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September is turf month,
and chances are, after one of the hottest and driest summers ever, there’s
going to be a lot of seeding going on to fill in bare spots or trying to
thicken those thinned lawns. So the question always comes up, which seed do
you recommend using?
Well, the answer is
easy. Use the same seed as the grass that is currently growing in the lawn,
or something that is compatible. But if you’re not sure what you have, try
cutting a 12 inch by 12 inch square piece of your sod, and take it to a
local garden store. Good chance someone there can help identify what’s
growing in your lawn. Then you can make a seed decision.
Chances are, you’ll be
using either a mix of bluegrass, perennial rye and creeping red fescue,
which is one of the most common types of grass mixes in our area, or you’ll
be seeding with the turf type tall fescues, which have been available now
for well over 10 years. BUT, you’ll want to choose one or the other.
You see, if you have a
bluegrass / rye mix lawn, you don’t want to over seed with the tall fescues,
as over time, they will begin to clump, and that is not what you’re looking
for in a nice lawn. On the other hand, if you have tall fescues in the
lawn, don’t over seed with the bluegrass / rye mix, as the same thing will
happen. They just don’t blend well together over time.
The other question I
always get is which is the best type of grass to grow here? Well, there is
no one best grass to grow, as it depends on the conditions, and the look
you’d like your lawn to have. But for overall performance, in the sun and
shade, I’ll take a blend of the turf type tall fescues, like TLC which is
one of the many tall fescue blends available for you to choose from. By
the way, whenever you put down new seed, always make sure you apply a
starter fertilizer at the same time. Very important for those new
seedlings! |
