Can Ryegrass Shade Bermuda?

It's Mowing Time Again?

• Being a warm-season grass, Bermuda grows aggressively during the spring and summer through above- and underground stem growth, or stolons and rhizomes, respectively. Preferring full sunlight and a short 1-inch mowing height, Bermuda thrives in yards with heavy foot traffic. Because Bermuda populates your yard quickly, shading it with ryegrass appears unlikely. However, cool fall weather forces Bermuda into dormancy. Your grass turns yellow and stops spreading until warm weather arrives in the spring. As a result, ryegrass has a chance at shading your unsightly, dormant Bermuda.

Ryegrass to the Rescue

• Unlike Bermuda, ryegrass does not spread, but forms grassy patches of potentially 24-inch tall turf. Because ryegrass thrives in cool weather, it quickly germinates in the fall as Bermuda enters dormancy. Ryegrass simply needs consistent watering after overseeding to encourage seedling growth and establishment. It conveniently enters dormancy in spring and summer as Bermuda starts to green up. Because Bermuda requires a full sunlight location, ryegrass takes advantage of this same sunlight exposure to grow quickly before winter cold sets in. As a result, your ryegrass shades your dormant Bermuda to retain a green hue almost year-round.

Beating Winter's Cold

• Ryegrass germinates quickly between September and November. Soil temperatures are reduced from the summer's waning heat during this period. After mowing your browning Bermuda down to a short 1-inch height, spread up to 10 pounds of ryegrass seed in 1,000 square feet. Water your lawn consistently after seeding to encourage rapid germination and establishment before winter sets in. Allow the ryegrass to remain as tall as 3 inches to withstand cold temperatures.

Transitioning to Spring

• You want a smooth transition between waning ryegrass and emerging Bermuda turf. To help your grass during spring transition, slowly reduce your ryegrass's height to 1 inch tall by cutting no more than one-third of the lawn's height at a time. This short mowing height forces the ryegrass into a shocked state. Because Bermuda is now exposed to ample sunlight, it can easily switch into an active growing state to overtake the ryegrass turf. By working together, each grass species provides aesthetic value to your yard throughout the year.