We have been planting winter rye for 4 years. Non-hybrid seeds bought at Zollinger (www.zollinger.bio), a very small package of 500 grams. Since then we have resown the seeds harvested in July in November. This year we used about 3 kilos of seed.

The cultivation of rye in terraces was practiced in Ticino from the Middle Ages until about 1850. Rye is a bread grain sown in early winter. It was often associated with barley, a grain sown in the spring, intended mainly for animal feed.

At the beginning of April, it is already 40 to 50 cm high, but has not yet formed any spikes. It will grow to about 5 feet in June, when it will begin to yellow slowly as the ears grow.

This year it is growing with the mandarin trees, in narrow strips at the edge of the terraces. The roots are deep and loosen the soil, so much so that it is sown today mostly as a green manure to be cut in June and left on the ground.
We harvest it with a sickle from mid-July and make bunches. They are left to dry for at least 5 weeks in the rain, upside down. In September it can be dehulled, cleaned of its husk (with the help of a fan) and then ground. The flour is breadable to make dark bread, but we mix it half and half with white flour to make a lighter bread.

Last year it hailed on June 28 and most of the grain fell. The harvest was meager, only 5 or 6 kilos. If all goes well this year, without any hail or lodging (stems bent by wild animals such as rabbits or badgers) we expect to harvest perhaps 20 kilos.

There are some weeds growing in the middle. This is not a problem, for the most part they will be gone before the harvest.

See you in July, we will show you the harvest.