how do i survive this winter cover crop?

13 years ago

Although I've been a successful vege gardener for many decades, until last fall I never planted a winter cover crop.

Yielding to the incessant advice to do such a crop, I planted a beautiful, lush fall crop of rye.

But now - in the spring -I have a mess! I mowed and tilled the rye which was as dense and thick as an established field of thick crabgrass, with enormous root balls and tons of heavy thatch. These roots will continue to grow if they have any root fibers in the soil. What am I to do with this? Do I simply plant amongst all these roots and thatch? What do you think? Please advise. Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

wordwiz
13 years ago
I feel for you. I was always a wheat guy but two years ago when wheat was not available, I used rye, based on "advice."

I'm still tilling up roots. The best thing I can tell you is to till, retill, let the ground get rained on, and till a few more times. A real PITA to get rid of.

Mike
0
wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
13 years ago
Sounded good on paper didn't it?!!!!!!

Perhaps you can rake some of the turf balls aside in rows or piles.
0
Related Discussions
winter cover crop-never again
Q
Comments (18)
DigDirt/Dave - Can I use cover crops between my perenials? (I don't have a veggie bed.) How 'bout "on top of" my spring-blooming bulbs (or will the c/c make the N unavail for bulbs?)? Tree, you could but it isn't recommended. You would have trouble tilling/turning them into the soil without disturbing the roots of the perennials - and that is the goal - to till them into the soil. ;) Cover crops are nitrogen so they don't "use" or make unavailable N from anything else. Your better bet would be to use a low growing ground cover between your perennials or to simply mulch well between them. All organic mulches including compost, chipped straw, grass clippings, shredded leaves, even wood fines, are eventually incorporated into the soil by nature and so improve it without the need for tilling/turning. And N tie-up is only a concern if you till high carbon materials in. On the surface they pose no problems. Should I make the time for cover crops by rotating which beds I plant them in? If so which ones? Is there another way I can give back to the soil? What would you recommend? Hi blancspons, if you have the room to rotate beds then yes a cover crop can be very beneficial. But if you need all your beds in almost continuous production then the best way to give back to the soil is again - mulch. Many claim that the only purpose of mulch is to control weeds. Not true. Mulch has many purposes - moisture stabilization, keeping roots cooler, plant nutrients, and soil improvement. As I said above, any organic material used as a thick mulch during your growing seasons is gradually incorporated into the soil and great soil improvement is the end result. Hope this helps. ;) Dave
...See More
How should I prepare my little plot for winter cover crop?
Q
Comments (2)
I'd go over the whole thing with a garden fork down to the full length of the blade (about 9 inches). The roots of the cover crop should penetrate deeper and help aerate the soil.
...See More
Why do some not survive over winter? how about these?
Q
Comments (4)
I thought I had lost a Guernsey Cream (I think, got from a web supplier that was less than reputable I found out later. I ordered Duchess of Edinburgh but the tag said GC back in '04. Also bought a GC from a local nursery, but everything I got from there died. I think it was because they potted their gallons with pro-mix, but it may have been poor drainage on my part. Anyway, I'm really not sure which plant it was, but I planted it in a wooden cupola (on the ground) 2 or 3 years ago with creeping phlox, 2 daylilies & a mini-iris. Last year it came back a little but died off quickly). This year the wood was rotting away on the cupola so I took it out to plant yellow dillies I had brought up last year from a bed down in the field (don't have the energy to tromp down the hill to take care of these beds, so I dug up some that were blooming last year & potted them with the intent to squeeze them into the garden beds near the house at the top of the hill so I could enjoy them more). And in the the pile of soil that was in the cupola was some small but healthy clem roots and about 4 inches of pale stem. Hadn't emerged yet. Moved it to a different spot and hope it will finally flower so I can tell what it is. Marie in ME
...See More
Cover crops or winter vegetables?
Q
Comments (10)
Ooh I see. Thank you so much for your help! I planted garlic yesterday and I think that is all I will plant in the winter, edible wise haha; The cold and rain doesn't really motivate me to go outside as much as the summer weather does, to garden haha. I hear that that rain here washes away our soil, I don't know if that compacts it too. I have some native soil in the bottom of some of the beds, which maybe why it becomes hard during the winter. I do have one new raised bed though that is mostly full of veggie gardening soil from a local nursery and is very loose, so hopefully that will be easy to spade in the spring. I am still waiting for my cucumbers, beans, and peppers to die off then I can try putting cover crops in those beds because the nursery manager said that we can plant cover crops in our area until mid-November and that I should wait for my plants in the beds to die off first. I live across the river from Portland, in Vancouver. Although, I want to try bringing in at least one jalapeno pepper to prune and transplant in the spring. Do have experience or know how to do that successfully in our area? I have watched videos about it, but none of them were in the NW. Maybe the location doesn't matter though. I almost forgot to say that I bought some crimson clover and dutch white clover to try to cover crop with. The nursery said to watch for birds, so they don't eat the seeds because you don't cover them with dirt. If so, it's very little dirt he said. You learn something new every year while gardening! :-)
...See More
glib
13 years ago
I always had this precise doubt, and fortunately I have never done it, except with favas which are thoroughly winter killed here. I am sorry for your plight. I guess you can get a lot of cardboard, an adequate amount of mulch, and you only plant plants this year through the cardboard and mulch.
0
digdirt2
13 years ago
Did you use annual rye? That is what is commonly recommended. But I have never seed it develop thick thatch.

If so, IME little of it carries over to re-grow while it gives you great soil improvement and nutrient rich soil after tilling. Personally I've never had any problems with using it. Just till it and let the root clumps and thatch act as mulch and decompose on the surface. It is a great mulch, the worms love it, and so do the plants.

Dave
0
denninmi
13 years ago
Knock it down with an herbicide so it doesn't regrow.
0
gjcore
13 years ago
I've used winter rye a few years running about 400 square feet. It really seems to improve my sandy soils. I start turning it over with a spade in late March to early April. I need to go back a couple times and get the stragglers. I wouldn't like to let it go any later than early April.
0
diggity_ma
13 years ago
What kind of rye is it? Winter rye is generally recommended as a cover crop. This is quite different than either annual or perennial ryegrass turf. Winter rye is generally pretty easy to kill by cutting it short and smothering it with mulch. No need to till...

-Diggity

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Imperative
0
digdirt2
13 years ago
Winter Rye is any breed of rye grass. What is called "winter rye" is sold as both an annual and a perennial. I know it shouldn't be that way but unfortunately it is. Around here you have to stipulate that you want the annual.

That is why I asked which you planted.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Rye Grasses.com
0
brookw_gw
13 years ago
Yep, My guess is you got regular rye. I have had some winter rye survive but not to where I couldn't control it. Personally, I like buckwheat as a cover crop.

Brook
0
forpityssake
13 years ago
UGH! If it were me & didn't want to use weed killer chemicals...I'd lay black plastic on top of it for a week or so & check to see if it all died out. If most of it has, take that part out (just in case) and put the black plastic back on it. Check it again in a few days to a week & take out the dead.

Then, I'd use weed block & poke holes in it to use just where I wanted my plants or seeds.

Good luck!
0
dhromeo
13 years ago
I'm not a fan of constant and sustained use of chemicals, especially in my garden, but if I made a mistake with a cover crop, there would be nothing stopping me from mixing up some roundup and fixing said mistake.

Roundup has a half life of about 30 days, and it breaks down into carbon dioxide and nitrogen through soil microbes. In the soil, one standard application isn't going to hurt a thing... IMHO.
0
Donna
13 years ago
Wow. I am sorry for your plight, but I am so happy to know this. I had been pondering planting a cover crop next year.....MORE pondering coming right up!
0

how do i survive this winter cover crop?

Comments (12)

wordwiz

wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana

Related Discussions

glib

digdirt2

denninmi

gjcore

diggity_ma

digdirt2

brookw_gw

forpityssake

dhromeo

Donna

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US