Does your winter rye grain re-seed itself?

OkieKubota

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Staff member
Mine apparently doesn't. I was hoping it would... I had an amazing stand of it from broadcasting it into a recently dozed area behind our new home with red clover and once it died out this summer and dried down I brushhogged it down and figured I would get lots of re-seeded rye grain. I have not identified a single new rye grain plant since I did this. I see the seed everywhere but none of it is sprouting at all...

Do the rest of you get good re-seed rate or is mine an anomaly?61216 before.JPG 52916 backyard.JPG 61216 after.JPG
 
If you had a good stand of seed that hardened off, you should get some of it to sprout, but if you lightly disc it, you'll have more than you want.
 
If you had a good stand of seed that hardened off, you should get some of it to sprout, but if you lightly disc it, you'll have more than you want.
Unfortunately this ground is not very conducive to disking. It is all pretty much solid flint rock with a small amount of soil holding it together... I am actually amazed anything at all has grown and I just threw the seed on top of the ground that grew all of this. I plan to overseed it all again once we get a good shot at rain but that may be another month...

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Yes, but temps may still be too warm and not enough moisture. Grab about 10 seeds off the plot and take them home and wrap them in a moist paper towel then stick that in a baggie. Check it in about 5 to 7 days. If it doesn't sprout then probably not viable seeds.

todd
 
Yes, but temps may still be too warm and not enough moisture. Grab about 10 seeds off the plot and take them home and wrap them in a moist paper towel then stick that in a baggie. Check it in about 5 to 7 days. If it doesn't sprout then probably not viable seeds.

todd
Great idea!

As far as the warm deal I resubmitted that stuff months ago when we were cooler and wetter. I threw some the grain seed out that had spilled in our well house and it grew where I threw it and that was 3 weeks ago...
 
Best way to get reseed is to mow rye just as it is beginning to head out long before it hardens.. You get it either way, but when I mow, its is some thick stuff that fall and even thicker next spring. I mow mid to late June if doing so.
 
I planted a small patch behind my house 5 years ago and it come back every year with no care at all.
 
I agree with dogdoc. Wait til the temps drop a little and you get some moisture and you will have rye again.
 
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