If you live in a part where the warm - time of year pasture turns brown in the wintertime , ryegrass ( _ Lolium spp . _ ) can give you a spring - like gullible lawn even in January and February . Although annual rye grass ( _ Lolium multiflorum _ ) grows in all mood zone of the United States and perennial ryegrass grows in U.S.
If you last in a region where the warm - time of year grass turns brown in the wintertime , ryegrass ( Lolium spp . ) can give you a spring - like green lawn even in January and February . Althoughannual ryegrass(Lolium multiflorum ) grow in all climate zones of the United States and perennial ryegrass grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 3 through 6 , you’re able to overseed with annual or perennial ryegrass for a greenish wintertime lawn in USDA zones 7 through 10 .
Prepare for Seeding
- devise the lawn for overseeding by air out or move out excess Edward Teach . * * buy or rent a spike or plug aerator . Spike aerators roll across the lawn , punching holes in the terra firma . Plug aerators remove small cores of soil 2 to 3 inches deep every 2 to 3 inches .
oxygenize the lawn with a plug aerator approximately two month before the first frost appointment , when the lawn is dampish . If you dethatch by verticutting , perform this performance just before seeding .
When to Seed
Plant ryegrass seedfour to six weeks before the first putting to death frostor when daytime temperature are in the 70s and nighttime temperatures are in the 50s . Make certain the solid ground is moist , such as the solar day after a pelting or after irrigation , moistening the soil 6 to 8 inches deep .
Spreading Seed
- Grass seed must touch the grime to germinate , * * so mow the lawn close and rake or pocket all clippings before spread come with a broadcaster . For Bermudagrass ( Cyntolon dactylon ) lawns , use 5 to 10 Irish punt of annual ryegrass or 5 to 15 pounds of perennial ryregrass seed per 1,000 square feet of lawn . For St. Augustine ( Stenotaphrum secundatum ) or centipede ( Eremochloa ophiuroides ) lawns , utilise no more than 3 pounds of ryegrass seeded player per 1,000 straight groundwork to reduce the theory of damage to ardent - time of year green goddess , recommends the NC Cooperative Extension .
Spread seed in one charge , such as E to west , and spread out in the other guidance , north to south , to ensure even coverage . haul a rip or broom over the lawn to help sess seed make liaison with the soil .
Water Requirements
- Water lightly and frequently to keep the top 1 to 2 inches of filth moist but not saturated . * * get going justly after seeding and continue abstemious lachrymation up to several times per day while root germinate . Use a probe , such as a screwdriver , to check soil moisture deepness .
Seeds need moisture to bourgeon , but * * too much water can wash source away or encourage disease . * * Gradually reduce watering . After two or three mowings , piss only often enough to foreclose weed from wilting .
Ryegrass Maintenance
- Fertilize rye grass overplanted in Bermudagrass any clip from when it first emerge to after the second mowing . * * go for 10 hammer of 5 - 10 - 10 or 5 pounds of 10 - 20 - 20 fertilizer per 1000 square feet of Bermudagrass lawn or half that amount on other warm - time of year grass lawns .
Make additional fertilizer software in November and February of a high - nitrogen , dull - release merchandise , such as 4 pounds of 12 - 4 - 8 or 3 quid of 16 - 4 - 8 on Bermudagrass , or half that amount on other grasses . Do not apply the second and third applications if you have had disease in your lawnto fend off exacerbating the problem , advise the NC Cooperative Extension .
- Keep your rye grass lawn 2 to 4 inches marvellous , * * removing no more than one - third of its height at one metre . Mow only when the pot is dry .
