Adoption of organic no-till soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production practices within grain cropping systems in the U.S. Northeast remains limited due to variability in performance and crop rotation challenges. During soybean production, weed control is provided by rolled-crimped cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) mulch, which can be insufficient due to late sowing within grain cropping systems. In two experiments, we evaluated rye cultural management strategies for rye biomass, weed suppression, and soybean yield. We tested (1) four rye seeding rates (31 to 188 kg ha−1) and two sowing arrangements (grid vs. row sowing) and (2) fall-applied poultry litter (0, 3.36, 6.63 Mg ha−1) with two soybean planting dates (planting green or standard planting). Increasing cereal rye seeding rate did not lead to increased rye biomass but did increase weed suppression. Soybean yield was unaffected by rye seeding rates. Sowing arrangement did not affect any response. Fall poultry litter significantly increased rye biomass, but weed suppression was unaffected. In 1 yr, planting green reduced soybean establishment and yield. Of the cultural practices evaluated, increasing seeding rate was most effective at reducing weed biomass, while poultry litter effectively increased rye biomass but not weed suppression. These results highlight the limitations of organic no-till soybean within grain crop rotations in the U.S. Northeast when using cereal rye as a stand-alone weed-suppression method. Increasing cereal rye seeding rates or applying fall fertility could be effective cultural practices when integrated with other weed control tactics to supplement weed suppression by rye surface mulch.