grass stage decomposes quickly , the seed shaft stage is what ties up nitrogen.
In IA, the beans and corn are round up ready, and not affected by sprays of round up.They kill the rye and it is used as a mulch to suppress weeds and conserve water.

3/21/2010 8:43:19 PM

canal winchester ohio

This is my fifth year planting winter rye in the fall. 3 weeks before planting I cut it down & let it sit about a week before I till it under. By planting time it is always broken down. I've used no composts in the last 5 years, only green manures & my soil test this fall had my organic levels at 17%.
I'll never use anything else other than green manures. I can't understand why you would use roundup. Just my opinion.
..Paul

3/21/2010 8:53:04 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

If one uses rye as a green manure crop, that's ok. I happen to use rye as a source of biomass only. A dead cover crop is easier to till and not lacking in anything but nitrogen. What nitrogen one gets from a cover crop is used mostly to break down the cover crop.

If one kills the crop before tilling and adds nitrogen later, what the hell is the difference? What nitrogen one does get from a green manure crop is minimal. Just a matter of ease for me. Also just my opinion.

3/21/2010 9:43:47 PM

West Sacramento Ca.

use as little poison as possible and listen to pap.scott

3/22/2010 3:35:22 AM

Ohio

I do plan to kill my cover crop with round up on my small field pumpkin patches though, let it grow about 6 to 10 inches high, spray it with round up to kill it, then smash the crop down flat (no till) and let my vines grown on top of it and see how well this will suppress the weeds this year.
The rest of my cover crop for my Ag's I will till in green this year about 3 weeks before planting. Trying something new thanks to this post.

3/22/2010 4:59:28 AM

Germany (Bavaria)

Brooks,
I sowed mustard as cover crops and simply mowed it down. I think there is no need to spray round up, but it depends on what cover crop you will use.

Have a look at my diary 2008:
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2008&grower=39214&action=L

Best weed control ever, will try again this year!

Good luck!
Raimund

3/23/2010 4:07:11 PM