Lolium perenne Seeds | Perennial Ryegrass
LATIN NAME: Lolium perenne
COMMON NAME: Perennial Ryegrass
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Perennial Ryegrass, Lolium perenne is a perennial in the grass family. Ryegrass fills meadow with dense, fine, green blades, and slender, green flower spikes rise above them. It is a grass of open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained ground. Not many plants ask so little and repay so much.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the grass family regularly include Lolium perenne in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. For practical purposes the message is encouraging: generations of cultivation have produced plants of predictable, well-mannered garden character.
Uses & Benefits
Perennial Ryegrass works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. It is a fine, steady grass of open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained garden. Sow in early spring or autumn for thick sward, and blades will close over in the first season. To grow ryegrass from seed, sow small, slender seeds a little under surface of row of fine, moist soil, keep row in a bright, open spot and water gently. It takes hold quickly and asks for no special treatment from then on.
Ryegrasses are the world’s premier lawn and pasture grasses; a fungus in wild seed can be toxic, which is why agricultural seed is certified endophyte-safe.
Growing from Seed
Perennial Ryegrass is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow thinly on the surface of a loose, well-drained seed compost, cover lightly, water in gently and keep the tray in a sunny spot with even moisture. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Few garden plants carry such a documented history of use as this one does. Perennial Ryegrass earns its space through character rather than fuss. Beginners will find it patient of imperfect technique.
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