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Cereal Grains and cover crops

Re: Cereal Grains - mid December

Well the moment of truth is upon us.

We now have 6" of snow with 10" more coming.

Hope to hunt tonight and tomorrow.
I better see some action in the turnips and rye or next year
they are on their own. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Darn deer anyway. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Re: Cereal Grains - late December

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We now have 6" of snow with 10" more coming. </div></div>

We've had some dandy winter weather here in SE Iowa this December with ice, snow bitter cold down to minus 12 actual! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif

Right now everything has a "healthy" covering of snow and crop fields have been picked over. The big fields have also been blasted by bitter winds making smaller hidden plot a whole lot more attractive.

The oats are pretty well toasted (both BFO and Jerry) but the winter rye is still green and attractive. Deer are digging thru the snow to get at my mix of oats and rye...

OatsRye112-25-08.jpg


These plots are right beside crop fields and clover plots but are the only spots getting any action.

OatsRye212-25-08.jpg


You can't go wrong with rye since it can withstand the harshest winter weather. Even winter wheat is not as coldhardy as winter rye nor is wheat as palatable and attractive to deer.

If anyone has pics of their cereal grains here in early winter, please share with us. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Re: Cereal Grains - late December

My rye really hasn't seen much action so far, and with all the melting the last couple days, it might not for awhile yet.

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I think the beans poking through the snow around it have seen more action.

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And my competition to the east is pretty tough.

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There's a lot of food for them right now, but I think they will be in there later on this winter and for sure in the spring.
 
Re: Cereal Grains - late December

Pretty tough to compete against standing corn, in fact more like impossible! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif

Corn is one thing that is a sure bet if you can grow it, but I just can't plant enough of it to last until hunting season starts let alone ends.

They are bypassing one of my farms altogether to get to a combined corn field right now and all I can do is wave at em as they go by... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/sick.gif
 
Re: Cereal Grains - late December

I took some quick pictures this past weekend of the rye, oats and clover.

The snow was blown off of the top and I thought the deer would be in it but the night I was there they weren't. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

They were pawing through it when there was 10+ inches on top of it.


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The recent rain and thaw has uncovered a lot of areas for the deer again. Ice could be a problem though. Hopefully todays warm temps help.
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Mid January

Right now it would be impossible to beat standing corn or beans but barring that, winter rye is the next best option.

Literally anyone can plant rye, it's cheap and easily broadcast even into killed sod if need be, where as corn and soys are expensive and can easily be decimated in small plots.

I took a couple more pics before we got the latest batch of snow to again, showing the difference between oats and rye...

RyeinJan.jpg


It doesn't look like much because the rye has been grazed to the dirt but it's easy to see that the rye is still green while the oats are dead as a doornail!

Ryefrontoatsback.jpg


Mixing oats and rye works well but planting oats alone means wasting your plot the last half of the season.

Keep in mind that you are looking at both BFO and common spring oats, so NO oats can survive bitter winter temps!!

Rye not only can, but it will survive the most bitter winter temps and conditions and then thrive the following spring to make great spring feed and an awesome green manure plowdown /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif

DeadOatsnliverye.jpg


Brassicas make great early winter feed but when it gets severe...there isn't much left...

JanuaryBrassicas.jpg


Let's not forget that if you are fortunate to be able to grow corn and soys that rye is easily broadcast into standing corn an beans in late August/early September to add some green to the grain. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Mid January

Dbl.

Poor deer have not been able to find mine since 1st shotgun season and the ice storm. They had a couple of days when the wind blew it off and then after that the snow and ice again took over.
Don't know if they will be of use until spring or not.
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Mid January

They have been digging through the snow to get to mine but the brassicas right next to it have gone untouched. I am going to try the brassicas again next year but if they don't figure them out then, I am done with planting them. I am going to plant soybeans next year and let them stand. There is a little patch of an area about 5 ft by 6 ft and the deer are still coming to them. There can't be anything left but they keep eating the stalks.
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Mid January

They haven't been hitting my rye very well this year. They have been hitting the picked beans very hard. I dumped some ear corn next to my brassica plot last week and just checked it the other day. I think they may have finaly figured out what the brassicas are.
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Mid January

I may throw some shelled corn into the brassicas to see if they figure them out... There is a ton of food there for them if they figure it out...
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Mid January

I would love to do that. Sounds liek a great idea.

Downside is it is under 12"+ of snow and 2 ice storms. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif

Please keep us posted if this works or not. Might save me
from scrapping them next year. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Mid January

I saw my rye plot for the first time in a couple monthes today. It has been covered in lots of ice and snow. It looks pretty good and is doing its primary job of holding dirt, this area was leveled off last summer and I put rye in to hold it. I want to eventualy put switch in, but I don't want it all to wash away. Down side is I saw very few tracks in it so I don't know what to think.

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Re: Cereal Grains - Mid Febuary

Looks good! Could be there is/was less snow in neighboring bean fields and they haven't figured out there is some " green stuff" nearby... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Mid Febuary

I have two acre food plot that I have paid to have put into either beans or corn the past couple years. The problem is it is expensive and the high deer densities virtually wipe them out by November. After reading these posts I am contemplating splitting the plot 1/2 rye/oats and 1/2 brassicas. I should be able to plant these myself saving some money. I am wondering if these two crops are good candidates to rotate back and forth each year. Also it sounds like nitrogen is key, what is the best way to apply?
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Late Febuary

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wibohnt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have two acre food plot that I have paid to have put into either beans or corn the past couple years. The problem is it is expensive and the high deer densities virtually wipe them out by November. After reading these posts I am contemplating splitting the plot 1/2 rye/oats and 1/2 brassicas. I should be able to plant these myself saving some money. I am wondering if these two crops are good candidates to rotate back and forth each year. Also it sounds like nitrogen is key, what is the best way to apply? </div></div>

That's exactly my reasons for going to a simpler less expensive type of food plot! Corn is just terribly expensive and I can't possibly plant enough to have it last past the 1st of October!

Cereal grains and brassicas are excellent crops to rotate back and forth and are very easy and inexpensive to plant.

I would encourage you to add an inexpensive red clover to your rye plantings and frost seed the same clover into the dead brassicas this time of year.

Each spring the red clover will provide a high protien food source and also add free nitrogen when you til it under for the subsequent food plot.

Alta-Swede Mammoth Red Clover from Welters is my favorite red clover for a green manure plowdown and deer love it as well.

Here's the deal...

In late July plant your brassicas (see the Brassica thread)

Till, spread 150#'s of 46-0-0 urea, pac, spread 5#'s of brassica seed, re-pack. The following late febuary, early March frost seed red clover into the brassica patch.

In the last week of August thru Labor Day till under the seasons growth of red clover, add 200#'s of triple 19 (optional...I often don't feed cereal grains at all) broadcast 80#'s of fall rye grain and 40-60#'s of spring oats, pack, broadcast 8-10#'s of red clover and re-pack. You can add Austrian Winter Peas if you like (they will get murdered /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif )

Each year rotate the plots...easy as pie!! /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif

You can buy rye and oat seed locally at most seed and feed stores but here's a couple example from Welters.

Frank Forage Oats

Fall Rye Grain

Austrian Winter Peas

Brassica seed

Here's a coupl shots of two different spots I broadcast rye on bare ground (no tillage)
WinterRye1.jpg


This is rye broadcast into standing soybeans in September

WinterRye2.jpg
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Late Febuary

These two acres were in beans last year so I am guessing it would still make sense to frost seed the red clover yet this year. Correct? I will be out of town for a week or so, I would not be able to frost seed it until the weekend of March 13th. That shouldn't be too late or is it? I have not worked with 46-0-0 urea, is it granular and can I buy that at a local mill?
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Late Febuary

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wibohnt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">These two acres were in beans last year so I am guessing it would still make sense to frost seed the red clover yet this year. Correct? I will be out of town for a week or so, I would not be able to frost seed it until the weekend of March 13th. That shouldn't be too late or is it? I have not worked with 46-0-0 urea, is it granular and can I buy that at a local mill? </div></div>

Yes that would be the best bet, get that bean ground seeded to red clover and March 13th should be just right!

Even heavy spring rains will help it make soil contact so no worries either way.

Urea is just granular fertlizer that can be purchased at any grain elevator/fertlizer/ag supply source. It may or may not be available in bags.

You can use triple 13 or triple 19 but 150#'s of urea equals 69#'s of actual N

So you would need nearly 400#'s of triple 19 or 500+ #'s of triple 13 to get enough N on.

Your gonna have a great setup for good crop rotation and green manure usage, so keep us posted and share some pics with us this fall. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
Re: Cereal Grains - Late Febuary

dbltree-
One portion of the field I will frost seeding with the red clover gave me lots of problems with weeds last year while it was in beans. I think I sprayed it 3, maybe 4 times with round-up last season. Hopefully that will keep the weeds down this year after the clover takes off. Should I worry that much about the weeds if it will all be tilled under before plating the rye and brassicas? Is mowing or chemical treatment preferred in this situation?
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Should I worry that much about the weeds if it will all be tilled under before planting the rye and brassicas? Is mowing or chemical treatment preferred in this situation? </div></div>

Couple things...

1st We need to keep clover clipped as it starts to flower otherwise it will stop fixing nitrogen.

2nd "Weeds" ar most likely foxtail and broadleaves and both can be kept curtailed by clipping 6-8" high as needed.

As the clover thickens up it will start to dominate and crowd out weeds and even weeds make good "green manure".

The clippings will just add organic matter to your soil and clipping is generally less expensive then herbicides. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif
 
"1st We need to keep clover clipped as it starts to flower otherwise it will stop fixing nitrogen."
Click to expand...

dbltree-
When does the clover start to flower? If I am cutting the weeds at 6-8" will those cutting do the same thing or does it flower at a different time?
 
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