Hello,
Do you recommend over seeding a St. Augustine lawn with Rye grass in the winter? Would it be beneficial to the soil or should I leave it alone?
I am in Dallas, Tx.

Thanks

While you're waiting for the experts to reply, I'll pass on what I've heard the DD say about overseeding with rye. It's a matter of preference, but the rye is hard to get rid of in the spring.

Pat Akin

I've never heard that rye was hard to get rid of. Even perennial rye dies out in our weather.

My wife has been after me for years to overseed our St Augustine lawn with annual rye in the winter. I've always resisted because I didn't like the idea of mowing all year round. But this year I've come to the realization that I spend much of the winter mowing anyway to mulch leaves that collect on the lawn. So this fall I figure I'll give it a try.

Is there any particular type of rye I should look for? I keep our St. Augustine lawn pretty tall (about 4.5") is this going to be a problem for the rye? I presume no harm will come to the St. Augustine, is this accurate? Is there anything else I should know/consider?

No thoughts on my previous post yet... but I had another idea... is some sort of winter wheat a vialbe alternative to overseeding a lawn with rye? Just curious.

I overseeded with Perennial Rye only once. It is definitely a chore to mow. It is very moist, so it is really hard to mow. If we have a wet winter, you may have to go a while before you can mow it. It really needs to be mowed every four or five days. Although it does die back when it begins to get warm, it will compete with your warm season grass for a while. It has been three years since I planted the rye and it still comes back in spots.

It is very pretty but I didn't have the time to keep it mowed.