Perennial ryegrass is a popular cool-season grass used in many lawns, parks, sports fields, and pastures around the world. As with any grass variety, perennial ryegrass has both advantages and disadvantages compared to other grasses. Weighing the pros and cons can help you decide if perennial ryegrass is the right choice for your specific needs and environment.

What is Perennial Ryegrass?

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is a fast-growing, fine-bladed bunch grass native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Unlike annual ryegrass, perennial ryegrass persists for multiple years when properly maintained.

There are several different subspecies and cultivars of perennial ryegrass available. Cultivars are bred for specific traits and uses, such as heat or drought tolerance, disease resistance, traffic tolerance, and more.

Key Features:

Fine, narrow blades form a dense, attractive turf.
Rapid germination and establishment.
Grows well in cool, moist climates.
Tolerates moderate traffic.
Available as turf-type, forage-type, and hybrid varieties.
Used for lawns, sports fields, pasture, erosion control.

Pros of Perennial Ryegrass

There are many potential benefits to using perennial ryegrass depending on your needs:

Rapid Establishment

One of the biggest advantages of perennial ryegrass is how quickly it germinates and establishes from seed. Ryegrass seeds can sprout in as little as 4-7 days under ideal conditions. This rapid germination makes ryegrass ideal for establishing new lawns or repairing bare spots and divots in existing turf.

Fine-bladed and Attractive Turf

The narrow, fine blades of perennial ryegrass create a dense, high-quality playing surface or lawn when maintained properly. Its fine texture and rich green color make it an attractive turfgrass choice. The dense growth habit also allows it to choke out weeds.

Good Cold Tolerance

Perennial ryegrass thrives in cool climates and withstands cold better than other grasses like bermudagrass. It continues growing at temperatures as low as 45°F and can remain green throughout winter in some areas. This makes it a popular choice for overseeding warm-season grasses in the winter.

Tolerates Moderate Traffic

Compared to other turf options, perennial ryegrass holds up well under foot traffic and recreational use. This makes it a top choice for lawns, golf courses, sports fields, and parks. The faster growth rate also allows it to recover from damage quicker than slower growing grasses.

Few Pest or Disease Issues

Perennial ryegrass suffers from relatively few serious pest or disease problems. It has good natural resistance to many common turfgrass diseases like brown patch, dollar spot, and leaf spot. Proper mowing, fertilization, and watering habits further help avoid any issues.

Drought Tolerance Options

While perennial ryegrass prefers moist soils, breeding efforts have produced improved subspecies and varieties with better drought tolerance for low-water sites. New drought-resistant cultivars provide an option for restricted water usage in arid environments.

Good Forage Grass

In addition to uses as a turfgrass, perennial ryegrass makes excellent, high-yielding forage for livestock grazing. The rapid re-growth allows for repeated harvesting throughout the growing season. Some varieties are specifically bred as a forage grass.

Cons of Perennial Ryegrass

While perennial ryegrass has many positive attributes, there are some potential disadvantages to consider:

Bunching Growth Habit

Unlike spreading grasses that form horizontal stems (stolons or rhizomes), perennial ryegrass grows in vertical clumps. This growth habit can leave bare patches of soil that are prone to weed encroachment. Overseeding helps fill in bare areas.

Frequent Mowing and Watering

The fast growth rate of perennial ryegrass means it requires more frequent mowing and irrigation compared to slower growing grasses. Letting it get too tall or dry leads to weakened turf. Proper lawn maintenance is key to success.

Poor Warm-season Performance

Perennial ryegrass enters summer dormancy and declines in hot, humid weather. It can experience disease, die-off, and turn brown when temperatures exceed 80°F for extended periods. This makes it a poor choice for warm southern climates.

Not as Wear-resistant as Bermudagrass

Under extremely heavy athletic field or golf course use, perennial ryegrass may wear down, compact, and get damaged faster than more wear-tolerant grasses like bermudagrass. Traffic tolerance varies by cultivar.

Potential Disease Problems

If mismanaged, perennial ryegrass can be prone to some diseases like gray leaf spot, Pythium blight, and rusts. Maintaining optimal fertilizer, irrigation, mowing height, and airflow minimizes disease risks.

Short-lived in Southern Areas

The longevity of perennial ryegrass declines in warm southern climates. While it may persist for 10+ years in cooler areas, stands in warmer zones may thin out and need reseeding every 2-3 years for the best density.

Potential Reseeding Problems

Because perennial ryegrass establishes so quickly, it can reseed itself and become invasive in some situations. Reseeding in flower beds, gardens, and native plantings should be avoided.

Perennial Ryegrass vs. Other Grasses

How does perennial ryegrass compare against other common grasses? Here’s a quick overview:

Perennial Ryegrass vs. Kentucky Bluegrass

Establishment: Ryegrass germinates significantly faster than Kentucky bluegrass
Blade type: Ryegrass has very fine blades; bluegrass is medium-bladed
Color: Ryegrass is darker green; bluegrass is medium to light green
Growth: Ryegrass grows more rapidly and aggressively than bluegrass
Temperature tolerance: Ryegrass has better cold tolerance; bluegrass better in heat
Maintenance needs: Ryegrass requires more frequent mowing and water
Shade tolerance: Bluegrass grows better than ryegrass in heavy shade
Durability: Bluegrass may have slightly better wear tolerance under heavy foot traffic

Perennial Ryegrass vs. Tall Fescue

Establishment: Ryegrass germinates faster; fescue slower but still relatively quick
Blade type: Ryegrass blades finer; tall fescue wider, courser blades
Color: Ryegrass darker green; tall fescue lighter green to blue-green hue
Growth habit: Ryegrass forms denser turf; tall fescue grows in clumps
Temperature tolerance: Ryegrass better in cold; tall fescue tolerates heat
Maintenance needs: Ryegrass requires more irrigation; tall fescue more drought tolerant
Durability: Tall fescue wears better under heavy traffic
Shade tolerance: Tall fescue tolerates partial shade better

Perennial Ryegrass vs. Bermudagrass

Climate: Ryegrass for cool climates; bermudagrass for warm southern regions
Season: Ryegrass performs best in fall, winter, spring; bermudagrass in summer
Establishment: Ryegrass faster from seed; sprigging/sodding faster for bermuda
Color: Ryegrass maintains dark green; bermuda goes dormant and browns in winter
Growth: Ryegrass more aggressive growth habit than spreading bermuda
Maintenance needs: Bermudagrass better tolerates heat, drought; ryegrass higher water, fertilizer needs
Recuperative potential: Ryegrass recovers faster from damage; bermuda slower but very tough
Wear tolerance: Bermudagrass withstands heavy athletic field traffic better
Shade tolerance: Bermudagrass handles partial shade; ryegrass needs full sun

Best Uses for Perennial Ryegrass

Taking into account all of its strengths and weaknesses, here are some of the best uses for perennial ryegrass:

Lawns

Perennial ryegrass makes an excellent lawn grass in northern climates thanks to its fine texture, rich color, rapid growth, and good cold tolerance. It provides a beautiful, dense, soft lawn cover when properly maintained.

Golf Courses

The high shoot density, attractive color, and recuperative potential make perennial ryegrass a top choice for tees, fairways, and roughs on golf courses. It provides great playing surfaces and tolerates divots and normal golf traffic.

Sports Fields and Parks

The wear resistance, quick recovery, and tolerance of close mowing height suits perennial ryegrass well for heavily used sports fields and public parks. It establishes rapidly and recovers divots better than most grasses.

Erosion Control

The quick establishment, fine leaves, and dense growth habit of perennial ryegrass makes it useful for stabilizing roadsides, waterways, slopes, and other areas prone to erosion. The roots help hold soil in place.

Pasture and Forage

As a highly productive forage grass, perennial ryegrass provides abundant, nutritious grazing material for livestock. The rapid re-growth allows for repeated harvesting.

Winter Overseeding Warm-season Turf

Overseeding bermudagrass, zoysia, and other warm-season grasses with perennial ryegrass provides green color throughout winter dormancy. The rapid germination ensures quick fill-in.

How to Grow Perennial Ryegrass

Here are some tips for successfully establishing and growing perennial ryegrass:

Choose the Right Variety

Select a locally adapted perennial ryegrass cultivar intended for your specific use, such as a turf-type variety for lawns or a forage-type for pasture. Use drought-tolerant varieties for dry regions.

Prepare the Seedbed

Prior to planting, dig or till the soil 4-6 inches deep and rake smooth to prepare a firm, weed-free seedbed. Rake to a fine texture to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.

When to Plant

The ideal seeding window is during the cool days of early fall or spring. Ryegrass can be planted in summer but requires more irrigation.

How Much to Plant

Sow at a rate of 5-10 lbs per 1000 sq ft for new lawns or 2-5 lbs per 1000 sq ft when overseeding existing turf. For pastures, 25-35 lbs per acre is typical.

Planting Methods

Broadcast spreading, drop spreaders, slit seeders and drill seeding are all effective. Lightly rake seed into the soil no deeper than 1⁄4 inch. Gently roll or press seed into soil.

Post-Planting Care

Keep soil moist but not saturated until germination. Once established, water 1 inch per week. Mow at 1.5-2.5 inch height for lawns, 2-3 inches for sports turf when growth dictates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is perennial ryegrass an annual or perennial grass?

Unlike annual ryegrass which lives one season, perennial ryegrass is capable of persisting for multiple years with proper management. But its longevity declines in hot climates.

How long does perennial ryegrass last?

In cool northern regions, a well-maintained perennial ryegrass lawn or pasture can last 5-10 years or longer before renovation is needed. In warm southern climates it thins out faster and may only persist 2-3 years.

Is perennial ryegrass invasive?

Perennial ryegrass can potentially become invasive in some environments if allowed to go to seed. Reseeding should be avoided near native plantings and gardens where volunteer seedlings are unwanted.

What type of grass is best with perennial rye?

Cool-season perennial ryegrass blends well with other grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue. Warm-season bermudagrass and zoysia lawns are often overseeded with perennial ryegrass for winter color.

Is perennial ryegrass good for clay soil?

Yes, perennial ryegrass is able to tolerate a wide range of soil textures including heavy clay. Improving drainage and incorporating organic matter can further help when establishing ryegrass on clay.

Does perennial ryegrass spread?

Unlike spreading grasses, perennial ryegrass grows in clumps rather than spreading via stolons or rhizomes. Overseeding can help fill in bare spots between clumps over time.

Conclusion

When comparing the pros and cons, perennial ryegrass emerges as an excellent choice for lawns, sports fields, pasture, and many other uses in cool climates. Key benefits include rapid establishment, fine-bladed attractive turf, good cold tolerance, and traffic tolerance.

Downsides like a clumping growth habit, high water and mowing needs, and poor heat tolerance in southern zones should be considered. But proper variety selection and management practices can maximize the benefits while minimizing the disadvantages of growing perennial ryegrass for your specific location and needs.

Perennial Ryegrass: Pros and Cons Compared

This comprehensive 5000+ word article examines the pros, cons, uses, and characteristics of perennial ryegrass in depth. It compares perennial ryegrass against other common grasses and provides tips for successfully growing and maintaining it. The article aims to provide readers with detailed, factual information to help them determine if perennial ryegrass is the right choice for their needs based on an objective look at its strengths and weaknesses.