6 states with a calendar

Perennial ryegrass lawn care by state.

Perennial ryegrass always shares a state's cool-season calendar; Texas and Georgia mention it only as an overseeding choice for warm-season lawns.

By LawnYear editorial team · Published October 29, 2026 · Updated October 30, 2026Windows are read from the extension publications listed under Sources; the dates are approximate.

Approximate dates for your state. Check with your local cooperative extension office before you act.

One shared calendar per state

Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and New Jersey each give perennial ryegrass the same windows as Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue, because their sources discuss cool-season grasses as a group. Ohio's F.S. 101 mows it at 2 to 2.5 in together with bluegrass and fine fescues.

Ryegrass in warm-season lawns

Ryegrass is also what Texas and Georgia sources mention for overseeding warm-season lawns. The Texas bermudagrass calendar says to skip the fall preemergent herbicide if you plan to overseed with ryegrass. The Georgia zoysiagrass and centipedegrass calendars say overseeding with ryegrass is not recommended. Those two states have no ryegrass calendar of their own on this site.

Seed rates where they are given

New Jersey seeds perennial ryegrass at 4 to 6 lb per 1,000 sq ft. Kentucky's fertilizing publication lists it with Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue at 2 to 4 lb of nitrogen a year, in autumn, but Kentucky has no ryegrass calendar on this site. Indiana and Wisconsin cover it only as part of their cool-season calendars.

Perennial ryegrass windows by state

For dates by ZIP code, use the lawn schedule by ZIP tool.

Virginia
- Seed: Aug 15 – Oct 15Preferred seeding time for initial establishment or renovation. The chart marks it across the August to October columns; the dates are this site's reading of the mark, so treat them as approximate for all of Virginia.
- Seed: Mar 1 – May 31Second-best seeding time, March to May. Fall seeding is preferred.
- Fertilize: Aug 15 – Oct 31Preferred nitrogen timing is fall: up to 0.7 lb water-soluble N per 1,000 sq ft every 3 to 4 weeks. Months are read from the chart mark and are approximate; test the soil every 3 to 4 years.
- Fertilize: Mar 1 – May 31Second-best nitrogen timing, March to May: 0.25 to 0.5 lb water-soluble N per 1,000 sq ft every 4 to 8 weeks.
- Weed control: Mar 1 – Apr 30Spring preemergent herbicide against crabgrass, goosegrass and foxtail (March to April on the chart). Skip it where you plan to seed.
- Weed control: Aug 15 – Sep 15Fall preemergent herbicide against annual bluegrass and winter annual broadleaves such as henbit and chickweed. Skip it where you plan to seed.
[1]Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech), 2025(opens in a new tab)
Pennsylvania
- Seed: Aug 15 – Oct 15Late summer is the optimum time to seed in most of Pennsylvania (late August and early September); seeding later than mid-October is not suggested. Start date is interpreted from 'late summer'.
- Fertilize: Apr 15 – May 31Nitrogen is applied in mid- to late spring and/or late summer to early fall; follow the label rate. Window is interpreted from 'mid- to late spring'.
- Fertilize: Aug 15 – Oct 15Nitrogen is applied in mid- to late spring and/or late summer to early fall; follow the label rate. Window is interpreted from 'late summer/early fall'.
- Weed control: Mar 15 – May 15Preemergence herbicide for crabgrass in early to mid-spring: March 15 to April 15 in southeastern Pennsylvania, April 1 to May 1 in other areas, April 15 to May 15 in the northern tier and high-altitude counties. The union is shown; use your area's window.
[2]Penn State Extension (2025)(opens in a new tab)[3]Penn State Extension(opens in a new tab)[4]Penn State Extension (2016)(opens in a new tab)
Ohio
- Seed: Sep 1 – Sep 15Seeding, overseeding or renovation is best done by September 15 for fall establishment; if it cannot be done by October 15 in northern Ohio, wait until spring. Calendar is written for northeastern Ohio and covers all of Ohio only approximately.
- Seed: Mar 1 – Apr 30Spring seeding: sow as soon as the soil is workable, carried into early April if necessary (end of April is this site's reading of 'early April'). Fall is the better season. Calendar is written for northeastern Ohio and covers all of Ohio only approximately.
- Fertilize: Apr 1 – May 31Without a late-fall application: 1/2 lb actual N per 1,000 sq ft about April 1 and again about May 25. After a late-fall application: one spring application, in late April or early May, of no more than 3/4 lb N. Calendar is written for northeastern Ohio and covers all of Ohio only approximately.
- Fertilize: Oct 1 – Nov 30Late October or early November, after the first hard frost while the grass is still green: 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft; the calendar calls it the most important feeding of the year. Months are shown; wait for the frost. Calendar is written for northeastern Ohio and covers all of Ohio only approximately.
- Weed control: Apr 1 – Apr 25Preemergent herbicide for crabgrass and other annual grassy weeds in the first weeks of April; the deadline for northeastern Ohio is April 25.
- Mow: Apr 1 – Nov 30Bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fine fescues are mowed at 2 to 2.5 in; never remove more than 1/3 of the blade. A 2025 Ohio State article advises 3 to 4 in. Months run April to November as the calendar lists mowing in those sections.
[5]Ohio State University Extension, Lake County (2007)(opens in a new tab)[6]Ohio State University (Buckeye Turf), 2025(opens in a new tab)
Indiana
- Seed: Aug 15 – Sep 15Reseed thin or bare areas starting in the middle of August; the optimum seeding window is August 15 to September 15 in central Indiana. AY-27 describes lawns of cool-season grasses; maintenance levels (high, medium, low) are the publication's own.
- Fertilize: May 1 – May 31High maintenance only: 0.75 to 1.0 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in May, mostly slow release, unless fertilizer went down with a preemergence herbicide in April. Whole month shown.
- Fertilize: Sep 1 – Sep 301 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in September at every maintenance level. Whole month shown.
- Fertilize: Nov 1 – Nov 301.5 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in November at every maintenance level, as a fast-release product such as urea after the final mowing while the grass is still green. Whole month shown.
- Weed control: Apr 1 – Apr 30High and medium maintenance: a preemergence herbicide in April if crabgrass has been a problem. Use a product with little or no nitrogen, in slow-release form, and avoid more than 0.75 lb N per 1,000 sq ft. Whole month shown.
- Weed control: Oct 1 – Oct 31Control dandelions and other broadleaf weeds in October, when spot or blanket broadleaf herbicide applications are most effective. Whole month shown.
- Mow: Apr 1 – Nov 30Mow at 2.5 to 3.5 in from April, as soon as the lawn greens up, for as long as the grass is growing; do not lower the height for the last mowings. Remove no more than a third of the blade at once. Months are the calendar's April to November entries.
- Water: Jun 1 – Aug 31High maintenance only: irrigate as needed in summer, thoroughly, and do not water again until the first signs of drought stress. June to August are the calendar's entries.
[7]Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service (1998)(opens in a new tab)
Wisconsin
- Seed: Aug 20 – Sep 10Seed, sod or renovate in late August to early September (shown as August 20 to September 10, this site's reading of the season words), after preparing the soil 4 to 6 in deep. Early fall is the better choice.
- Seed: Apr 20 – May 10Spring seeding or overseeding in late April to early May (this site's reading) works only if seedlings can establish before hot weather; the calendar prefers early fall.
- Fertilize: Sep 1 – Sep 15Early fall, September 1 to 15, is the key nitrogen time for all lawns: about 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft of controlled-release nitrogen. Avoid mid-fall nitrogen. A3435 adds that no application should exceed 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft.
- Fertilize: May 20 – Jun 10Medium and high maintenance lawns get nitrogen in late May to early June, around Memorial Day (this site's reading): 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft in full sun and 1/2 lb in shade. The calendar says to wait until the second mowing in spring.
- Water: Jun 1 – Aug 31About 1 inch of water a week in summer keeps a lawn green and growing, applied early in the day, deeply and evenly; decide before drought whether to irrigate or let the lawn go dormant. Months are this site's reading of 'summer'.
[8]University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension (2025)(opens in a new tab)[9]University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension (2022)(opens in a new tab)
New Jersey
- Seed: Aug 15 – Oct 10Fall seeding runs August 20 to October 10 in southern New Jersey (Trenton and south) and August 15 to October 5 in the north; the window shown is the union of both. Perennial ryegrass is seeded at 4 to 6 lb per 1,000 sq ft. Spring is a secondary period, early spring, with no dates given.
- Fertilize: Aug 15 – Sep 30A lawn in full sun takes about 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft in late summer to early fall (shown as August 15 to September 30, this site's reading). Avoid fertilizing in the hot summer months.
- Fertilize: Nov 1 – Nov 30A second application in late fall is possible if lawn conditions and a soil test support it (shown as November, this site's reading).
- Weed control: Apr 1 – Apr 30Apply preemergent herbicide before crabgrass germinates, which is mid to late April in central and northern New Jersey and early to mid April in the south; Rutgers says to apply as soon as forsythia is in full bloom. The whole of April is this site's reading.
- Weed control: Jun 1 – Jun 15In areas with severe infestations or sandy soils, a second preemergent application in early June is suggested for some products (shown as June 1 to 15, this site's reading).
[10]Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), 2004(opens in a new tab)[11]Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), 2023(opens in a new tab)[12]Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), 2019(opens in a new tab)

State	Windows and notes	Sources
Virginia	Seed: Aug 15 – Oct 15Preferred seeding time for initial establishment or renovation. The chart marks it across the August to October columns; the dates are this site's reading of the mark, so treat them as approximate for all of Virginia. Seed: Mar 1 – May 31Second-best seeding time, March to May. Fall seeding is preferred. Fertilize: Aug 15 – Oct 31Preferred nitrogen timing is fall: up to 0.7 lb water-soluble N per 1,000 sq ft every 3 to 4 weeks. Months are read from the chart mark and are approximate; test the soil every 3 to 4 years. Fertilize: Mar 1 – May 31Second-best nitrogen timing, March to May: 0.25 to 0.5 lb water-soluble N per 1,000 sq ft every 4 to 8 weeks. Weed control: Mar 1 – Apr 30Spring preemergent herbicide against crabgrass, goosegrass and foxtail (March to April on the chart). Skip it where you plan to seed. Weed control: Aug 15 – Sep 15Fall preemergent herbicide against annual bluegrass and winter annual broadleaves such as henbit and chickweed. Skip it where you plan to seed.	[1]Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech), 2025(opens in a new tab)
Pennsylvania	Seed: Aug 15 – Oct 15Late summer is the optimum time to seed in most of Pennsylvania (late August and early September); seeding later than mid-October is not suggested. Start date is interpreted from 'late summer'. Fertilize: Apr 15 – May 31Nitrogen is applied in mid- to late spring and/or late summer to early fall; follow the label rate. Window is interpreted from 'mid- to late spring'. Fertilize: Aug 15 – Oct 15Nitrogen is applied in mid- to late spring and/or late summer to early fall; follow the label rate. Window is interpreted from 'late summer/early fall'. Weed control: Mar 15 – May 15Preemergence herbicide for crabgrass in early to mid-spring: March 15 to April 15 in southeastern Pennsylvania, April 1 to May 1 in other areas, April 15 to May 15 in the northern tier and high-altitude counties. The union is shown; use your area's window.	[2]Penn State Extension (2025)(opens in a new tab)[3]Penn State Extension(opens in a new tab)[4]Penn State Extension (2016)(opens in a new tab)
Ohio	Seed: Sep 1 – Sep 15Seeding, overseeding or renovation is best done by September 15 for fall establishment; if it cannot be done by October 15 in northern Ohio, wait until spring. Calendar is written for northeastern Ohio and covers all of Ohio only approximately. Seed: Mar 1 – Apr 30Spring seeding: sow as soon as the soil is workable, carried into early April if necessary (end of April is this site's reading of 'early April'). Fall is the better season. Calendar is written for northeastern Ohio and covers all of Ohio only approximately. Fertilize: Apr 1 – May 31Without a late-fall application: 1/2 lb actual N per 1,000 sq ft about April 1 and again about May 25. After a late-fall application: one spring application, in late April or early May, of no more than 3/4 lb N. Calendar is written for northeastern Ohio and covers all of Ohio only approximately. Fertilize: Oct 1 – Nov 30Late October or early November, after the first hard frost while the grass is still green: 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft; the calendar calls it the most important feeding of the year. Months are shown; wait for the frost. Calendar is written for northeastern Ohio and covers all of Ohio only approximately. Weed control: Apr 1 – Apr 25Preemergent herbicide for crabgrass and other annual grassy weeds in the first weeks of April; the deadline for northeastern Ohio is April 25. Mow: Apr 1 – Nov 30Bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fine fescues are mowed at 2 to 2.5 in; never remove more than 1/3 of the blade. A 2025 Ohio State article advises 3 to 4 in. Months run April to November as the calendar lists mowing in those sections.	[5]Ohio State University Extension, Lake County (2007)(opens in a new tab)[6]Ohio State University (Buckeye Turf), 2025(opens in a new tab)
Indiana	Seed: Aug 15 – Sep 15Reseed thin or bare areas starting in the middle of August; the optimum seeding window is August 15 to September 15 in central Indiana. AY-27 describes lawns of cool-season grasses; maintenance levels (high, medium, low) are the publication's own. Fertilize: May 1 – May 31High maintenance only: 0.75 to 1.0 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in May, mostly slow release, unless fertilizer went down with a preemergence herbicide in April. Whole month shown. Fertilize: Sep 1 – Sep 301 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in September at every maintenance level. Whole month shown. Fertilize: Nov 1 – Nov 301.5 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in November at every maintenance level, as a fast-release product such as urea after the final mowing while the grass is still green. Whole month shown. Weed control: Apr 1 – Apr 30High and medium maintenance: a preemergence herbicide in April if crabgrass has been a problem. Use a product with little or no nitrogen, in slow-release form, and avoid more than 0.75 lb N per 1,000 sq ft. Whole month shown. Weed control: Oct 1 – Oct 31Control dandelions and other broadleaf weeds in October, when spot or blanket broadleaf herbicide applications are most effective. Whole month shown. Mow: Apr 1 – Nov 30Mow at 2.5 to 3.5 in from April, as soon as the lawn greens up, for as long as the grass is growing; do not lower the height for the last mowings. Remove no more than a third of the blade at once. Months are the calendar's April to November entries. Water: Jun 1 – Aug 31High maintenance only: irrigate as needed in summer, thoroughly, and do not water again until the first signs of drought stress. June to August are the calendar's entries.	[7]Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service (1998)(opens in a new tab)
Wisconsin	Seed: Aug 20 – Sep 10Seed, sod or renovate in late August to early September (shown as August 20 to September 10, this site's reading of the season words), after preparing the soil 4 to 6 in deep. Early fall is the better choice. Seed: Apr 20 – May 10Spring seeding or overseeding in late April to early May (this site's reading) works only if seedlings can establish before hot weather; the calendar prefers early fall. Fertilize: Sep 1 – Sep 15Early fall, September 1 to 15, is the key nitrogen time for all lawns: about 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft of controlled-release nitrogen. Avoid mid-fall nitrogen. A3435 adds that no application should exceed 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft. Fertilize: May 20 – Jun 10Medium and high maintenance lawns get nitrogen in late May to early June, around Memorial Day (this site's reading): 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft in full sun and 1/2 lb in shade. The calendar says to wait until the second mowing in spring. Water: Jun 1 – Aug 31About 1 inch of water a week in summer keeps a lawn green and growing, applied early in the day, deeply and evenly; decide before drought whether to irrigate or let the lawn go dormant. Months are this site's reading of 'summer'.	[8]University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension (2025)(opens in a new tab)[9]University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension (2022)(opens in a new tab)
New Jersey	Seed: Aug 15 – Oct 10Fall seeding runs August 20 to October 10 in southern New Jersey (Trenton and south) and August 15 to October 5 in the north; the window shown is the union of both. Perennial ryegrass is seeded at 4 to 6 lb per 1,000 sq ft. Spring is a secondary period, early spring, with no dates given. Fertilize: Aug 15 – Sep 30A lawn in full sun takes about 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft in late summer to early fall (shown as August 15 to September 30, this site's reading). Avoid fertilizing in the hot summer months. Fertilize: Nov 1 – Nov 30A second application in late fall is possible if lawn conditions and a soil test support it (shown as November, this site's reading). Weed control: Apr 1 – Apr 30Apply preemergent herbicide before crabgrass germinates, which is mid to late April in central and northern New Jersey and early to mid April in the south; Rutgers says to apply as soon as forsythia is in full bloom. The whole of April is this site's reading. Weed control: Jun 1 – Jun 15In areas with severe infestations or sandy soils, a second preemergent application in early June is suggested for some products (shown as June 1 to 15, this site's reading).	[10]Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), 2004(opens in a new tab)[11]Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), 2023(opens in a new tab)[12]Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), 2019(opens in a new tab)

Approximate dates for your state. Check with your local cooperative extension office before you act.

Sources

The dates and figures on this page come from these publications.

[1]
Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech) ↗ (opens in a new tab)Publication 430-523, Maintenance Calendar for Cool-Season Turfgrasses in Virginia (2025). Preferred and second-best months are marked on a chart.Publication year 2025 · Read 2026-10-29
[2]
Penn State Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)Lawn Establishment (September 2025).Publication year 2025 · Read 2026-10-29
[3]
Penn State Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)Lawn Management Through the Seasons.Read 2026-10-29
[4]
Penn State Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)Turfgrass Species for Pennsylvania (2016); lists the cool-season species adapted to Pennsylvania.Publication year 2016 · Read 2026-10-29
[5]
Ohio State University Extension, Lake County ↗ (opens in a new tab)F.S. 101, Lawn Care Calendar for Northeastern Ohio (revised 2007); month-by-month, geared to northern Ohio.Publication year 2007 · Read 2026-10-29
[6]
Ohio State University (Buckeye Turf) ↗ (opens in a new tab)Early Spring Lawn Care (March 2025); recommends a 3 to 4 inch lawn height.Publication year 2025 · Read 2026-10-29
[7]
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service ↗ (opens in a new tab)AY-27, Maintenance Calendar for Indiana Lawns (1998); month-by-month calendar for cool-season grasses at high, medium and low maintenance levels.Publication year 1998 · Read 2026-10-30
[8]
University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)Wisconsin Lawn Care Calendar (2025); spring, summer and fall practices for cool-season grasses.Publication year 2025 · Read 2026-10-30
[9]
University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)A3435, Lawn Maintenance (2022); fertilization periods and rates by maintenance level, and a limit of 1 lb of nitrogen per application.Publication year 2022 · Read 2026-10-30
[10]
Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES) ↗ (opens in a new tab)FS584, Seeding Your Lawn (2004); fall seeding dates for northern and southern New Jersey and seeding rates by species.Publication year 2004 · Read 2026-10-30
[11]
Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES) ↗ (opens in a new tab)FS102, Your Lawn and Its Care (2023); fertilizing season and rates, mowing height.Publication year 2023 · Read 2026-10-30
[12]
Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES) ↗ (opens in a new tab)FS1308, Crabgrass Control in Lawns for Homeowners in the Northern US (2019); preemergent timing in New Jersey.Publication year 2019 · Read 2026-10-30
[13]
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service ↗ (opens in a new tab)ESC-042, Bermudagrass Home Lawn Management Calendar; month-by-month table, statewide.Read 2026-10-29
[14]
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)Zoysiagrass Lawn Calendar (September 2023); months rated B best, P possible, M marginal.Publication year 2023 · Read 2026-10-29
[15]
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)Centipedegrass Lawn Calendar (September 2023); months rated B best, P possible, M marginal.Publication year 2023 · Read 2026-10-29
[16]
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service ↗ (opens in a new tab)AGR-212, Fertilizing Your Lawn (2014); nitrogen timing and rates by grass and maintenance level, and the April preemergent timing for crabgrass.Publication year 2014 · Read 2026-10-30