Bermudagrass should be seeded in the spring, after the soil starts to warm up nicely. That will give it a nice long growing season in which to establish a strong root system before the cool temperatures hit us.

Remember, Bermuda is a WARM SEASON GRASS. It grows best in the heat of the summer. Establishment at that time of year will be rapid. If you sow now, you might end up with some winter kill.

It wouldn't be unheard of for you to plant winter ryegrass, just as something to give some cover all fall and winter. It will begin to die out in the summer as it gets hot, but even before that, it will give you something to sow the bermudagrass into. Ryegrass is a COOL SEASON GRASS, and grows best in the cooler parts of the year.

Winter rye grass will die out in the summer heat but will it come back? Is it something you will have to fight with to get rid of or one season and its gone/dead and your desired grass takes over?

Dan, good point....in Dan 's location, rye grass dies out without much help, lingering on just long enough to be a 'nurse grass ' for the permanent warm season grass.

In your climate, patches of rye could be persistant, but not overly so. My neighbor used to (foolishly) have his yard overseeded with rye in the fall. His permanent grass suffered for that practice.

Rhizo and bamatufa

Been doing more internet surfing. Seems that planting the annual rye in September will make a good temporary lawn to keep down erosion , mud etc, In the spring I can then over seed the rye with the Bermuda and the rye will help to protect the young Bermuda seedlings then dye off as the weather warms up. As bamatufa says here in the gulf coast region the early warm temperatures will kill off the rye early. Some even advocate planting a mixture of rye and unhulled Bermuda at the same time but not sure I want the Bermuda seed to lay around that long as I think the only thing that would do is feed the birds.

As a transplanted Midwesterner I have to get used to the lack of a killing frost in early October. One thing I do not miss about Indiana weather LOL

Thanks for your inputs