An easy date to remember for your rye food plot planting is around Labor Day which falls around the first of September. ... Besides working well as a stand alone crop for whitetail deer, winter rye really shines when planted in the fall with a perennial legume such as a white clover to act as a cover crop.
Is winter rye the same as cereal rye?
Winter rye, cereal rye and “rye” are all the same thing , just don’t let ’em sell you ryegrass...that stuff is the devil!
Can you eat winter rye?
Ryegrass is used for lawns, pasture, and hay for livestock, while winter rye is used as a cover crop, forage crop, or as a grain that is used to make flour, beer, some whiskey and vodkas, or can be eaten whole as boiled rye berries or rolled like rolled oats.
Is winter rye a good food plot for deer?
Rye is considered a cool-season annual cereal grain that germinates very quickly, is highly preferred by deer , and has excellent resistance to grazing pressure. ... In fact, it is the most tolerant of harsh winter conditions of any of the cereal grains mentioned here.
Can winter rye be harvested?
Winter rye is grown much like winter wheat—planted in autumn (usually September), overwintered, and harvested the next summer . Rye does best in fertile soils but does not need great soil to grow. It can be planted on land that is not quite fertile enough for crops like wheat.
What grows well with winter rye?
Winter rye can also be grown in mixtures with a legume such as hairy vetch and/or crimson clover . During the fall and winter, cereal rye protects the soil, scavenges soil-N, and acts as a nurse crop for the legume. In spring, rye provides structural support for the climbing legumes.
Does Turkey like winter rye?
Winter Rye can be an attractant in the spring for turkey but not so much because they eat it . Planting for spring gobbler is all about habitat. Gobblers will roost where they can be heard by hens. Hens will roost where nesting and brooding habitat are close to each other.
How late can winter rye be planted?
Optimum soil pH is 5.0 to 7.0 but can tolerate 4.5 to 8.0. Winter rye can be planted from late summer to late fall depending on the use of the crop.
How late can cereal rye be planted?
Seeding Date
For increased rye tillering that can result in higher yields, it’s best to plant rye early in the fall, with a preferred planting date between Sept. 20 and Oct. 10 . Due to weather challenges the last few years, however, rye seed producers have mostly planted in late October.
Does deer like winter rye?
Deer eat the tender nutritious (12-25% protein) foliage in fall, winter and early spring. Of the three major small grains, however, most deer managers would rank rye as third in preference or palatability to oats and wheat. This certainly varies by region, soil fertility and other factors.
What is the difference between winter wheat and winter rye?
Rye is better adapted to well drained soils and lower pH than other small grains. Rye seed is usually a higher cost than wheat, but since rye often yields more forage, it is often cost effective.” ... Compared to wheat, oats make more fall growth, produce seed heads slightly later in spring and typically yield less.
Why do farmers plant winter rye?
They are crops that are planted, not to be harvested for anything in particular, but rather to cover and protect the soil , or to be tilled in green to enrich the soil. ... The winter rye and hairy vetch will keep growing next spring, so we are planting them in areas that will have summer crops.
What does winter rye yield?
Rye harvested at boot stage typically produces DM yield in the 2 to 3 ton per acre range at quality levels acceptable for many animal production groups (Table 1).
What is winter rye good for?
Ryegrass is used for lawns, pasture, and hay for livestock, while winter rye is used as a cover crop, forage crop , or as a grain that is used to make flour, beer, some whiskey and vodkas, or can be eaten whole as boiled rye berries or rolled like rolled oats.
