Rye

The winter workhorse

Rye roots reach deeper than almost any cover crop, punching through hardpan and pulling nutrients up where the next crop can reach them.

Its job

plant     late fall, after harvest
roots      up to 1.5 m down
hold      the best erosion blanket we have
kill      crimp or mow in spring

Why it matters

Rye is the field's winter coat. Cheap to seed, hard to beat, and it leaves the ground softer than it found it.