good seed for Florida shade

Question

I over seeded sod with annual rye. It grew fast, looked beautiful then rotted. Haven’t watered in 10 days but is always damp. Some sun, lots of shade. Any suggestions? Could I have used too much seed?

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Answer 1

Annual Ryegrass is just that, an annual. It is generally planted as a cover crop, not a lawn seed.

You will need to seed a lawn with grass seed that is intended for lawn.

Perennial grass seed is what you need to look for. Perennial means that it will return each year.

Many grass seed mixtures contain both annual seed and perennial seed. The annual seed spouts quickly filling in the lawn and the perennial seed sprouts later and is what will actually fill in the lawn as time goes by.

I would suggest you contact your local County Extension office and inquire their recommendations for grass seed in your area.

Here is a link to help find your local office.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search/

Here are a few articles for you.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/cover-crops/planting-annual-ryegrass.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/specific/st-augustine-grass/st-augustine-grass.htm