Perennial ryegrass, also known as Lolium Perenne, has been used in the United States for a very long time. The application, however, differs with the location. People love to grow it because of its comparatively faster germination. Ryegrass comes in annual form as well. Annual ryegrass, as the name suggests, lives for just one season.
The grass has a tendency to tolerate relatively less temperature and is thus used in northern climates. Unlike other grasses that fade away with the first frost, ryegrass keeps shining all through the winter season.
If you want to grow it in your garden, there are certain things that you need to prepare in advance. Keep reading the post to know what you need to grow ryegrass in your yard.
Prepare The Planting Area
A soil test is the first and foremost that needs to be taken to grow ryegrass. No matter how expensive seed to sow, you can’t simply outweigh the necessity of nutrients that ryegrass needs. Also, it is not a great idea to make changes to the soil once the seed has been sown. Ryegrass germinates more quickly in the damp soil. You should harrow or till the soil evenly before sowing the ryegrass seed.
Choose The Right Rye Seed
As mentioned earlier; the ryegrass is of two types- annual, and perennial. The perennial one germinates much better than the annual one. This means that lush that you achieve because of the perennial seed does not come easily with the annual seed. You can also use pre-grown patches of rye and plant them in the planting area. This is called Sod.
Fill The Soil
This holds true for both seeding and sodding. You need to fill in the existing soil so that it can reach required depth. For ryegrass, the correct depth is about 6 inches. Always remember that the soil must not have more than 20% clay content. Also, it must not contain any herbicides, which can hinder the growth of ryegrass.
For ryegrass, phosphorus and potassium are the best available options. You should uniformly spread the fertilizer all across the area of the yard. This is necessary because soil needs nutrients to get fertile and let the plants grow without any issues.
Water The Lawn
You have to water the lawn before and after sowing the grass seed. This is to make sure that the soil has enough moisture content for ryegrass seed to germinate. Don’t water to a level that the yard gets muddy. Keep note of the pace at which water is being drawn into the soil, so you know when is right the time to stop. Thoroughly water the entire surface area of the lawn.
Maintain It Properly
You cannot expect ryegrass to grow unless you take enough care of it. Throughout the growing season, ryegrass remains thirsty. Also keep a record of the pH levels of the soil because unlike other grasses, ryegrass can grow with pH, as low as 5, which is quite acidic.
Harvesting of Rye Grass
It requires at least 50 days of growth before getting ready to be harvested as hay. Over-harvesting and overgrazing don’t do any good to the ryegrass, so you must keep an eye. The recommended time to harvest hay is when nearly half of the flowers have opened up to bloom.