How to Grow and Care for Rye Grass

Rye grass (or "ryegrass") is a grass that has many faces, including winter rye grass, perennial rye grass, and annual rye grass. Each type of rye grass has its own merits, including aesthetic, use, and lifespan. We'll look at the characteristics of each type of rye grass, when, where, and how to plant and care for each type. Rye grass itself isn't toxic to animals but if the seeds are infected with a microscopic bacterial worm, it can be toxic to grazing animals.

Types of Rye Grass

Winter Rye Grass

Winter rye grass (Secale cereale) is a type of grain, or "cereal," that serves practical purposes and it is not typically a type of grass that you would grow as a lawn. Winter rye grass seeds are commonly sold in bulk at home improvement centers and at chains that cater to small farmers as it's best known for its agricultural use. Farmers grow it as feed for livestock, and they also harvest and process the grass to make rye bread and whiskey. Home gardeners can use it as a cover crop.

Perennial Rye Grass

Perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne) is mainly used as a permanent lawn grass in cooler northern climates and as a winter grass for dormant Bermuda grass in southern climates. The seed is commonly found in the grass seed mixes that you find at hardware stores for those who want to start a new lawn. It grows in clumps and looks similar to annual rye but it is slightly darker green (though still light green), coarse, and grows in patchy, rather than a uniform habit. It can grow as tall as 1 to 2 feet.

Annual Rye Grass

Annual rye grass (Lolium multiflorum) is an annual plant, just like winter rye grass. It is also commonly known as Italian rye grass. It can be used as a cover crop, and it's also popular for overseeding a lawn. Annual rye grass is light green with a coarse texture and does not have a uniform growth habit. It can also grow as tall as 5 feet.

Best Uses for Rye Grass

Winter Rye Grass

Winter rye grass is most useful to home gardeners as a cover crop, also known as green manure, that you sow to cover a patch of ground in a horticultural setting rather than in a landscaping setting. Some of the benefits of growing a cover crop include the following:

• Weed control: A cover crop, densely planted, can take up the space that would otherwise be filled with weeds.
• Fertilization: If you till a cover crop under when you are done growing it, it serves as a green manure.
• Protection for winter garden soil: Leaving your garden bare after the harvest isn't ideal. Wind and water can erode your soil. Mulch is one option for protection, but a cover crop gives you an alternative to mulch.

Several kinds of plants can be used to sow a cover crop but winter rye is one of the best. Tolerant of a wide range of conditions, it can be grown almost anywhere in the U.S. While all cover crops suppress weeds, in the case of winter rye, this function is aided by the plant's allelopathic quality. Its seed germinates quickly, and with its robust root system, it provides good coverage. It can also be planted later than many other cover crops.

Perennial Rye Grass

Perennial rye grass is highly resistant to foot traffic so it is popular for residential and commercial lawns and turfs. It's also used to overseed Bermuda grass lawns and it helps with weed control. In addition, this type of rye grass is often mixed with Kentucky bluegrass because it is disease-resistant. Perennial rye grass will stay green in milder climates throughout the year.

Annual Rye Grass

Annual rye grass is a short-lived cool-season grass that can also be used as a cover crop instead of winter rye grass. But it is also best used for erosion control, temporary turf grass, and seasonal grass for a pasture patch.

When to Plant Rye Grass

Winter Rye Grass

Timing is critical to the "cover crop" concept. You want to get it established before winter comes. At the other end of the process, when spring returns, you will need to mow the cover crop and rototill it into the soil at the right time, too.

Winter rye grass is a cool-season type of grass, making fall a great time to plant it, which dovetails nicely with your needs as a gardener. The plant's love of cool weather not only allows it to become well-established once planted in fall but also to put on additional growth quickly in early spring. That additional growth provides a large amount of green manure when tilled under. Its early maturation means that you can get the cover crop out of the way in time to plant your primary garden crops.

Perennial Rye Grass

Plant perennial rye grass in the early fall and more specifically about 45 days before the first fall frost for northern regions. You'll use this type of rye grass if you need to overseed the warm-season Bermuda grass during September or October.

Annual Rye Grass

Plant annual ryegrass in late August through early October. It will germinate fast. If you live in a warmer zone, such as 6, and you plan to use the grass for winter greenery, plant the seeds in the fall. But if you are in a colder region, such as zone 5, plant annual rye grass seed in the late summer and early fall.

Rye Grass Care

Winter Rye Grass

Winter rye grass is not a fussy plant to grow and can tolerate poor soil. Broadcast seed by hand; Coverage of about 2 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet is recommended but err on the side of denser coverage if your goal is to suppress weeds.

• Watering: Cover new seed with 1 inch of soil and water. Assuming an average rainfall, there's no need to water winter rye grass after germination.
• Fertilizer: No fertilization is required.
• Mowing: Keep an eye on your cover crop's growth in spring for termination. A cover crop is temporary and its job is done after the wintertime. If you don't terminate it at the right time, the winter rye grass can set in permanently and grow back yearly. If you mow it too soon, it may grow back. But if you wait too long to mow it, winter rye grass will go to seed and you will have an unwanted second generation of winter rye grass. Mow your cover crops once you spot flowers. After mowing, till the winter rye grass under using a garden tiller.

Perennial Rye Grass

Remove excess thatch and grass clippings before seeding a new lawn or overseeding a dormant Bermuda grass lawn. Apply 10 to 20 pounds of perennial ryegrass seed per 1,000 square feet for a thick cover.

• Watering: Lightly water new seeds two to three times a day until you see germination. Don't overwater or seeds can be washed away. Once established, water the lawn so it gets at least 1 inch of water weekly.
• Fertilizer: After the second time you've mowed, fertilize with nitrogen. Apply 3 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of lawn monthly in the spring. Stop fertilizing in summer heat. Fertilize in the fall up until six weeks before the first frost.
• Mowing: Once you see the grass is about 2 inches tall, mow the lawn. Mow in the summer when blades reach 3 to 4 inches tall. Keep mowing in the fall until the grass begins to go dormant, but keep mowing in southern regions. Always use a sharp blade with rye grass because the coarse texture can be tough to mow without shredding, though newer cultivars may not have this issue. Perennial rye grass produces little thatch when dormant.

Annual Rye Grass

You can also overseed dormant Bermuda grass with annual rye grass. It is often used because it will die out in the spring, making it easier to manage than the more persistent and permanent perennial rye grass. However, annual rye grass doesn't have the richer color or disease and pest resistance of its perennial cousin. Broadcast annual rye grass seeds at a rate of 10 to 20 pounds of seed on 1,000 square feet.

• Watering: Follow similar instructions for perennial rye grass and water lightly two to three times a day until germination, but don't let the soil dry out or the seeds will not germinate. But don't overwater or leave water on the soil's surface or the seeds will float or wash away. Water infrequently (once a day or every other day) after the seeds are established.
• Fertilizer: Apply a 1/4 inch thick layer of organic mulch or manure as a light covering over seeds.
• Mowing: Mow down to 1 or 1 and 1/2 inches once the overseeded lawn reaches 2 to 3 inches tall. Here, again, use a very sharp blade to eliminate the risk of tearing blades when mowing. Continue mowing when grass grows back to 2 or 2 and 1/2 inches tall. In the spring, cut the rye grass to the ground and water deeply to allow the Bermuda grass to regrow.