Legume and Rye

[Texasmark]

Been going to do it for a long time and last year I experimented with Austrian Winter Field Peas. The results were stellar. This year, rather than putting in peas in the winter, tucking them in and running SS in the summer I thought I'd try something different.

I am thinking that as soon as the weather is supportive (ha) I'm going to drill in peas and come back over it and drill in "Jumbo Rye", letting them grow concurrently. Then bale the mix sometime in the spring, weather permitting (ha again).

I see folks mixing clover to things and all but never followed through with the harvesting process with the legume in a hay crop. Usage will probably just be for cattle but may wind up in a horse or two. I fed out the JR before and cows loved it but I thought I'd cut my fertilizer bill again with the peas and add some bulk in the process.

Constructive comments welcomed.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[callmefence]

I've thought about the same thing using crimson clover and oats. Nobody cuts it for hay around here and you would think it would make great hay.
I personally have not seen a big difference in the jumbo rye and the regular Oregon brand (gulf) I believe rye. Other than price that is.
Sounds like the peas work for you. I planted a small hunting plot last year with them and I was disappointed in them the clover seems to do better for me .

 

[bird dog]

Fence, you had any luck with any other clover besides Crimson?

 

[callmefence]

Fence, you had any luck with any other clover besides Crimson?

The crimson has done the best for me. Last year I had it side by side with nueces white clover. Which is a Aggie product especially for South Texas. It was low growing stringy and we had some minor bloat.
I've mixed crimson in my oats for two years. It grows upright and had even went to seed and were seeing some volunteer. No bloat and the deer will absolutely tear the fences down to get to it. Maybe that's a plus maybe not.

 

[ClinchValley]

I've been wondering about this lately…

Are these drilled in on crop land after a Gly treatment?

I've a thinnish stand on one of our hayfields. Two weeks back, i over seeded with red clover. Planning to let it go til winter. Its coming up nicely as of today.

I wondered it if would work to graze it close and drill/broadcast rye and red clover.Didn't know if the fescue/OG would smother the rye. Or vice versa. Would a man graze it off or hay it in spring, to allow the perennials to come back out? Does it work this way?

This farm has always had a permanent perennial stand on hay ground. I've been considering annuals strongly since the drought last year. Only, i have no experience with them. No one around here grows annuals for forage. Or no one i know.

I like the idea of legumes. But until now, we have had to spray too often to use them on hay ground

 

[Texasmark]

I've thought about the same thing using crimson clover and oats. Nobody cuts it for hay around here and you would think it would make great hay.
I personally have not seen a big difference in the jumbo rye and the regular Oregon brand (gulf) I believe rye. Other than price that is.
Sounds like the peas work for you. I planted a small hunting plot last year with them and I was disappointed in them the clover seems to do better for me .

Thanks for the reply. Do you inoculate to get the N nodules?