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Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

I tilled under the sod in a good chunk of my backyard to make room for my expanded patch. I bought winter rye, but haven't had time to plant it yet. Am taking in my soil samples to the lab today, but since it won't be decomposed yet, I'm gathering it won't register as organic matter yet? Anyway, my question is that A) is it too late to plant the rye? and B) is it necessary since I have the tilled in grass?

Many Thanks!

Matt Wickless

11/25/2003 10:34:45 AM

Puyallup, WA

Matt
My winter cover crop has quit growing. My temps have
ranged from low of 20° to a high of 48°.

11/25/2003 10:47:26 AM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

Thanks Stan! Saw your patch in Joel's 2002 video a couple of nights ago. Very impressive! At this point, would there be any benefit to planting some vetch in the spring and tilling it in before planting, or should I just resort to fertilizer at this point?

11/25/2003 11:16:07 AM

Wood River, Nebraska

Matt, it's too late to plant a cover crop in our area. Concentrate on getting as much leaf material and some good cow manure tilled in before the ground freezes solid.
dave=stewee

11/26/2003 8:48:44 AM

Kenyon, Mn.

Newbie Question: Can a ground cover such as clover be planted under the vines and would it be beneficial?

11/26/2003 2:48:28 PM

Tipp City, Ohio

Most growers bury their vines so planting clover under the vines would not work in this case. Cover crops are mainly used over winter to help prevent erosion as well as being able to add "green" manure to their patch. Using clover is a more expensive route to go and normally used when having a patch or field(for hay) to go a whole year without growing anything else.

11/26/2003 8:53:25 PM

Deer Park WA

Right on Bantam, ever try to kill clover grown in an irrigated, sunny, fertile soil? Winter Rye, or Hairy Vetch is the ticket in the Inland Empire Pacific North West! Plow it down, wait a few days in the sun and plow again, good stuff!

11/26/2003 9:24:09 PM

Kenyon, Mn.

Thanks for your responses to my query above, I understand what a cover crop is and have used three diferent types at different times, winter rye, buckwheat and the third type is Big N Alfalfa, which was discovered right here in Minnesota by the U of M researchers.It does not enter dormancy and continues to grow until tilled in. Big N provided 124 pounds per acre of nitrogen ,versus 85 pounds per acre for dormant varieties. I should have referred to the clover as a "living mulch" of which white clover is a excellent choice, it is tough and can be grown under and around plants and is tough enough to use in walkways, walk on it all you want! I had let my vines sprawl onto unmowed areas before and without many problems(I know this always is not the case) he clover does smother most weeds and grows to about a foot if you don't mow it off once during the season Maybe this explains why while most my fellow gardeners are hoeing, I'm out hauling in lunker bass!

11/27/2003 7:04:37 PM