Winter Rye

[seedcorn]

Good news bad news. Winter annual rye that gets 1" tall can have roots 30" deep. Can be hard to kill.

 

[thistlebloom]

@Nyboy , you're planting this in your future orchard? Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like it shouldn't be a problem in an orchard if it hangs around. You can just mow it right?

 

[seedcorn]

sorry. Wrong board.

 

[Nyboy]

Yes Thistle thats the plan, or was mow in spring.

 

[catjac1975]

I planted winter rye late one october and it did sprout-I was surprised because it was so late in the fall. It flourished in the spring and it was tilled under. If I am correct in my memory when the heat set in the bit that was not tilled under died back. I also read that it should not be used in a field for horses to graze, that it was not good for them. This doesn't seem right to me. Any expert out there know if that's true?

 

[digitS']

No expert but it should have not just died back without producing seed.

I know of an area along the interstate where the highway district must have sown the grain several years ago. Other plants have taken over nearly all of that ground more recently. However, where it has not been mown, that annual rye is still self-seeding and has been coming back for nearly 10 years.

A poor stand of wheat is sometimes cut early for hay. I used to plant and cut oats for hay - that is commonly done. I don't know how suitable rye is as livestock feed.

Steve

 

[bobm]

Rye is a good temporary pasture green forage feed for winter and spring. However, it must be kept grazed down so that it does not joint, or it becomes low in palatability. It is not as nutritous as brome, orchardgrass, winter wheat, barley, or oats as green forage feed. As for cut cerial grain grass cut for hay ... a field sown in about equal combination of wheat, oats and barley cut in the dough stage of the grain heads is a very good feed for horses and cattle. A word of caution for use of wheat hay for horses ... the wheat grain can ball up into a dough in the intestines and could cause colic.

 

[thistlebloom]

@catjac1975 , I think the problem with rye is similar to horses grazing on fescue. The grass can be infected with some kind of endophyte. It won't affect most horses but pregnant mares need to be kept off it.