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Grazing rye

Aster2Aster2 Posts: 629
in Tools and techniques

I'm growing grazing rye in the bed where I planned to put strawberries, but the strawberries arrived today (coldstored plants) and I haven't dug the grazing rye in yet. Will it affect the plants if I dig it in tomorrow and plant the strawberries immediately? I googled, but there seems to be conflicting advice.

Posts

  • Michael SandsMichael Sands Posts: 67

    I stuck my strawberries into pots for now, I will plant them out when I get the weather and time then myself. I have made my own paper pots before out of newspaper.

    I used a square glass bottle to make them around and use a paper stapler to make the end of the side of the paper firm before making them with folds on the bottom with a little masking tape. I put them into a plastic tray I got my parsnips in from the supermarket, which I saved and can get 8 to fit nicely into each plastic tray.

  • Aster2Aster2 Posts: 629

    Excellent ideas, thanks. They should survive for at least a week in that, that'll give me time.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Your strawbs will be perfectly happy in pots of any kind for quite a while, if you want to wait re the rye, Aster image

    I grow mine in pots most of the time anyway. They can also just be heeled into a spare patch of ground temporarily too. 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Aster2Aster2 Posts: 629

    Thanks, Fairygirl! image There are 30 of them, so I think I'll heel them into a planter for a week or two.

  • Aster2Aster2 Posts: 629

    I dug in the grazing rye today and it turned out there's no way I would have been able to plant anything there even if I wanted, because it's so lumpy with the clumps of rye. Fingers crossed it'll break down in a week or two. Meanwhile, the strawberry crowns are heeled in in a planter with nice MPC.

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410

    Used grazing rye once Aster - never again - spent the next 2 years digging out stray clumpsimage. Put us right off green manuresimage

  • Aster2Aster2 Posts: 629

    Thanks for the warning! I'll use strawberry mats and mulch the rest of the bed that won't be covered with the mats, that should help.

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