Planting Perennial Ryegrass
Seedland.com

*Facts About Perennial Ryegrass

• Quick sprouting, dark green grass especially for a sunny or lightly shaded lawn
• Excellent for winter overseeding of southern lawns
• Excellent permanent grass for northern lawns
• Low to moderate shade tolerance; excellent sun tolerance
• Seeding Zone: All (These are not USDA zones, these are zone number provided by Pennington Seed, please use their map below for correct location for these zones)

Best Time to Plant: Early spring or early fall
Planting Depth: ¼” – ½”
Germination Time: 7-21 days, depending on climate conditions, soil temperatures and moisture
Seeding Rate: New Lawns: 10 lbs per 1000 sq. ft.; Overseeding: 5 lbs per 1000 sq. ft
Color: Dark Green
Texture: Moderately Fine
Sun Tolerance: High
Shade Tolerance: Moderate
Drought Tolerance: Moderate
Traffic Tolerance: Excellent
Disease Tolerance: Moderate
Recommended Mowing Height: 2”

Planting Perennial Ryegrass In A New Lawn

• Conduct a soil test.**
• Till to a depth of 4”-6”.
• Rake to smooth and remove debris from seed bed.

Overseeding/Re-seeding An Existing Lawn With Perennial Ryegrass

• Conduct a soil test.**
• Mow or clip grass as closely as possible.
• Remove clippings and rake
• Aerate soil (rake or harrow lightly) where existing grass is to allow new seed to make contact with the soil. (Existing grass will not be affected.)

**A soil test is recommended to determine the pH. Lawns prefer a pH between 6.0 - 7.0.

Planting Perennial Ryegrass In A New Lawn

• Fertilize (add lime if indicated from soil test) – not necessary to work into the soil.

Overseeding/Re-seeding An Existing Lawn With Perennial Ryegrass

• Fertilize (add lime if indicated from soil test) – not necessary to work into the soil.

How To Spread Perennial Rye Grass Seed

• New Lawn - Spread seed evenly using a seed spreader, applying 1/2 of the recommended amount in one direction and the remaining 1/2 in the opposite direction to avoid skips and misses on your lawn. Work seed into soil 1/4” deep.
• Overseeding/Re-seeding - Same as New Lawn above.

Watering Your New Perennial Rye Grass Lawn

• New Lawn - Water daily to maintain a constant source of moisture for the seed. Do not allow the top 1/2” of soil to become dry.
• Once grass begins to grow and establishes a lawn, reduce watering to twice a week, 1/2” of water per application.
• Overseeding/Re-seeding - Same as New Lawn above

Additional Information Resources

Also visit our special links page for links to helpful planting, growing and lawn care information.

Please see ryegrass.com for more info.