In article ,
"James" no wrote:

I have a vacation cabin in the mountains of NC, at 4200 feet elevation.

In early June, I planted annual ryegrass, in a partly shaded area. It came
up in about 15-20 days, and was *real* thick and green.

We then left the mountain and returned in early August. The ryegrass was
all gone !!

Why didn't the grass last all summer? Did it have enough sunlight to
germinate, but then die back because of too much shade ?

There was a drought of several weeks in early July, but that was after the
seed had germinated, and looked good.

What is the most likely reason the ryegrass was strong and thick in early
June, but totally gone by early August ?

Thanks !!

James

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/covercrop.html

Info on tomatoes from above site.

http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/quest...t-information-
can-you-give-me-on-factors-that-affect-the-flavor-of-tomatoes


OR http://tinyurl.com/24mcm8x

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden
globalvoicesonline.org

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
FarmI wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
David Hare-Scott wrote:
FarmI wrote:
"James" no wrote in message

Fran, you don't mean to imply that it is "normal" for annual rye
grass to grow for three weeks and then die ?? I doubt many folks
would use it if this were normal....

That is what annual ryegrass does.

It sounds like you are confusing annual ryegrass with perennial
ryegrass.

James, Fran actually knows this stuff.

David

I just realized there are two Frans one explicit the other cloaked. The
message is the same.

Well I'm not really trying to be 'cloaked' as lots of people know my
name is Fran :-)). Only one ng I post to has the sort of
environment where posters are expected to put a sig on their posts -
sadly I usually forget to do it.

You only post to one "serious" NG? Which is that? What is this then?

I wouldn't call it a 'serious' ng (at least it's no more serious than this
one given that it similalry involves people with a passion for their
pastime), but it's the only one where the other posters like to know a name.

It's a craft based group and the same people have been posting there since
the year dot so know each other well. Most ngs have the sort of environment
where posters don't give a rat's posterior what a person is called.

wrote in message
On Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:19:23 +1000, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote:
wrote in message

I usually use annual rye, often called winter rye here, as a cover
crop. If I get it in early enough - late September say, I will usually
have a lovely mini field of rye over the winter.

When you say 'cover crop' do you mean that you use it as a green manure?
It's good for green manure.

Yes, that's what i mean. And it's pretty, too!

Indeed it is pretty. But then even some weeds are pretty. Scotch thistle
is gorgeous, but not a good thing to have in one's pastures.

We live in the country and we have a friend who was born in Scotland. She
was having a birthday party and I sent my husband off to a neglected corner
wearing the welding gloves to collect some flowers from a particulalry good
looking Scotch thistle. We arrived at our friend's birthday party and
presented her with the thistles shoved into an old jar and everyone fell
about laughing at our joke. She put the jar and thistles on the mantle
piece and we all got on with the party.

There were some late arrivals who had had to travel for many hours from
Sydney to get to the party. They thought the 'flowers' were lovely and
asked where they could buy some because they'd love to take a bunch home
with them. All we country folk just about had a stroke on the spot.

On Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:01:36 +1000, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote:

wrote in message
On Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:19:23 +1000, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote:
wrote in message

I usually use annual rye, often called winter rye here, as a cover
crop. If I get it in early enough - late September say, I will usually
have a lovely mini field of rye over the winter.

When you say 'cover crop' do you mean that you use it as a green manure?
It's good for green manure.

Yes, that's what i mean. And it's pretty, too!

Indeed it is pretty. But then even some weeds are pretty. Scotch thistle
is gorgeous, but not a good thing to have in one's pastures.

We live in the country and we have a friend who was born in Scotland. She
was having a birthday party and I sent my husband off to a neglected corner
wearing the welding gloves to collect some flowers from a particulalry good
looking Scotch thistle. We arrived at our friend's birthday party and
presented her with the thistles shoved into an old jar and everyone fell
about laughing at our joke. She put the jar and thistles on the mantle
piece and we all got on with the party.

There were some late arrivals who had had to travel for many hours from
Sydney to get to the party. They thought the 'flowers' were lovely and
asked where they could buy some because they'd love to take a bunch home
with them. All we country folk just about had a stroke on the spot.

welding gloves are about the only way I'd try to harvest thistle -
canadian thistle is what we have a lot of here - but the smell of the
flower is wonderful! I usually leave one or 2 alone so I can enjoy
them - away from the road so the neighbors won't get upset.

Another 'weed' I enjoy is golden rod. They should start blooming soon.
I have a stand of them, currently beaten down from last nights storms.

wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:01:36 +1000, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote:

wrote in message
On Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:19:23 +1000, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote:
wrote in message

I usually use annual rye, often called winter rye here, as a cover
crop. If I get it in early enough - late September say, I will usually
have a lovely mini field of rye over the winter.

When you say 'cover crop' do you mean that you use it as a green manure?
It's good for green manure.

Yes, that's what i mean. And it's pretty, too!

Indeed it is pretty. But then even some weeds are pretty. Scotch thistle
is gorgeous, but not a good thing to have in one's pastures.

We live in the country and we have a friend who was born in Scotland. She
was having a birthday party and I sent my husband off to a neglected
corner
wearing the welding gloves to collect some flowers from a particulalry
good
looking Scotch thistle. We arrived at our friend's birthday party and
presented her with the thistles shoved into an old jar and everyone fell
about laughing at our joke. She put the jar and thistles on the mantle
piece and we all got on with the party.

There were some late arrivals who had had to travel for many hours from
Sydney to get to the party. They thought the 'flowers' were lovely and
asked where they could buy some because they'd love to take a bunch home
with them. All we country folk just about had a stroke on the spot.

welding gloves are about the only way I'd try to harvest thistle -
canadian thistle is what we have a lot of here - but the smell of the
flower is wonderful! I usually leave one or 2 alone so I can enjoy
them - away from the road so the neighbors won't get upset.

Another 'weed' I enjoy is golden rod. They should start blooming soon.
I have a stand of them, currently beaten down from last nights storms.

Ah yes, quite lovely. It's not so weedy here for some reason (perhaps too
dry, but who knows). I had a stand of it in my last place and it always
stayed as a small patch.

On Aug 23, 3:13*am, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote:
wrote in message

...



On Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:01:36 +1000, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote:

wrote in message
On Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:19:23 +1000, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote:
wrote in message

I usually use annual rye, often called winter rye here, as a cover
crop. If I get it in early enough - late September say, I will usually
have a lovely mini field of rye over the winter.

When you say 'cover crop' do you mean that you use it as a green manure?
It's good for green manure.

Yes, that's what i mean. And it's pretty, too!

Indeed it is pretty. *But then even some weeds are pretty. *Scotch thistle
is gorgeous, but not a good thing to have in one's pastures.

We live in the country and we have a friend who was born in Scotland. *She
was having a birthday party and I sent my husband off to a neglected
corner
wearing the welding gloves to collect some flowers from a particulalry
good
looking Scotch thistle. *We arrived at our friend's birthday party and
presented her with the thistles shoved into an old jar and everyone fell
about laughing at our joke. *She put the jar and thistles on the mantle
piece and we all got on with the party.

There were some late arrivals who had had to travel for many hours from
Sydney to get to the party. *They thought the 'flowers' were lovely and
asked where they could buy some because they'd love to take a bunch home
with them. *All we country folk just about had a stroke on the spot.

welding gloves are about the only way I'd try to harvest thistle -
canadian thistle is what we have a lot of here - but the smell of the
flower is wonderful! I usually leave one or 2 alone so I can enjoy
them - away from the road so the neighbors won't get upset.

Another 'weed' I enjoy is golden rod. They should start blooming soon.
I have a stand of them, currently beaten down from last nights storms.

Ah yes, quite lovely. *It's not so weedy here for some reason (perhaps too
dry, but who knows). *I had a stand of it in my last place and it always
stayed as a small patch.

Thistles will also attract some nice gold finches, if you are in the
right place of N. America.

Chris