We are still trying to decide on the rye grass and need your help! We currently have goats and would like to get a cow next year. We now have some grass and a lot of weeds. For the winter would rye grass perform that much better than letting the goats eat weeds as long as possible? It is my understanding that winter rye grass does not last all winter so which would last the longest season, are they close? Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), September 04, 2001

Answers

where do you live? rye grass stays green all winter here in south carolina. as long as the temp is above 50 deg.f rye grass will grow most weeds die with the first or second frost as does the summer grass. i plant rye for my goats in early october here,and they love the green stuff. hay is still needed tho.

-- paul a coleman (wormfarmerone@yahoo.com), September 05, 2001.

We live in NC so it should be close in weather, than you for your help!

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), September 05, 2001.

Paul, how do you plant, do you just lightly till, or plow? We did it ourselves last time but had to plow, we may hire someone this time.

How long do you keep the goats off it before letting them graze? I hate having to keep them off it as we just got the new pasture fenced in. I am so excited because we want to rotate their grazing. Maybe if we put them in now then plant end of Sept it would be a better roatati0on than nothing. Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), September 05, 2001.

lynn i just sew it with a walk behind lawn spreader, i sew it before the summer grass has died so that as soon as the weather cools enough the rye will start growing. the beauty of rye is all you do is top sew and it sprouts.i could grow rye grass on the cement drive as long as it gets water.:) paul

-- paul a coleman (wormfarmerone@yahoo.com), September 05, 2001.