Rye: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow rye as a cover crop?
Sow rye as a cover crop on a cleared vegetable bed, using seed identified as Secale cereale. Choose a lot intended for cover cropping and a sowing window suited to your climate. For winter cover, give seedlings time to establish before persistent cold. Do not confuse cereal rye with ryegrass, which needs different management.
Remove competing weeds and spread remaining crop debris so that it does not form thick heaps. Lightly prepare the surface without working waterlogged soil. Weigh the seed according to the bed area and the rate recommended for your seed lot and sowing method. Distribute it evenly, then gently rake it into contact with the soil and cover it lightly. Firm the surface without creating a hard crust. Water gently if the ground is dry and rain does not arrive.
Check emergence and bare patches before deciding whether to sow a little more. Plan how you will stop the cover crop before the next vegetable crop: rye can regrow after an early cut. Prevent it from setting seed. Its residues can interfere with small-seeded crops, so manage them according to what you intend to grow next rather than sowing immediately into a fresh, thick layer.
How do you cut your rye cover crop?
