Perennial Ryegrass

Perennial Ryegrass

Perennial Ryegrass is a good turf type for use as lawns around the North and North Central regions. It has low aggressive properties, germinates quickly and has a deep dark green color. Perennial Ryegrass is a shade tolerant Cool Season grass type which grows in clumping or bunching form, for this reason it will not spread into surrounding areas.

Mixing Perennial Ryegrass With Other Grasses

Perennial Ryegrass mixes very well with many different Cool Season grasses. Mixing grasses is done so the weaknesses in a preferred grass type are overcome by the complementary grass. Perennial Ryegrass is favored for it high disease resistance, it's quick establishment and it's deep root system.

Alternatively, if Ryegrass were the preferred lawn then another grass would be mixed with it to overcome it's poor drought and heat resistance in order to create an overall lawn of the best possible health for the region it is growing in.

Overseeding Lawns For Winter With Ryegrass

In the warmer States, Perennial Ryegrass is often used to overseed Warm Season Grasses for the Winter. Warm Season grasses such as St. Augustine and Zoysia will become dormant and often lose color over the Winter - to keep lawns looking green and healthy during these times, many people overseed with Perennial Ryegrass. Then as the weather heats up in Summer, the Ryegrass will die off as the Warm Season grass begins to thrive again, so the homeowner has a lush green lawn all year round.

To overseed a lawn with Perrenial Ryegrass it is best to put down the seed in early Fall, this allows the new seed to establish and green the lawn before the coldest weather arrives. Seeding levels are very high for Ryegrass and should be seeded at a rate of 8 - 10 pounds of seed for every 1,000 square feet.

Perennial Ryegrass Lawn Care

Ryegrass will need frequent watering from Spring onwards, it doesn't tolerate lack of water or heat. Regular fertilizing will be necessary to keep the lawn healthy, and regular mowing is also required. Perennial Ryegrass can be mowed between 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 inches tall, maximum growth rates will be seen in the Spring when the lawn will need frequent mowing every 3 to 5 days.

Apart from having high maintenance requirements for water, fertilizing and mowing, Perennial Ryegrass also requires higher than average attention paid to pest and disease management.

Despite these high maintenance routines, Perennial Ryegrass does have many great benefits to many people in many regions for use in their lawns. So before ever deciding to pass this well known grass, check with neighbors in your region, you may just find that Perennial Ryegrass is a perfect choice for you.