Grazing rye - what on earth is "broadcast sowing"?

[Croila]

Hello there, I wonder if anyone can shed some light on how to sow green manure, please?

I've dug over the patch where tatties have been growing (the formerly horrible clay soil has been broken down beautifully!), and I now want to put winter grazing rye in. The seed packet says "broadcast sow", but I have no idea what this means and google isn't really giving me any answers I understand either.

I'm wondering if I just take a handful of seeds and kind of chuck it evenly over the raked soil? And leave the seeds on the surface? Or do I have to rake them in? Or cover them with something else? And what about watering? And birds eating the seeds?

Sorry if this is a really silly question, but I'd love some advice please as I've never done this before! (What, you mean you can tell?!)

Thank you so much,
Regards
C

[HotStuff]

To sow seeds broadcast, simply scatter them over the surface, rake them in gently, and water the ground carefully.

HTH.

[Nicos]

have a look at this....

How to 'Broadcast' seeds by hand


I'd be wary about the way you water as the seeds will float.

Best I think to hose the area first a few hours earlier- then sow in the evening then rake over.
Put a few flappy things about so as to deter birds from thinking it's a snack bar!!

[Croila]

Brilliant, thank you so much for the replies! That's really useful, much appreciated.

And I'm glad it looks so simple

[Hazel at the Hill]

Suggest that you sow them in rough rows about 8" apart (scratch with stick, water row, sow seeds, cover/rake over) as this will make digging the rye in infintely easier come the Spring, as this way you can get a spade between each row and turn in.

[Croila]

Suggest that you sow them in rough rows about 8" apart (scratch with stick, water row, sow seeds, cover/rake over) as this will make digging the rye in infintely easier come the Spring, as this way you can get a spade between each row and turn in.

Oh dear, thank you so much for your suggestion but I've already gone and sown the dratted things now! But, if it's horrendous doing the digging come spring, I'll certainly bear this in mind for the next time, so thank you

[Two_Sheds]

I prefer to sow my green manures in rows, rather than broadcast, so you can tell which seedlings are weeds

[Paulottie]

You've just got to get yourself in a biblical frame of mind!..helps if you sing...."We plough the fields and scatter, the good seed on the land but it is fed and watered by His almighty hand."

It is more difficult than you might imagine to do it evenly over a large area...sometimes helps to mark out the equivalent sections with canes to match size of a scoop...ie a yoghurt pot per sq metre or an ice-cream tub to 15 square yards etc.....the skills are timing, being methodical and getting the density right...a balance between economy and a sparse patch.

....'one for the rook, one for the crow, one to rot and one to grow.'