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Early September means
turf month…it’s the best time for core aerating, seeding and applying the
first fall feeding. And I always get many turf related email questions this
time of the year.
Our first emailer asks,
“I have a lawn that is a bluegrass / perennial rye grass mix. Why can’t I
over seed my lawn with the turf type tall fescues?”
Turf type tall fescues
are clumping grasses, and when over seeded into existing blues and ryes,
will over time begin to clump, and not blend well with the other grasses.
Sow them as a stand alone grass…and use a blend of 2-3 types when you do!
“Which is the best tall
fescue for me to use?” -I like the new Titan Limited, which actually
rhizomes similar to that of bluegrass! But again, use a blend of tall
fescues, making Titan Limited a part of the blend. And there are many good
tall fescues to choose from.
“You say use a starter
fertilizer with the new grass seed. What is a starter fertilizer?” -A
starter fertilizer has a lower % nitrogen and higher phosphorus. This one
is a 20-27-5. Look for the higher middle number.
“If I’m not sowing seed
now, which fertilizer should I use?” -Use a fall fertilizer, which will
have higher % nitrogen, and these will be available for the lawn with both
quick and slow release forms.
“And our last question
is when to tackle existing weeds in the lawn.” -Forget about the weeds
right now and get your seeding or over-seeding done, as well as that first
feeding. Tackle the weeds in mid to late October, which is when the weeds
are the most susceptible to weed killers, than any other time the rest of
the year.
September is turf
month…what you do this fall will be the backbone to how well your lawn
performs, next year. |
