• Email List Signup
  • Catalog
1-717-687-6224
[email protected]
  • Find Products
    • Perennial Forages
      • Grasses
      • Alfalfa and Clover
      • Perennial Mixtures
      • Perennial Forbs
    • Cover Crops
    • Cool Season Annuals
    • Summer Annuals
      • Forage Sorghum, Sorghum Sudan, and Sudangrass
      • Grain Sorghum
      • Mixtures, Teff, Millet, Brassicas
      • Sunflowers, Sunn Hemp, Buckwheat & More
      • Soybeans
    • Corn
    • Organic Seed – Forage, Cover Crop, and Grain
    • Industrial Hemp
    • Wildlife Food Plots
    • Turf Type Products
    • Forage Inoculant Products
    • Biologicals & Seed Stimulants
    • Seed Treatment And Coating Information
    • John Deere Financial
  • Find Your Dealer
  • Resources
    • King’s Agriseed Blog
    • Farm Planning Tools and Calculators
    • Forage Technical Reference Encyclopedia
    • Season Product Guides / Newsletters
    • Organic Certification
    • Product Literature
    • Recommended Reading & Presentations
    • Steps to Success
    • Supported Organizations
    • Winter Meeting Video Recordings
  • Dealer Portal
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Who We Are
    • Become a Dealer
    • Press Room
  • Staff Directory
We moved! We are now located at 1828 Freedom Rd, Suite 101, Lancaster PA. We look forward to continuing to serve you!

More on Winter Survival: Cover Crops

11 years ago

Cover crops survived the winter somewhat inconsistently this year, as we could see at the cover crop walk at the Steven Stoltzfus farm in Manheim, Lancaster County, PA (sponsored by Penn State Extension and NRCS).  With what became almost a six month winter this year, starting with an unseasonably frigid November, we got a taste of what farmers face most years in more northern eco-zones.

Most of the cover crops at this location were planted in late September, a few weeks earlier than normal for Southeastern PA. Winter survival was still spotty, with the

Triticale with ryegrass. Both showed inconsistent survival, but the triticale presence is much stronger than the ryegrass (some ryegrass can be seen in the center of the photo)
Triticale with ryegrass. Both showed inconsistent survival, but the triticale presence is much stronger than the ryegrass (some ryegrass can be seen in the center of the photo)

rye and triticale showing the best survival, while crimson clover and ryegrass showed poor survivability, even in mixes. The clover was planted during a dry spell in which there was no rain until three weeks after planting, which made for later emergence and poor establishment.

Winter-killed ryegrass
A stand of ryegrass with poor pre-winter establishment and winter survival

In mixes like ryegrass-triticale-crimson clover at the Manheim location, nothing survived but the triticale. Injury may have been from both pure exposure to cold and freezing and thawing action of the soil. In our Leola, Lancaster County, PA research plots, ryegrass also showed poor survivability, even where it was in a mixture with triticale or barley and got some shelter from the hardier crop. Though this is not typical for our region, it’s important to realize that ryegrass may die back while small grains in the same field show little winter injury.

In the Leola plots, we are also seeing some leaf burn, but overall decent survival of crimson clover. There were no straight stands, however – it was always in combination with small grains and ryegrass.

In some areas, annual ryegrass died back a bit and might look sparse now, but if there is still some green growth and spring conditions are right, it can continue to grow, thicken, and fill in through May. In harsh conditions, the success of ryegrass may be difficult to predict, since it exhibits both susceptibility – to winter diseases like snow mold and winterkill – and resilience. If ryegrass is able to put on decent growth, it can be one of the most beneficial cover crops out there in terms of ground cover, soil building organic matter, and nutrient-catchment – and is pretty much the most economical. If used for grazing, it is also one of the highest quality and most palatable grasses, even through early heading. It’s also more forgiving in terms of harvest window than rye.

DSCF0069
Rye field with excellent winter survival

If the ryegrass starts to put on too much growth before winter (more than 6-8 inches), it’s usually better to take a clipping before winter for best survival.

There have been varying reports of success for overwintering of ryegrass, even within Lancaster County alone, and much of this depends on the variety (some are much hardier), the planting date, the field, what it was planted with, and even the seed lot.

Plots where  daikon radish had been left few traces of residue or organic matter, but the radish’s “soil-sterilizing”/”bio-fumigant” properties, typical of brassicas, left the soil almost weed free. Radishes do winterkill even in a typical year, so they are often used as part of a cover crop mix, with oats or another cool season annual.

Northern growers often want to use radishes, but don’t have time in the short growing season. To grow a substantial taproot, they need to get established by late summer, even in our Mid-Atlantic region.

Speak to an expert at King’s AgriSeeds now at 1-717-687-6224 or email us at [email protected].

Previous Post
Small Grains Coming Out of Winter
Next Post
Notes from the Field: Small Grain Observations

Related Posts

No results found.

2 Comments. Leave new

  • John Kemmeren
    April 16, 2014 4:24 pm

    In New York the Triticale had a hard time but will be ok if planted deep enough. The rye where planted in 1.5 inch deep rows looks good. The rye broadcast spread in the fall looks bad.

    Reply
  • Genevieve
    April 17, 2014 1:00 pm

    Yes, when planted deeper the roots can get more securely established, and aren’t as likely to get heaved out with freezing and thawing. Also, broadcasting doesn’t give you the same seed to soil contact that drilling it in would, so the stand is at a disadvantage to begin with in the fall.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field
Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.

Recent Posts

  • Why Treated Seeds Might Increase Slug Damage and Harm Beneficials
  • King’s AgriSeeds Host Meetings in Four States
  • Phytonutrient Advantage: Building Better Beef
  • Spring Drought Forage Recommendations
  • The Power of Clover in Beef Pastures

Recent Comments

  • Taylor on Regulating the Sugar Intake of Horses on Pasture
  • Paul Diffee on A Pasture Pick-Me-Up for Summer
  • Jennifer Kress on Regulating the Sugar Intake of Horses on Pasture
  • Joe stuckel on Forage Sorghum: Boot Stage Harvest
  • Joe on Horses: A List of Concerns

Blogroll

  • Beef Producer Blog
  • Bill’s Forage Files
  • Dairy Grazing
  • Grass-Based Health
  • Hougar Farms Blog
  • On Pasture
  • Progressive Cattleman
  • Progressive Dairy

Archives

KING’S AGRISEEDS

1828 Freedom Rd, Suite 101
Lancaster, PA 17601
T: (717) 687-6224
F: (717) 824-3731
[email protected]

We offer a vast product line of improved varieties and hybrids.

We service the Middle Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States by providing a full line of forage seed, livestock focused corn hybrids and cover crop seed.

Facebook
X
YouTube

Privacy Policy

© King's Agriseeds

 

You are now browsing King’s AgriSeeds. Back to SoutheastAgriSeeds.com

 

×