I am going to try this for the first time this autumn...thinking of an annual winter rye. I've noticed farmers around here plant buckwheat and till it in before winter. Any good experiences out there with green manure...esp. in colder climates?
I am going to try this for the first time this autumn...thinking of an annual winter rye. I've noticed farmers around here plant buckwheat and till it in before winter. Any good experiences out there with green manure...esp. in colder climates?
I have used winter rye with buckwheat on my toy farm. The deer eat it all down to the ground in the fall and again in the spring. As they move to other food the rye grows. Some I leave till later to till and a few times I've left it to maturity which was a mistake.
I am trying to reclaim an old farm site. It's taking me a long time to get rid of the grass and weeds so that I can plant the crops I wish.
Winter rye could be considered a food plot with rocks as a by product in my case.
Egon
Was at the feed store today and they were out of rye...said to try wheat...picked up a few pounds to give it a try...plan to let it grow thru the autmun/winter and till under early in the spring. Fields near us were planted with buckwheat late July and they are now tilling that under with a few areas left untouched(probably will be e-z pickin's there during deer season).
3 years back, I decided to throw some wheat on my garden in the fall. Next summer, I had wheat in places I never counted on. Dang near couldn't even find my garlic crop for the wheat!
Wheat works better if you plow it under, as opposed to tilling it in.
Carpenter by day, Farmer by night, weekends, days off, spare time, holidays, vacations, ect...
In my experience here in east Ky., crimson clover works rather well for me. I have some soil that is otherwise heavy clay that is loosening up quite well now with the use of the clover. It is also a nitrogen fixer. It seems to choke out a lot of weeds as well.