[CJBS2003]

What plant species will still grow fairly well after the first frost until the first heavy freeze, or even after a freeze?

I have oats, wheat, triticale, brassicas, white clover, crimson clover, arrowleaf clover and winter peas... Try to see if any will keep growing on into Nov and Dec.

 

[CJBS2003]

No body has any experience with this???

 

[turkey4life]

the winter wheat, winter peas, and brassicas should stay green all winter until the deer eat them.

 

[Guest]

Winter wheat will actually continue to grow during the winter, provided we get some warm temps. I think it's rye that will grow when temps get above 40 degrees. That is what makes these 2 cereal grains pretty important, at times.

 

[Barneyhunts]

Last year I planted Buck Forage oats the second week of October. They were 4-5" tall when they froze during the rifle season -they were crunchy when you walked through them- This spring they continued to grow and had gone to seed when I plowed them under in July.

 

[eyefromthesky]

Winter wheat and annual rye grass. Make sure it's annual rye grass, sometimes called winter rye. On some of the farms I used to work at we've planted both as late as early November and they still germinated and did some growing before winter really set in.

 

[CJBS2003]

Well, with as cold as this fall has been so far, it darn near seems like winter! I planted annual rye when I overseeded it into my existed growth on my logging roads. I mixed annual rye with crimson clover, birds foot trefoil, white dutch clover and orchard grass. So hopefully my logging roads will come in good and won't get hit too hard by this early cold weather. The food plot seems to be doing well, I hope you are all right about the plants being fine and maybe growing some during the winter.

 

[Guest]

Just to be clear with some terms here, there is an annual ryegrass, then there is "rye", meaning the cereal rye or winter rye.

The winter rye or cereal rye is great for deer, annual ryegrass would not be a first choice.

Just pointing this out so first timers don't buy the wrong thing.

 

[magnus]

I just wanted to offer some constructive criticism regarding eyefromthesky's clarification about rye. Winter rye and annual rye grass are quite different. The only thing they have in common is the rye in the name. Cereal rye is what we're talking about here, as it makes a good ground cover ...with the hazard that if you don't get it mowed or sprayed early enough in the Spring it can be hard to handle and very tall, very quickly. Annual ryegrass is a component of grass seed mixes for trails, your yard, etc. It grows very quickly. I've used it to grow fast and prevent erosion in excavated areas. Don't know how palatable it is to deer and turkeys but most likely it wouldn't survive the winter --- hence the name Annual. Cereal rye lives fine through a cold winter and has been used as a reliable cover crop by farmers for many years.

 

[magnus]

oops, sorry Dutch. I see you said the same thing. I'd started this last night but got distracted. Then came back and finished it just now. Anyway, the terminology can get confusing but just so people don't buy the wrong thing. I will say that Annual Rye (grass seed) is much more available, so be careful. As said, its not what you want for wildlife food plots.

 

[eyefromthesky]

You're both right. Sorry for the confusion it may have caused. I was thinking the annual rye grass you guys are talking about was called perennial rye grass. If there is such a thing.

Let's just go with winter rye!

 

[CJBS2003]

OK, I am referring to winter annual cereal rye... HAHA

 

[Guest]

You're both right. Sorry for the confusion it may have caused. I was thinking the annual rye grass you guys are talking about was called perennial rye grass. If there is such a thing.

Let's just go with winter rye!

If not mistaken, and I may be here, annual ryegrass will winterkill, and like Magnus said, makes a fast growing erosion control grass. Seeded with perenial ryegrass, the stuff in yer yard, its great for log roads, etc.

So yes, there is an annual ryegrass, a perennial ryegrass, and winter rye.

Ya'll good and cornfuseled now?

Thanks Magnus, your posts here are much appreciated!