Can you plant Rye to early?

1370rod · Jul 19, 2021

I planted this new to me crop earlier this spring thinking that would be a good thing like it is for most small grains. It was a nice dark green color but now seems to be getting rusty and not as healthy after humid hotter weather. Do I leave it or should I replant it later this summer to avoid those weather conditions? Thanks for any input, Rod.

fastfarmall · Jul 20, 2021

Dont let it head out, Graze it if you can !!

bradley martin · Jul 20, 2021

I guess it depends somewhat on what your intended use is. Pasture? erosion control? Grain production? cover crop? If intended for grain, rye is like winter wheat and requires a vernalization period, i.e. a below freezing period after germination but before producing a seed stalk. Hence, it is planted in the fall, like winter wheat. Dairies here often plant it in the fall after corn silage harvest, chop it in late spring for grass silage and then follow with soybeans or another crop of corn silage. Vegetable and tobacco farmers plant it as a cover crop after harvest to protect their sandy soils from wind erosion. It can be planted later in the fall than wheat and will still germinate and overwinter successfully. It starts earlier growth in the spring and amasses a lot of top growth very quickly.

Texasmark · Jul 20, 2021

Rye is a cool season grass. I would let it head out and ensure next year's crop. Then when the seed heads are mature...you can pull them off with your palm gently squeeezing the stems..... get out your Bush Hog and hog it for next years surface mulch. Around September when it cools off, get out your tandem disc and disc the clippings into the top layer of soil. If you get September rains, by November you will have a beautiful new crop of Rye, nice and thick.

cjunrau · Jul 20, 2021

not sure where you are but in Manitoba I seeded last year in may-June and it will not head out enough to be a problem. has to freeze over winter to go to head
Mine looks real good now and good heavy crop

Timmycornpicker · Jul 20, 2021

Last year I broadcast some trashy rye seed on 3 acres of shredded corn stubble, Thanksgiving weekend, without working it in. I wanted to get rid of it so I didn't have rodents chewing on the bags all winter. We got snow cover in December. It germinated under the snow. Well, if nothing else , I figured I had a cover crop to kill off in the spring. Well, spring came and it took off with a vengeance. It looked better than the field of rye I drilled in the end of October. If it stays dry for a couple more days I'm going to go combine it.

Can you plant Rye to early?

1370rod

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fastfarmall

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bradley martin

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Texasmark

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cjunrau

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Timmycornpicker

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