Difference in Rye Grasses ?

[EdTLawn]

What is the difference between perennial and annual ryegrasses or are they the same ?

[ant]

perennial will grow year after year and annual ryegrasses will grow one growing season.

http://www.ryegrasses.com/

[RigglePLC]

Annual ryegrass is poor in quality, light green, shreds when you mow it, and sometimes persists beyound the first year and becomes a problem.

Perennial ryegrass is far better. However, there are over a hundred different cultivars. The bad are really bad (generic quality) and the good are really good. Two of the top cultivars that I remember are "Derby Xtreme", and "Amazing". Also consider "SR4220", "Palmer IV" and "Blazer IV". The top cultivars in the NTEP trials will have good resistance to heat and drought, plus resistance or tolerance to gray leaf spot, red thread, dollar spot, and maybe to brown patch, snowmold and rust.

The top types will also have endophytes. Fungi that live within the plant and protect the grass from above ground insects.

Rye is happiest north of Cincinatti.

[Runner]

About the only thing annual rye is good for is its quick germination. This is mixed in with different cultivars to produce a quick blanket to help hold moisture and create just a tad bit of shade. A large asset to this is a quick erosion control until the other seed starts filling in. Personally, I never really use it. Once in a great while I may come across some sort of mixture that has it, but not very often.