Winter Rye Grass

Which Are The Best Grasses To Over Seed For A Winter Lawn

In the southern regions of the United States, some gardeners want a lawn that is green all year around. In most regions, the preferred summer grass is Bermuda Grass, a fantastic choice for a thick and healthy summer lawn. However, over winter, Bermuda Grass does start to turn brown, and it certainly loses its vigor. As a gardener, you have two choices: you can leave your lawn be and take the winter off, or you can encourage winter grasses, which means undertaking more lawn care work.

For those who do want a nice green lawn in winter, the best choice is a perennial winter rye. This is a good choice as it grows well in winter, is hardy, and requires little maintenance. Winter rye will grow in most soil types and doesn’t require a lot of food or water. Better yet, it can be planted out from seed. The key to a good winter lawn is preparation, so prepare your Bermuda Grass for over sowing, and they should all be happy.

Some gardeners recommend scalping a lawn before over seeding. This could be a little harsh, and could expose the crown and the roots to damaging sunlight, especially if you have few really warm days. You can cut your Bermuda lawn to around the half to one inch mark. Dethatch with a garden rake, and aerate if you haven’t done if for several years. Once you have completed these preparations, don’t water or fertilize, just let your lawn rest for ten to fourteen days.

Once your lawn has rested, use a lawn repair tool to prepare the surface, then overseed with a good quality perennial winter rye. Be sure to use plenty of seed as winter rye’s are not renown for being good spreaders (or creepers), their growth is more up than out. You can leave rye grasses to grow at around two to three inches in height, so they will not require a lot mowing over winter. Come spring, as the weather starts to warm, your rye grass will fall away allowing your Bermuda grass to grow through and take over for summer.

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USA bryan@imaginegrafix.com

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Winter Lawn Care Tips For Bermuda Grass

One of the most popular grass types in use is Bermuda Grass. It looks great when maintained properly and while it may go into a dormant phase during winter, that doesn’t mean you can stop looking after it. In many areas, particularly in the south, winter often hails a dry season where rainfall drops rather than increases. This is why the nation is divided into zones when it comes to lawns. The cold weather zone often has winter snow, the transitional zone either light snow, sleet or rain, and warm weather zone mild winter temperatures with lower rainfalls.

Many gardeners also have a Winter Rye-grass mixed in with their Bermuda Grass, or they oversow every fall with Rye. This maintains a green looking lawn when their Bermuda Grass goes dormant. Lower rainfall means that most lawns will require supplemental watering. This is best done when the weather predictions are for fine sunny days. Water early, water deep, and only water every 10-14 days. This will ensure the roots don’t dry out and cause them to die off. You need to maintain a good strong healthy root system over winter to ensure a good growth habit in spring and summer.

You can also do minor repair work in winter, but only if you are not subject to frosts. The easiest way to repair any damaged areas is by using a lawn seeding tool to perforate the surface then oversowing with the same type of seed that is in your lawn. This should be done when the weather forecast is for fine days for at least a week ahead. Water the seed in well then only water again if the soil starts to dry out.

If you want to give your grass seed a boost, create a mini green house by making a plastic igloo over the area patched. Use a clear plastic sheet and several metal hoops to create your igloo – be sure to leave open ends for air flow. You will find your lawn seed germinates well in the igloo and grows quite quickly. After 14 days you can start to remove the igloo during the day, only returning it at night. Once your new grass has a good inch or two of growth, you can remove the igloo altogether.

Don’t fertilize Bermuda Grass in winter since this will only causing burning. Bermuda Grass is generally dormant so fertilizer will only feed weeds, or get washed away, neither conducive to good gardening. Mow only when the grass requires it, water it regularly, and you Bermuda Grass will be ready to become a real lawn in the spring.

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Fall Is Not The Best Time For Bermuda Grass Seeding

If you are considering over sowing your lawn with Bermuda Grass to gain a better finish next summer, wait until spring. Bermuda Grass seeds require a warming climate rather than a cooling climate to both germinate then flourish. If you do want to over seed now, then you will need to prepare well.

Bermuda Grass seed needs a ground temperature of around 65 degrees to germinate. The optimum air temperature is between 75-90 degrees and while you may be experiencing these conditions, Bermuda Grass really needs these conditions for around 60 days – that takes us into winter when the temperatures are often falling dramatically, except perhaps in the south.

For sowing in fall, you need to use an un-hulled grass seed. This will survive the winter reasonably well and come to life as soon as conditions are right. Sowing now means you will get an early start on germination in spring – just don’t expect to see any action before hand. If you do need some cover through winter, then include a liberal amount of Winter Rye. This will thrive now until the end of winter and then die back in spring, just when your Bermuda Grass is germinating.

Bermuda Grass needs a good 1/4 inch of soil cover to germinate so over sowing on top of your lawn is pointless. Cut your lawn reasonably short (shorter than normal – and collect and discard the clippings) then use a lawn planting tool to perforate through to the soil below. Sow your seed liberally, especially if you are include a Winter Rye, then water lightly.

The Winter Rye should sprout fairly quickly while the un-hulled Bermuda Grass will lie dormant until the soil starts to warm in early spring. Then watch it come to life and turn your grass into a great lawn. If you have the patience, wait until late winter or early spring to sow for better results.

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Is Your Bermuda Grass Turning Yellow?

Bermuda Grass is one of the most popular grasses used in the south. It tolerates hot dry conditions (if watered weekly), can withstand traffic and, with good lawn care practices, makes a great lawn. There are some varieties that will turn yellow as the weather starts to cool. This is normal since the grass is preparing to go dormant through winter.

If a yellow lawn is a problem then you have a number of options. You can apply a fertilizer that has a high nitrogen component. However, while it may freshen your lawn a little, it could also tire your lawn, leaving it stressed and susceptible to disease and/or insect attack.

A second alternative is to over sow with a winter Rye Grass. This will add color and body to your lawn through winter then die back in the summer. It is a popular solution for those that live in areas where the climate changes from year to year. Most years, the weather doesn’t get cool enough to cause any problems. Winter Rye Grass is then used in those years when it is a bit cooler.

The third option, particularly for those living in areas where cooler weather is common, is to over sow with a cool weather variety of Bermuda Grass. This maintains the integrity of your lawn, since it is still all Bermuda Grass, while adding color in winter.

If you use the winter Rye Grass or cool weather Bermuda Grass options, you will need to acquire a lawn seeding tool. This tool enables gardeners to over sow across the top of their lawn. The lawn seeding tool perforates through the grass and the thatch to the soil below. Lawn seed can then be sown directly to the dirt below, the perfect place for germination. After sowing, follow the lawn seed directions for watering and mowing.

Bermuda grass seeding is made especially easy with a lawn seeding tool and will add a lot of color and life to your wintering lawn.

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Is An Annual Rye Grass Right For Your Lawn?

If you are in a warm season region then you may be frustrated each winter as you watch your lawn lose its color. It may even turn an unsightly yellow or brown. This is natural and no amount of water or fertilizer will change it. Your lawn has become dormant for the winter. The upside for you is that you won’t really need to mow during the winter.

For those that really miss having a strong green lawn, there are a number of options. The easiest is use an annual winter Rye Grass. One of the benefits of an annual grass is that, come spring, this grass will die back leaving your summer grass free to come to life again. The downside to a winter Rye Grass is that you will need to reseed every fall.

Reseeding a lawn is not that difficult. I highly recommend using a lawn care tool such as the Grass Stitcher. Seeding straight on top of a lawn is a hit and miss approach that will see some areas thick and lush while others are bare – hardly an attractive sight when are you looking for an even cover. The Grass Stitcher opens the thatch sufficiently to allow the seed to come into contact with the soil below. Add a little water and your seed should start to germinate within 5-10 days and start to thicken after about three weeks.

An annual winter Rye Grass is dark green, can look good in most lawns, and as we mentioned, will readily die back come the spring. This is ideal for those looking to have a great green lawn over the winter. A word of warning, however, annual winter Rye Grasses require regular mowing, so if you’re looking to put your feet up for the winter, forget it – service your mower instead so it’s ready to go to work again.

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Archives

Which Are The Best Grasses To Over Seed For A Winter Lawn

Winter Lawn Care Tips For Bermuda Grass

Fall Is Not The Best Time For Bermuda Grass Seeding

Is Your Bermuda Grass Turning Yellow?

Is An Annual Rye Grass Right For Your Lawn?

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