I planted some Elbon cereal rye as a cover crop and decided to let a little patch go to seed to save for next fall. It headed out a couple weeks ago and I’m wondering how I can know if it is mature enough to harvest. I want to use the space to grow beans, but don’t want to harvest this too early and have the seed not be mature enough to be viable. Any idea how long I need to wait?
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Hi Zendog,
You will need to let it mature fully until a light brown color. In order to store it you will need to let it completely dry out to avoid molding during storage. Drying it out in the sun on a sheet or tarp without letting it be exposed to rain will be key. Similar to how farmers cure hay before baling it. As with wheat, rye must be cured before storage. This is what I read about wheat: Freshly harvested wheat should be dried to a moisture content of 12.5 percent for storage or 13.5 percent for im- mediate sale. High-moisture wheat (greater than 15 per- cent moisture) can be dried with both high-speed and bin drying equipment.
Good luck
Dennis
Kent, wa
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Thanks @DennisD! My plan is to cut it and hang it upside down in a screened-in porch to dry. So it will be out of the rain and can dry naturally. I’m just wondering if I can harvest it before it goes brown and still have viable seed, since it probably won’t go brown for at least another month or more and I have limited space so I want to plant something else in the space soon.
Do you think if I cut it down in a week or so there is a chance the seeds would be viable if dried on the plants?
We used to cut it and bale it for hay. If you cut it when the seed was still in the dough stage the seed did not sprout when we fed the hay. I think I would wait as long as possible. Hay bales make some heat and that could have affected the seed viability also.
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@Derby42 thanks! I’ll cut some seeds open and see what they’re like inside.
I thought it would be fun to collect some of my own seed, but it is pretty cheap to buy so it probably isn’t worth waiting too long and not being able to use the area for other things. But I’ll wait as long as I can stand.
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Here is what I read on line: cover crop - How do I know when winter rye seed is ready to harvest? - Gardening & Landscaping Stack Exchange
The seed-heads will turn a tan colour, this is an indication the seeds themselves are ready for harvesting.
The mature seeds within, will be tan or brown (depending on the exact variety).
The mature seeds will come away easily from the seed-heads when you “gently” grasp just below the seed-head and pull upwards.
I always just till mine back into the soil to feed the soil just before seed heads are formed. I have not tried to save or preserve the seeds.
Dennis
Kent, wa
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