Winter Rye as a cover crop

[nachoqtpie]

So... we bought some Winter Rye as a cover crop for this winter. This is our first time using a cover crop. So... we planted it a couple of weeks ago, and it only came up VERY sporadically. I'm talking like less than 10 in each bed we planted in. We got a "value pack" of it from Lowes and it's Burpee for the 2013 season.

I put the seed down, lightly raked it like it said to, and watered. Not all of it was covered with soil, but some of the ones that weren't covered sprouted and grew as well. Did I do something wrong? Should we buy more and try again? Should I contact Burpee? Lowes?

Help!

 

[digitS']

Rye has fairly robust seeds, Qt. By that I mean, it can go fairly deep in the soil, sprout & make it to the surface. Being on the surface is risky. You sure your ducks didn't get to it ?

Probably better than any cereal grain, rye will "stool out" and really bulk up. I would think just 1 plant per square foot should be enough to do that. The plants can be huge if given enuf time to grow.

One problem with sowing winter rye late is turning under young plants come spring. The 1st time I grew winter rye, I was still using the rototiller a lot for spring soil prep. Oh boy! I had to go over the ground repeatedly to get the young rye plants killed! After that, I became convinced that the seed had to go in early just so that I'd be able to pull the plants by hand. I mean, pulling 18" plants by hand is easier than trying to get ahold of 2" plants and pulling. If you can't get the 2" plants killed, someway . . . you've just added a "weed" to deal with in your garden for the year!

Steve

. . . and, about this duck named "Steve" . . .

 

[hoodat]

Grass usually looks sparse when it first comes up. It will probably fill in as it grows.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

I agree with Hoodie. I plant rye every year, usually in the third week of October. Just sit back and relax as it'll do just fine. Also I normally do not have any problems tilling it under in the spring. Sure there is a clump of rye that pops up here and there but it's never a big problem.

 

[catjac1975]

I put out rye just before the hurricane. Very late for Massachusetts. I have a lot of new beds that were just completed so I did not want them bare over the winter. We had steady rain but, not torrential and the soil was dry when I put the seed out. The seeds were fat and sprouting already YESTERDAY!!!!. I don't know if I'll get much growth before the cold arrives I was impressed at the sprouting.

 

[nachoqtpie]

I'll try and see if I can get some pictures of what is out there today.

(And the duck named Steve started out as a Stacy... but when he got a drake feather, I didn't think he would like to be called Stacy any more... )