To Rye or Not to Rye

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
Cptcameron
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To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by Cptcameron » October 19th, 2017, 11:23 am

So that is the question. I have worked really hard on my lawn this summer and it is looking really good (thanks to you all on this form). So good, that I am scared to put out Rye grass because some say it can put weeds in the yard. I have been battling crabgrass all summer and I have been winning thanks to Celsius. I used a whole bottle of Celsius to kill the crabgrass with continual spot spraying. I have just bought some pre emergent with dimension in it to apply to the yard. My wife loves the look of Rye grass, as I apply it every year to make the lawn green year round. Any suggestions? Should I apply the pre emergent and hold off on the rye, and continues the battle with the crabgrass, or should I put the rye out?

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andy10917
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by andy10917 » October 19th, 2017, 10:26 pm

I am scared to put out Rye grass because some say it can put weeds in the yard
Please ID who "Some" is, and what evidence there is that PR will bring weeds.

PW405
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by PW405 » October 19th, 2017, 11:08 pm

I always enjoy a little annual rye over dormant bermuda. Rye seeds (or any grass seed purchased) has the possibility of containing weed seeds,but that doesn't mean that it is guaranteed that all rye seed will be contaminated.

Green
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by Green » October 19th, 2017, 11:10 pm

Along the lines of what has already been posted...have you ever actually had any weeds with this process?
And, do you slit seeding into the Bermuda grass lawn, or just broadcasting non-invasively? Slit-seeding, extra watering for germination, or lower quality seed can all contribute to weed issues...but if you've never had problems, why worry?

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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by bpgreen » October 20th, 2017, 1:20 am

andy10917 wrote:
October 19th, 2017, 10:26 pm
I am scared to put out Rye grass because some say it can put weeds in the yard
Please ID who "Some" is, and what evidence there is that PR will bring weeds.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xCrineST-rA/ ... 160409.jpg


PW405
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by PW405 » October 20th, 2017, 2:05 am

This isn't the best photo for comparison since the "after" looks darker due to lighting... BUT, I would much rather have long wavy shiny rye all winter than brown muddy-mushy-bermuda stems.
Some have said that rye helps naturally prevent weeds in the spring since blowing weed seeds aren't able to make contact with soil as well. I have no scientific evidence to support that claim, but I'm choosing to believe it.
Image

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nclawnguy
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by nclawnguy » October 20th, 2017, 10:27 am

If the rye you purchase has 0% weed seeds and other crop then you will be fine. The common practice for overseeding bermuda with rye is to use perennial rye, not annual.

PW405
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by PW405 » October 20th, 2017, 7:11 pm

nclawnguy wrote:
October 20th, 2017, 10:27 am
If the rye you purchase has 0% weed seeds and other crop then you will be fine. The common practice for overseeding bermuda with rye is to use perennial rye, not annual.
Wait... wouldn't one want annual rye so it dies out and allows the bermuda to recover in the hot months?

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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by Cptcameron » October 21st, 2017, 8:55 pm

Thanks everyone for your reply’s. “Some” were a landscaper and a neighbor. I decided to save the preM for this spring and apply the annual Rye. Thanks again for everyone’s responses, I really do appreciate the time and effort you all put in this forum.

Cptcameron
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by Cptcameron » October 21st, 2017, 9:36 pm

Green.. I use a broadcast spreader... I yard has always had weeds come spring, but I never put PreM down in the spring or the fall.. this year I am really concentrating on killing and preventing the weeds. I put some preM with dimension out in June, so it is probably a over kill to reapply now. I liked the split app I read on here for next spring, so I am saving the PreM to do the split application come March..

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andy10917
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by andy10917 » October 21st, 2017, 9:58 pm

I put some preM with dimension out in June, so it is probably a over kill to reapply now.
Think again.

Cptcameron
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by Cptcameron » October 22nd, 2017, 7:48 am

Andy, are you saying I should apply the PreM? Even though I applied the annual rye?

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andy10917
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by andy10917 » October 22nd, 2017, 8:39 am

No, whether to apply is up to you. But your thought that Fall applications are unnecessary is wrong - many of the Spring weeds are weeds that germinated during the previous Fall. Skipping that is not without costs.

What application rate did you use in June, and what was the number of months of expected coverage?

Cptcameron
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by Cptcameron » October 22nd, 2017, 1:46 pm

Ok... I put a 35lb bag of hi yield turf and ornamental weed and grass stopper containing dimension down over 15,000 sq feet. Which I believe is roughly 2lbs per 1,000 sq feet. It calls for 4- 4.7lbs per 1,000 sq feet 3-4 months. And to not put more than 27.6 lbs per 1,000 sq feet out over a year... I think I did not put enough down, unless I did the math wrong.. I am terrible at this, but I am learning. Any help is much appreciated Andy, I know you must look at my post and say, god help that poor soul!

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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by Green » October 22nd, 2017, 8:09 pm

Cptcameron wrote:
October 22nd, 2017, 1:46 pm
Ok... I put a 35lb bag of hi yield turf and ornamental weed and grass stopper containing dimension down over 15,000 sq feet. Which I believe is roughly 2lbs per 1,000 sq feet. It calls for 4- 4.7lbs per 1,000 sq feet 3-4 months. And to not put more than 27.6 lbs per 1,000 sq feet out over a year... I think I did not put enough down, unless I did the math wrong.. I am terrible at this, but I am learning. Any help is much appreciated Andy, I know you must look at my post and say, god help that poor soul!
I'll chime in again, because I used to use that exact product all the time. I still do, just not as often, because I've found more cost effective alternatives (but they have Potassium, so I go back to using the Hi-Yield late in the Fall).

You're correct that your rate (roughly 2.3 lbs/K) was a bit on the low side. I, too, used to use fairly low rates, about the same as what you used, and I'd get crabgrass and other weeds breaking through in early July.

If memory serves me right, that's a 0.125% Dimension product. I've since standardized on 4 lbs/K of a 0.15% product, and it lasts almost until overseeding time in my area, which is perfect. Doing the math, that rate would be equivalent to 4.8 lbs/K of the Hi-Yield product. As you can see, the cost starts adding up (unless you can get product for a lower price). So, that's why I've mostly switched to a different product that ends up being half the net cost.

crabgrass1981
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by crabgrass1981 » October 23rd, 2017, 5:02 am

What was the more cost effective preM?

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nclawnguy
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by nclawnguy » October 23rd, 2017, 11:15 am

PW405 wrote:
October 20th, 2017, 7:11 pm
nclawnguy wrote:
October 20th, 2017, 10:27 am
If the rye you purchase has 0% weed seeds and other crop then you will be fine. The common practice for overseeding bermuda with rye is to use perennial rye, not annual.
Wait... wouldn't one want annual rye so it dies out and allows the bermuda to recover in the hot months?
Honestly, annual rye is ugly grass in my opinion. Perennial rye will die out in the summer as well and will look 100x better in the fall and winter. Golf courses and sport fields overseed with perennial rye, not annual.

Green
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by Green » October 24th, 2017, 12:11 am

crabgrass1981 wrote:
October 23rd, 2017, 5:02 am
What was the more cost effective preM?
I can no longer get the Hi-Yield locally, so I have to ordsr it online. The 35-lb bag is over $40 that way. I can get stronger 0.15% Dimension 0-0-7 for $20-25 per 50 lb bag at a local landscape supplier.much better deal. I don't remember exactly how much the Hi-Yield used to be locally...but it wasn't as good a deal.

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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by HoosierDaddy » October 24th, 2017, 3:00 pm

Blue or Blue Not (TTTF), there is no Rye.

:)

Cptcameron
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Re: To Rye or Not to Rye

Post by Cptcameron » October 26th, 2017, 6:46 am

Hoosier do you put out TTTF and Ken Blue instead of rye in the fall? Does this give you the green all winter and die off in the summer like rye? Please explain this language that you speak of...

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