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OK, like most people maybe we are tired of fighting with our fescue lawn.
We have .3 acre of lawned area which for the most part gets 6hrs full sun daily. One large part gets blasted from 9am till 6pm in the middle of summer. We also have one smallish area that is almost completely shaded, but if we trim the tree it would get more sun.
Has anyone used other grassses in their lawn eg centipede, zoysia, bermuda?
Don't mind watering, just that despite watering the fescue has done badly and really doesn't seem to want to entertain the sun and heat at all.
I don't mind having a dead lawn in the winter as the front of our lot is wooded, so it will only offend us rather than the neighbors!
Search the archives. I am going with one of the newer strains (tifway I think) of Bermuda next year. I was thinking zoysia but heard it is more disease prone. But Bermuda does not do good in shade.
We just bought a house in May and the lawn was horrible. Some new growth came in, but then found out it was duck grass which is a weed. Next year I am planting bermuda sod.
I laugh when the northerners come down here and try to grow the same grass. Unless you water constantly it ain't gonna happen. With water restrictions how they are it is a bad choice environmentally.
//before anyone gets bent out of shape, I just moved from MI and miss my lush fescue lawn more than anything.
Search the archives. I am going with one of the newer strains (tifway I think) of Bermuda next year. I was thinking zoysia but heard it is more disease prone. But Bermuda does not do good in shade.
We just bought a house in May and the lawn was horrible. Some new growth came in, but then found out it was duck grass which is a weed. Next year I am planting bermuda sod.
I laugh when the northerners come down here and try to grow the same grass. Unless you water constantly it ain't gonna happen. With water restrictions how they are it is a bad choice environmentally.
Just like with plants, I can see no sense in trying to grow grass that doesn't like the heat and sun, plus as you say, environmentally it makes no sense. We are on well water so no cost associated, but I still feel guilty watering so much.
Mostly all we have growing now is crabgrass, which at least is moderately green and covers the ground!
We can maybe seed with something else in the shade area.
I was reading a post in the Raleigh Durham forum and they were talking about K31-?Kentucky blue, which seems like it does well in hot sunny weather.
Anyone have any comments about it?
I hate my fescue yard right now. We have dead patches where weeds were killed. We have other dry patches for no apparent reason even though we water on a timed sprinkler system. Almost all the lawns in our neighborhood look terrible as well, so I'm hoping next year is better. We aerated and seeded already. I would love a heartier grass.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Originally Posted by Autumn12
Just like with plants, I can see no sense in trying to grow grass that doesn't like the heat and sun, plus as you say, environmentally it makes no sense. We are on well water so no cost associated, but I still feel guilty watering so much.
Mostly all we have growing now is crabgrass, which at least is moderately green and covers the ground!
We can maybe seed with something else in the shade area.
I was reading a post in the Raleigh Durham forum and they were talking about K31-?Kentucky blue, which seems like it does well in hot sunny weather.
Anyone have any comments about it?
My lawn is at least as big as yours & mostly crabgrass, as well.
I am not the least bit bothered by a dormant lawn in the summer & where I used to live converted most of my lawn from tall fescue to short fescue & rye. It spent the summers brown (no mowing necessary) I've gotten some perrenial rye started here. It goes dormant, but at the slightest rain, pops back to life. I've been spraying the crabgrass & have most of my short fescue & rye seed waiting for cooler weather.
I have the same tall fescue here in this lawn that I had in South Jersey & just hate the stuff. I've determined that my lawn & several adjacent properties were originally short fescue overplanted with the tall fescue.
I suggest that you check the grass seed available from Tractor Supply. Tractor Supply Company - Home The bigger the mix you can get going, the better off you'll be. Check the labels on weed spray bottles. You can't use it with certain warm weather grasses.
Google the various grasses.
Tractor Supply has Kentucky 31, which is a fescue. I googled it & have determined that it's what I have & what was in my yard in South Jersey. It's field grass.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Originally Posted by chicagomichauds
I hate my fescue yard right now. We have dead patches where weeds were killed. We have other dry patches for no apparent reason even though we water on a timed sprinkler system. Almost all the lawns in our neighborhood look terrible as well, so I'm hoping next year is better. We aerated and seeded already. I would love a heartier grass.
It's a little early for seeding. I hope you have good luck, though.
My lawn is at least as big as yours & mostly crabgrass, as well.
I have the same tall fescue here in this lawn that I had in South Jersey & just hate the stuff. I've determined that my lawn & several adjacent properties were originally short fescue overplanted with the tall fescue.
Thanks, I was also leaning that way if we didn't go bermuda. I think what I like about bermuda is it spreads to fill in the bare spots. Not good if it goes into your flower beds, but I hopefully won't need to seed bare spots because of this.
Thanks, I was also leaning that way if we didn't go bermuda. I think what I like about bermuda is it spreads to fill in the bare spots. Not good if it goes into your flower beds, but I hopefully won't need to seed bare spots because of this.
Is that correct?
Bermuda grows like a weed and does great in full sun with little water. As long as you don't mind it being dormant in the winter, go for it. You can always overseed in the winter if you want green grass.
If you are starting over with Bermuda, I recommend investing in sod.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Originally Posted by rdub1968
Thanks, I was also leaning that way if we didn't go bermuda. I think what I like about bermuda is it spreads to fill in the bare spots. Not good if it goes into your flower beds, but I hopefully won't need to seed bare spots because of this.
Is that correct?
Pretty much. In the late 70s, a lot of people started seeding Bermuda & putting in plugs of zoyzia in South Jersey. The stuff went all over the place & got into neighbors yards. It goes dormant in the winter &, frankly, in my opinion, looks nasty. A couple of natives here on this board have suggested doing a warm weather grass & overseeding with a fescue. However, there's the problem that the weed sprays kill certain warm weather grasses.
I'm planning to do a basic seeding of short fescue & rye. I'll see how it does with a good seeding, then I might do a light overseed with some warm weather grass seed next year. If I can get a good stand of short fescue & rye established, I really don't care if it goes dormant in the summer.
I'm originally from Michigan, & my mother used to try to establish Kentucky blue grass in South Jersey. It won't grow there & I wouldn't waste the money to try to grow it here. Most people in South Jersey used short fescue & rye, even though some stores pushed tall fescue. If you get a good stand established, you just have a brown lawn in the heat of the summer. I'm used to that & it just doesn't bother me. The weird look of the dormant warm weather grasses does bother me in the winter.
I'm with you Southbound. I'd rather have a dormant summer lawn and green the rest of the year. We have tall fescue and it just takes some work to get it healthy and keep it that way. My husband and I enjoy working in the yard, so it doesn't bother us to tend to the lawn a lot, but I do think it's too much for many busy people.
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) I've gotten some perrenial rye started here. It goes dormant, but at the slightest rain, pops back to life. I've been spraying the crabgrass & have most of my short fescue & rye seed waiting for cooler weather.
