How cold till it kills rye grass ?

[Smokin Okie]

I always plant a winter cover on my 20 X 25 foot garden. In the past I've planted a combo of oat/austrian pea. We had a mild winter couple years ago and it never got cold enough to kill the oats and I had a helluva job tilling them into the soil. Had to pull them out by hand. And I said never again.

But I really depend upon that winter cover for organic matierial in the soil. This past fall I planted rye grass. The oats died when night time temps got below 10*. I'm hoping the rye grass does the same? Anyone have winter experience with rye grass ?

Even if it does not get killed out, it will still be easier to chop down with a weed eater and I should be able to till the stubs. But I'm hopin it dies.

 

[mr_whipple]

Just for kicks 3-4 years ago I overseeded my front lawn with a winter rye. The cold didn't do any harm at all, but the warmer temps come late winter early spring did it in.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I've found that generally, when temps get down below 10* , there's not anything that survives. But I've never dealt with rye grass.

 

[Brokenhandle]

I don't believe the cold will kill it. Many farmers around here seed it in the fall and use a herbicide to kill it off in the spring.

Ryan

 

[Smokin Okie]

I don't believe the cold will kill it. Many farmers around here seed it in the fall and use a herbicide to kill it off in the spring.

Ryan

That very well may be what I do. I will be tilling in late February. Hopefully, it does not grow much between then and now. Right now, its about 10 to 12" high. There's a yard stick by the fence pole.

 

[chopsaw]

I worked in the construction , and a a lot of contractors would plant future phase area's that were gonna sit . Usually a year got winter wheat .
I just looked up Rye on the chart and it says 2 to 5 year stabilization .
So I think Ryan's right , cold won't kill it .

 

[JIMSMOKES]

I live in upstate SC winter rye here will be around till late spring heat gets it. I've used it to overseed friends yards just to watch them cut grass all winter. LoL

 

[cvan]

As a crop specialist, we plant cereal rye for a cover crop, as I have done in my garden in the past. Cold (freezing temps) will not kill it. it is very susceptible to glyphosate (round-up). Or you can let it get tall and crimp it to pulverize the stem to kill it. Once warmer weather hits, it can grow 2-4” per day.
some years it can get as tall as 6’ but if cold weather hits late in the spring, it may only get 2-4’ tall before it heads out. Get it killed before it sets seed or you will be fighting the rye as a weed.

 

[DougE]

I don't believe the cold will kill it. Many farmers around here seed it in the fall and use a herbicide to kill it off in the spring.

Ryan

What Ryan said. Winter rye (cereal rye, not to be confused with perennial or annual rye) overwinters and seeds out when it warms back up in spring. I use it for a cover crop and just mow it short and till it under before it seeds out.

 

[DougE]

Winter (cereal) rye can withstand temps down to around -30°F according to my sources. Like I said, winter rye is not to be confused with annual or perennial ryegrass, which is a grass. Winter rye is a cereal grain, like you'd harvest for rye flour.

 

[Smokin Okie]

What Ryan said. Winter rye (cereal rye, not to be confused with perennial or annual rye) overwinters and seeds out when it warms back up in spring. I use it for a cover crop and just mow it short and till it under before it seeds out.

My plan has been to chop it down with the weed eater late Feb, let it lay for a week or so, and then till it in. My concern has been if the tilled in roots we take hold again ?

I bought specifically a winter rye that was advertised to be used as a cover crop.

 

[cvan]

Farmers around here ( central, Il. ) will let cattle graze it through the winter, pull them off and let it grow then cut and bale it. many times the will get 2 cuttings off of it, so simply Mowing it off will probably not kill it. Tilling followed by dry weather may not let it re-root, but a second tillage may get you control.
many garden approved herbicides are out there that will help control It

 

[Steve in AL]

I have not seen winter temps kill rye grass around here, but it will certainly not make it thru hot AL weather next summer. So for late fall seeding, I usually mix rye and fescue... the rye comes up fast and the fescue (usually) eventually takes over and is good next summer....

 

[tbern]

if you don't want to use herbicides on your garden to kill it off and being the area isn't huge, you could lay plastic tarps on top of it and let the lack of sunlight kill the plants in the early springtime for your area

 

[Fueling Around]

You're probably going to have to use an herbicide to kill, mow, and remove the residue.
Rye both cereal and grass are also allelopathic meaning they produce herbicides.

I'm going to try planting wheat early next spring then till it under around the middle of May

 

[DougE]

My plan has been to chop it down with the weed eater late Feb, let it lay for a week or so, and then till it in. My concern has been if the tilled in roots we take hold again ?

I bought specifically a winter rye that was advertised to be used as a cover crop.

No, you're good to go once you till it under. I've never had it come back after it's tilled in good. Just cut it down before it seeds so you don't have them trying to sprout.

 

[Smokin Okie]

Well, I'm gonna get first hand experience as we're predicted to go into the deep freeze tonight and stay there for several days. Thursday night low to hit 1 degree.

On another note, gonna try to save my cilantro by covering it with leaves and then soaking the leaves. I've done that before with onions but we also had a few inches of snow on top.

 

[DougE]

On another note, gonna try to save my cilantro by covering it with leaves and then soaking the leaves. I've done that before with onions but we also had a few inches of snow on top.

I know a guy who keeps cabbages going half the winter. He puts empty protein tubs like you feed cattle over them at night and pulls them off for awhile during the day so they can get some light. I ain't that dedicated to go through all that though.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I know a guy who keeps cabbages going half the winter. He puts empty protein tubs like you feed cattle over them at night and pulls them off for awhile during the day so they can get some light. I ain't that dedicated to go through all that though.

Cilantro is very hardy. But it ain't gonna survive 1* . I got it covered with leaves. We're goin in the deep freeze tonight and won't be above freezing till Christmas day. See what happens. Fresh cut cilantro is far far better than store bought, its worth a little effort.

 

[DougE]

Yeah, we have a cold blast on the way too. The high for Friday is supposed to be 7°.