Perennial ryegrass (botanical: Lolium perenne) is one of the most commonly used lawn grasses. Here we present everything you need to know: from the properties to the use of Lolium perenne for lawns in the garden.
Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is originally native to Europe, to the foothills of the Himalayas and North Africa, and to many other parts of the world as a new citizen (neophyte). Find. It has many properties that make it the almost perfect lawn grass and, beyond that, makes no special demands on its environment. This makes it comparatively easy to care for and it is hardly surprising that it is used successfully as an all-round talent in many seed mixtures for lawns. In this article we would like to introduce you to Lolium perenne, which is an important part of our Plantura Premium lawn family, in all its green facets.
Lolium perenne: origin and description
Lolium perenne, like most lawn grasses, belongs to the sweet grasses (Poaceae). Its original home is roughly in Europe and North Africa. However, today it can be found in all parts of the world because of its good qualities. It loves nitrogen-rich, medium-moist soils that may be slightly compacted.
As the species name perenne (Latin "eternal") suggests, perennial ryegrass is perennial. So it not only lives for one summer, but hibernates, delighting us for many years to come. It grows quickly and in small clumps called clumps. Depending on the variety, perennial ryegrass produces runners to a greater or lesser extent. These stolons originate at the base of a plant, move away from it above ground, and then root elsewhere - where a new grass plant grows. This property makes Lolium perenne very valuable in lawns, because holes and gaps are closed quickly and reliably before weeds can spread. This is exactly why it is included in our Plantura reseeding, so that your thinned lawn will be dense and lush green again after a short time. Includedwe rely on particularly well-growing varieties of ryegrass, which we will present to you in more detail below.
Properties and uses of perennial ryegrass
For a quick overview, we have briefly summarized the properties of ryegrass and then briefly discuss its use.
What are the properties of Lolium perenne?
The following table shows the most important properties of Lolium perenne.
| Perennial ryegrass in brief | |
|---|---|
| Features | Very regenerating as it drives off runners, dense growth in clumps, glossy green leaves, red-violet base |
| Claims | Adequate nutrient and water supply, normal soil |
| Durability | High to very high, very good ability to recover from damage |
| Usage | Sports and play turf, lawn reseeding, lawn repair and various other mixtures |
| Germination time and development | Very fast germinating (7 - 14 days), competitive growth, rapid development |
| Minimum cutting height | Depending on the variety 6 to 30 mm |
| Special Features | Slightly susceptible to frost, some varieties susceptible to snow mold |
Perennial ryegrass germinates and grows quickly and is a rich green colour. This beautiful color even makes it possible to use it in fine ornamental lawns. Sown in lawns, it tolerates mowing and walking very well and grows dense and fine-leaved. However, it is slightly sensitive to frost. Because a large part of the small tufts of grass can be lost in severe winters and at high altitudes, reseeding is recommended on most areas every few years in order to maintain the dense growth and regenerative capacity of a lawn.
Perennial ryegrass needs normal to good soil and a good supply of nutrients to grow well. It also loves a damp, vigorous climate and mild winters, which are becoming increasingly common in Germany. On compacted, constantly wet soils, some varieties of Lolium perenne can be affected by snow mold, a fungal disease. Soils with corresponding properties should be loosened particularly thoroughly and deeply before sowing and loosened with permeable additives such as sand and mature compost.
Expert-Tip: For Lolium perenne to grow well with you, you don't need particularly good soil or a particularly mild climate. With primarily organic lawn fertilization, for example with our Plantura organic lawn fertilizer, your soil can be improved during and after sowing in such a way that the ryegrass grows densely and without diseases. If you are affected by very harsh winters, reseeding the ryegrass will help. Lawn reseeding is regularly necessary at many locations and represents a quick, effective regeneration of the lawn.
How is Lolium perenne used?
Lolium perenne is used both as fodder grass for grazing animals and in mixtures for domestic lawns or for landscaped lawns due to its persistent growth. Because of its high regenerative capacity and its lush green appearance, it is also included in mixtures for fine ornamental lawns and sports field lawns. Hardly any lawn can do without this all-rounder among the lawn grasses. However, different grades are used depending on the desired properties and prevailing conditions. Some particularly good varieties will be presented to you in the course of this article.
Lolium perenne and special types of grass are also included in our Plantura play and sports turf as well as our Plantura dry turf and Plantura shaded turf because of their many good properties. Because the grass has such a great ability to regenerate, it is also used in our Plantura lawn reseeding and Plantura lawn repairs.
By the way: A relative of perennial ryegrass, annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is a dreaded and undesirable weed in lawns. As soon as you spot it, you should fight this ryegrass in the lawn. It is recognizable by its light green color and often forms clumps that spread out and crowd out other grasses.
Different varieties of Lolium perenne
Although perennial ryegrass already has various good properties, breeders have been successfully improving it for years. This is how more than 100 cultivated varieties of Lolium perenne have come together, which have slightly different properties than the original species due to their breeding process. They are also used in mixtures such as our Plantura Premium Lawn Seed Mixtures, to an optim alto maintain an adapted, he althy lawn. We would like to briefly introduce a few of the particularly good varieties to you here:
Lolium perenne ′Adagio′:
Fast growing, therefore frequent mowing necessary. Sufficiently hardy and still green in winter. Forms fine leaves and a dense sward. Good competitiveness against weeds. Medium durability. Good suitability for sports and play turf and utility turf.
Lolium perenne ′Barolympic′:
Medium fast growing and medium green. Forms an extremely dense turf and suppresses weeds. Very durable. Extremely good variety for utility lawns and sports and play lawns. Also suitable for ornamental lawns.
Lolium perenne ′Ceretec Centurion′:
Medium fast growing, even at low temperatures, making it competitive with weeds and Moss. Good regenerative capacity, forms a very dense scar. Also dark green in winter, very fine leaves, tolerates deep pruning of up to 12 mm. Tolerates drought. Use in sports field lawns, universal mixing partner.
Lolium perenne 'Corsica′
Slower growing, therefore less mowing. Medium to dark green, extremely good ability to regenerate due to many strong runners. Also closes larger holes in the lawn. Suitable for very deep cuts. Forms a very dense carpet of grass. Very durable. Use in fine golf turf, turf reseeding and turf repair; universal use. The 'Corsica' variety is included in many of our Plantura Premium lawn seed mixtures.
Lolium perenne ′Esquire′:
Grows well in cooler temperatures, giving it an early start in spring and growing in the Autumn still grows for a long time. Competitive against weeds. High-quality look thanks to fine culms, deep dark green, still green even in winter. Resistant to many lawn diseases. Dense growing. Not very regenerative. Fast growing, therefore frequent mowing necessary.
Lolium perenne ′Eventus′:
Medium fast growing and medium green. Attractive color even in winter. High turf density and good weed suppression. Very hard-wearing and therefore well suited for utility, sports and play lawns, but also decorative lawns.
Lolium perenne 'New Orleans′:
Medium fast growing. Very good ability to regenerate due to strong formation of runners, therefore often used in mixtures for sports fields or overseeding or lawn repairs. Dense growth and attractive medium green colour. Suitable fordeep cut. Universal application in many lawn seed mixtures, such as sports and play lawns. The 'New Orleans' variety is included in many of our Plantura Premium Lawn Seed Mixtures.
Lolium perenne ′Shorty′:
Medium fast growing, light to medium green. Forms sufficiently dense turf and is sufficiently competitive with weeds. Attractive color even in winter. Hard-wearing, therefore well-suited for commercial lawns and play and sports lawns.
Conclusion: Why shouldn't Lolium perenne be missing from any good lawn?
Perennial ryegrass has many excellent properties that make it invaluable in all lawn seed mixtures in home gardens:
- Very cut compatible and resilient
- Powerful Self-Regeneration
- High-quality, fine-leaved and dense optics
- Rapid germination ensures that the seed emerges quickly and suppresses weeds quickly in mixtures such as Plantura Lawn Reseeding or Plantura Lawn Repair
- Competitive growth with strong offshoots can be observed, for example, with our Plantura play and sports turf or our Plantura shaded turf
- Comparatively high drought tolerance, visible for example in our Plantura dry grassland
In summary, Lolium perenne should be included in all quality home lawn seed mixes. The species already has very good characteristics by nature, which are clearly visible in all normal locations. Through the skilful use of further developed varieties, an optimal adaptation to the respective location can be achieved. In this way the grass is always at its best, he althiest and greenest.
Expert Tip: Some manufacturers offer domestic lawn mixtures that only contain Lolium perenne. Although perennial ryegrass has many good qualities, it is unfortunately not suitable as a soloist! Every lawn consists of grasses with different properties, and Lolium perenne only shows its qualities in combination with other grasses that are harder to walk on, winter hardy and drought-tolerant. Therefore, the rule of thumb is: Stay away from cheap mixtures that only contain Lolium perenne! An exception is of course lawn reseeding, which only replaces thelost perennial ryegrass in a lawn.