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Knopp, Germany

Going to try a cover crop this year for the first time. What do you German growers suggest to use? I was thinking about Winter Rye. What is the german phrase for Winter Rye? If you have other suggestions, please let me know what they are in german.

thanks,owen

9/22/2004 5:06:40 AM

Itzetown City

Hello Owen,
go to a Raiffeisen store (Landhandel), they will be cheaper than other shops, and ask for "Gründünger", like Klee, Senf, Lupinen, Bienenweide. Ask for a seed what will grow in this autumm time. But dont use Kreuzblütler like Senf if want grow Kreutzblütler like cabbage on the same ground.
Please Werner

9/22/2004 9:48:32 AM

Itzetown City

Sorry, Winter Rye = Winter-Roggen

9/22/2004 9:52:09 AM

Knopp, Germany

Danke Werner!

9/22/2004 9:59:32 AM

Atlanta, Georgia

Owen,
I used Winter Rye two years ago and it ended up making the job of preparing the patch in spring a total nightmare.
It's very hard to get rid of and I probably tilled it 5 times and there are even STILL remnants of it in the patch.

Last year and this year I've used mustard (senf) and it's perfect for my patch, dies when the temps drop to minus 6 for a few days and is a true pleasure to look at and watch grow. The dead roots of the senf will prevent erosion over winter and if you till it in early enough in spring you can
get a crop in before the pumpkins start.

I'll probably plant it in early spring and keep the patches covered with it and only remove it just before it goes to seed or the pumpkins want to grow into it. This should help to keep the other weeds out of the patch and prevent me from having to till the whole patch every 10 days or so.

If you've read in my diary this year I was very successful at keeping the weeds down in a whole hectare just with my hand tiller.

Sorry for the long message but I wanted to share my thoughts
as completely as possible.
Let me know how your green fertilizer experience turns out whatever you use.
Michel

9/23/2004 1:24:23 AM

Knopp, Germany

Thanks for the input Michel. I have never done a cover crop before. I have already added manure and compost to both my patches and tilled them down about 10 inches. I was thinking that since I have the soil tilled now, in the spring it won't be that hard to get the cover crop tilled in. I am sure that next year I will post in my diary how it goes. Should be interesting.

9/23/2004 1:42:55 AM

Knopp, Germany

I forgot to mention, and I am not positive about this but I believe that I will need to get it tilled in at least a month prior to planting to avoid tying up any nitrogen.

9/23/2004 1:59:31 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

If Wintrer Rye is hard to till under & eliminate in the spring, then the rate used was probably too high. I see a LOT of growers using much more Winter Rye than is recommended.

One Bushle = 56 pounds
One Pound = 18,200 seeds (on average)

A good finished stand of Winter Rye has 25 plants per square foot. To reach this stand count, use 1.37 lbs of Pure Live Seed per 1000 sq ft or 60 lbs per acre.

Heavier stands can be very hard to till under in the spring. Plus the Nitrogen release in early summer can come in a surge if the conditions are just right (warm & humid following cool & dry) which can cause lots of early aborts.

9/23/2004 9:30:53 AM

Atlanta, Georgia

Thanks for the great advice Tremor and I'll keep it in mind but will continue with the mustard for this year.
Michel

9/24/2004 1:32:31 AM