Ryegrass is quick to germinate and is often used to over-seed warm-season grasses. It’s popular for its easy care and dramatic beauty. Ryegrasses are adapted to a wide range of soil conditions, but favor moist, well drained, fertile soils. The seed is often just spread on top of the established turf and watered in.

Annual ryegrass is lighter green and slightly coarse. It is less heat-tolerant than perennial and has a velvety appearance.

Perennial ryegrass is finer leaved and darker green than annual. Perennial ryegrass is used in a play lawn, sport fields, golf courses and for over-seeding.Seeding rate is also important. The ryegrasses are bunch grasses, so not planting enough seed produces a thin, clumpy turf.

Best Uses:

Both species of ryegrass are used for temporary grass cover during the fall and winter months in the South. Their quick establishment from seed makes them ideal for protection against erosion on newly prepared sites in the fall. They are also used to provide temporary green color during winter months when Bermuda grass is dormant.