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Obviously the drought has reeked havoc on those trying to maintain a nice lawn no matter how small or large it may be. In light of that, how are you moving forward with your lawn care as we transition into spring? I have a fescue lawn and would typically be applying crabgrass pre-emergent this weekend. However, I checked out the NCSU Turf Files website and was surpsied to read this: N.C. Lawns May Benefit from Spring Seeding (broken link).
"North Carolina homeowners who watched their lawns fry in the drought conditions of the summer and fall of 2007 may want to take the unusual step of spring seeding in an effort to renovate turf, say turfgrass experts at North Carolina State University. "
I have had a soil test performed and my soil is lacking big time in nutrients so I still went ahead and appplied Fertilizer with 1 pound of actual nitrogen per thousand square feet....but I don't plan to apply the pre-emergent and might splurge and spend $10 on a bag of seed next month and and do a spring seeding with hopes that we will get some rain from mother nature and I may be lucky and get enough to grow to at least fill in a few bare spots....
IMO, Fescue is much too expensive to maintain. My last house had a beautifully manicured Fescue lawn but the maintenance and upkeep is tremendous much less the amount of water required (1"/week) to maintain it's fullness. This spring I'll be plugging my yard with zoysia. It's a creeping grass that'll choke out all the weeds and will fill in any bare spots on it's own. I've done my research and talked with the pros and zoysia is by far the best grass to use in our region.
We have fescue in a well established lawn and find it pretty much maintenance free. We have a regular lawn care service and I think that's why our lawn fared so well during the drought compared to our neighbors. We don't water it all and people are always commenting on how nice and green our grass is.
As for lawn care plans; pretty much nothing but start mowing in a month or so. I know the lawn care people just came out and sprayed a pre-emergent a few weeks ago and fertilizer. I might investigate that NCSU link and see if it's worth trying to fill in with some new seed this spring as I missed a whole area in the fall.
IMO, Fescue is much too expensive to maintain. My last house had a beautifully manicured Fescue lawn but the maintenance and upkeep is tremendous much less the amount of water required (1"/week) to maintain it's fullness. This spring I'll be plugging my yard with zoysia. It's a creeping grass that'll choke out all the weeds and will fill in any bare spots on it's own. I've done my research and talked with the pros and zoysia is by far the best grass to use in our region.
I agree that zoysia is a good grass choice for this area and have considered converting over to that, but I did notice this comment on the NCSU Turf Files website:
"Miller said late spring is normally the best time to establish a warm-season grass lawn, but establishing a new lawn requires irrigation, and that's not possible in many parts of North Carolina due to local water restrictions."
FWIW, I have a tiny lawn so maintaining my fescue is not much work and I enjoy lawn care activities. Once my trees get a bit more mature and provide more of the much needed shade I think my fescue will hold up quite well even in drought. My neighbors who have lots of shade have great looking lawns even though they have not been watered on months!
I agree that zoysia is a good grass choice for this area and have considered converting over to that, but I did notice this comment on the NCSU Turf Files website:
"Miller said late spring is normally the best time to establish a warm-season grass lawn, but establishing a new lawn requires irrigation, and that's not possible in many parts of North Carolina due to local water restrictions."
FWIW, I have a tiny lawn so maintaining my fescue is not much work and I enjoy lawn care activities. Once my trees get a bit more mature and provide more of the much needed shade I think my fescue will hold up quite well even in drought. My neighbors who have lots of shade have great looking lawns even though they have not been watered on months!
I expect to put down Zoysia sod later this spring.
I'll truck in gray water if needed.
I give up on fescue. The yard is angled just right to catch the sun's hottest rays perpendicularly, and it is a lost cause.
I agree that zoysia is a good grass choice for this area and have considered converting over to that, but I did notice this comment on the NCSU Turf Files website:
"Miller said late spring is normally the best time to establish a warm-season grass lawn, but establishing a new lawn requires irrigation, and that's not possible in many parts of North Carolina due to local water restrictions."
NRG, just head down to your local car wash with some buckets. You'll have plenty of water for your zoysia.
I had planned on putting in zoysia but unless I can figure out how to get some water on it I'll wait. I'm thinking of creating my own veggie oil green dye to put on my lawn. At least it will look green.
That there is cool! I've got mostly common bermuda and never water it...and it doesn't seem to care. Just mow it low and it looks like a fairway....just ve prepared to do some edging as it tends to run.
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