Description
CURRENTLY OFFERED AT $1.49 PER POUND
Italian Rye is a winter annual that requires vernalization (a period of cold and reduced day length) to initiate heading. Best sown during the fall, the plant will head exorbitantly the following spring. This is a very extremely high yielding grass and typically the highest quality grass around. Due to its ease of seeding, Italian Rye is a great choice as a nurse crop for other grasses or a great short term forage. Italian Rye does not do well in hot or dry climates.
Planting Depth: .25” - .50”
Planting Rate: 30-40 lbs per acre. If done in mixtures Italian Rye should make up less than 20% of the overall mixture.
Planting Dates: Aug - Sep. Shorter days and cooler nights will help establish.
*Product ships in 50 pound bag.
Establishment
Whether sown by itself or in mixtures, Italian Rye is a great nurse crop for slower establishing grasses. No-till drilling is recommended to thicken existing stands. Depending on the time of planting and conditions, the first harvest can come as early as 45 days after planting.
Management
Where nutrients are abundant, Italian Rye can be a great choice to utilize and even recycle those nutrients. Italian Rye may also be used to extend a thinning alfalfa or mixed stand for one to two more years. Better suited for mechanical harvest due to its upright growth habit, we do not recommend heavy grazing. Due to the waxy coating, just like Perennial Rye, drydown is retarded making it not a great choice for dry hay.