Last fall I tilled a couple of 20' x 150' strips of sod to expand my
orchard/ garden area. Seems that that time of year the days are just too
short to get it all done in time. The first strip I sowed to annual rye but
it was already too cool to get germination....... so on the second strip I
soaked and sprouted the rye indoors, and raked it in - even though nights
were in th e 20's. It worked, this year I have a nice stand of winter
rye coming up there. I understand it takes at least a month for the
allopathic chemicals to lose their potency after the rye is tilled under.
This is where I intend to plant out evans cherries and saskatoons this week.
I 've never been clear about this - do rye's roots' chemicals only
suppress other seeds' sprouting, or could they suppress general growth as
well? thanks, Del