Planting a "killing" crop (ie wheat/oats)

[wayacoyote]

This isn't about planting for the benefit of the bees. We're trying to organically convert a field plot to another forage, but need to compete with the current hay plants. Our goal has been to plant buckwheat which is often used as a "killing" crop by planting heavily. However, we can't plant buckwheat for another month due to potential frosts. Since there is green grass out there now, we want to get started and thought we'd use something like oats or wheat just to get a good cover plant going that would suppress the weeds until time to plant the buckwheat.

What do you think?

[swamprat]

just ltill the ground.wait untill the weed or grass starts groing and gover with a disk.this will take care of some of the weeds for a wile.if the start growing agin just disk again.

Dwayne.S

[wayacoyote]

Thanks, Swamprat,
I should have included that we're also pursuing a "no till" approach. What we hope to learn and perfect is a way for others to establish garden areas while doing the least amount of damage to the soil and soil structure. Disking and tilling both do dandy jobs as conventional methods of preparing the soil for reseeding. We don't expect as great a germination rate with "no till" especially since we don't have a seed drill, and we know that we'll have to put a bit more effort in the initial weed control without disking. But the long-term trade off is worth it too us.

For small plots, we utilize cardboard and heavy mulch or black plastic for a growing season to kill existing weeds. (We're lazy gardeners.) Disking and tilling bring dormant seeds to the surface to germinate. With our current method, we spread the mulch before the growing season and don't think of weeds again.

The "killing crops" serve the same function in that they out grow the weeds, starving them of sunlight. Normally, disking and tilling and even herbicides are used before hand. We're hoping to avoid all of that. (I'll spread a half acre in black plastic before I'll use those.)

Thanks!

[swamprat]

that will work to.if your looking for black plastic try finding a famer who uses bunk silos covered with plastic they always have piles of the stuf they cut off the piles as they feed.if you lived closer I load your truck full for free.

Dwayne.S

Vernon N.Y.

[RayMarler]

use clear plastic in the middle of summer instead. Granted it lets sun in, but it cause heat to penetrate the soil and pasturize it, killing off any vegetation that might be there. Black plastic holds the heat at the surface, clear plastic causes the heat to penetrate the soil. It's the heat that kills the vegetation, not the lack of sun when using clear plastic.

[slickbrightspear]

around here waya you are going to have trouble finding anything that out competes fescue sod without tilling. cover with the plastic and solarize it then plant your buckwheat but it is going to be a while before we are frost free here in Bowling Green it will be the end of april till we are frost free and buckwheat is not frost tolerant at all.

[Scrapfe]

...Our goal has been to plant buckwheat which is often used as a "killing" crop by planting heavily...

Although the seeding rate for buckwheat is high, the "killing power" of buckwheat resides in its quick growth and large arrowhead shaped leaves that shade or suck the ground and inhibit the growth of competing species. Thank of buckwheat as a roll of green plastic.

Troy Built Tiller Co. had an excellent strategy for converting cow pastures into garden spots over a one or two year period, but you goanna have to bust some sod if you want to plant buck wheat.

Step no. 1 Turn during the fall and allow the ground to lie out all Winter long. This allows the soil to freeze and any exposed roots, rizones and seeds to die. Pray for a severe Winter to freeze and refreeze the ground.

Step no. 2 After all danger of frost or freezing is past, disk harrow and break up any remaining clods.

Step no. 3 Follow this with an application of fertilizer or chicken litter and broadcast the buckwheat seed. Really lay it on. Lightly cover the seed with a drag harrow. A grain drill is not required.

Now you did not mention what else you wanted to grow other than buckwheat, but since buckwheat grows quickly and matures rapidly think about that now.

Step no. 4 No later than when 10% of the buckwheat STARTS to bloom, mow it down, and turn it under. Repeat steps no. 2, no. 3, & no. 4. Continue to turn and disk the buckwheat under, fertilize, and replant for the remainder of the growing season.

The second spring you should have a fairly weed free chunk of ground.

If you allow the buckwheat to mature and go to seed you will be growing buckwheat instead of weeds. Webster defines "weed" as any plant species growing in an un-wanted place or manner. Since buck wheat doesn’t make rizones like Johnson grass or Bermuda, buckwheat it is a relatively easy plant to eradicate.

Oats or wheat makes very poor mulch crops since their narrow, thin stems and leaves allow too much light to reach the ground, and usually only one crop is possible per season.

You could use ANNUAL rye grass as a Winter cover crop. DO NOT PLANT PRENNIAL rye grass unless you want to bale hay.

[wayacoyote]

Oats or wheat makes very poor mulch crops since their narrow, thin stems and leaves allow too much light to reach the ground, and usually only one crop is possible per season.

You could use ANNUAL rye grass as a Winter cover crop. DO NOT PLANT PRENNIAL rye grass unless you want to bale hay.

Thanks!

[cow pollinater]

Pumpkins also work well when closely planted and much less seed is needed but the frost sensitivity will be an issue.
You would have to make or buy a hand-planter to drive the seed in but that would make it break even with buying buckwheat seed.

[dcross]

Burn down the field with vinegar, get a no-till drill and put in peas or canola/rape or oats. They can all take some cold weather, oats and peas more than canola. Look into hunting clubs and Soil Water Conservation district, some of them rent or borrow out drills.

You should just be able to broadcast the buckwheat and then mow the heck out of everything else and get a fair stand if you double the seeding rate.

What hay crop are you trying to kill? What are you trying to establish?

[Robert Brenchley]

If you don't want to dig at all (I don't like it but I'm no purist) then try covering it. Black plastic works well, or you could try the 'lasagne' approach. Cover with thick cardboard, then cover that in turn with a thick layer of organic mulch. I use masses of grass cuttings and dead leaves, but there are loads of things you can use, even straw. Then you don't need your killing crop, and once the soil warms up there are plenty of things you can plant straight off, just by making holes in the cardboard for them. People do establish beds on top of the cardboard, and plant direct into them, but I've never tried it.

[wayacoyote]

Oh, We're big fans of the lasagne gardening. Did I mention I was lazy? Man, that's some easy gardening. However, I'll be doing nearly an acre. but A great addition to this topic.

[Robert Brenchley]

That's a lot! I find 1/8 acre is plenty for me. I'm still affected at times by ME, so I wouldn't tackle any more unless I was going to use it for something far less labour-intensive than allotmenting.

[wayacoyote]

We're using the killing crop to hopefully slowly convert a 14 acre field over to native plants a little at time. Our farm qualifies as "organic". Should we use a herbicide, we'll have to wait at least 3 years to apply for organic certification on any crop grown there. Besides the fact that we don't want to use herbicides and the fact that we're hoping to develop a system that works locally for others seeking similar goals.