Winter rye versus annual rye as a cover crop

Pumpkin Growers and Wannabes:

There have been several posts regarding the use of rye as a cover crop. The
idea is to add organic material to your garden and one way is to grow it in
the garden and then till it in. Various crops are used as crop covers. Winter
rye and annual rye are but two of them. Having had no experience with this,
last year I planted half of my garden with each. I did this right after the
weighoff here which was about October 3, 1997.

The annual rye came up more slowly and died out at the first of second frost.
It did not get very tall or very thick. It didn't add much organic material to
my garden. It came and went before the deer noticed it and so they didn't eat
much of it. I doubt I will use it again as a cover crop unless I plant
heavilly.

The winter rye was not impressive at first and how much it grew during the
winter I will never know as it proved to be a great source of nourishment for
the local deer. They ate there every night. In the early spring when I put up
my seven foot fence they did not bother the winter rye as they had. As the
ground warmed this winter rye took off like a rocket and in some spots got to
be 2 to 3 feet high. When late May came and I wanted to plant my pumpkins
outside, I had not forseen the difficulty I would have dealing with this great
source of organic material. I could not mow it as the ground was to soft and I
could not till it in as the garden was still muddy. If I tried to till it
without mowing it, my tiller was immediately clogged up. WInter rye is a great
crop cover. The problem I had was one of timing. The early pumpkin start is a
problem where I live because I can't deal with the winter rye that early in
the season due to other conditions. If your garden is dry enough to mow the
rye and then till it in before you start your pumpkins outside, great. If that
is not the case then I would recommend avoiding the use of winter rye as a
crop cover. I am now using composted leaves and grass and cow manure as my
organic source.

One opinion. Take it as you see it.
I sure hope my winter rye has not reseeded itself.

Marv in Altoona

One other thought. Join the Pumpkin Growing Group of your choice. They all can
use your financial and personal support. We just started the PA Giant Pumpkin
Growers Association in our area. I am certain that this had a lot to do with
the success of our growers this year. In 1997 we had only one pumpkin grown
"close to home" that was over 500 pounds. This year if you had a 500 pound
pumpkin at our site you would have landed in 14th place.  I have to think that
this was due to our guys meeting monthly and talking in between and trading
seeds and reading Don's book and some of us being in the Internet Group. Each
of us had a lot of fun and a real feeling of accomplishment looking out over
what we had grown locally when we had our weighoff. We also got to meet some
of our other more distant pumpkin friends making the weighoff far more than
just a weighing. Our group is great and supportive of one another and it is
really satisfying to know that what we experience here is also happening in
many other places across North America. Join and support and participate in
whatever group you like. Just do it. It does make a difference.
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