> I don't think any thing could compete in this cover. maybe if rolling
> will kill it then we could Aer-Way it and No-till plant.
not sure if the Aer-Way will kill the cover. Also it might tend to wrap.
> But for the
> microbes is the residue better on top or incorporated in top 6" or
> deeper?
earthworms prefer it on the surface. I think the rest of the microbes are just as
happy to be left undisturbed if the soil is in a good aerated condition.
> We are trying to build our soil organic matter to 5% or more.
If your goal is to build OM you have 2 choices. Add huge amounts of compost or
don't till the soil. On average you lose as much OM through CO2 loss as you turn
in.
>
> The rolling stalk chopper requires rye to be at least 18" for it to
> work most people say to kill it sooner.
actually, the rolling stalk chopper works best when rye cover is 3 ft. If the rye
is headed out, the chopper will nearly kill it. if it is not headed out, it will
regrow. This year I'm adjusting my rolling strategy somewhat. right now my rye
vetch is 4-5 ft high. rye will pollinate next week and I can see a few vetch
flowers. I am rolling all my 50 acres of standing rye vetch now and will then re-
roll it when I'm ready to plant for a couple of reasons. I don't like the cover to
naturally go down during rain and wind storms because it lays down in a tangled
mess usually. by rolling it early it is all laid down the direction of the planter
which makes it allot easier to plant into. also, if it is getting dry, it stops the
cover from taking out moisture. by leaving a period of time between rolls, I've
observed a better kill then rolling it twice right away. And the rye gets extremely
tough to plant into if you leave it grow till after it pollinates.
> Will chopper work on red clover
> and what would be the time frame?
if you want a good kill, the clover needs to be in bloom
>
> Elane Ingam spoke about microbes an said the best thing we could do for
> them is to keep living roots in soil all of the time. If we kill cover
> early to keep it from getting to big ,but cant plant for a while, what
> impact is this having on the microbes?
I firmly believe this is true. my goal is to have a plant living in the soil at all
times. I roll my covers only minutes b4 planting. (not that I can do this all the
time, but it is best.) when the covers reach 4-5ft I then roll everything because
of above stated reasons.
Feel free to look at my website for more info on this system.
http://www.cedarmeadowfarm.com/
I also have a video that shows the stalk chooper in action.
Steve Groff
-- "Enhancing the Environment" http://www.cedarmeadowfarm.com/ Cedar Meadow Farm 679 Hilldale Rd Holtwood PA 17532 USA Ph. 717-284-5152
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