Annual Rye Seed for a Lawn

Location

• Annual rye grass is planted in the northern states to provide a temporary cover for a lawn. It is also used in southern states to green up a lawn during the winter months when the existing warm-weather grass has gone dormant. Because it then dies during summer heat, the annual rye grass gives way to the warm-weather grass that is already on the lawn. Annual rye grass is also planted in transition zone states in mixtures with bluegrass on sports fields. It is grown for short-term use in parks, reclamation sites and along highway shoulders. The fact that it grows quickly makes it a common choice for providing a temporary cover for areas in need of erosion control.

Characteristics

• Annual rye grass is one of the quickest of all-cold season grasses to grow from seed with a germination time of 10 to 14 days under normal conditions. The Seedland website lists its germination time as six to 10 days. Annual rye grass has a medium texture and medium green color that make for an attractive lawn. Because it is versatile, it can easily be mixed with other kinds of grass seed. It has a high tolerance to foot traffic and a moderate resistance to diseases.

Growing Methods

• Annual rye grass lawns do not need a lot of preparation such as tilling or digging up the soil. It can be sown by scattering handfuls of seed around the lawn and then raking the seed into the soil. Keep the area where you planted the seed moist until the grass germinates. The best time to plant annual rye grass is in the early spring following the last frost or in the early fall. Because it produces a green lawn soon after the last frost, it provides an eye-catching contrast to early spring flowers, trees and shrubs.

Pros and Cons

• Annual rye grass grows quickly and for the most part does not require a lot of maintenance. However, annual rye grass does require constant watering if planted in an area that does not receive much rainfall. This is because it has shallow roots. Annual rye grass also does not do well in shaded conditions or when it is exposed to high temperatures. It dies in the summer heat.