Rye?

[loneranger]

I found a neighbor who will plow up a few acres and disk it for me . The weeds are not too bad in the area. I know should round up first but this area was once. I already have some Aslike Clover plots and am thinking of just putting in some Rye. Anyone have experiences with it. I know it grows easy and fast and stays green yr round if cut and reasonable to buy. I read an article on internet once by an Iowan food plot expert and it said all around you really could not beat Rye for a deer attractant. Thanks. What do you'all think?

 

[JNRBRONC]

I don't have experience with it but hear that it has a slight herbicidal effect. Some farmers seed rye after harvesting corn/beans, then till it under as green manure before planting the next year.

 

[dbltree]

Rye is an annual like wheat. Plant it early fall and it will stay green thru spring at which point if you don't plow it down it will grow like mad, get tall and rank and unusable by deer as far as a foodplot. It is very cheap to plant and very easy to seed, but not like clover which lasts for 3-4 years.
Pharmer has a good pic and info about rye also. http://www.iowawhitetail.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=123855&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

 

[loneranger]

Thanks: I guess is not that good a deer attractant yr round. I was thinkin of planting it in the spring, having it cut down once, maybe twice, to keep it short. I thought if kept short would be good for deer yr round? Maybe not. Maybe more clover better.

 

[Waukon1]

This is my 3 year planting it. I seed it in august and it comes up fairly quickly. I don't really see deer in it too much in October, but when it gets cold and is the only green thing around, it gets alot of action. I am amazed when we get 6+ in of snow. It looks like every dog in the county came to try to bury a bone in your food plot.

 

[bjkpharmd]

Here is the before picture, it was getting grazed pretty heavy at this time as well but it was still growing like mad. Not something to plant in the spring though. It will grow even through the winter when we get a stretch of good weather. Springtime the turkeys are in it as well. I'm going to frost seed clover into this patch and move the rye field for next fall.

 

[dbltree]

Dang that sure is a good lookin field of rye pharmer...did you fertilize that?
Are you going to kill it off with Roundup or just mow it in the spring (after you frost seed the clover?)
I know rye makes an excellent mulch if you kill it at the right time. I've seen corn no-tilled into it and then they nuke the rye with R-up. Works pretty well!

 

[loneranger]

I guess best thing to plant for spring then is more clover. I want something to attract thru summer on thru fall. I am having a neighbor plow and disk a couple of acres for spring. I have some Aslike, I guess it is called Clover frost seeded some yrs ago already in other areas. Is this type best for deer. I think it is supposed to be all around best type at reasonable cost.?

 

[dbltree]

You can't go wrong with clover, but I'm not sure about Alsike? Most commonly planted "deer clovers" are white clovers and ladino clover is a common (I believe white species) grazing clover.