Tips on Planting Rye Grass

Rye grass makes an attractive green lawn.

Rye grass is a popular grass to grow almost anywhere in the United States, because it grows quickly, helps anchor soil to keep it from eroding, and makes a bright green lawn that is attractive to home owners. Rye grass comes as an annual or perennial. Annual varieties are often used for grazing pastures or making hay, and the perennial varieties are used for grassy lawns and landscaping.

New Lawn

Rye grass is often planted as a new lawn or as a winter lawn in the hotter areas of the country. Planting rye grass as a new lawn doesn't take much work. You simply wait until all danger of frost has passed, clean up any debris lying around the area, sprinkle the soil to moisten it, and then spread your rye grass seed as evenly as you can. Sprinkle the ground again after you've spread the seed so that it stays in place and can begin to germinate.

Winter Lawn

For winter lawns, rye grass is overseeded in September or October. In other words, the seeds are simply spread around on the existing grass area and watered. As long as some of the seeds come into contact with the soil, they'll germinate and start growing. The rye grass will grow and be green in winter while the hotter summer grass is dormant.

Broadcast Seed

Seed heavily when first planting since rye grass grows as clumps that does not send out runners. Spread about 8 to 10 lbs. of rye grass seed for every 1,000 square feet of area you're planting. The seed can be broadcast by hand and then raked lightly, or you can use a seed spreader if you feel that will distribute the grass seed more evenly.

Moisture

Keep the seeded area moist while the seeds are germinating. In hot or arid regions, sprinkle the seedbed once or twice each day for the first week if there is no rainfall. In milder climates, sprinkle the seedbed before it becomes too dry. Once the grass seeds have sprouted, slowly reduce the amount of watering to about an inch each week.

References

• Seedland: Ryegrass Seed - Annual & Perennial
• Phoenix Tropicals: Growing Bermuda and Rye Grass in Phoenix Arizona
• Lawn Care: Planting a Rye Grass Lawn