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southern MN | I have a few acres that drowned out in June. Been thinking of disking the weeds down and planting some oats or barley that’s sitting around.
If it ever quits raining. I think it’s drowned out 5-6 times this summer. I just checked it this afternoon, about half of it would go. Rest is still sticky.
It’s getting late here for a summer small grain to do much. We are really close to freeze temps, sunlight is disappearing, the smoke in the air is decreasing sun even more.
Then, sweet corn leaves a lot of grassy residue on the ground. What does a little low growth small grain add to that? It will be cool, and look interesting, but in November under the snow, what was actually gained in our climate? That’s a good question. I’m not against it, I’m just trying to think it through as well, what does it return to a person that the corn residue hasn’t already done?
The other common canning crop around here is peas. I could see an oats cover doing someone on the pea residue. It would compliment the legume, use some N to hold/ recycle in the ground, have a little more time to grow.
Here is a peek at my cover crop, in my oats field. Different crop, different timing, different species. And it’s just a 15 acre fun field, I don’t know if I really am accomplishing much either.
Paul
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 (107A2932-6103-47BD-A403-520081EB4379 (full).jpeg)
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 CD7D9FB0-AE10-43AA-B491-7240760FB8DB (full).jpeg (239KB - 49 downloads)
107A2932-6103-47BD-A403-520081EB4379 (full).jpeg (178KB - 45 downloads)
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oat cover crop
