Green lawns in winter

If you want a green lawn in winter, you have two choices.

The first is to have a tall fescue lawn. That can be a challenge

in summer considering the extreme heat and drought we often face

in August and September.

The second option is to overseed with a temporary grass.

Both annual and perennial ryegrass are fine for this. Each has

its merits. In either case, October is usually a good time to do

it.

Annual ryegrass establishes faster, and the seed is

cheaper. It’s also easier to transition back to the summer grass

when the time comes. The disadvantages to annual ryegrass are

that it grows faster and more upright. It also is a coarser

texture. During an extremely cold winter, it often shows freeze

damage and develops a whitish cast.

Perennial ryegrass is far more attractive in lawns and

athletic fields. The texture is finer, and the color is usually

a darker green. Also, it can be mowed at a lower cutting height

without looking stemmy. In this region, perennial ryegrass is

totally winter hardy and should not show signs of cold damage.

Seedling establishment is slower than for annual rye, but

it’s still better than any other option. Perennial ryegrass

doesn’t transition back to a warm-season grass like bermudagrass

quite as easily since the growth habit is lower.

In either case, returning to the summer grass usually

involves letting the winter turf get a little long when the

summer species first begin to break dormancy. Scalping the turf

will stress the ryegrass and the bermudagrass will take over. If

warm weather follows the scalping process, the transition will

be rapid.

Some people choose to spray the ryegrass right before the

Bermudagrass breaks dormancy, but I don’t recommend it. The

mowing method works well, and it’s safer for the turf. Leave the

spraying to the professionals.

The best time to overseed is when day temperatures are warm

but not hot and night temperatures are around 50F. Soil

temperatures are usually ideal in the fall, and with a little

water the grass will really take off.

If the turf contains abundant thatch, it’s usually

beneficial to mow closely, dethatch and possibly aerate the turf

before overseeding. Also, athletic turfs are often overseeded

several times and the process is started earlier in the fall.

Whenever major disruption of turf is required, it’s best if the

grass is in ideal growing conditions.

On home lawns, many folks are often discouraged when they

overseed. Surprising as it may sound, the rate for overseeding

often exceeds the rate for seeding a new lawn. When seeding

lawns later in the fall, preparation of the existing summer turf

is usually less. Bermudagrass can be damaged when disturbed too

much later in the fall.

Both annual and perennial ryegrasses are bunch type

grasses. They don’t spread by creeping above ground or

underground stems. Therefore, they must be seeded thick or the

resulting turf will be patchy and clumpy. When bunch type

grasses are included in any lawn, they should comprise the major

share of the grass plants. The same is true for tall fescue.

Keeping your lawn green in winter is a little extra work

and expense. Some think it’s worth it. Some don’t.