I've read that Rye is good for a winter green mulch. I went to the local Orchard Supply Hardware, and Home Depot. All they have is Ryegrass. When people refer to Rye, I'm assuming they mean the grain, right? Where can I get Rye seed? Thanks.
I thought I remembered seeing both in the Johnny's catalog years ago. Here, compare these descriptions. Either might work for what you want to do:
Those links are long! If they don't work for you, go here:
If you decide to go with winter rye, a quick search lead me to this site:
Let us know how it works out.
Steve
Henry Cate wrote:
We get a lot from Johnnys but i have to say that the rye we got from them last year did not do well here in Missouri Z5b/6 at all. My DH says he got it this year from Millers but i think he meant Mellingers. It is doing a LOT better than the stuff we had last year.
How long does the rye need to grow before winter sets in? I would like to try it sometime but I think our seasons change too fast. This year we got to the middle of October before the frost killed much in the garden. About a week later I pulled everything out, got it to the compost pile and tilled the garden. This week, the ground is frozen, and there is snow on the ground. Some years the snow comes in November and stays until April. I suppose I could find time to clear out the corn that is finished earlier and plant that part. I could pull other plants before the frost actually comes but I always find that hard to do.
Steve
The best place to get rye is from a local seed and feed store or farm supply. It comes in 50 lb bags, but many will break the bag and sell it by the lb. Rye will work, but it does not make the tonnage of green manure and is more difficult to kill in the spring. It takes about a lb to cover 200 square feet.
Thanks for the information about Rye. What is a better crop for producing lots of good green manure?
I know of nothing better than rye for a winter green manure crop. I meant to say rye grass doesn't produce as much tonnage but notice that I forgot the "grass" part. Many folks sow a mixture of rye and hairy vetch. The vetch is a legume and supposedly adds mor nitrogen to the soil. Of couse if you allow your plot to lie dormant in late summer buckwheat is excellent. Crimson clover is also good but both tie up the plot during parts of veggie groing season.
Agreed. Winter Rye is in a class of its own. I planted 50lbs. last week (garden 75' x 75') and its already up and thriving -- and this in cold, nasty, wet weather. As long as the temperature remains above freezing for a week or so, the seed will germinate.
It will put on a ton of growth by March yet is relatively easy to disc and plow under. I would not recommend it if you only have a tiller. That might be messy.
It is not difficult with a medium to large tiller If you bush hog or mow first.
I can't imagine mowing the garden (especially with 12" of thick growth), but you could certainly do it with a bush hog. In the past, I have run the weed-eater in measured strips through the garden. I then planted in these stips and left the rye growing around them.
The result was a bit out-of-control, but I really didn't have to weed the enture garden all summer long. The rye -- which died out by August
-- kept the majority of weeds under control.
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