How do you plant rye grass

Not only do farmers grow it as a feed for livestock, but it is also harvested and processed to make rye bread and whiskey. It can, however, be useful for the home gardener, too. Winter rye grass is a type of grain, or "cereal," a fact suggested by its botanical name: Secale cereale. It is a plant that serves practical purposes rather than aesthetic ones, in contrast with the ornamental grasses.

Nor is it a type of grass that you would grow in a lawn. Learn how to grow winter rye grass and how to use it. Like winter rye grass, Lolium multiflorum is also an annual plant; in fact, it is commonly known as " annual rye grass.

There is also a perennial form of rye grass called Lolium perenne. Mainly used as a lawn grass, its seed is commonly found in the grass seed mixes that you find at hardware stores for those who want to start a new lawn.

Winter rye grass is most useful to home gardeners as a cover crop. True to its name, a cover crop is a crop that you sow to cover a patch of ground. It is similar in this respect to a " ground cover ," but, unlike a ground cover, a cover crop is used in a horticultural setting rather than in a landscaping setting. Some of the benefits in growing a cover crop are the following:.

There are several kinds of plants that can be used to sow a cover crop, but winter rye is one of the best. Tolerant of a wide range of conditions, it can be grown almost anywhere in the U. While all cover crops suppress weeds, in the case of winter rye, this function is aided by the plant's allelopathic quality. In northern lawns, gradually reduce watering.

Supplement rainfall, as needed, so perennial ryegrass gets 1 inch of water every 10 to 14 days. In southern lawns, continue regular irrigation so that perennial ryegrass gets 1 inch of water per week.

Aerate compacted soil as needed. Clump-forming perennial ryegrass typically does not produce significant thatch. Rake or mulch fallen leaves so perennial ryegrass enters winter free of leaf cover. Continue to mow and water perennial ryegrass in dormant warm-season winter lawns on a regular maintenance schedule. Keep your lawn free of winter debris. As soil thaws in late winter, flush areas affected by de-icing salts or pet urine damage.

Maintain mowers and turf tools to be ready for spring. When you need a fast-establishing turf grass for northern or southern applications, perennial ryegrass can provide the speed, strength and color you need. Pennington is dedicated to helping you grow the finest lawn possible, wherever you grow.

With the help of premium grass seed , lawn care products and online resources, your lawn can be everything you hope it will be. Always read product labels thoroughly and follow instructions. Duble, R. Cook, T. Hart, J. Seeding your lawn is an economical and satisfying way to introduce healthy turf to your yard.

When you're on a quest for the perfect lawn, you're bound to encounter challenges. Water conservation and a healthy, beautiful lawn aren't mutually exclusive. You can do your part to manage water usage, and keep your lawn. Perennial Ryegrass at a Glance. Cool-season lawn grass. Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow.

Maggie Moran. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 2. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1. Not Helpful 3 Helpful 3. I've seen success with both. I don't and it does great as long as rain doesn't wash it away. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 3. Yes, but not with a little bit of help from top soil and starter fertilizer. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 5. It depends on the climate. Extremely hot temperatures will force dormancy. Bermuda grass will choke out rye grass. Not Helpful 5 Helpful 5.

No, it is just a stage rye grass goes through; don't worry, it will go in about a month or so. Not Helpful 3 Helpful 2. Germination starts in 5 to 7 days.

After 14 days, the germination should be complete. Keep in mind that this also depends on the soil temperature, amount of sunlight, water, etc. Not Helpful 5 Helpful 3. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Ryegrass is not perennial, and therefore must be planted each year. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Ryegrass will reach the end of its growing season around the end of May. At this point, avoid watering the grass for a few days. This will allow the ryegrass to become dormant, and will aid in bringing about the permanent, summer grass.

Like other types of grass, you must mow the ryegrass at least once a week during its growing season. Mowing the grass using the tallest setting on the mower provides the best results with this type of grass. Plant ryegrass near your legume garden to keep pests away from your legumes.

Avoid planting it in flower beds. Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1. As ryegrass often grows in thin clusters, mowing it too short can make your lawn look uneven.

Experiment with different lawn settings to find the look you like best. Related wikiHows How to. To discourage the ryegrass, fertilizer applications should be made no later than mid- to late January.

If possible, allow the lawn to remain on the dry side. This will stress the ryegrass and allow the transition back to warm-season turfgrass. However, do not allow the permanent grass to suffer from lack of water at this time. In the spring, mow the ryegrass down to one inch height, which will weaken it and allow the permanent grass to rejuvenate.

Be sure to not scalp the permanent lawn as this could also cause a delay in transition i. When the permanent grass resumes growth, begin regular maintenance, especially fertilization. One last item should be mentioned about overseeding bermudagrass. Once a lawn has been overseeded, it will need to be overseeded the following years, because the ryegrass seed that did not germinate the previous year may germinate and grow into big clumps and look weedy.

If lawn overseeding will be discontinued, then previously overseeded lawns will require a fall application of preemergent herbicide to prevent both winter weeds and any remaining ryegrass seeds from germinating. This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named.

All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. All recommendations for pesticide use are for South Carolina only and were legal at the time of publication, but the status of registration and use patterns are subject to change by action of state and federal regulatory agencies. Follow all directions, precautions and restrictions that are listed.

Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from HGIC. More Information » Close message window. Seedbed Preparation It is important to prepare the turfgrass for winter. Timing Overseeding should be done when the days are warm enough for the seed to grow, and the nights are cool enough to reduce the incidence of disease. Establishment When overseeding into an established lawn, apply 5 pounds of ryegrass per square feet.