Can ryegrass be grown in summer?

Ryegrass grows fast, has strong tillering ability and a well-developed root system. It can also be mowed and used multiple times. It is one of the better quality cool-season forage grasses, and is favored by many livestock and poultry. It has broad planting prospects. So can ryegrass be grown in summer? Let’s learn more about it below.

Can ryegrass be grown in summer?

Except for areas where it is spring all year round, such as Yunnan, where crops can be planted all year round, most other areas are suitable for planting in spring and autumn. Because ryegrass is a winter grass with good cold resistance but not high temperature resistance, once the temperature exceeds 35°C, ryegrass will stop growing or even die, so you should try to avoid planting ryegrass in the hot summer.

How to grow ryegrass?

1. Planting site selection

Ryegrass likes warm and humid environment but is not resistant to heat, likes fertilizer and can tolerate fertilizer but not barrenness, and tolerates moisture but not drought. Therefore, the site should be selected from paddy fields or dry land with deep, loose soil, fertile, moist, well-drained, and slightly acidic sandy soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5.

2. Seed treatment

Select plump, healthy ryegrass seeds and soak them in clean water for 2-4 hours until the seeds absorb water and swell. Then, wrap the soaked seeds with wet cloth and place them in an environment maintained at 20-30℃ for germination. Wash the seeds once a day and keep them moist. Generally, the seeds begin to germinate in about 5-10 days, and the germination rate can reach over 80%.

3. Sowing method

Broadcasting or row sowing methods are often used. Generally, row sowing is used for harvesting forage grass, with a row spacing of 30 cm and a sowing rate of about 1 kg per mu. For grazing, it needs to be mixed with leguminous forage. Generally, red clover or white clover is chosen for mixed sowing. 250-500 grams of perennial ryegrass seeds are broadcast per acre.

4. Timely irrigation

After sowing, irrigate immediately to ensure that the seeds receive adequate moisture. During the germination period, the soil needs to be kept moist, but do not over-irrigate to prevent the seeds from being washed away.

5. Field management

Field management mainly revolves around two key links: watering and fertilizing. Generally, ryegrass can be mowed 45-50 days after sowing. Apply 10-15 kg/mu of urea or compound fertilizer after each mowing, and do it 3-5 days after mowing to avoid burning the grass stubble and grass tips and causing rot. Irrigation should be carried out in time after topdressing, and any stagnant water in the field should be drained out in time to avoid root rot.

Generally speaking, summer is not suitable for growing ryegrass. The sowing time can usually be chosen in autumn or early spring. Just pay attention to mastering the correct sowing method. At the same time, the sowing depth should not be too deep, so as not to affect the uniformity of seedling emergence.