cover crop for grass

[Eric_Phillips]

I have read several people using things like oats to plant along with thier grass to let the grass get established while the oats keep the weeds down. I have a small slope that I will be planting in the next couple of weeks. I am worried about erosion while the grass is germinating. Will something like oats germinate faster that the grass giving support to the slope? Any suggestions of something other than oats to use. I am up north the grond will freeze and kill a non-cold tolerant cover.

Eric

 

[renz]

Assuming your final goal is lawn grass, you could lightly sow with winter rye, but my first choice would be to generously mulch the whole area with straw (not hay).

 

[Farwell]

Eric,
I agree with Renz. I have used wheat straw several times and it works great. I have also read that Winter rye is an excellent choice as a cover crop. I have not tried it yet but it is on my late 2006 planting to do list.
It is starting to cool off a little in Michigan so your time to plant grass in NY this year may be slipping away unless grass can be planted in the Fall like Winter rye, something I am not sure of.
Farwell

 

[Onthesauk]

Here in the NW they sell a grass seed mixture called "Partners," combination of annual rye grass and a deep rooted fescue. Rye acts as a cover crop for the fescue. Used commonly for erosion control of logging road cuts. I've reached the point that I use it for almost everything. Very hardy.

 

[rambler]

Oats. Yup it will be up & growing in a week if you have enough warmth & moisture.

Rye will grow bigger & longer at this point in the year. BUT it will also grow next year. All year. It will grow RAPIDLY in spring & want to chock out your grass. You will be mowing. A lot. I don't think you will like this appoach.



Multching in some straw is a good idea too.

--->Paul

 

[psuedofarmer]

last year i finished restoring 4-5 acres of old pasture. it was late in the year (late Sept/early Oct), so i planted winter rye. it germinated fast, and managed to get started heavily before the first frost.

this summer the rye started to get crowded with old grasses and some weeds (predominantly clover). i'll mow it for the first time in 30 years this fall.

if you're trying to get something started on that slope, i strongly suggest getting winter rye into the ground ASAP. it's very cold hearty, but you want the rye to get a chance to sprout 2+ weeks before the first frost to give it enough robustness to survice the early frost.

if you go with rye, it will grow FAST. in the spring it will grow VERY tall, then seed itself. by then other grasses will start to creep in..

and as others pointed out, you'll be mowing in no time..

good luck
pf