How to Plant Winter Rye Grass as a Winter Crop

Winter rye grass is a hardy grass that can provide a green lawn in winter months. The rye grass should be seeded in the late fall, providing a winter lawn cover that will die out in the spring before your normal grass cover returns. While you can't eat the rye grass, it will add important nutrients to the soil and can also serve as a cover crop in garden beds so your beds are ready with nutrient-rich soil in the springtime.

Things You'll Need

• Rye grass seeds
• Rake
• Lawn fertilizer

Instructions

1. Rake your yard or garden bed to prepare the soil for planting. You will be scattering the grass seeds over the soil and raking helps loosen the soil so that the grass seeds will germinate.

2. Water the soil lightly so that it's moist.

3. Cover the garden bed or yard with a lawn-starting fertilizer to promote easy germination.

4. Sow the winter rye grass seeds by hand, following the proportions on the package. Typically, 5 lbs. of rye grass seeds can cover 1,000 square feet. The grass can be sown directly over the remnants of your annual grass seed or over a garden bed that has some organic matter..

5. Water the grass. Rye grass seed will need regular watering until it is established, and seeds should germinate within a week.

References

• Top Turf: Winter Rye Grass
• Backyard Garden: Planting Rye Grass

Resources

• Annual Rye Grass Cover Crop