Cereal rye (winter rye)
Cover crop · cool season · also called winter rye, rye, grain rye
When to plant
- Plant in fall, starting about 5 weeks before your first fall frost.
- Ready to harvest about 200 days after planting.
The hardiest cover crop; it can be sown until the ground freezes. Cut it at flowering and wait 3 weeks before planting.
Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.
Dates by zone: 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b
Growing basics
Not edible.
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Spacing
- Broadcast
- Soil temperature
- At least 34°F
- Time to harvest
- About 200 days
- Plant family
- Grass family
- Seeds keep
- About 2 years
Grow it well
Tips
- Plant a cover crop in fall. Sow cereal rye, oats, or crimson clover in empty beds after harvest. The roots hold the soil through winter, and in spring you cut them down to feed the soil.
Cereal rye (winter rye) seeds on Amazon (opens a new tab)Garden fork on Amazon (opens a new tab)Soil test kit on Amazon (opens a new tab)
Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.