State × crop calendar
Winter Rye planting in California.
- Secondary crop
- Zone 9a
- 270-day season
- Last frost March 1
- Cover Crop
- Frost Hardy
Winter Rye planting in California is shaped by the state's 9a dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around March 1, and a 270-day growing season. Winter Rye is grown in California but is not a dominant crop — works for home gardens, food plots, and some commercial production.
Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against University of California Cooperative Extension for variety- and county-specific guidance.
Planting calendar — 2026
Frost-anchored windows.
Winter Rye · California · planting calendar
Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.
Planting windows
Earliest → ideal → latest.
Fall planting
Winter RyeEarliest
November 9
Ideal start
November 23
Ideal end
December 14
Latest
December 28
Soil-temp trigger
Most cold-tolerant cereal — germinates at 38°F. Plant 4-6 weeks before first hard freeze for maximum fall establishment.Harvest window
Typical start
July 21
Typical end
August 20
Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.
Growing notes
Winter Rye can be successfully grown in California with attention to variety selection. The state's 270-day growing season requires choosing varieties appropriate for the growing window.
Winter Rye is grown in California but is not a dominant crop — works for home gardens, food plots, and some commercial production.
Agronomy reference
Winter Rye fundamentals.
Soil-temp minimum
38°F
Soil-temp optimum
45–75°F
Days to maturity
240–270
Water (in/wk)
0.5–1"
Soil pH
5.5–7.5
Nitrogen demand
moderate
Most cold-hardy cereal crop — germinates at 38°F and survives -30°F winter temps. Fall planting is mandatory for winter rye.
Common pests to watch
- Hessian fly
- Aphids
Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with University of California Cooperative Extension.
Common diseases
- Ergot
- Stripe rust
- Stem rust
Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.
Variety selection
Winter Rye varieties for California live with your extension.
Variety selection
Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year's trial cycle. We don't republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.
University of California Cooperative Extension →Search the extension site for “winter rye variety trial” or “recommended winter rye varieties” to find the current report.
Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.
Winter Rye timing. Live alerts.
Bield Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.
Start free trial →