Grass

[RSKY]

Need to sow grass in daughter's yard. I know fescue has to be sown in the fall. It also takes more care for overseeding, fertilizer, etc.. I have soysia on my yard. It is very slow to spread. Does anyone have Bermuda on their yard? I have been told that it can be sowed in June and requires little care. Those are my three choices.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[smstonypoint]

Need to sow grass in daughter's yard. I know fescue has to be sown in the fall. It also takes more care for overseeding, fertilizer, etc.. I have soysia on my yard. It is very slow to spread. Does anyone have Bermuda on their yard? I have been told that it can be sowed in June and requires little care. Those are my three choices.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Common Bermudagrass is planted in June, at least in the Carolinas. I have some patches in the yard at my farm in NC that do well with minimal care -- my lawn there is way over due for liming and fertilization. It doesn't do well in shaded areas. I have neighbors that overseed their Bermuda lawns with annual ryegrass and have "green" lawns year round. I don't have that much ambition or energy.

I'm not sure how well common Bermuda would do in a more northern climate. Also, there are apparently hybrid Bermuda varieties that can be grown from seed.

I think your best bet would be to contact your local Cooperative Extension office for advice on the turf alternatives for your area.

Steve

 

[Bird]

I agree with Steve. I like bermuda, but it needs lots of sunshine; just does not do well in the shade. In 1977, we bought a new house and moved into it on the 4th of July. The following week, I had the yard hydromulched with common bermuda. With the daughters out of school for the summer and my wife not working at the time, they kept the yard hand watered and moist, and 20 days later, I had to mow. As others moved into the neighborhood, several came to ask how I got a yard like that so quick. At least 3 of them hired the some folks I used to hydromulch their yards.

 

[jinman]

I think you can do a mix of bermuda and fescue. Fescue seems to do well in the shade here, but gets very gray and dry in a hurry with our hot summers. It takes water, but seems to survive okay. Bermuda will germinate and do well if you make sure it is contact with the soil. I recommend a thorough aeration before planting. Light discing would also ensure direct seed contact with soil. Drive back and forth over the seedbed with a riding mower or use a roller to set the seed. You'll need to keep the seed wet for 72 hours for germination. This needs to be more than damp. You should water the seedbed at least twice a day for three days to ensure good germination. Once you get a good coverage of sprouting grass, you can back off on the watering to once per day until it is established.

Oh yes, don't do what I did the first time I planted seed. I was careless and grabbed bags of fertilizer that were "weed and feed" types instead of just straight fertilizer. The "weed" portion of that fertilizer inhibits germination. My seed did nothing.:ashamed: After waiting 30 days, I did the whole routine again with bags of fertilizer from the feed store that were 10-10-10. I got good and complete germination that time around.:thumbsup: I now have a nice bermuda lawn in the sunny area of my lawn.

 

[om21braz]

I think your best bet would be to contact your local Cooperative Extension office for advice on the turf alternatives for your area.

+1 You're paying for them, you might as well use them.