When to mow Rye (as cover crop to clover).

[David]

love this thread...i always appreciate the knowledge of those who have done this stuff before. my trouble is that i have difficulty telling the difference between cool season grasses (worthless) and my oats before they seed.

i am a complete rookie, so i have nothing to add to this, but i mowed my clover already. then i sprayed with cleth. This plot is .8 acre and is surrounded by 4 acres of fallow field. i only see one oat....in this picture.


this is after the Cleth. im not trying to hijack your thread, just wanted to post the "before" and "during" pictures...i will add the "after" shots later.

 

[Wild Thing]

Looks like the clethodim is doing its job David! Of course the cleth will have killed your oats too since they are also a "grass". You should have a good stand of clover by the looks of it (although I've never grown Crimson, if that's what that it?)

 

[David]

yes, i choose to also kill the oats. but not because i didnt want them to die on their own, it was because i was being overtaken by the non-native cool season grasses.....as for the clover, we shall see.

 

[shawn cox]

I didn't mow my cereal rye down in my clover I think it helps keep the weeds down and helps shade the clover from the South Georgia heat. I also think it provides great fawning areas and makes the deer feel safer eating in it. I have white, medium red and arrow leaf planted in them. Most of my plots look the same and deer are really using them so I am leaving then be

 

[David]

shawn,

i will be interested to see the out come of your clover. to be honest i never thought about summer heat being reduced by the grains. i also expected my oats to die sooner than they did.

factor in the 90 day drought that started the day i put my clover/oats in the ground and i was just glad to see some green

 

[Kwood]

Thanks for adding. Will keep up with pics when I get back out.


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[shawn cox]

David, that's exactly what happened to us. I did a throw n mow on all our plots. I planted the first of October and it did not rain until late December. I was just happy it came up but it is doing really great and the deer are eating in it well. I am hoping it will feed up through summer because I decided I wasn't wasting money on summer plots that will struggle from not much rain. Seems to be working good so far


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[farmhunter]

I'm not sure you can really do it too wrong - too much reseeding rye could be a problem - but its never really been for me. Usually I mow it as soon as it turns brown - but other years I've left if with good results -

Here is one where I left it - Itr was very thick - and I was worried about too reseeding after mowing- so I never did - ended up with a great plot the next spring- and lots of organic matter up top - it was pretty cool but a bit ugly.

fall 2012 after late summer planting -

Early summer 2013

Later in summer 2013

Late Winter 2014

June 2014
I ended up with an OK clover plot - but it was weedier than I like. I felt like some weeds were able to establish more than normal - with no mowing the year before -

1st mowing here -

Fall 2015- 1st year clover (mostly red)

 

[shawn cox]

I'm not sure you can really do it too wrong - too much reseeding rye could be a problem - but its never really been for me. Usually I mow it as soon as it turns brown - but other years I've left if with good results -

Here is one where I left it - Itr was very thick - and I was worried about too reseeding after mowing- so I never did - ended up with a great plot the next spring- and lots of organic matter up top - it was pretty cool but a bit ugly.

fall 2012 after late summer planting -

Early summer 2013

Later in summer 2013

Late Winter 2014

June 2014
I ended up with an OK clover plot - but it was weedier than I like. I felt like some weeds were able to establish more than normal - with no mowing the year before -

1st mowing here -

Fall 2015- 1st year clover (mostly red)

Yes that is probably the biggest mistake most people make is putting too much nurse seed down whether it be rye, oats, or wheat. I like to use about 60 lbs an acre. It has worked well for me. My plots aren't pretty either sometimes but We don't plant them for us to look at. As long as the deer feed in them I am good with it and I have some weeds but not bad. At the rate I plant it the deer feel comfortable feeding in it and usually knock a bunch of it down. So I am leaving my rye that is my nurse crop for my clover standing until I get ready to seed it in the fall again.


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