Keeping your grass green all winter long can be a
challenge. Most home owners would love to have a green
lawn throughout the fall and winter, but how do you make
this a reality? Rye grass is what you need to keep your
lawn beautiful all year long. You have to over seed your
regular grass with Rye grass preferably in the summer
heat. Rye grass is also considered cool grass which also
helps to prevent the invasion of aggressive winter
weeds.
Perennial ryegrass is the preferred cool season grass
for over seeding regular Burmuda grass lawns. Many new
types of perennial ryegrass are available. These new
types are fine textured and form a dense, attractive
lawn. They are also frost tolerant and will persist
longer in the spring, allowing time for the Burmuda
grass to green up.
Carefully preparation of the lawn prior to over seeding
is the key to success. In order to germinate and grow,
the seed must come in contact with the soil. A dense
Burmuda grass lawn will need to be lightly verticut or
power-raked to remove the mat of dead grass plants,
called thatch, which accumulates in the lawn. This work
is best left to a professional lawn or landscape
maintenance service. If you have a small lawn area you
can remove some of the thatch by hand-raking with a
steel-tined lawn rake.
After raking, scalp the Burmuda grass by cutting it as
low as possible. Then remove the thatch and clippings.
With some space opened up in the lawn, the seed that is
spread will be able to drop through to the soil surface.
You can apply the seed by hand, but for better
uniformity use a drop spreader or cyclone spreader.
Seeding the lawn in a cris-cross pattern will also help
provide a more uniform stand of grass. Whether you’re
using perennial or annual ryegrass, apply 12 to 15 lbs.
of seed for an area of 1,000 square feet. After
spreading the seed, use a strong spray of water to help
wash the seed down to the soil surface. To help retain
moisture and encourage seed sprouting, fine compost or
steer manure can be lightly spread over the area. A leaf
rake or broom can be used to evenly distribute this top
dressing and work it down through the Burmuda grass.
Keep seeds moist until they germinate and become
established. This may require watering several times
daily, with just enough water to keep the top 2 inch of
soil wet. When the grass becomes established, watering
should be reduced gradually to about once a week. During
the coldest part of the winter the grass may not need
water more than once every two weeks. When the grass
reaches a height of 2 inches, mow the turf to 1.5
inches. Gradually increase the height of cut to maintain
the grass at a height of 2.5 inches. A rotary type mower
can be used, making sure to keep the blades sharp.
Begin fertilizing 2 weeks after seedlings sprout. Apply
4 lbs. of a lawn fertilizer such as 16-4-8 or similar
analysis for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. After the
initial fertilization, apply 1 to 2 lbs of lawn
fertilizer per 1,000 square feet, every 3 or 4 weeks. If
the lawn is green at the time of a scheduled
fertilization, skip that fertilization.
By following these steps of over seeding now, you will
be creating a beautiful cool season lawn that will last
well into spring.
After the second mowing, apply one-half pound of
nitrogen per 1000 square feet using a complete
fertilizer, such as 16-4-8, 10-10-10 or others. Apply
complete, quick-release nitrogen in late winter or early
spring. Pythium blight disease can be a problem on over
watered, over fertilized ryegrass, especially during
warm, humid weather.
An established winter lawn requires the same maintenance
as a permanent lawn. Mow when the grass is tall enough
to cut, about 1 to 2 inches. Mow to 1 to 1½ inches
thereafter whenever the grass reaches 2 to 2½ inches.
Make sure the mower blade is sharp to prevent ripping of
the ryegrass. If ryegrass is properly fertilized, weekly
mowing may be necessary. So if you want to keep up a
summer time routine in the winter add ryegrass to your
lawn. You will be mowing all year round but your yard
will look wonderful. You will have nice green color all
year long.
About the author:
About Author:
Grant Eckert is a freelance writer who writes about
topics pertaining to home maintenance such as
Lawn
Care
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