Wimmera Ryegrass is a cover crop — grown to build and protect the soil rather than for a harvest of its own. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 10 and shrugs off deer.
Zones
5-10
pH Range
6-8
Sun
Full Sun
Days to Maturity
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Score Wimmera Ryegrass on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether wimmera ryegrass actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score wimmera ryegrass against your land's real conditions.
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What Wimmera Ryegrass is
Wimmera Ryegrass grows as an annual. It blooms yellow in mid spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Wimmera Ryegrass
Wimmera Ryegrass grows in USDA zones 5 through 10. Wimmera Ryegrass does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 6 to 8, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 70 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
5-10
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
6 - 8
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Tolerance
41°F
The lowest temperature it shrugs off — below this, expect damage without cover.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
70+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant wimmera ryegrass in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Wimmera Ryegrass prefers pH 6 to 8 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Turn it in before it seeds
Cut wimmera ryegrass down or turn it into the soil before it sets seed, while the growth is still green — that's when it returns the most to the ground.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — wimmera ryegrass isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Wimmera Ryegrass isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Where Wimmera Ryegrass thrives
Wimmera Ryegrass is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 10. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 5–10·Where Wimmera Ryegrass growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Wimmera Ryegrass can grow in these states:
See if Wimmera Ryegrass will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether wimmera ryegrass actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Wimmera Ryegrass in my zone?
Wimmera Ryegrass grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 10 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Wimmera Ryegrass?
Wimmera Ryegrass is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Wimmera Ryegrass need?
Wimmera Ryegrass needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Wimmera Ryegrass need?
Wimmera Ryegrass prefers soil pH 6 to 8, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Wimmera Ryegrass attract pollinators?
Wimmera Ryegrass isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Is Wimmera Ryegrass safe for pets?
Wimmera Ryegrass is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)