Should i plant winter rye grass

Ryegrass is cheap. Ryegrass will die off as temperatures rise in the spring, making way for the return of the warm season grasses like Bermuda grass. Cons of Overseeding with Ryegrass. Ryegrass will compete for nutrients needed by the lawn in spring. Fertilizing the ryegrass may make the turfgrass more easily winter-damaged. The Bermuda grass underlying an overseeded stand will still be partially dormant. If you wait for the ryegrass to die out on its own, it could take a while and even then it could still turn into clumpy ryegrass which is difficult to control.

Perennial ryegrass, if you have a dry spring, may remain longer than it should — perhaps into the early summer. Allowing perennial ryegrass to transition naturally can decrease the health of the Bermuda grass.

Bermuda grass needs about 90 to days of good growing conditions during the summer. Talk To an Expert Now! Soil temperature will fluctuate more with exposed soil than with soil insulated from the cold air. Mulch provides insulation to keep your plants alive in the planting beds. Rye can fill that role in a lawn. And the rye actually likes the cold! We use a special machine called a hydraulic slit seeder to over-seed lawns. This is very different from broadcast spreading most people are familiar with.

Our seeder distributes the correct amount of seed directly into the soil of the lawn. Using the slit seeder limits accidental seeds in planting beds. Because the seed is put in direct contact with the soil, it is easier to get the seed to germinate. The seed is evenly distributed so there are rarely bare spots or thin spots — both problems are common with broadcast seeding.

The hydraulic slit seeder has the added benefit of loosening and dethatching the top of the lawn. The blades that push the seed into the soil are very similar to the blades of a dethatching machine, and have a similar result. If there is excessive dead grass in your lawn it will be removed.

As far as we know, we are the only company to use a hydraulic slit seeder to over-seed lawns. In fact, we had to special order our machine. We also only use perennial rye grass. It is more expensive, but the results are much better than using an annual rye.

Perennial rye will still die in our hot weather every spring, but the lawn it produces over the winter is thick, green, and lush. Basically, we decided that if we were going to offer winter rye, we should only offer the best winter rye, seeded the best possible way. Rye grass is grown from seed, so it is incompatible with pre-emergent herbicides. Pre-emergent herbicides work by preventing seeds from germinating.

Our method of slit seeding will disturb the soil enough that the grass seed should still germinate even with a pre-emergent treatment. But it is best to simply consider these two services incompatible. The good new is that rye is generally more effective than pre-emergent applications anyways.

Another thing to avoid is weed-and-feed fertilizes from big box stores. The only real downside to having a lawn all winter is that is needs to be maintained in the winter. You can mow the grass short, or let it grow long. You do need to give a newly seeded lawn extra water to get it going.

After it grows, water can be cut back to more minimal levels. Thankfully, we usually get enough rain over the winter that irrigation is only needed when the sky fails to provide enough moisture. The best way to get your winter lawn to grow in is by having your lawn top dressed at the same time as the over-seeding.

These two services work well together, and result in not only a good winter lawn, but a healthier summer lawn as well. If you want to watch a funny video we think laughing is important , look at this.

Follow us. Winter Rye Grass Overseeding Lush, green lawn through the entire winter. Short Version see below for lots of juicy details : What is Over-seeding? Rye grass seed is spread over the lawn. If the area is barren, and overseeding is used to reduce soil erosion, then apply 10 pounds of ryegrass seed per 1, square feet. This will produce a thicker ryegrass cover that can be removed before permanent lawn establishment in the spring.

Sow half the seed in one direction and the other half in a direction perpendicular to the first. This method will help establish a uniform stand of turf. Use fungicide-treated seed to reduce the chances of disease. If overseeding an established lawn, brush the turf with a stiff broom to ensure that the seeds fall through the foliage and make contact with the soil.

Water the lawn lightly two or three times daily until the seeds germinate. The amount of watering during establishment will be determined by the soil type and evaporative potential of the atmosphere. During dry periods, poorly drained clay soils may not need as much irrigation as sandy soils. Do not overwater, as this will wash seed away and encourage disease development.

When the lawn is established and has been mowed several times, water only as necessary to prevent ryegrass wilt. An established winter lawn requires the same maintenance as a permanent lawn.

Mow when the grass is tall enough to cut, about 1 to 2 inches. Make sure the mower blade is sharp to prevent ripping the ryegrass blades. If the ryegrass is properly fertilized, weekly mowing may be necessary. After the second mowing, apply one-half pound of nitrogen per square feet using a fertilizer, such as or this would be 3 pounds of fertilizer per square feet of lawn. Apply another one-half pound of nitrogen during mid-winter, if needed to maintain ryegrass color and growth.

Pythium blight disease can be a problem on over-watered, over-fertilized ryegrass, especially during warm, humid weather; therefore, it is important to monitor the nitrogen applications and to not over-fertilize or over-water. Ryegrass normally dies out in late spring, but if cool weather prevails, it can become persistent. 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.