Winter cover crop

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Hello all,

We have 4 1/2 acres in Winter cover crop: rye, hairy vetch, daikon radish and Austrian winter peas. Now THAT is what I call a Winter cover crop. We will plow it all under the last week of January. We will plant potatoes and cool season crops a couple of weeks later.

Our corn crib is started. We expect to fill it in two weeks. Our chickens will be spoiled rotten soon.

You can see the Austrian winter peas coming up 2nd photo.

Featured Answer

Okiedawn OK Zone 7

9 years ago

It sounds like you are off to a great start for winter, Johnny.

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Comments (12)

mulberryknob
9 years ago
I see radishes in the second photo.
johnnycoleman
Original Author
9 years ago
NOT my first mistake. NOT my last.

Thanks...
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Johnny Coleman
9 years ago
Yes, we hope to sell a few hundred daikon radishes. We planted many more than we need. We have to create enough revenue to pay the wages for one employee. We hope to give away about half of what we grow.

It is hard to explain how nice the soil is there. We are being very careful not to allow erosion of any sort and will plant cover and green manure crops at every opportunity.

The soil type reminds me of loess.
Okiedawn OK Zone 7
9 years ago
The soil sounds simply splendid!
OkieTexan (7b)
9 years ago
Hey Johnny, from where do you buy your seeds? Seems you must be buying in bulk.
johnnycoleman
Original Author
9 years ago
OkieTexan,

We buy from a few places, Stillwater Mill, Eckroat (OKC), online and we save some seed. We saved about 100 pounds of corn seed last year. We used 15 pounds of it to plant an acre this year. We will be growing crook neck milo next year and saving seed for the following year. We plan to cut our commercial chicken feed bill in half by growing our own feed.

Johnny
OkieTexan (7b)
9 years ago
Thanks. I'm about to plant a couple of acres in Austrian Winter Peas and Rye, so was just wondering where I might buy. I'm worried about the deer though. We have a lot of 'em and I heard they really like Rye.
johnnycoleman
Original Author
9 years ago
OkieTexan,

They really like Austrian Winter peas. Are you planting cereal rye? That is my favorite. It makes more biomass than annual ryegrass.

The deer (here) don't seem to bother hairy vetch. We have had very good results from it. We grew a crop of potatoes and a crop of corn after plowing under a winter cover crop of cereal rye, hairy vetch and tillage radish. Neither the potatoes nor the corn required supplemental feeding.

Good luck. Maybe it is time to reevaluate the deer conservation rules.

Johnny
johnnycoleman
Original Author
9 years ago
Our cover crop is looking very good. How is yours coming along?

Our corn crib is about 2/3 complete.
OkieTexan (7b)
9 years ago
Still trying to get wheat and clover planted in the main pastures on the ranch. Have had several things that have delayed us, mostly mechanical problems.
johnnycoleman
Original Author
9 years ago
OkieTexan,

Maybe it will work well for you anyway. Some are predicting a mild Winter.