Rye Grass?

[tom4018]

With my problem of nut sedge I was told with spraying and something to compete with it the problem can be lessoned some. Rye grass and wheat were suggested. Worried wheat would get too mature in this low lying field before the ground got dry enough to go over and end up with straw. I have no experience with rye grass. Would it crowd out what fescue I have left? What if it gets too mature?

 

[greybeard]

Can't help ya with the fescue part--fescue is a dirty word round here, but annual ryegrass won't crowd out the bahia or bermuda I have.

It will come up easy enough right now, but If it gets dry before it establishes good, ryegrass will die out just as easy as it came up.
It is cold tolerant, needs some warm ground temps to germinate but does not really need cold weather to grow--but it needs moisture to keep growing. I planted some one year in early May to slow down erosion and it grew right thru July till it seeded out and then dried up. The only thing I saw it crowded out was goatweed. (wolley croton)

 

[Craig Miller]

You might want to look at triticale

 

[Lucky_P]

Tom,
If your fescue is established, the ryegrass won't crowd it out.
If you were doing an initial planting of fescue, I wouldn't plant annual ryegrass with it, as it germinates quickly, grows rapidly, and would very likely out compete the fescue seedlings.

If it's THAT wet in that field, the ryegrass is likely to have gone to seed and dried, just like the wheat, before you can get in to cut it for hay - but if you can graze that field, it'll give you some good late fall and early spring grazing.

 

[tom4018]

Tom,
If your fescue is established, the ryegrass won't crowd it out.
If you were doing an initial planting of fescue, I wouldn't plant annual ryegrass with it, as it germinates quickly, grows rapidly, and would very likely out compete the fescue seedlings.

If it's THAT wet in that field, the ryegrass is likely to have gone to seed and dried, just like the wheat, before you can get in to cut it for hay - but if you can graze that field, it'll give you some good late fall and early spring grazing.

It has been in fescue but the nut sedge is really bad this year. Was told some herbicide and something to help crowd it out helps control it. Some years I can get in there and cut it early then others it is late. Winter wheat was suggested but afraid I would end up with straw, although some got cut late last year and still had a high feed value. Open to suggestions.

 

[tom4018]

You might want to look at triticale

Will have to check to see if they have it here. Is it ok for dry hay/ How expensive?

 

[Bigfoot]

Tom,

I've planted rye several times. Seems it's like peaches in our area. Some years they make it, and some years they don't. I've never had wheat fail. If forage is what your wanting, wheat is far less than rye.

 

[tom4018]

Tom,

I've planted rye several times. Seems it's like peaches in our area. Some years they make it, and some years they don't. I've never had wheat fail. If forage is what your wanting, wheat is far less than rye.

More than likely will cut for hay in the spring. Would you be worried about it getting too mature? This is one of the last fields to be able to get into.

 

[Bigfoot]

Tom,

I've planted rye several times. Seems it's like peaches in our area. Some years they make it, and some years they don't. I've never had wheat fail. If forage is what your wanting, wheat is far less than rye.

More than likely will cut for hay in the spring. Would you be worried about it getting too mature? This is one of the last fields to be able to get into.

Yeah, I believe I'd worry a little.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Tom,

I've planted rye several times. Seems it's like peaches in our area. Some years they make it, and some years they don't. I've never had wheat fail. If forage is what your wanting, wheat is far less than rye.

More than likely will cut for hay in the spring. Would you be worried about it getting too mature? This is one of the last fields to be able to get into.

Y'all are in Kentucky and I'm in Georgia so keep that in mind. There's a big difference in cereal rye and ryegrass. Here, ryegrass won't do much growing at all until the temps start warming up in April. Whereas the cereal rye will be ready to graze in December-February. My point being that here you wouldn't have to worry about ryegrass getting to mature before you had time to cut it for hay.

 

[Craig Miller]

Y'all are in Kentucky and I'm in Georgia so keep that in mind. There's a big difference in cereal rye and ryegrass. Here, ryegrass won't do much growing at all until the temps start warming up in April. Whereas the cereal rye will be ready to graze in December-February. My point being that here you wouldn't have to worry about ryegrass getting to mature before you had time to cut it for hay.

Agreed. Especially planting with fescue you will not get any benefit from it since the fescue will be coming back on about the same time as the ryegrass.

 

[Craig Miller]

You might want to look at triticale

Will have to check to see if they have it here. Is it ok for dry hay/ How expensive?

Shouldn't be too hard to find. I know there lots of people that put it out for deer and cattle.

http://hancockseed.com/triticale-seed-5 ... g-622.html

 

[Clodhopper]

You might want to look at triticale

Will have to check to see if they have it here. Is it ok for dry hay/ How expensive?

Shouldn't be too hard to find. I know there lots of people that put it out for deer and cattle.

http://hancockseed.com/triticale-seed-5 ... g-622.html

Should be no problem with the dry hay, we have planted triticale for a couple years now with good results. We paid $19.50 per 50lbs last fall, but that was for 2000# minibulks. Bagged price would be a little higher, maybe 50 cents. I haven't priced any yet this year.