who seems to still think after all these years that she can get me to lose weight-------fat chance!!

Item to note------ we apply the turkey litter in fall, and incorporate, so that limits when we can sow the rye.

Corn----- chop stalks, spread litter, chisel, broadcast rye at about 2-3 bu / A, harrow it in. 

Beans--- spread litter (none last fall, but I wish now I would have put down 1-2 tons), field cultivate (if we/ve spread litter), broadcast rye at about 2-3 bu/A, harrow it in.

In spring.........ground going to corn.........finish spreading litter if did not get all on in fall-----which seems to be the rule anymore---------field cultivate it in------hopefully by April 15, more likely about late April---May 01.........due to snags in getting the litter hauled.  Leave the ground alone until about 5-6-7-8 days before planting.......hopefully rye is rotted enough that the process has quite tying up N.........field cultivate maybe again just ahead of planter, depending upon rain, etc. and how the weeds are coming.  We try to leave at least two weeks before last litter/rye incorporation until the corn planter runs--------depending upon the weather and my nerves, and how much the neighbors are howling about us being so late planting again, that might get shorted.

Start beans hopefully about 05/10------------with the rains lately, seems to be closer to 05/20.  Try to get in and knock down the rye at about 20-24 inches........sometimes that gets stretched into 3 -4ft..........but so far that has not seemed to hurt much..............might have to roll out the disks early, and then follow up with field cultivators 5-7 days ahead of planter.  Planters seem to do better if the trash is not so tall-----above 2 ft and things can get interesting.........but the disks seem to chop up the taller stuff pretty good, and the mass is ok to plant into within + - 10 days.

Rye will suck the moisture out..........and it will hold surface moisture when there is a lot of trash.  So your wet spots--------I can believe it.  Rye just will not replace tile.

We never get much growth in fall, ahead of winter.  We just can't seem to get our apples into organized piles quick enough to get the seed planted earlier.  One problem that hinders us is having to wait for a sharp frost to kill the weeds, so the weeds don't stain the beans.  That seems to set everything back............and late planting doesn't seem to help either.

Seed has been coming from business associate in south western IA.........and we have been growing a little of our own.  Going to grow a little more, since one farm is getting sunflower problem............just hard for me to not grow a commodity crop there, even with the weeds, since the gross is still better than the alternatives.

this last spring we used oats and did not fall plant rye---------won't be using oats again............intestinal measurement says that the roots were not nearly as deep as the rye gets, and therefore the ground "seemed" dryer at the surface..........and given the dryness anyway, we had just tons of powder for 2 inches.  The one field of beans that got in just before the last big rains -------- orgasmic is all I can say.   The others------planted after the rains and at the beginning of the droughty period------- let's just say I'm looking for a market for foxtail right now.

I am seriously looking into this concept of planting beans into standing rye, and then crimping it to kill it.  Just a whole lot of benefits.  We tried that about 3 yrs ago in a 40A patch--------total disaster..........that rotor combine of ours really snorted going thru that rat's nest......but we still got 20+ bushels.  So, I know the concept is solid..........just have to refine things a little.  We chose a really wet field for the experiment, and hired the drilling done........did not get a good seed trench closure.....lots of rotted seed..........so that really was a problem of handling the rye at the front end, as compared to planting into it..........again, the timing was the problem.

I've looked at mowing the rye after planting the beans........but then the canopy effect is lost, and the trash drops into the stubble, and withers.  Leaving the stalks standing but bent allows the shading benefits, and allows the plant to die a slower death, which means the roots grow a little more, but are dead by the time the beans need the moisture.   That would allow us to also drill..........whereas now we plant 30inches.  

I'm just not sure I have the kahonas to drill, and hope the rye keeps the weeds back.  I think I would rather plant 30 inches, and have a backup procedure in the event the weeds come on.......I can at least get the weeds between the rows, and allow a little sunlight to get in.

Corn is just flat easy to grow without herbicides..........but those friggin beans might be an early death for me!