Orchardgrass — Growing reference
| Scientific name | Dactylis glomerata |
|---|---|
| Seed germination (days) | 7–14 |
| Soil temperature for germination (°C) | 10–21.1 |
| First harvest or flowering (days) | 60–90 |
| Measured from | Seed |
| Plant spacing (cm) | 5.1–10.2 |
| Mature height (cm) | 61–101.6 |
| Mature spread (cm) | 15.2–30.5 |
| USDA hardiness zones | 3–8 |
| Light | Partial sun |
| Water | Moderate |
| Sowing method | Direct sow |
Growing directions
Drill seed 1/4–1/2 inch deep into a firm, fertile seedbed in full sun to partial shade; establishes quickly and tolerates more shade than nearly any other common pasture or cover crop grass, a trait reflected in its name from long use as groundcover beneath orchard trees. Orchardgrass is a deep-rooted, long-lived, cool-season bunchgrass widely used across temperate North America as a high-quality hay and pasture grass, valued for its rapid spring growth, good regrowth after cutting or grazing, and reasonable drought tolerance once its root system is established. As a cover crop, it forms a dense, persistent sod useful for erosion control on slopes and waterways, and its shade tolerance makes it one of the few grasses well suited to groundcover beneath widely spaced fruit or nut trees, where full-sun grasses like bermudagrass or bahiagrass struggle. A versatile, shade-tolerant perennial grass for pasture, hay, or orchard-floor groundcover, zone 3–8.
Source and local conditions
Typical planning ranges from OpenPlantDB (CC0). Cultivar, climate, season and growing method can change these values. Confirm the seed label and local guidance before planting.
OpenPlantDB · orchardgrass-cover
Source & verification
OpenPlantDB · CC0