Hey, i am new to this whole reseeding and seeding my yard. I am going to use rebel Tall fescue. I need to do this in the spring. if someone has experience with, will you look at the weather.com results for my area 27407 (10 day results) and tell me if my temperatures are alright to put it down. I dont want to waste 80 bucks on seed. My fear is the night time temperatures are too low. i know last night was frost, but it isnt predicted for the rest of the week or any longer that i can see.

3/7/2011 6:52:17 AM

Wait til fall

3/7/2011 6:55:01 AM

yea.... so i would like not to have a mud pit all year in my back yard... so anyone else?

3/7/2011 7:31:23 AM

best time to seed is the fall

i'd hate for you to waste 80 bucks on seed

[Edited on March 7, 2011 at 8:05 AM. Reason : landlord seeded my backyard last fall. about october iirc. got a yard full of grass now.]

3/7/2011 8:04:50 AM

Quote :

"yea.... so i would like not to have a mud pit all year in my back yard... so anyone else?"

Then go buy some sod. If you want advice on the best time to seed, like you asked for, then you should listen to what people recommend.

Quote :

"Wait til fall"

Exactly this -- fall is the best time to seed in this area -- google will tell you the same thing.

Quote :

"I dont want to waste 80 bucks on seed."

Then wait until fall.

3/7/2011 9:16:59 AM

You absolutely can seed now, and I think conditions are nearly perfect for you to have some grass that will last most of the summer. Since you didnt seed in the fall, the roots wont be established. You should aerate to give the seed the best chance at making good contact with the soil, overseed your yard, then hit it hard with watering for the first week. Once the seed starts to grow, I'd cut back on the water and let mother nature take over while it is still cool. Should let the roots grow a little deeper if you dont overwater, and there is little risk to the grass dieing in the next 2 months.

Don't buy cheap seed.

Seeding so late, all it will take is you not watering when it gets really hot a couple of times, and the grass will die. Thats the penalty you pay for seeding so late. But as long as you water, you should be good.

Other reason to go ahead and risk the $80 in seed is that not having any grass on your yard will promote lots of nasty weeds and undesirable types of grasses (like Bermuda and crab grass).

I cut my grass for the first time this past week, and much of my grass is emerging from the dormant cycle and turning a dark green. I am going to spend part of next weekend laying seed in any spots that didnt take fall seeding, and covering those spots with peet moss.

Quote :

"Then go buy some sod."

Horrible advice. You absolutely dont want to lay sod in any other season than Fall unless you have money to burn. $80 is cheap compared to hundreds or thousands in sod.

This is my yard from last year to add to my creds that I know how to keep a yard green:



[Edited on March 7, 2011 at 10:33 AM. Reason : .]

3/7/2011 10:12:31 AM

Depends on what type of grass you want in your yard. Obviously the OP is talking about Fescue so ^ advice is very good.


For anyone considering Bermuda, the advice can definitely vary a lot. I wanted Bermuda and sodded part of it last summer and it did fine without excessive watering. Obviously the first two weeks I watered it as much as any other sod you would lay. After that I watered it once a week. I'm planning to do a little bit more sod again this year in a few tricky areas that weren't holding seed well. The rest was seeded in the fall and is getting seeded again this spring (which is certainly fine again for Bermuda).

[Edited on March 7, 2011 at 10:27 AM. Reason : .]

3/7/2011 10:26:32 AM

^ True. if you want bermuda you can sod later. Since he indicated it is Tall Fescue, Sodding in the spring is very high risk.

3/7/2011 10:28:21 AM

agree with CarZin

3/7/2011 11:29:45 AM

@Carzin
Now that is awesome advice. Thank you.

3/7/2011 12:34:53 PM

^^^^The reason Bermuda can be sodded now is becuase Bermuda is a summer grass. You always seed Bermuda in the early summer. It will likely die come winter if you wait to seed it in the late summer. I believe it has to do with the roots not having time to grow below the frost line, thus freezing

Fescue is the opposite. If you plant fescue now, it will likely burn up this summer becuase the roots will not be established and deep enough to keep enough water in the hot summer months. If you plant it, you better water the heck out of it all summer.


Like someone said....don't buy cheap seed. I wouldn't buy sod, either, as your success rate will likely be very very low. If you're going to sod fescue, wait until about september or october



[Edited on March 7, 2011 at 1:10 PM. Reason : ]

3/7/2011 1:06:06 PM

I put cenetepeid seed in my yard last spring and it did well since it loves hot weather. Water is the big key for keeping new grass alive no matter what you put down.

3/7/2011 1:08:23 PM

Quote :

"yea.... so i would like not to have a mud pit all year in my back yard... so anyone else? "

you a fuckin assole nigga

you lucky people decided to keep helpin your bitch ass

3/7/2011 1:47:39 PM

i need to do this too. i missed the window to re-seed in the fall so i'm stuck doing it now or having a mud pit for a front lawn.

3/7/2011 1:57:41 PM

i seeded fescue last spring with mixed results. on the good side i did have some grass make it through the summer, but on the bad since i couldn't lay down pre-emergent i had a good amount of weeds.

as everyone has said, it's high risk in the spring, and much better in the fall...but if you're desperate, give it try like Chance said.


while we're on the topic, has anyone tried to put down kentucky bluegrass (buying a mix, or adding bluegrass seed to your fescue)? i've wanted to use more of this because it spreads, but never really gave it a shot...

3/7/2011 2:06:01 PM

my lawn is still brown from winter, should I be fertilizing or anything now to help it out?

3/7/2011 2:07:36 PM

From what I understand, the fertilizer doesn't do much good until most of the lawn is turning green. The lawn-care service companies will be out now promoting their first application of weed and feed but most things I've read say it is really too early and is just a waste of an application for the actual fertilizer.

3/7/2011 2:12:24 PM

What type of lawn do you have? Bermuda will still be yelllow. Fescue should be 'starting' to show new shoots and turning green. There is still plenty of dormant grass in my yard. Expect that to all disappear in 30 days.

A lot of people 'think' they have Fescue lawn, when they've let it be completely taken over by Bermuda. You can always see these people early in the season, when they have areas of dark green, then areas of complete yellow.

[Edited on March 7, 2011 at 2:28 PM. Reason : .]

3/7/2011 2:13:45 PM

I think I have bermuda. I'm not totally positive, but i think that is what I was told.
I don't know shit about lawn/garden.

3/7/2011 2:29:07 PM

What are everyone's thought on zoysia grass? My yard is tiny and I've been thinking about tearing up the lawn I have and trying some zoysia plugs.

3/7/2011 2:34:35 PM

it takes forever to fill in. Also, given that it is a creeping turfgrass, it has the potential to invade your flowerbeds or neighbor's lawns, who may not be happy about that. Same thing with bermuda.

3/7/2011 2:46:37 PM

Quote :

"I think I have bermuda. I'm not totally positive, but i think that is what I was told. I don't know shit about lawn/garden."

Yeah, you've got a while before it turns green. If you have Bermuda, you will notice is has stringers. it literally creeps down the lawn. Fescue grows in clumps, and does not spread.

^ Speaking of bad neighbors... I overseeded half their yard to give my yard a little barrier from their awful weeds. I dont want to be 'that guy', but if their front yard gets much worse, I am going to have to say something. I spent a lot of time battling their yard last year.

[Edited on March 7, 2011 at 2:50 PM. Reason : .]

3/7/2011 2:48:29 PM

My lawn:

3/7/2011 3:11:46 PM

definitely bermuda.

3/7/2011 3:14:50 PM

Quote :

"What are everyone's thought on zoysia grass? My yard is tiny and I've been thinking about tearing up the lawn I have and trying some zoysia plugs."

I think zoysia is a great choice for the transition zone as long as you don't mind that is goes dormant in the winter. I would never have a fescue or cool season grass in this area (maybe is i had an irrigation system, but still probably not). Zoysia has good shade, wear and drought tolerance, but it can be a little slow to recuperate.

There are varieties of zoysia that at more vigorous and suitable for installation as plugs. If I was going to install using plugs i would definitely use the el toro cultivar.

http://www.sandhillturf.com/ElToroZoysia.asp

One thing about zoysia is that it really wants to be cut with a reel mower or super sharp rotary mower blades because of the high silica content, which makes the leaves tougher.

3/7/2011 3:57:39 PM

I wished my neighborhood switched to Bermuda. I have always wanted to grow bermuda like they do on golf courses, and cut that stuff super low with a reel mower.

3/7/2011 4:14:39 PM

I went to bermuda only because I wanted a fairly low-maintenance, drought tolerant and sun-loving grass. I really don't need a magazine lawn and can't justify spending much time on something like yardwork (I do the basics). I guess it's funny in a way because I have spent tons of time improving the inside of the house but I enjoy that much more.

3/7/2011 4:31:01 PM

hell, I'd argue that a well maintained bermuda lawn looks as good if not better than a fescue lawn. It doesn't really bother me that it goes dormant in the winter. Fescue does too, it just doesn't turn brown. big deal.

the only real downside to bermuda is that it's a bitch to keep under control if you have flowerbeds.

3/7/2011 4:34:29 PM

Yeah, my neighbors on both sides of me have bermuda as well so there isn't any problem with it encroaching or competing and we don't really have any flower beds/natural areas atm. Planning to put one or two in but they are in slightly shadier areas where the bermuda is thin anyway.

3/7/2011 4:43:22 PM

bermuda absolutely looks better to me than fescue well manicured. I'd really prefer to have it.

3/7/2011 4:59:12 PM

Quote :

"my lawn is still brown from winter, should I be fertilizing or anything now to help it out?"

Wait until it greens up. You'll be fertilizing the weeds if you do it this early

Quote :

"If I was going to install using plugs i would definitely use the el toro cultivar. "

El Toro isn't one of the 'nicer' looking zoysias (they all look good, but el toro is known as one of the coarser ones with Meyer becuase it has a medium blade), but it does spread much faster than most zoyias and is one of the more cold-hearty zoysias that work in this area.

Can you buy el toro in plugs locally?

Quote :

"the only real downside to bermuda is that it's a bitch to keep under control if you have flowerbeds."

And it grows 27 ft. every other day.

I, too, have common bermuda...looks great, but it is teh suck with a push mower and a decent sized lot. If you let it get long, you'll scalp it. Therefore, you have to mow it like every 5-6 days

I actually have a lot of centipede in my yard (It was a hodgepodge when I bought it) and I"m trying to decide whether i want to promote the bermuda or the centipede. Centipede looks so good with so little work

I'd take Zoysia over both of them...too expensive, though


[Edited on March 7, 2011 at 6:01 PM. Reason : ]

3/7/2011 5:52:29 PM

I just bought a house, and I'm going to have to just mow the weeds and all this summer until I can try to turn it over into a coherent lawn in the fall. I'll probably go with a fescue/bluegrass bled.

3/7/2011 11:07:26 PM

Ok, so let's say you've got Fescue and seeded in the fall but have spots that didn't take. (same spots that never seem to take)

Try seeding fescue now and take your chances to get through the summer?

or is there anything else to seed with until fall to keep the weeds out?

....I keep thinking about seeding good Bermuda and letting it take over. (I've got some weed bermuda trying to take over anyway.)\
I have a sprinkler system but hate to waste the water, I wish the builders had used a warm season grass.

[Edited on March 8, 2011 at 12:12 AM. Reason : ]

3/8/2011 12:11:11 AM

Depends where/how it is patching. Is it primarily shade areas that aren't doing well? Is the soil more acidic there? You may be able to blend in some complimentary grasses that won't take over the lawn but can grow better in areas tall fescue won't, like fine fescue and kentucky bluegrass. Most people like the looks of fescue better even if a hot, dry summer will kill it without frequent watering (and in a drought it is irresponsible and often illegal to keep watering). I'd personally rather just let it go and have the yard look a little long in the tooth in August if we've had a bad summer, and just reseed in September than have a brown lawn all winter every winter, fight the constant spreading of bermuda, and the need to keep it mowed every few days to look decent.

Bermuda will usually take over on it's own if you get enough sun and keep the grass trimmed low, but is a pain in the butt to keep in control.

3/8/2011 6:24:35 AM

Quote :

"hell, I'd argue that a well maintained bermuda lawn looks as good if not better than a fescue lawn. It doesn't really bother me that it goes dormant in the winter. Fescue does too, it just doesn't turn brown. big deal. "

my back yard is bermuda while the front is fescue. i have tried over the last 10 years of being a home owner to keep fescue looking good. although i do accomplish the task it's a bitch of a headache. finally last summer i realized what an idiot i am for trying to keep fescue alive when all it wants to do is die and why i keep trying to kill the bermuda in my front yard only for it to come right back to life. i have been battling bermuda in my front yard for the past 3 years since i wanted it to be fescue. i have tried all the combinations and NOTHING WILL KILL BERMUDA GRASS. NOTHING!
next month i will be seeding with an improved variety of common bermuda and ill let it run. the good thing about bermuda is you can overseed in the fall with rye so you can have a green yard during the winter whereas with other warm-season grasses you can't.

3/9/2011 8:39:08 PM

Bermuda will die if you spray it with roundup (heavy dose)

Water your lawn after it dies. Wait 2 weeks, Round up anything green again...

Repeat at least 3-4 times.



After about 3-4 times doing that, you should be bermuda-free...until a bird shits a seed out into your yard and it starts taking over again

[Edited on March 9, 2011 at 11:38 PM. Reason : ]

3/9/2011 11:33:22 PM

Also helps to use the roundup for poison ivy and tough brush

3/9/2011 11:46:16 PM

^^ & ^ I did use glyphosate (round-up). last may i sprayed it bi-weekly for 2 months at a 6oz/gal. ratio . low and behold by the end of august it had came right back stronger than ever. i'm telling you once bermuda gets in your lawn it's there.

3/10/2011 9:42:35 AM

We've got half a yard full of clover (1 acre plot). Any recommendations on how to eliminate it? We want to seed with probably bluegrass, but reading all these comments I'm leaning toward fescue now, plus aerating to get 'er going this spring -- we're in Indiana so doing it in March is standard fare for the neighbors (and again in the fall if you want a "magazine" lawn).

3/10/2011 11:30:45 AM

Hey, I'm going to hijack this guys thread for a similar purpose.

I am in a similar situation where I need to seed this fall, but the roots of the trees in my yard are very near the surface of the dirt. There's definitely room for putting some dirt in the area to level it out, does anyone know where I can get some cheap/free? also, what's the best/correct method for putting it down and getting it to stay? Should I put the dirt down in the summer and try to make sure it's well packed down before I plant in the fall, or should I put the loose dirt down and immediately plant and let the grass roots hold the new dirt?

3/10/2011 11:45:25 AM

Quote :

"Any recommendations on how to eliminate it?"

your cheapest option will be to go to a farm supply store and buy some 2-4-D. mix it 2oz/gal. in a backpack sprayer and spray the yard. this will kill the majority of your weeds without killing the grass.

3/10/2011 2:52:01 PM

aren't the bags of weed kill like $10-15?

I used one of those weed-b-gone bottles you can get from lowes/home depot. hooked it up to the hose, doused the yard and it worked great. it just wakes a while to kick in for some reason...2-3 weeks later the weeds were dead.

3/10/2011 4:37:36 PM

Bumping this thread,

I built a house last year and moved in in Nov. We seeded rye grass just to get the yard green and covered before the winter. I want to get rid of the rye grass and plant something that is low maintenance. I have 5 acres to seed so I stress the low maintenance part. I was thinking centipede or zoysia. What do you guys recommend for this size yard? Do you know anyone that will come to my house and seed this for me? My yard is bumpy as hell right now because I didn't rake it last year. I want somebody to hand rake the yard so it will not kill me when I cut it this summer.

3/22/2011 9:18:44 PM

the rye grass will die on it's own in the heat even if you put down perennial rye since only about 10% is actually perennial.
i would put out common bermuda.

3/24/2011 9:27:45 PM

Quote :

"^ Speaking of bad neighbors... I overseeded half their yard to give my yard a little barrier from their awful weeds. I dont want to be 'that guy', but if their front yard gets much worse, I am going to have to say something. I spent a lot of time battling their yard last year. "

Yeah I've got neighbors that do not do anything to stop their weeds so I will sometimes "accidently" spray a bunch of the weed stop chemicals (using the hose attachment type bottles) into their yards to try and lessen their weeds seeding my yard. The best parts of their yards border mine.

Also I have zoysia zeon and really like it. It is not a aggressive as Bermuda or Centipede (popular in my area in SC), but it grows slower (less mowing), looks great, and is thick as hell and feels like carpet. I paid extra to get it as sod, because growing from plugs sounded like torture. It took well in my sandy soil and does great in shade.

3/25/2011 4:37:19 PM

grass is a pretty weird obsession

3/25/2011 4:43:11 PM

the lawn in that first pic looks really good, good job!

3/25/2011 4:48:36 PM

Greensboro Represent!

3/26/2011 11:26:45 AM

Quote :

"undesirable types of grasses like Bermuda "

what's wrong with bermdua? i actually enjoy my bermuda grass...

3/26/2011 7:06:24 PM

can someone post pics of large Bermuda yards?

3/26/2011 8:22:47 PM