9/28/2020 – Sowed Elbon Rye in the north half of the garden as a cover crop. It grew well last year in the south half. The roots are supposed to trap root-knot nematodes and break up the subgrade fairly deep. The grass will improve the organics in the soil.
The area is 1/6th acre including the turn rows. So, to sow at 100 lbs/ac. I need to sow 100/6 = 17 lbs.
The process:
- Used the new 6′ drag harrow to level up the area that had been disced a couple of weeks ago and the weeds hoed out a couple of days ago.
- Spread about 17 lbs. using the old cyclone seeder. Went E-W the N-S then diagonally until the spreader was empty.
- Went over the area again with the drag harrow upside down to give the seed some cover.
This is a couple of weeks early based on advice from the Extension Services but a cold front blows in within a few hours. The prediction is a good chance of rain and high temps in the low to mid-70s for the next week. The radar and weather stations show the temp behind the front it about 10° below the current temp of 88°.
Based on a review of temp dropping history it usually drops into the 70s in mid-October. I am betting that this year it drops 2 weeks earlier than the past years.
