29-10-2004, 06:53 AM
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(Art Vega) wrote in message . com...
Hello,
I have been living in a house for the past two years,
and this year I'm considering growing rye grass in
the backyard so it looks more lively.
Does it hurt the existing St. Augustin grass in the
spring? Does it grow fast? Do I need to water it a lot?
Please tell me about the advantages and disadvantages.
Thanks and regards,
Art
I do athletic field maintainance, and rye overseeding is a common
strategy. Not sure why you'd want it over St. Augustine, as that
should be reasonably green in the winter. We often use it over common
Bermuda, which hibernates during the winter. The key there is to scalp
it in the late spring, because Bermuda won't wake up until it gets a
lot of sun, and overhanging rye doesn't allow that. StA is not that
happy with shade either, so my guess would be that rye won't help that
grass a lot any time of year. Certainly true about competition for
nutrients, but a good spring top dressing will help that.
My guess is that by the time you'd need to water it a lot to keep it
green, maybe it's time to let it die.
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