Summer is fighting hard to stay around as long as it can. But I have something to say about that, ”Summer, your days are limited. You will be replaced by fall’s cooler days very soon!”
Even though warmer than normal temperatures are still in the forecast, it is September and time to visit one of the most important lawn care activities of fall – Overseeding Fescue.
As we discussed on August 6th in Time To Evaluate Your Lawn, there are two approaches to using fescue in your lawn: fescue in shady areas only or a full fescue lawn.
After evaluating your lawn if you decided to establish fescue for the first time or if you decided you should add more fescue to your already fescue areas, we don’t want you to fail at overseeding.
Take a few minutes to review the four most common ways to fail at establishing fescue.
Small, shady areas in your lawn where there is low air movement and shade are prime candidates for annual fall seeding with fescue.
Fescue the last week of September last fall after overseeding in early September.
Failure to Seed in the Fall
Because fescue is a cool season grass there are two times per year you can plant fescue seed; Fall (September through October) and Spring (March and April).
But, if you wait until spring to seed fescue, you are seeding at the second-best time and there is an enormous chasm between the establishment of fescue now (the best time) and next spring (the second-best time).
Spring-seeded fescue will come up great, but it rarely establishes enough root system to make it through the summer heat (fescue’s off-season). As a younger, weaker plant, spring-seeded fescue is also more susceptible to brown patch disease.
Fall-seeded fescue has all fall, winter, and spring to establish a root system before enduring the heat of July and August.
Don’t fail at establishing fescue – seed now, not next spring.
Failure #1 – Seeding fescue in the spring.
Fall seeded fescue is better prepared to withstand the heat of July and August.
Fescue is the best turf grass for areas of your lawn that receive dappled sun. Bermuda needs at least 6 hours per day of direct sun light.
Failure to Create Good Seed to Soil Contact
Good seed-to-soil contact is important. If you sow seed over the existing soil without some preparation, the chance of successful seeding is greatly reduced. Research shows the percentage of germination decreases dramatically when the seed is just sewn on top of the ground.
You will have success if you start by cutting the existing turf short to remove excess grass. Then loosen the soil to create good seed-to-soil contact.
Aeration is the best method to loosen the soil and gain good seed-to-soil contact. Aerating also gives you the extra benefit of improving the soil structure, increasing water absorption, and developing deeper roots.
Give more attention to bare areas and the edges. Rough up the areas with a rake. Rototilling isn’t necessary but breaking the surface of the soil in bare areas is needed.
Heavy aeration is one of the best ways to create good seed to soil contact when seeding. You also get the added benefit of improved soil conditions from aeration.
In areas that are completely bare, spread a thin layer of peat moss over the surface after seeding to increase the seed-to-soil contact.
If overseeding an existing fescue area with a good stand of grass, spread seed at a rate of 5-8 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
If establishing a new fescue lawn, spread seed at a rate of 10-12 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
Failure #2 – Just spreading the seed over the top of the ground.
The lawn was being maintained at 3”.
This bermuda lawn is being cut short in preparation of overseeding it with fescue for the first time.
Cutting it to 2” will improve the seed to soil contact and increase the success of the first time overseed.
Failure to Buy a Good Fescue Blend
Fescue was first introduced in the US from Europe in the 1800s as a pasture grass. Kentucky-31 Tall Fescue was developed in the 1940s as an improved pasture grass and introduced to the home turf market in the 1960s by Pennington Seed.
All seed grown in Oregon is certified. Buy it when possible.
Look for a fescue blend with at least 3 varieties. Blends contain the best varieties and give you more protection against disease and are more heat and drought tolerant.
Bonus tip - some seed companies have seed that is coated with compounds to stimulate growth.
What is the point of the seed history lesson?
If you are buying Kentucky-31 Tall Fescue, you are buying an 80-year-old product when there are over 300 improved fescue varieties that offer darker green color, narrower blades, and improved tolerance to heat, cold, drought and disease. Kentucky-31 is marginally acceptable as a lawn grass that tends to become thin and clumpy.
Improved fescue varieties are very heat and drought tolerant and can successfully be grown in full sun.
No matter the name on the bag of the seed, any improved variety will outperform Kentucky-31.
We believe using a blend is best when seeding fescue. Blends are a combination of two or more varieties within the same species, such as two or more fescues in one mix. Blends are a combination of the best species, tested over time, for the best shade tolerance and disease resistance. The number one problem with fescue is brown patch disease. The best blends use fescue varieties that show strong resistance to brown patch. Also, some blends will contain bluegrass and, or rye for an even more vibrant spring color.
Failure #3 – Buying cheap seed. You will get what you are pay for… a low-quality turf for years to come.
Failure to Keep the Area Tacky Moist Until Seed Germinates
The first three are very important, but the 4th one is critical for success.
Nothing will hand you a losing hand quicker than not keeping the seed moist. You can get the first three correct and have complete failure if the seeded area is not kept moist until new grass is visible in the entire area.
Even water distribution is important in keeping the seed tacky moist until it comes up. Check your system. Look for areas where there isn’t complete head to head coverage. The result will be poor germinate around the sprinkler head.
This picture 14 days after seeding demonstrates how critical moisture is to seed germination. The seed in the area where the irrigation does not reach has not germinated at all while the moist areas are nearly fully germinated.
The worst thing you can do is water the seeded area, allow it to dry completely, water again, allow it to dry completely, repeat, repeat, repeat… After a few times of drying out completely, the seed will no longer be viable.
For the best success, set your irrigation to run 3 short cycles per day. Set spray type zones to run 3-5 minutes each time. Set rotor type zones to run 7-10 minutes each time. If possible, set the system to run before dawn (4:00 AM), late morning (10:00 AM), and mid-afternoon (4:00 PM).
You don’t have to have an irrigation system to establish fescue. You only need to be diligent at watering every morning and every evening.
Failure #4 – Not keeping the seed tacky moist until it germinates.
Fescue can be grown successfully in Oklahoma. There are examples of great fescue lawns in every neighborhood, and there will be more and more as our environment becomes more and more shady.
Who should overseed this fall?
If you have areas of your lawn where the Bermuda has thinned because of shade, you should seed this fall. Bermuda needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight for the best performance. Less than 6 hours of direct sunlight and Bermuda starts to thin.
If you have fescue areas that have become thin because of brown patch, drought, or insect damage, you should seed this fall.
If you just want to keep your fescue thick and healthy, you should seed this fall. Fescue doesn’t spread like Bermuda with runners across the top of the soil. Fescue spreads through tillering through the soil and putting up new vertical shoots. Fescue spread is slow and often rare in the transition zone in which we live. To keep a fescue lawn at its best, adding more seed is common.
If you want to have a green lawn longer into the fall and earlier in the spring, you should seed this fall. Fescue is a cool season grass that stays green and active into early December and recovers from the winter in early March. With a fescue lawn, it is common to have a green lawn for 10 out of 12 months.
Myth: It is difficult to grow fescue. But, really it isn’t. Growing fescue does require a different approach to your lawn, but it isn’t difficult when you avoid some of the most common mistakes in establishing fescue.
Successful fescue lawns are the result of best seeding practices, best cool season turf maintenance practices, and persistence. But, more importantly, they are a result of different thinking.
Bonus Reason: Why Fescue Seeding Fails
Applying a fall pre-emergent before seeding in the area. The same pre-emergent herbicide that prevents weeds will prevent fescue from germinating. Wait until the new fescue turf has been mowed 2-3 times before putting a pre-emergent on the lawn.
Special Note: DO NOT use pre-emergent herbicides now in areas that are going to be seeded this fall.
If you need assistance in establishing a fescue lawn or have questions about fescue, give us a call – (405) 367-3873.
Lorne Hall
Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape
(405)367-3873