Description

Family

  • Grass.
  • Perennial, annual or Italian ryegrass.
Thick growth of ryegrass
Figure 1. Thick growth of ryegrass

Growth habits

Germination

  • Annual ryegrass is prone to reseeding.
  • Perennial ryegrass is slow to establish with lower seedling vigour than annual ryegrass.

Top growth

  • Shade tolerant, often used in orchards and vineyards for ground cover.
  • Annual ryegrass grows 60 to 120 cm.
  • Perennial ryegrass will grow 30 to 90 cm annually for 3–4 years and is competitive and aggressive when established.
  • Generally performs poorly in warm temperatures, dry soils and poor fertility.

Root system

  • Dense, fibrous root system that roots deeply.

Site suitability

  • Annual ryegrass tolerates more standing water than perennial ryegrass.
  • Grows best on medium to heavy soils.
  • High requirements for moisture and nutrients.

Control options

  • Tillage and herbicide burndown.

Sensitivity to herbicides: Weed control

  • There are no herbicides registered for weed control in ryegrass. Use good agronomic practices to establish a vigorous crop canopy as quickly as possible.

Benefits and concerns

Nutrient management

  • Heavy nitrogen feeder when established.
  • Wide C:N ratio of residue means N will not be released quickly.

Pest management

  • Rapid and aggressive growth will suppress weeds.

Organic matter

  • Forms a dense sod and lumpy seedbed — can cause some problems with establishment of subsequent crop.

Erosion control

  • Used for permaculture areas as erosion control and weed control measure.

Soil moisture

  • Tolerant of high soil moisture conditions.

Getting started

Establishment

  • Fine firm seedbed needed.

Cost and availability

  • Seed readily available.
  • Perennial more expensive than annual ryegrass.
  • Cost can be variety dependent; low growing turf hybrids are more expensive.