How Deep to Plant Rye Grass

Rye grass is a hardy plant.

Rye grass is available as a perennial and an annual plant; annual rye grasses need to be replanted each year. Planting rye grass seeds at the correct depth helps ensure the grass will grow.

Planting Rye Grass

Rye grass should be planted roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep in the soil. This gives the seed enough ground cover to protect it from foraging birds and animals -- and still allows the grass to germinate.

Time Frame

Rye grass should be planted between August and October to keep the seeds dormant until the following spring. The temperatures are low enough to prevent the seeds from germinating, but not cold enough to kill them; planting the seeds at the appropriate depth insulates them from the cold of winter.

Water

Rye grass is capable of growing in soil that's occasionally poorly drained, according to the University of Georgia, but young grass and seeds can drown if left completely covered by water. Putting the seeds in the soil no more than 1 1/2 inches down protects them from standing water and allows them to receive oxygen.

References

• University of Georgia Cooperative Extension; Annual Ryegrass; Dennis Hancock; July 2010
• University of Florida IFAS Extension; Ryegrass, Small Grains, and Tall Fescue; R. L. Stanley, C. G. Chambliss, and A. R. Blount; Mar. 2010

Resources

• Clemson Cooperative Extension; Overseeding with Ryegrass; Bob Polomski, et al; June 1999