Green lawns all year? (summer, fertilizer, annual)

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by rmepilot

Thanks! Any Zoysia sod farms locally?

Don't know any personally myself, I think you'll just have to call the sod farms locally and ask about Zoysia. I saw the price in a local nursery that sells sod by individual pieces. I think you'll get a better price at sod farm when you buy bulk. Some may even deliver.

[rmepilot]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

Don't know any personally myself, I think you'll just have to call the sod farms locally and ask about Zoysia. I saw the price in a local nursery that sells sod by individual pieces. I think you'll get a better price at sod farm when you buy bulk. Some may even deliver.

thanks.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

Charles, did your fescue die off in the spring? or did it co-exist with your Bermuda this summer?

It didn't die off, but it has been dominated by the bermuda. I mow every week and after six or seven days of growth, I can see where the fescue is a little taller than the bermuda. What might look bad is if I don't overseed again because when the bermuda goes dormant in a couple months, my lawn will probably look something like 50% to 70% green fescue with the rest brown bermuda.

That's another thing about bermuda. If you don't overseed and the bermuda goes dormant, it seems like there are lots of lawns with some patches of green non bermuda grass/weeds growing in the bermuda lawn. Yuck.

[Mawoods]

There are varieties of new zoysia that are much improved over the older ones. Go to a reputable nursery or farm. I don't mind the brown in winter and if you keep the weeds out of it, it isn't full of onions, etc. A service can take care of that.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Mawoods

if you keep the weeds out of it, it isn't full of onions, etc. A service can take care of that.

This almost sounds like more work and/or more money than overseeding.

[rmepilot]

Originally Posted by Mawoods

There are varieties of new zoysia that are much improved over the older ones. Go to a reputable nursery or farm. I don't mind the brown in winter and if you keep the weeds out of it, it isn't full of onions, etc. A service can take care of that.

You can also try Bayer - Weed And Crabgrass Killer for Lawns.

I've been using it for several years now on Fescue, but it also works well with warm weather grasses.

[julilg]

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't notice anyone mention that bermuda needs a lot of direct sunlight. If you have a shady yard, better go with fescue or other.

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by Mawoods

I am curious why your neighbor doesn't have to reseed. Maybe I am not aware of a new type of fescue? The lawn guy told me we needed to and so did the nursery. The last time we had fescue was 30 years ago and I have forgotten alot about it and am relearning all about fescue. Even garden web sites say I need to reseed. Very confused. Would love to not have to reseed. Will areate for sure though.

Maybe this helps, they say tall fescue need to reseed for maintenance.

Tall fescue usually requires overseeding in the spring or fall and should be mown fairly high (around 3 in.) to retain an even textured finish

Fescue.com

[HB2HSV]

I am resurrecting this thread as the fall approaches. This time I will experiment overseeding my bermuda lawn with Tall Fescue. Last year I did it with winter Rye and it worked well, but they died off in May and I suspect they left empty spots for crabgrass to grow. It seemed that I got more crabgrass this year. Not sure it was because of Rye grass since almost everyone I talked to has more crabgrass this year.

So just like Charles, I want to experiment overseeding with Fescue. Charles reported last year that Fescue stayed alive even after May and coexisted with Bermuda. This may solve my crabgrass problem next year.

But just for fun, I will also seed my backyard with white clovers & hairy vetch this fall and see what happens. I read that both produce nitrogen for the soil. Well, Lord knows my Alabama red clay can use more nitrogen! Plus they produce pretty flowers and will make my backyard a seabed of flowers I tried to get Bermuda seeds to grow in my backyard, twice, with no success. Last winter with Rye grass it helped to soften up the soil and I have 3/4 of my backyard growing weeds now

[AnotherBravesFan]

I need all the help/advice I can get re: growing grass. My neighbor and I have mostly crabgrass in our adjoining side yards, and he wants to put down bermuda seed, but now I'm wondering if that will work. My preference would be to kill off all the crabgrass, then start over with some combination of shrubs and mulch, as my portion (15' wide x 30' deep) slopes down from the house... NO mowing would be awesome! (Yes, I know this is a pipe dream, but I haven't given up all hope yet. )