Often, perennial summer grass pastures of bahiagrass or bermudagrass are overseeded in the fall, as the summer grass begins to go dormant. Overseeding of warm-season grasses may delay the planting until November or December, due to competition of the perennial summer grass with ryegrass for soil moisture and nutrients. Often, producers wait until a first frost to seed. This delay in overseeding generally results in later ryegrass production, and total tonnage will be reduced. Lightly disking the summer grass pasture prior to overseeding will improve the ryegrass stand and promote earlier grazing.
Ryegrass grows well during the mild winters in Florida.
Extremely cold weather will decrease the growth of the plant. Some varieties have better cold tolerance than others and selection for improved cold tolerance is a major objective in the University of Florida's Ryegrass Breeding Program. Marshall has long been considered the best cold-tolerant ryegrass available commercially. However, it is susceptible to crown rust and gray leaf spot and does not yield as well as many of the newer varieties, especially in peninsular Florida. Ryegrass is very responsive to nitrogen and water availability.