How to Plant Rye for Seed Production

Prepare your seed bed before planting. Rye prefers a light, sandy soil rather than a heavy, clay soil. However, it is drought-tolerant, so dry conditions are suitable.

Broadcast your rye seed either by hand or with a seeder. If you intend to plant acres of rye, a tractor pulling a broadcast seeder is recommended, but you can hand-broadcast large amounts of seed. Most extension services recommend that you plant 60 to 200 pounds of seed per acre.

Till or drag about 1/4 inch of soil over the seeds for a light covering.

Roll or pack your seeds firmly so they make contact with the soil.

Water your seeds well on a regular basis before germination. The seeds require about 1 inch of rain or watering before they will germinate.

Harvest your rye once it reaches maturity and seeds form in the flowering spikes called inflorescences. Rye can be cut by hand with a scythe or with a combine pulled by a tractor. Mature seeds are usually tan or brown. Seeds that are not ready for threshing will not come off the grass easily.