Soil Improvement Project

[Alan L.]

I posted last fall about my 5 acres or so of heavy yellow clay soil I have that is now topsoil - it came from the construction of a 1.5 acre tank (pond). At the end of last September I used my disk harrow - one pass over this area to break up the top 3 or 4 inches, then I sowed 500 pounds of annual rye on the area.

The ryegrass really struggled, and was pretty thin all winter except in certain areas where I apparently got more seed broadcasted. When March rains and warmer weather hit, it really took off, and was pretty lush in areas, not so lush in other areas. About ten days ago I brushhogged it and in those areas where it was thick, the grass is dried and laying on top of the ground. After brushhogging, the bare ground showed through, and it didn't look near as thick as before I mowed it.

I understand that you use legumes for cover crops when you are interested in fertility for the next crop. I am interested in improving the soil long-term, so that I can sprig coastal bermuda hay for the long-term. One reason is the need to keep my ag exemption, and I have to have some sort of crop for that.

Anyway, according to what I am reading, the best crop for me to plant for the summer, to add organic material to the soil and improve it, is Sorghum/Sudan grass. I understand it tolerates hot, dry conditions, and high alkaline soil, which I have. Plus, I read where it returns lots of biomass ( I guess that is organic material) to the soil.

I guess my first question is, does that sound like a good idea?

Also, it appears I should have plowed the ryegrass right after mowing it, while it was lush and green, but I didn't do that. Have I lost the entire benefit of the crop? But if I had plowe d it while it was green, I understand that I should wait 2 or 3 weeks for it to decompose to release the nitrogen. Once I plow, I really want to sew the seed for the next crop, otherwise a big rain will wash big gullies in my land.

My plan is to disk the the existing cut ryegrass (its still pretty bare in a good portion of it) and immediately plant the Sudangrass. I understand that Sudan needs to be planted an inch deep (whereas the rye could be broadcast on top). I figure to make a harrow by attaching two 15' lengths of 4' chain link fence to an 8 foot 2 by 4 and dragging this behind the tractor after broadcasting the seed, to help cover up the seed. I also plan to use about twice the recommended seeding rate.

I plan to do this in the next 2 weeks.

Any comments or suggestions?

 

[Argee]

A crop that will provide a large amount of bio-mass would be buckwheat.
Your planting schedule sounds about right. Ryegrass when turned under will emit a toxin (for a couple of weeks) that makes it hard for other seeds to take hold.
If you cut the buckwheat just as it flowers, disk it in, and reseed with buckwheat, you should be able to get 3 crops of it this summer.
In the fall disk it in and plant a combo crop of winter rye and hairy vetch, by next spring you will have a pretty lush area with an abundant amount of organic material ready for crop.
I might add a top coating of gypsum will help in breaking the clay down.

 

[wichiwichi]

Gypsum might not be a good idea if your soil is high alkeline already. Hairy vetch in the fall is an exellent idea.

 

[Alan L.]

Sounds like I need to get cooking and disk it as soon as possible, then wait a couple of weeks before sewing the summer cover crop. If I got 2 or 3 "crops" of Buckwheat during the summer, I take this to mean I will brush hog it, disk it, and immediately replant a couple of times before the summer is over? That would be great if this is possible, as it would seem to add quite a bit of organic material in just a few months.

I don't really care if this takes a couple of years. I don't see the point in spending the $$ to sprig the coastal in poor soil.

Is winter rye different from annual rye?

 

[Argee]

Annual rye comes back every year. Winter rye is used as a cover crop after your harvest so your soil doesn't blow away. Also helps in adding some organic matter to the soil. Buckwheat provides tremendous amounts of organic matter in a short time, I can get two crops up here in Northern Michigan if I get the first crop in at the latter part of May. It also helps in suppressing weeds. Your growing season is a little longer so you could probably get three plantings.
The hairy vetch will fix nitrogen into the soil making it available to the following crop.

 

[Alan L.]

Based on the weather reports of rain on Friday, I took off work and busted my tail yesterday. I disked, seeded Sorghum/Sudangrass, and lightly disked it in, just before the rain last night.

I was gonna do Buckwheat, but when I got ready for it, nobody had it. I could have gotten Soybeans, but that was $45 for a 50lb bag!!!. The Sudan was only $12.75 and I sowed 10 bags.

I got a new appreciation of the disk harrow vs a tiller. On the hard yellow clay that had the dead rye grass on it, the first pass seemed to make cuts, but not really turn it over or go very deep at all. After about 5 passes, it was churned up pretty good, but still there were 2 and 3 inch clods. But in those areas of where I have REAL soil, even with turf, the disk cut fairly deep, and with 2 or 3 passes it looked like a tiller had gone through it. And even with multiple passes you can cover a lot more ground a lot quicker.

I still want a tiller for more confined areas, but I'm happy with my disk.