Over seeding Zoysia on existing Fescue lawn - need inputs (lawns, irrigation)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have a question regarding over seeding Zoysia seed on the existing Fescue lawn. We have good Fescue lawn in the front and the side and not a whole lot in the back compared to the front. The Fescue lawn/grass would turn brown during hot summer. So, I am thinking to over seed Zoysia on the existing lawn Fescue lawn with out killing the existing Fescue. I understand the ideal scenario would be to kill the Fescue then over seed the Zoysia but in that case it is a time consuming and also lot of weeds might up while the Zoysia seeds germinate. So, just wanting to try over seeding Zoysia on the existing Fescue lawn. Below are the steps I am thinking to perform one after the other:
1) Cut the Fescue to a max of 2 inches
2) Level the ground with top soil (50/50) where ever needed
3) Aerate multiple times the entire lawn
4) Over seed the Zoysia seed
5) Put the few bags of lime and Scott's start up turf builder fertilizer
6) screen/rake the entire yard with 10 yards of pure compost.
ours is .26 acre and has roughly close to 7000 soft yard to work on.
Can some please advise if over seeding Zoysia on the existing Fescue lawn make sense and see if the above steps is the right order to finish the over seeding process?
First off, what zone are you in? The problem you have is fescue is a cool season grass and zoysia is a warm season grass. You may have an areas of fescue that doesn't look good now, but if you replace it with zoysia and you are in a cooler season zone your lawn will look dead all winter. Fescue naturally turns brown (dormant) whenever ambient temps are above 86 degrees F because it cannot photosynthesize at very high temps; it's a self-defense mechanism. If the soil us healthy and there is enough water, fescue will come back nicely in the fall.
Personally, if you've got good fescue in front and on the sides but not in the back, I would get a soil test for the back area first thing. Then after receiving the test report, I'd add whatever nutrients are recommended, if any, as well as amend the soil with some high quality compost. As long as you have sufficient sunlight in the back area and can water it deeply at least once a week, fescue should grow there as well. Putting zoysia down will not only be expensive, but will lead to a very mottled lawn for the interim period when it is spreading and filling in unless you kill the fescue first, and it really sounds as if fescue is the proper grass for your zone anyway.
Thanks Bungalove. We are in Cary, NC. The builder put the Fescue sod only on the front and the sides as part of the deal. Since then I would aerate and over seed Fescue during the fall and now I got something in the back as well. But I have to do a lot of maintenance to the Fescue and during the hot summer it turns brown because of the heat.
So, trying to turn the entire lawn into Zoysia. When enquired about the prices they are quoting around 7K to put the brand new Zoysia sod. So, thought just to over seed zoysia as a cheaper option on the existing Fescue lawn. The guys are coming this after noon to mow the lawn to a max of 1 to 2 inch and do then over seed zoysia. Not sure if the Zoysia see germinate when I over seed on the existing Fescue.
Thanks Bungalove. We are in Cary, NC. The builder put the Fescue sod only on the front and the sides as part of the deal. Since then I would aerate and over seed Fescue during the fall and now I got something in the back as well. But I have to do a lot of maintenance to the Fescue and during the hot summer it turns brown because of the heat.
So, trying to turn the entire lawn into Zoysia. When enquired about the prices they are quoting around 7K to put the brand new Zoysia sod. So, thought just to over seed zoysia as a cheaper option on the existing Fescue lawn. The guys are coming this after noon to mow the lawn to a max of 1 to 2 inch and do then over seed zoysia. Not sure if the Zoysia see germinate when I over seed on the existing Fescue.
Thanks,
Dev
Zoysia is almost always planted by using plugs, not seed, so I'm a little puzzled by the method your guys are using. I would really hesitate to spend $7K on zoysia sod, but if you need quick results on the entire lawn the would be the best way to go. However, you will still probably get a brown lawn in the wintertime.
I struggled with fescue for years..... seed and sod. Many thousands of dollars wasted trying to keep something alive and healthy that mother nature just didn't want here (Falls Lake, just north of Raleigh). I switched to Zoysia (obtained from Super Sod) and never looked back. I did the installation myself and while it is a pretty physical job it is within the capabilities of most people. I suspect many of the better versions of Zoysia are not available by seed.
I live in Atlanta, GA and I had a fescue front lawn and it always looked terrible in the summer time but that's what my husband wanted for 9 years. After our divorce, I finally decided I wanted to switch it to a zoysia front yard but the issue was cost, sod was going to cost a fortune.
I found out that they sold zenith zoysia in seed so I decided to go for it. I did however till up all the old yard, rake out the debris, add dirt where needed, and rented a big roller to make the yard nice and smooth and level. I then put down the zenith zoysia seed and covered it with some straw. The birds do love it so you really need to cover it as well as possible but still making sure it gets sun. And then I watered the crap out of it for 3 weeks, my water bill was definitely higher that month, but I probably spent only $500 creating my new front yard. My neighbors spent $11K on their front yard.
It is now almost 8 years later and I am still very happy with the result. If I could figure out how to post a picture here, I would.
@melissakav - i'm in Atlanta too and actually debating doing this exact thing as well. My backyard is fescue but looks almost half dead right now since we've had so much heat and so little rain.
A couple of questions - how does your yard look during the winter? Do you have an irrigation system or water it during the summer?
As for posting a picture, you could use [url]http://imgur.com[/url] (it's free) and link to your photo here. I'd love to see your yard!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
