# Pure Ryegrass Lawn



## jcs43920 (Jun 3, 2019)

Hey guys, I notice everyone on al of my lawn pages and forums constantly talk about seeding TTTF and KBG. But I was wondering if anyone on here as a pure perennial rye lawn. I have personally had great experiences with rye. As a matter of fact I have several spots in my lawn I used Rye to fill in bare areas and thought it had better color than my KBG. So what exactly is the stigma about Rye? The newer cultivars are very dark green, it germinates and establishes super fast, and really makes for a nice Lawn. Why are so many folks against it or don't even consider it for their lawn.


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## double_e5 (May 3, 2020)

For a lot of people, it's their local climate. PRG doesn't like extended periods of heat and isn't as hardy as KBG for people with harsh winters. Some people also hate the stalks when it seeds out.


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## ksturfguy (Sep 25, 2018)

All the reasons listed above and i believe it more susceptible to fungus but could be wrong about that.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

All the above, plus it does not spread! Re seeding damaged areas and 'rejuvenating' may become a annual practice. That does not allow you to do proper PreM programme.


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## jcs43920 (Jun 3, 2019)

Yeah I guess those are all good reasons. I guess it all depends on your area but where I'm from in Ohio, Ryegrass seems to really do well. Some of the most beautiful lawns I've seen out here were rye. I just like the idea of how easy it is to fix if something happens. If you have a bare spot or whatever just throw some seed down and bam problem solved in two weeks. Bluegrass problems seem to take forever to fix unless you sod.


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## RCUK (Jul 16, 2018)

I'm doing a full rye renovation. Both are meant to have some creeping abilities, not to the same degree as KBG but something. Don't mind the annual fixing of bare spots, part of the fun seeing it grow from seed and take very quickly.

Not had seed stalk issues before either, depends on variety of course.

I've seen more seeds pop up from fescue, KBG and Poa Supina, again variety depending.

Some of the finest lawns like you say are pure rye, go for it if the climate is right &#128513;


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@ryanknorr has a prg lawn (aka. Sissygrass or wippygrass). It looks great low mow. I don't love the seed heads during the summer at higher hoc.

@lawntips backyard was also pgr (unless he change it). I know he was doing some Bermuda.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

g-man said:


> @lawntips backyard was also pgr (unless he change it). I know he was doing some Bermuda.


It's still PRG last time I checked. I think the only bermuda he was doing was his putting green area between his and his neighbors lawn.

I think PRG looks good and stripes great but it definitely has some down side depending on where you live.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

double_e5 said:


> For a lot of people, it's their local climate. PRG doesn't like extended periods of heat and isn't as hardy as KBG for people with harsh winters. Some people also hate the stalks when it seeds out.


Is the heat issue just a temperature thing or also a lack of water? Something that can be mitigated to some extent with irrigation?


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## Chris1 (Apr 22, 2020)

One PRG cultivar that spreads

https://www.barenbrug.com/rpr-regenerating-perennial-rye-grass


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Chris1 said:


> One PRG cultivar that spreads
> 
> https://www.barenbrug.com/rpr-regenerating-perennial-rye-grass


There are many on the market. None close to KBG. Similar to TTTF. Sideways and CSI are two I remember.


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## npompei (Sep 8, 2019)

Ok so I'll chime in here as currently, I'm 100% PRG! In my early poor grass knowledge I had read that it establishes quickly, greens up nicely, etc. I thought, that's what I need! I had a even worse idea to do my new construction reno in May of last year - suffice to say it was a major failure. So when I got after it last Sept. I wanted to make sure it was going to germinate and establish. My local turf store heard my wants and said PRG would germinate quickly, etc. So I did it. And it grew in really well all things considered. I basically did all of this myself, rented equipment, busted my ***, spent a ton of time and a good chunk of change.

Then I found out all the negatives about PRG ha!

So I was first worried about winter - luckily the first winter, last year, was very mild here. Basically no snow at all and mild temps. So, first winter, success!

This spring here was very weird. Super mild March, then a very cold April and somewhat mediocre May. I felt like I didn't get the big 'green up' a spring is supposed to have.

Summer has been brutal, as I am sure in Ohio you have as well. In fact, I believe this July was the 3rd hottest on record and may be something like the 8th hottest or even hotter summer recorded in Philly. I'm about 45min outside the city. So it's still young grass and establishing but this summer was harsh. No rain for weeks at a time and just blazing heat and humidity. I had fungus and heat stress galore. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Nearly threw in the towel and chalked it up to that 'sissy grass...' But I put down fungicide and it really turned it around. We just got a ton of water from the hurricane and I put down more fungicide and it's really turned around. I think I'm going to make it through the summer! And I feel like I can make it through any summer after this one!

Here are pictures from this summer

This is end of May when it was on fire, dark green and growing like crazy


These 2 are from end of June, right before all hell broke loose ha



This is from 2 days ago. Still signs of stress and recovery but considering this summer, I'll take it. Oh and please excuse the weeds around the sidewalk - we poured it in May and yeah, don't seed in the spring lol


So, if you can keep water on it and, like all grass really, stay on a good fungicide program I think you'll be just fine. I've got 30ksqft. so keeping water on it is not easy at all. If I had a smaller yard I'd feel way better about summers.

That said, I'm actually going to overseed with TTTF in a few weeks. I want to make sure I solidify the grass by helping it through winter and summer and I hope the TTTF will help with that. I could be wasting money but don't we all! But I have some areas that didn't recover, dog spots, edging, etc that need more grass regardless of the type. So figure put some TTTF in to hopefully give me a solid yard.

And like others have mentioned, @ryanknorr has a phenomenal PRG yard and I want to say he's in Iowa. So if he can have success with PRG in Iowa I can't see why you couldn't in Ohio! Watch his YT page, he's great

Hope that helps! And I'm a newb who just started trying to learn about grass about a year ago so take my words with a grain of salt ha.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@npompei Great writing man. One thing though. No snow cover is way more dangerous than a thick snow. This is how everything survives here... We would be obliterated without it. Desiccation is what kills and happens when grass is exposed to the elements.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@Chris1 and @Babameca all of the prg spread. It spreads via stolons. It is not as much as kbg since kbg is via the roots.


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## ksturfguy (Sep 25, 2018)

Looks good @npompei. I have test plots of TTTF, KBG, 90/10 mix of TTTF and KBG and a Zoysia plot. I've never messed with PRG. It's tempting lol


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

g-man said:


> @Chris1 and @Babameca all of the prg spread. It spreads via stolons. It is not as much as kbg since kbg is via the roots.


And it's ugly... I mean the spreading look. My personal opinion. I am renovating 3 yards (2 heavy overseeding) this year with GQ. PRG definitely has its place! But it is still dead 2nd on my list after KBG.


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## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

At least here in where im at, literally in the best location to grow ryegrass, I have had nothing but bad luck with seedheads as @g-man has mentioned. They start inn about June and dont go away until September starting the 2nd year. I cant deal with the brown haze over the turf when there is nothing i can do about it. Mow high, mow low, dethatch, growth regulator, nothing worked. What did work was killing it all and planting KBG.

Maybe if i could maintain low HOC like @ryanknorr or @lawntips but at 1-1.5" it just looked like crap during prime growing season for me.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Babameca said:


> And it's ugly... I mean the spreading look. My personal opinion. I am renovating 3 yards (2 heavy overseeding) this year with GQ. PRG definitely has its place! But it is still dead 2nd on my list after KBG.


Well, it's a bunch grass. So, the spreading still occurs in bunches...a little bunch grows next to the bigger bunch as an offshoot. That's just how it grows.

Then again, some KBG types do something similar, while others are not bunchy at all.

-----------------

Ryegrass is still the most used type of grass seed (more pounds than any other type per year generally).


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## jcs43920 (Jun 3, 2019)

npompei said:


> Ok so I'll chime in here as currently, I'm 100% PRG! In my early poor grass knowledge I had read that it establishes quickly, greens up nicely, etc. I thought, that's what I need! I had a even worse idea to do my new construction reno in May of last year - suffice to say it was a major failure. So when I got after it last Sept. I wanted to make sure it was going to germinate and establish. My local turf store heard my wants and said PRG would germinate quickly, etc. So I did it. And it grew in really well all things considered. I basically did all of this myself, rented equipment, busted my @ss, spent a ton of time and a good chunk of change.
> 
> Then I found out all the negatives about PRG ha!
> 
> ...


Good write up and great pictures. What varieties of rye did you use on that? Also have you tried seeing how it responds to a treatment of iron?


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## npompei (Sep 8, 2019)

Thanks @Babameca @ksturfguy @jcs43920 
I'm just trying to help someone out. I've learned so much on here, just trying to pay the little experience I have forward!

Good question @jcs43920 here's the picture I found from last year - 


And funny you mention about iron, I just bought a sprayer and put it together yesterday so it's time for liquids! But, to that point, is it wise to do so before an overseed and or a few weeks after overseeding? I don't want to jump start the grass before I overseed and conversely, don't want to harm the new seeds if I put it down too soon after seeding.

In fact, my Feature 6-0-0 just came in the mail today  so I'd love to throw er down if I can but don't want to do anything that will hurt my overseed when I start in a few weeks. Any advice here folks?


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@npompei I completely understand the impatience . Give your new seeds what they need. 1. Water, 2. P 2 weeks in (some N helps get P in), 3. Prayers for NO thunderstorms.
All the rest is 'cosmetic' and you will have plenty of time to experiment with.


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## jcs43920 (Jun 3, 2019)

npompei said:


> Thanks @Babameca @ksturfguy @jcs43920
> I'm just trying to help someone out. I've learned so much on here, just trying to pay the little experience I have forward!
> 
> Good question @jcs43920 here's the picture I found from last year -
> ...


That's awesome. That looks like Jacklin seeds medalist gold blend. I actually bought 5lbs of it about a month back to try out in a few spots in my backyard. Glad to see it looks so nice.

I would think iron would be safe to put down then. It doesn't push growth like Nitrogen does it mainly just helps the plant produce more chlorophyll which darkens the plant. I personally would wait till after the overseed since extra iron treatments are more of a cosmetic thing than a super beneficial macronutrient like Nitrogen, phos, etc.


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## npompei (Sep 8, 2019)

I appreciate the replies! @Babameca @jcs43920

I guess I'll wait lol. Mid October can't get here soon enough haha


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