Planting Rye...

[bigbull338]

youll have to wait an see if you get a good stand or not.when we broadcast seed we want it to make contact with the ground.

 

[James T]

As bull mentioned, it has to make contact with the ground. If the crabgrass is so tall and thick that the seed doesn't reach the soil, you might have a limited stand. I have quite a bit of crabgrass too and will probably cut it short just before broadcasting and before a rain. Out here, most don't drill it in but just broadcast it and it comes up just fine.

A good rain might get that seed down to the soil for you!

 

[skyhightree1]

I have a drill to overseed in which i should probably use it but more than often I find myself with the 3pt spreader and over seed that way. I tend to cut the grass low before I do so. Then I go back and take the disc and set it so its not too agressive and drops maybe a inch or maybe 2 in the ground and have found that works pretty well that way. The disc has a board across the back that will knock any seed that got caught on the grass hopefully all the way down to the dirt.

 

[bbirder]

Has anyone tried broadcasting seed, then clipping grass to fall on top of seed? Someone suggested this procedure to me to avoid discing.

 

[greybeard]

I have a drill to overseed in which i should probably use it but more than often I find myself with the 3pt spreader and over seed that way. I tend to cut the grass low before I do so. Then I go back and take the disc and set it so its not too agressive and drops maybe a inch or maybe 2 in the ground and have found that works pretty well that way. The disc has a board across the back that will knock any seed that got caught on the grass hopefully all the way down to the dirt.

That disc would bounce like a rubber ball if I tried it here. Ground is hard as a hooker's heart.
I just broadcast and hope--which didn't work worth a crap last fall. No rain.
I have one little pasture behind the house that's grazed down low enough for it to work, other than that I don't see anything making any kind of direct soil contact anywhere.

 

[slick4591]

I keep reading about "winter" rye. The volunteer stuff I have on my place is more like spring rye. Nothing during the coldest parts of the year, but when it warms a bit it comes out. Is the "winter" part a different variety, or is it just a play on words?

 

[skyhightree1]

I have a drill to overseed in which i should probably use it but more than often I find myself with the 3pt spreader and over seed that way. I tend to cut the grass low before I do so. Then I go back and take the disc and set it so its not too agressive and drops maybe a inch or maybe 2 in the ground and have found that works pretty well that way. The disc has a board across the back that will knock any seed that got caught on the grass hopefully all the way down to the dirt.

That disc would bounce like a rubber ball if I tried it here. Ground is hard as a hooker's heart.
I just broadcast and hope--which didn't work worth a crap last fall. No rain.
I have one little pasture behind the house that's grazed down low enough for it to work, other than that I don't see anything making any kind of direct soil contact anywhere.

Hard as a hookers heart..lmao I gotta use that one. :lol:

 

[BC]

I keep reading about "winter" rye. The volunteer stuff I have on my place is more like spring rye. Nothing during the coldest parts of the year, but when it warms a bit it comes out. Is the "winter" part a different variety, or is it just a play on words?

Slick, you probably have ryegrass. It volunteers fairly well and comes on in early spring. "Winter" rye is a cereal grain just like wheat, oats or barley. It does not do well if it is just thrown out on top of the ground, in other words it needs to be on a prepared seedbed or at least no-till drilled into short sod.

 

[greybeard]

I keep reading about "winter" rye. The volunteer stuff I have on my place is more like spring rye. Nothing during the coldest parts of the year, but when it warms a bit it comes out. Is the "winter" part a different variety, or is it just a play on words?

"Winter" ryegrass is just annual ryegrass. When planted, it needs warmth and rain to germinate, but once germinated, it grows well in cold weather. Doesn't HAVE to have cold to grow, but it can't tolerate a lot of heat, it is just resistant to frost so it's called winter rye. If planted, whether on prepared ground or just broadcast on un-prepared soil, and it doesn't get rain, it won't germinate here in East Texas, but any seed left viable thru winter will germinate the following spring--or during a temporary warmup in Jan or Feb. The trick, is to get it up and growing while the ground is still warm, and assuming there isn't a high temp Indian Summer, you'll have good grazing by early Dec. It don't always work out that way tho.

Saw a big storm front coming last week--black and wide, so I took a chance, and broadcast about 10 acres in ryegrass. Storm went around me and it hasn't rained a drop since. Now, the cool front is here, clouds supposed to clear out and be 48 deg in the morning, so there won't be any of it coming up unless it warms up and rains later this week.

 

[slick4591]

That's pretty much what I figured my situation would be right now. Busted my butt getting out rye, vetch and clover for this front that was supposed to drop 1-2". Finished planting Thursday afternoon and came in and the weather folks said it may be just a couple of tenths. Man, I was pretty disappointed when i heard that. Misted a few times after the front hit yesterday, which left me shaking my head. But, The Good Lord saw fit to open the skies and let a pretty good amount fall last night. My spirits are now lifted and hopefully I'll see some little green sprouts in a few weeks.