Home Lawn and Turf in Mississippi
Establishing Winter Lawns
Sometime the occasion arises when it is just too late in the fall for the establishment of the desired turf species. Many people do not appreciate the brown color of the warm-season grasses during the winter months and prefer to have something green. The ryegrasses are well suited to take care of these two problems.
There are two types of ryegrass grown for lawns in Mississippi. Annual ryegrass (Lollium multiflorium) is commonly grown in Mississippi as a forage for winter grazing. It also is referred to as Italian ryegrass.
Annual ryegrass is quick to germinate and is often used to overseed the warm-season grasses. The warm-season turf is sometimes vertically mowed lightly to allow the ryegrass seed to get good soil contact, but the seed is often just spread on top of the established turf and watered in.
Annual ryegrass is lighter green and coarser than perennial ryegrass. It also is less heat-tolerant than perennial. This could be an advantage for overseeding since ryegrass should disappear before it interferes with the growth of the warm-season grass.
Perennial ryegrass (Lollium perenne) is one of the major turfgrasses in the northern United States. It does not act as a perennial in Mississippi, however. It is used in the same way as annual ryegrass — to establish temporary lawns and to overseed warm-season grasses. Perennial ryegrass is finer leaved and darker green than annual and is the preferred grass for overseeding athletic fields.
Planting time is important in ryegrass establishment. Seed planted after the dates in the table may not have time to grow into plants that can survive freezing temperatures. Seeding rate is also important. The ryegrasses are bunch grasses, so not planting enough seed produces a thin, clumpy turf.
Seed perennial ryegrass at 8 to 10 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet; seed annual ryegrass at 10 to 12 pounds. After seeding, remember that ryegrass is a living turf just like the warm-season ones. It requires fertilizing, watering, mowing, and other care to produce the desired effect.
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