Want to not till 500 sq ft of Elbon rye cover

decherdt · March 12, 2015

If I'm going to plant notill (Fall till) through cover crop this month, I'd prefer to kill 500 sq ft of Elbon rye. Mowing it this early seems to have just encouraged it. To smother it would be difficult. I'm thinking to spray it with 20% vinegar today. Think it will let me plant 2 days later? Or is it OK to just leave it live?

Stvrob · March 12, 2015

What I do is pretty lazy. I get a whole bunch of cardboard boxes and spread them out over the turf. Then pile a bunch of leaves and compost on top, then some newspaper, and some more leaves. I also spread some course rock phosphate, just because I have that around. Manure would be good too, but thats always in short supply for me. Then lots of water. once the weather warms up the bed will settle in pretty quick. And by midsummer you will be amazed. Ideally it should sit that way for weeks, but you can still set out transplants right away if you need to, just cut a whole thru the cardboard and make a mound of good soil, and by the time they are making serious root growth there will be good stuff starting to happen in the soil beneath the bed.

creister · March 12, 2015

You should have a good kill in two days. I would mow the dead top to act as some mulch. You may not completely kill the plants, so you may get some regrowth.

dustdevil · March 12, 2015

You might be able to weed-wack it to the ground, since you are in a hurry.

Douglas_OW · March 12, 2015

Have you considered a small manual crimper like this:

http://digginginthedriftless.com/201...ramping-weeds/

With your small plot, you should be able to flatten the stalks and prevent them from growing back.

Jim

Stvrob · March 12, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas_OW

Have you considered a small manual crimper like this:

http://digginginthedriftless.com/201...ramping-weeds/

With your small plot, you should be able to flatten the stalks and prevent them from growing back.

Jim

might as well get artistic and make some crop circles.

decherdt · March 13, 2015

.. Or mow it cross hatch like they do baseball turf. (looking for a lute rake too)
I hear that crimping mature rye works further North. This rye doesn't get that tall in March around here, and I want the stubble to serve as mulch, so I won't just cut it down to the dirt. Having trouble getting the vinegar. None from Decatur to Benbrook. Russell Feed says a delivery is scheduled Friday. I could apply it with a paint roller after plant out, if I had to. I did pull some roof panels from the little HFGH to let in some UV, suppose they can go another week or so in there while I get the cover more like right.

Worth1 · March 13, 2015

You can get 90 grain vinegar at HEB it is 10% and comes in the blue label.

Great for removing rust too.

Worth

Tracydr · March 13, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by decherdt

If I'm going to plant notill (Fall till) through cover crop this month, I'd prefer to kill 500 sq ft of Elbon rye. Mowing it this early seems to have just encouraged it. To smother it would be difficult. I'm thinking to spray it with 20% vinegar today. Think it will let me plant 2 days later? Or is it OK to just leave it live?

It will certainly die when it gets warm. Just plant through it.

decherdt · March 13, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tracydr

It will certainly die when it gets warm. Just plant through it.

D'oh! Cool, figure I'll try it both live and pickled. Thanks all.

Redbaron · March 13, 2015

The traditional way is to "roller crimp" or mow it in the advanced boot stage. The other way to do it is mow it at 3 inches, and it will come back, but mow it again exactly 5 days later flush to the ground. Then paper and mulch right over that. If you have a bagger on your mower you can use the rye itself as the mulch you put on top of the paper! Any questions?

Gardeneer · March 13, 2015

Another way would be Solarizing in a hot sunny day.For a fast kill you can combine vinegar and solarizing.

decherdt · April 1, 2015

Spraying it a week after mowing just burned off 3 inches. Sprayed or not it is all growing like crazy. We may have to start on the crop circles. I'm getting more organic matter (accessible next year) and (free) mulch by letting it grow. Post hole planted indeterminates on 30" centers with drip tape, so I can't just run the mower between them. Might be able to string trimmer trim later when the toms are taller but for now having to hand trim the rye. It does let me scout for mites etc right up close. Tomatoes are doing good, have flowers and some fruit set on knee high plants, wasn't sure they would thrive so closely surrounded.

Redbaron · April 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by decherdt

Spraying it a week after mowing just burned off 3 inches. Sprayed or not it is all growing like crazy. We may have to start on the crop circles. I'm getting more organic matter (accessible next year) and (free) mulch by letting it grow. Post hole planted indeterminates on 30" centers with drip tape, so I can't just run the mower between them. Might be able to string trimmer trim later when the toms are taller but for now having to hand trim the rye. It does let me scout for mites etc right up close. Tomatoes are doing good, have flowers and some fruit set on knee high plants, wasn't sure they would thrive so closely surrounded.

Might want to do something like this next time:

Red Baron project

Just something new I am experimenting with and should work with Rye just as easily as any other grass.

PS The standard way to kill rye is mow or crimp after the seedheads show up but before they pollinate.

decherdt · April 7, 2015

I'm tempted to let it all go to seed, to see if it will reseed the plot.

March 12, 2015	#1
decherdt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 329	Want to not till 500 sq ft of Elbon rye cover If I'm going to plant notill (Fall till) through cover crop this month, I'd prefer to kill 500 sq ft of Elbon rye. Mowing it this early seems to have just encouraged it. To smother it would be difficult. I'm thinking to spray it with 20% vinegar today. Think it will let me plant 2 days later? Or is it OK to just leave it live? __________________ 500 sq ft of raised rows zone 8a

March 13, 2015	#7
decherdt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 329	.. Or mow it cross hatch like they do baseball turf. (looking for a lute rake too) I hear that crimping mature rye works further North. This rye doesn't get that tall in March around here, and I want the stubble to serve as mulch, so I won't just cut it down to the dirt. Having trouble getting the vinegar. None from Decatur to Benbrook. Russell Feed says a delivery is scheduled Friday. I could apply it with a paint roller after plant out, if I had to. I did pull some roof panels from the little HFGH to let in some UV, suppose they can go another week or so in there while I get the cover more like right. __________________ 500 sq ft of raised rows zone 8a

March 13, 2015	#11
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	The traditional way is to "roller crimp" or mow it in the advanced boot stage. The other way to do it is mow it at 3 inches, and it will come back, but mow it again exactly 5 days later flush to the ground. Then paper and mulch right over that. If you have a bagger on your mower you can use the rye itself as the mulch you put on top of the paper! Any questions? __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

April 1, 2015	#13
decherdt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 329	Spraying it a week after mowing just burned off 3 inches. Sprayed or not it is all growing like crazy. We may have to start on the crop circles. I'm getting more organic matter (accessible next year) and (free) mulch by letting it grow. Post hole planted indeterminates on 30" centers with drip tape, so I can't just run the mower between them. Might be able to string trimmer trim later when the toms are taller but for now having to hand trim the rye. It does let me scout for mites etc right up close. Tomatoes are doing good, have flowers and some fruit set on knee high plants, wasn't sure they would thrive so closely surrounded. __________________ 500 sq ft of raised rows zone 8a

April 7, 2015	#15
decherdt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 329	I'm tempted to let it all go to seed, to see if it will reseed the plot. __________________ 500 sq ft of raised rows zone 8a Last edited by decherdt; April 7, 2015 at 09:45 AM.

March 12, 2015	#2
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	What I do is pretty lazy. I get a whole bunch of cardboard boxes and spread them out over the turf. Then pile a bunch of leaves and compost on top, then some newspaper, and some more leaves. I also spread some course rock phosphate, just because I have that around. Manure would be good too, but thats always in short supply for me. Then lots of water. once the weather warms up the bed will settle in pretty quick. And by midsummer you will be amazed. Ideally it should sit that way for weeks, but you can still set out transplants right away if you need to, just cut a whole thru the cardboard and make a mound of good soil, and by the time they are making serious root growth there will be good stuff starting to happen in the soil beneath the bed.

March 12, 2015	#3
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	You should have a good kill in two days. I would mow the dead top to act as some mulch. You may not completely kill the plants, so you may get some regrowth.

March 12, 2015	#4
dustdevil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WI, USA Zone4 Posts: 1,887	You might be able to weed-wack it to the ground, since you are in a hurry.

March 12, 2015	#5
Douglas_OW Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NJ z5 Posts: 281	Have you considered a small manual crimper like this: http://digginginthedriftless.com/201...ramping-weeds/ With your small plot, you should be able to flatten the stalks and prevent them from growing back. Jim

March 13, 2015	#8
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	You can get 90 grain vinegar at HEB it is 10% and comes in the blue label. Great for removing rust too. Worth

March 13, 2015	#12
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,914	Another way would be Solarizing in a hot sunny day.For a fast kill you can combine vinegar and solarizing.