Winter Rye Grass or a Dormant Lawn
by Gardener’s Supply, Inc.
Winter Rye Grass-
This year, the price of ryegrass has really gone up. Through the years, ryegrass prices have had their ups and downs, but this year the prices are considerably up. Therefore, if despite the price increase you still want green grass through the winter (and you have bermuda lawns), then we have the highest quality seed at a competitive price. Because of these higher prices, do not be surprised if your gardeners offer to apply your seed for you but also ask you to buy the seed yourself. According to our calendar, for those who do overseed with winter ryegrass, your preparation activities do not begin until late September through mid-October. As for now, you may spray for weeds, fertilize, and/or amend your soil, but avoid using pre-emergents at this time.
In weighing the choice to overseed or to allow the lawn to go dormant, there are advantages and disadvantages to consider. The obvious advantage of having winter rye is having a green grass through the winter. Another less obvious advantage is fungus protection for your bermuda grass due to natural endophytes that are present in perennial ryegrass (they are not present, however, in annual ryegrass). This means you will have little chance of getting Spring Dead Spot, a problem that was severe many years ago when we did not use perennial ryegrass in the winter. If you choose not to overseed with perennial ryegrass, you must seriously consider using fungicides and 7-20-20 (and pre-emergents if you wish) for your dormant lawn.
A disadvantage of overseeding with winter ryegrass is that you have to delay your use of pre-emergents until around Thanksgiving. This allows your new winter lawn to tack (to take root) and to tiller (fill-out), and then once it is established, you can use pre-emergents for weed control. The activity of overseeding allows weeds another two months to germinate unimpeded by pre-emergents. One consequence for overseeding with winter ryegrass is the increased amount of poa you will have in your lawn; but the trade-off is a green grass through the winter.
Dormant Lawn-
If you choose to let your lawn go dormant, then we suggest an application of 7-20-20 with the pre-emergent pendimethalin (for grassy weeds) and a secondary pre-emergent Bayer Season Long (for broadleaf weeds). We also suggest the use of fungicides to protect your lawns against Spring Dead Spot, a fungus that really used to plague those of us who did not overseed with perennial ryegrass or who overseeded with annual ryegrass (which lacks the natural endophytes that perennial ryegrass does have). If you choose to have a dormant lawn, then August is the best time to put down a pre-emergent. Poa annua is a winter weed that begins germinating in August, even though it does not really become a nuisance until February. The benefit to a dormant lawn is that you can get total control of poa by using pre-emergents now. And, with the use of 7-20-20, your lawn stays green later into the year and comes out of dormancy earlier in the spring, reducing the amount of dormant time.
