How to Seed Ryegrass in Fall

Ryegrass is used for several applications, the main one being as a cover crop. Rye, if planted in fall months, grows over winter in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 7 through 9, preventing soil erosion. Rye also protects other lawn grasses, such as bluegrass that only survives during summer, from diseases common in winter months. If you have animals, rye can be food during winter. Ryegrass is suitable to growth as forage from Texas to the Atlantic Coast in USDA zones 8 and 9 and can be seeded into warm-season grass in fall throughout zone 7.

Aerator
Tape measure
Seed spreader
Garden hose
Mower

Instructions

- 1
  Start your aerator and walk it slowly over the lawn, both vertically and horizontally for good cover, to remove thatch and to aid in aeration. You can rent an aerator from your local garden center.
- 2
  Measure the length and width of the yard using a tape measure. Multiply the two figures to get the square footage.
- 3
  Set you grass spreader so that 10 lb. of annual ryegrass is spread per 1,000 square feet. Set the spreader between 5 and 15 lb. per 1,000 square feet if using perennial ryegrass.
- 4
  Walk the seed spreader slowly over the lawn, spreading half of the allotted seed up and down the lawn and the other half left to right. This establishes the grass uniformly over the lawn.
- 5
  Water the lawn two to three times a day until the seeds germinate. Do not water over 1 inch per week.
- 6
  Cut the grass by one-third once the blades are between 1 and 2 inches long. Continue watering the grass until you have mowed it three times, and then stop watering.

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