Common Winter Rye

Secale cereale  Approximately 100 seeds per pack. Germination ~ 91% Aug 2024 Packed 2025 Rye grain or cereal rye is a cereal grain and should not be confused with ryegrass (which is used for lawns, pasture and hay for livestock). The hardiest of cereals, rye can be seeded later in fall later than other cover crops and still provide considerable dry matter, an extensive soil-holding root system, significant reduction of nitrate leaching and exceptional weed suppression. Taller and quicker-growing than wheat, rye can serve as a windbreak and trap snow or hold rainfall over winter. It overseeds readily into many high-value and agronomic crops and resumes growth quickly in spring, allowing timely killing by rolling or mowing. Pair rye with a winter annual legume such as hairy vetch or winter peas to offset rye’s tendency to tie up soil nitrogen in spring. Fall-planted rye shows fast growth. By the summer solstice, plants reach their maximum height of about a 4’ (120 cm) while spring-plant