Integrated Pest Management
Annual Ryegrass
Lolium multiflorum
Annual ryegrass (Harry Rose, Flickr.com)
Annual ryegrass clasping auricles (Syngenta Lda., Flickr.com)
Annual ryegrass seed heads (Harry Rose, Flickr.com)
Description
- bunching growth habit growing 1 – 2 1/2 feet tall; clasping auricles
- leaves rolled in the bud; dark green with prominent veins
Location
- landscape, roadsides, open spaces and occasionally lawns
- commonly planted in agricultural fields for weed suppression and included in lawn seed mixes as a temporary quick-establishing grass
Life Cycle
-
annual germination in late summer and fall
IPM Recommendations
- Frequently hand-pull aboveground structures prior to seed maturation to prevent re-seeding.
- Apply an appropriate pre-emergent herbicide prior to seed germination.