Perennial ryegrass seed develops into a robust, rough and tumble kind of lawn. It can handle kids, pets, and sports with relative ease. If you do find the occasional sparse patch, a quick reseeding with some perennial ryegrass seeds will have your lawn looking better in no time due to the grass’ very short germination time. Nature’s Finest Seed offers a ryegrass blend, as well as some bluegrass and ryegrass mix varieties.
Still, it’s always good to know the tips for keeping your lawn as resilient as possible, and as traffic-tolerant as possible. Keep the following in mind as you care for your perennial ryegrass lawn:
• A water-deprived, drought-dormant perennial ryegrass lawn will be more susceptible to damage than a well-watered one—so don’t skimp on the watering! Water often but deeply, so your lawn has the chance to grow deep roots and increase its resistance against injury. If the lawn does go dormant, be more conscious of the amount of traffic on it, and save your sport sessions for when it’s greened up.
• Scalping your lawn (cutting it extremely short) will also weaken it. Grow your perennial ryegrass seed lawn tall to support the deep root system it requires.
• If you anticipate a constant path being used for a designated area such as a bench or a garden, consider putting down runners or stepping stones so you won’t constantly have to repair the same spot. Try to keep traffic as even as possible across the lawn area.
• Fertilize your lawn correctly. Too little, and the grass will not have the nutrients to rebuild itself. Too much, and the grass will grow quickly with shallow roots and little resistance. (Potassium in particular will help encourage ryegrass seeds to re-grow and repair.)
• One of the biggest damages from traffic is soil compaction, which makes it difficult for roots to grow. Aerate your soil as needed to prevent this problem.
It’s always better to prevent damage than repair it. Using these tips will help prevent future damage to your lawn, and allow it to withstand whatever the kids can throw at it.
