How to Grow Rye USA

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Drainage	Moist but well-drained (RHS); USDA NRCS: grows best on light loams or sandy soils, does well on clay too, some varieties tolerate waterlogging while others prefer dry soil.
Lifecycle	USDA NRCS: a cool-season annual, the hardiest and most cold-tolerant of the cereal grains.
Edible parts	grain
Documented problems	4 diseases, 4 pests

At a Glance

Diseases

Anthracnose

Colletotrichum spp.

Sunken reddish-brown lesions with yellow halo (anthracnose)

USDA NRCS names anthracnose among rye's most likely disease problems; rye is generally more disease-resistant than other cereal species overall.

Rye rust (causal agent not yet confirmed)

RHS names rust generically among rye's fungal diseases; USDA NRCS separately names "various rusts of the leaves or stem" without a specific causal species -- kept as a generic entry rather than a fabricated one.

Ergot

Claviceps purpurea

USDA NRCS: ergot-infected rye must never be fed to humans or animals -- causes ergotism (convulsions, miscarriage, hallucinations, gangrene of the extremities). One of the most likely disease problems in rye.

Rye stem smut

Urocystis occulta

USDA NRCS names stem or stalk smut among rye's most likely disease problems.

Pests

Armyworms

Spodoptera spp.

USDA NRCS: armyworm moths are attracted to rye in spring and may lay eggs on it.

Aphids

Aphididae (various spp.)

RHS: aphids are a risk to rye, particularly young plants.

Snails

Gastropoda (snails, various spp.)

RHS: snails are a risk to rye, particularly young plants.

Slugs

Gastropoda (slugs, various spp.)

RHS: slugs are a risk to rye, particularly young plants.

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing	0	RHS: sow onto moist, well-drained, weed-free, finely raked soil from late spring to early autumn, or as late as the end of November. USDA NRCS: seed no deeper than 2in (1-1.5in specifically for seed production), at 50-200 lb/acre depending on climate and intended use.
Establishment and overwintering	3	USDA NRCS: as a green manure, the crop scavenges 25-50 (up to 100) lb/acre of residual soil nitrogen and suppresses weeds both physically, through dense biomass, and chemically, via allelopathic compounds.
Heading and flowering	5	USDA NRCS: awned flower spikes ("heads") appear atop the flat-leaved stems. If cut for hay, this early heading stage is the right time -- best quality forage comes from rye grown alongside red or crimson clover or annual ryegrass.
Termination or grain harvest	8	RHS: as a green manure, cut down and dig into the soil in spring, then wait a few weeks before sowing or planting the next crop. USDA NRCS: as a grain crop, harvest and thresh with a combine once mature; termination as a cover crop can instead be done by plowing, disking, mowing, roller crimping or herbicide.

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: USDA NRCS: for grain, harvest and thresh with a combine once mature; for seed production specifically, swath when moisture is around 40%, let it dry, then thresh -- rye shatters very easily so timing matters. As a green manure, RHS instead cuts the crop down and digs it into the soil in spring.

Storage

Store threshed grain dry and cool, as for other cereal grains, away from damp conditions that favour ergot and other fungal problems.

Sources

1. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Elsberry Plant Materials Center - Plant Guide: Cereal Rye (Secale cereale L.)

   Uses: cover crop/green manure (scavenges nitrogen, typically 25-50 lb/acre, up to 100 lb/acre; builds soil, loosens topsoil, prevents erosion, suppresses weeds physically via biomass and chemically via allelopathic compounds); grain (alcoholic beverages, food, livestock feed, seed -- flour usually blended with wheat flour for leavened bread); annual pasture (grazed late fall/early spring, often mixed with other cool-season species like triticale); hay (cut at early heading stage, best mixed with red or crimson clover or annual ryegrass, up to 9% crude protein). Establishment: planted late summer to midwinter depending on region; seed no deeper than 2in; seeding rate 50-200 lb/acre; drilled, over-seeded, or broadcast. Seed production specifically: seedbed smooth/firm/weed-free, seed 1-1.5in deep, typical rate 55-60 lb/acre, up to 50 lb N/acre fertiliser; rye shatters easily, swath at ~40% moisture then thresh. Management: grain crop harvested/threshed by combine; cover crop terminated by plowing, disking, mowing, roller crimping or herbicides. Pests/diseases: ergot, stem or stalk smut, anthracnose, and various rusts of the leaves or stem are the most likely disease problems, though rye is generally more disease-resistant than other cereals; armyworm moths are attracted to rye in spring and may lay eggs on it. Safety: ergot-infected rye must not be fed to humans or animals -- ergotism can cause convulsions, miscarriage, hallucinations and gangrene of the extremities. Note: this source's claim that rye flour is "gluten free" is factually incorrect and was NOT carried into this entry -- rye does contain gluten.

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Royal Horticultural Society, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Elsberry Plant Materials Center) is in the references of our UK guide to rye; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.