Winter Rye Cover Crop Seeds - Flower, 20 seeds

Quantity: 20 Seeds / pack

Winter Rye (Secale cereale) is a cool-season annual grass grown as a cover crop. Sown in fall, it suppresses weeds, protects bare soil from erosion over winter and adds organic matter when turned under in spring.

Why choose our seeds?

• Germinates in cold soils, down to about 34°F (1°C)
• Fast fall growth smothers weeds and shields soil from erosion
• Deep, fibrous roots loosen soil and add organic matter in spring

How to grow Winter Rye Cover Crop seeds

Choose Your Planting Method

• Indoors: Not started indoors - always direct-sown.
• Outdoors: Sow from mid-August to late October, after summer crops finish.

Prepare Your Materials

• A rake or hoe to prepare the bed
• Seed for broadcasting

Sowing the Seeds

• Broadcast seed over the prepared bed and rake in to 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches deep.
• Water in if the soil is dry; fall rain usually suffices.

Provide the Right Conditions

• Light: Full sun.
• Temperature: A cool-season grass - it germinates in cold soil and grows through fall.

Germination

• Seedlings typically emerge in 7-14 days in cool fall soils.
• Earlier sowing gives more growth before winter.

Transplanting

• Not transplanted - it is grown where sown.

Care Tips

• Sun: Full sun.
• Water: Rainfall is usually enough; it tolerates dry spells once established.
• Fertilizer: None needed for cover-crop use.
• Terminate in spring by mowing or tilling under at 6-12 inches tall, at least two weeks before planting the next crop.

Bloom Time:

Not grown for bloom - terminate before seed heads mature in spring.