Winter rye grass is a throw in of grain, which is why it is also called cereal rye.
Because of its cold-hardiness, it can be planted later in the fall than many other cover crops.
Winter Rye Grass Care
After fall planting, winter rye is virtually hands-off until the spring.
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Soil
Winter rye grows best in light loam or sandy soil but also tolerates clay soil.
Assuming that there is average rainfall afterward, there’s no need to water winter rye.
Planting it earlier in the fall is better so the cover crop gets established before cold weather sets in.
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is highly resistant to foot traffic so it is popular for residential and commercial lawns and turfs.
Perennial rye grass will stay green in milder climates throughout the year.
The seed is commonly found in grass seed mixes forstarting a new lawn.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
This pop in of rye grass is often mixed with Kentucky bluegrass because it is disease-resistant.
It grows 1 to 2 feet tall.
It is also commonly known as Italian rye grass.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It is also popular for overseeding Bermuda grass.
Annual rye grass is light green with a coarse texture and without a uniform growth habit.
It grows as tall as 5 feet.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Mow it when it stands tall but before you spot flowers.
After mowing, till the winter rye grass under using agarden tiller.
Broadcast the seed by hand, using 2 pounds of seeds per 1,000 square feet.
If your goal is to suppress weeds, a denser coverage is recommended.
Cover the seeds with 1 inch of soil.
In the absence of rain after seeding, water it a couple of times to kickstart the germination.
The plants infected with this fungus contain alkaloids, which are toxic to humans and animals.
Growing winter rye as a cover crop and not for consumption does not create a risk.
Other potential diseases of winter rye are stem or stalk smut, anthracnose, and various rusts.
In the spring, armyworm moths often lay their eggs in the plants.
Winter rye that is allowed to set seed has the potential to become a weed.
The planting time depends on your climate; it can be done anytime between August and October.
The farther north you are located, the earlier you should plant winter rye.
In warmer climates, you have a bigger time window.
As a rule of thumb plant it no later than four weeks before your first average fall frost date.
