The main cereal crop of mankind is rye. The grain harvest is used in the food industry, livestock breeding and agriculture. In garden plots, the crop is sown as green manure to improve the condition of the soil and obtain natural organic fertilizers.
When and how to sow rye in the spring in the garden or on a personal plot, we will learn in detail below.
When to sow rye in spring
The timing of spring sowing of grain crops directly depends on the further purpose, weather and climatic characteristics of the growing region:
- in the Urals and Siberia, rye for grain is sown in the second ten days of May;
- in the Far Eastern region, planting work begins in early May;
- in the middle zone, rye sowing begins from May 10-15;
- in the steppe regions of Kuban, seed sowing is carried out in the last week of spring.
The main indicator for starting sowing is considered to be well-warmed soil. To obtain green fertilizer, planting work is carried out in early spring.
Important! Rye is characterized by resistance to sudden temperature changes and frost. Spring plantings do not require additional insulation.
Seeding rate
The grain crop grows and develops quickly and is very demanding of moisture. Green stems are cut to obtain high-quality fertilizers and top dressing after the first spikelets appear. The sowing rate of rye depends on the further use of the cereal crop.
If a plant is grown to obtain natural fertilizers for other cultivated plants, small grains are taken as seed material at the rate of 2 kg of seeds per 1 hectare of land. To sow cereals for grain, selected planting material is used at the rate of 20 g of seeds per 1 square meter. m.
Interesting! There is a practice when rye is specially planted in wetlands to dehydrate the soil. After harvesting, the soil becomes suitable for growing crops other than cereals.
Technology and sowing methods
Correctly and timely planting work will allow you to obtain the required grain or green manure yield.
To sow a grain crop, the planting material is preheated and treated with special antifungal drugs.
- The growing area is carefully dug up, loosened and moistened.
- The soil is mixed with mineral and organic substances.
- It is recommended to plant rye in rows, maintaining a distance between rows of up to 15 cm.
- In heavy, clayey soil, seeds are planted on ridges and ridges. In this case, the distance between the rows is left from 20 to 25 cm.
- Planting material is placed on the surface of loose soil, sprinkled with a 3-centimeter layer of fertile soil on top.
- After completion of work, the plantings are irrigated abundantly.
Sowing a cereal crop to grow green fertilizer can be done freely, having previously prepared the selected area. After mowing, the rye ears are mixed with the soil, which helps the soil to be enriched with nutrients and vitamins necessary for the growth and fruiting of other plants.
It is not recommended to grow grain crops near trees and shrubs. The plant quickly dries out the soil, which increases the risk of reduced yields for other inhabitants of the garden or garden plot.
