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Which Rye Grass Grows Best in the Shade?

Ryegrass is one of the most widely grown cool season grass. The two types, Italian annual and perennial, are typically grown in full sun but may tolerate part shade in some climates. Perennial ryegrass is most tolerant of shade and is typically chosen for lawns over Italian annual, since the annual ryegrass must reseed itself each year. Perennial ryegrass is grown in the shade with more success in southern states, whereas it is often sparse or stringy in northeastern and northwestern states.

  1. Climate Differences

    • Ryegrass grows best in mild climates without extreme hot or cold temperature ranges. In hot climates, ryegrass is more tolerant of shade since the shade reduces the temperature. Part shade or dappled shade will improve lawn health over full shade. In the northwest and northeast, it can tolerate part shade but should receive several hours of sunlight per day. Extreme cold temperatures such as those found in the Midwest will most often kill ryegrass.

    Seed Mixes

    • Perennial ryegrass is commonly mixed into lawn seeding mixtures because it germinates and establishes quickly, which helps to prevent erosion and adds green to an area immediately. In shaded areas, ryegrass will germinate normally and grow to cover the area for the first year, but it soon tends to thin out, becoming sparse and sometimes diseased. It is often mixed with a shade-tolerant grass so that the ryegrass can quickly establish and prevent erosion while the shade grass fills in more slowly.

    Cool Season Overseeding

    • Since ryegrass is one of the best cool season grasses, it is sometimes over-seeded in southern climates for fresh grass growth during the winter months when bermudagrass and other heat-resistant grasses are dormant. Since ryegrass grown in shade tends to become sparse, this over-seeding could be done with either perennial ryegrass or Italian annual ryegrass to a similar effect. Italian annual ryegrass would grow through the cool season and die off rather than reseed itself if mowing is regular.

    Common Uses

    • Both perennial ryegrass and Italian ryegrass are tolerant of heavy foot traffic and are the most resistant to wear of all the cool season grasses. In addition, ryegrass is more tolerant of wet or soggy conditions than many grasses, making it a good choice for areas that transform into muddy paths each winter. For these same reasons, perennial ryegrass is often used around homes, at schools, in parks and sporting fields. In landscapes, it may be planted in dappled light through deciduous trees or in areas that receive partial sun each day.

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Growing Grass
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  2. Which Is the Best Type of Zoysia to Grow?
  3. The Best Grass for Hot Shade
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  5. Grass Seed That Grows in the Shade
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  9. What Kind of Grass Grows in the Shade in Oklahoma?
  10. Dead Rye Grass
  11. The Best Grass Seed for Reseeding
  12. When is the Best Time to Plant Rye Grass?

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