TIL that overseeding warm-season grasses with another grass (such as annual ryegrass) for winter-green, can in fact, have significant impacts on the health and greening of said warm-season grass.

8/13/2014 9:21:16 AM

Is this bermudagrass?

9/6/2014 1:18:06 PM

Yup, some of it anyway.

[Edited on September 6, 2014 at 8:00 PM. Reason : ?]

9/6/2014 7:59:02 PM

I thought so, but wanted other opinions... just a random patch in my backyard that has slowly spread. I burned up the middle with some ant killer (there was an ant mound there). Ants must have come from my neighbors and brought a bermuda seed or two with them (this part isn't close to my neighbor with bermuda and I haven't seen bermuda anywhere else in my yard). Thanks for the grass man! But next time, take the ants back.

9/6/2014 11:35:01 PM

Yep, that's what it looks like, but I'm not a bermuda turf expert

9/7/2014 11:23:19 PM

Quote :

"TIL that overseeding warm-season grasses with another grass (such as annual ryegrass) for winter-green, can in fact, have significant impacts on the health and greening of said warm-season grass."

well, huh

i came in here to ask if seeding tonight - before the (comparatively significant) rain we're supposed to get this weekend - is a good idea or not

in heavy rain we get a lot of puddles, so i assume our soil doesn't drain well, but it does usually drain to non-squishy within 24 hours after the rain stops

and regarding mixed seeding...i was planning on overseeding with a tall fescue blend (equal parts rebel advance, brockton, greystone II) and annual ryegrass...we have a mix of stuff in our yard, but almost no bermuda...bad idea?

fescue: http://www.agrisupply.com/pennington-grass-seed-tri-fescue-tall-fescue/p/83140/
ryegrass: http://www.agrisupply.com/gulf-annual-ryegrass/p/29965/

[Edited on September 11, 2014 at 10:11 AM. Reason : links]

9/11/2014 10:03:50 AM

I would not seed within a week before a forecasted heavy rain. Steady/light rain is great. Heavy rain will likely wash away seed or drown it in low lying areas. Evenly newly germinated seed that has sprouted can be washed away if heavy rains tend to cause at least some soil loss (my soil is silty/sandy/clayey and washed away easily - this just happened to me).

As far as seed type, it is the right time for fescue; I don't know that I would even worry about seeding separate annual ryegrass - that's just more competition and less fescue seed. Now, if your yard is bare and you were seeding at an off time, then annual ryegrass would be a decent cheap option for temporary soil stability.

I would just make sure whatever seed you get has good cultivars. As far as the fescue you posted, I don't see the extact cultivars listed on the test list for NC. I would try to stick with those listed on the tests, and if you are in the Raleigh area, try to find a blend with a cultivar that tested as "best" for this area

http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/turfgrasses/fescue_tall.aspx#AR005346

I would use this upcoming heavy rain as a great way to really get your soil aerated and loosened for upcoming seeding. Tis what I do.

FYI - the only seed I've found at Lowe's that has a high amount of a NC test cultivar is Scott's brand (don't remember the particular product). All others either had no NC cultivars or their proportion was on the low end. I imagine it's similar for most large stores/chains. Granted, I didn't go through every bag, so maybe there are more. I'd love to know if someone else has found something at a big box store, or another local place.

\/ bluegrass is a good idea. I would likely wait until you had a good amount established vegetation (if you don't already), as it is a bit warm and dry in the Piedmont for bluegrass. It will survive in this area, but it can be tough to get established. The existing vegetation will help retain moisture and provide shade to help the bluegrass.

[Edited on September 11, 2014 at 11:10 AM. Reason : .]

9/11/2014 10:58:22 AM

^^ check here for recommended cultivars - http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/NTEP/Default.aspx#AR005346

I like seeding with mostly fescue and a little bluegrass since it creeps.

Why the ryegrass? Isn't that mostly used to provide color on warm season lawns thru the winter?

As far as timing goes, if you think the seed will stay in place then go for it. Just trying to save yourself a little work on watering it?

And as ^ said, I'd aerate first too.

[Edited on September 11, 2014 at 11:08 AM. Reason : http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/PDFFiles/004175/Carolina_Lawns.pdf]

9/11/2014 11:06:33 AM

^ thanks for link...i'll check it out

the ryegrass is because we have some bare ground leftover from the bush hogging / grading that i'd like to get something on ASAP to prevent further erosion...though now probably isn't the best time if we're going to have a real washer, as that will just sweep my seed away

for the yard itself, i just won't have much free time to between now and mid-october, so i wanted to get seed down now...though having it well watered at the beginning is nice

9/11/2014 11:10:29 AM

^it's nearly the perfect time for seeding fescue, so I wouldn't do the ryegrass.

And you need to water for at least a month, so hoping a heavy rain won't cause damage right after seeding is just asking for trouble for saving a day or two of watering.

9/11/2014 11:13:30 AM

My bermuda has almost fully recovered from any drying out and/or brown patch it might had this summer. Should I give it another good fertilizing before the summer fades out?? (keep in mind that I'm in Charleston and it will probably stay in the 80s well into October)

9/11/2014 11:15:12 AM

^yep. I'd maybe wait a few weeks though. If your area doesn't tend to get freezing temps until mid-late november or later, then early october would be a good time to fertilize. Though if the prediction of a cooler than normal winter are true... now would be a good time too

Just use your best judgement - you certainly want to fertilize several weeks before your grass starts to go dormant.

http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/Maintenance_Calendars.aspx#000016



[Edited on September 11, 2014 at 11:19 AM. Reason : .]

9/11/2014 11:17:26 AM

Quote :

"it's nearly the perfect time for seeding fescue, so I wouldn't do the ryegrass."

so in areas where i have bare dirt the rye won't provide faster coverage than the fescue? i'm trying to establish SOMETHING there sooner than later (not even thinking of this weekend's rainfall, just in general)

Quote :

"And you need to water for at least a month, so hoping a heavy rain won't cause damage right after seeding is just asking for trouble for saving a day or two of watering."

that's not really why i'm trying to do it today or tomorrow, it's because i'm not sure how much time i'm going to have available in the next month...yeah, i can probably squeeze it into an evening (and might just for a second round of seeds, if that seems like a good idea), but i'd rather do it now while i have time and i want to make sure the rain isn't going to HURT

this is probably a dumb question: if i have no intention of picking up the clippings, is it preferable to mow before seeding (seeds possibly land on clippings and don't reach the ground) or after (so the clippings cover the seeds)?

[Edited on September 11, 2014 at 1:51 PM. Reason : .]

9/11/2014 1:47:48 PM

Do you not have a bag on your mower?

Check page 20 - http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/PDFFiles/004175/Carolina_Lawns.pdf

You wanna mow as low as possible and collect the clippings before seeding.

Quote :

"i want to make sure the rain isn't going to HURT"

As discussed if it comes down heavy it will hurt by dragging away all of your expensive seed.

9/11/2014 1:51:38 PM

Quote :

"Do you not have a bag on your mower?"

i do, but i'm not bagging (and hauling) half an acre of clippings

Quote :

"As discussed if it comes down heavy it will hurt by dragging away all of your expensive seed."

right, i was just reiterating...i figure it's really only going to move the seed in areas prone to washing, so i won't seed there

my seed wasn't that expensive...i got the hook-up and spent less than $50 on 50lbs of the fescue blend...i'd rather do this half-assed and actually DO it than plan on doing it "right" and not having time because then at least SOMETHING will grow

9/11/2014 2:00:31 PM

Gotcha...you can also use something like this to hold seed in place - http://www.lowes.com/pd_213426-23132-10032_0__?productId=3024494. If the alternative is no seed, I'd give that stuff a shot. I used it (or something similar) a few years ago on the side of a small hill and it worked great.

9/11/2014 2:03:21 PM

If you have existing fescue, mow to 2" high, then seed. If you have weeds, then mow that shit down as far as you can. Do not mow within 7 days of seeding. a bagger attachment works best. Raking is good, but a PITA. A blower is meh. Not picking them up can be "bad"... if you mow several days before you seed it helps, at least aerate after mowing. If you have a dethatcher, that will work wonders

I am convinced that the dethatcher is the most valuable fall seeding prep tool out there for any grass. Why? Not only will it remove thatch and similar build it, it aerates (somewhat), mixes the top 1/2" of soil, provides slits for pseudo-slit seeding, and works wonders at covering up seed.

^my experience with that exact blanket is that it is too thick and doesn't allow enough sun, resulting in poor grass coverage. Don't get me wrong, it works great to hold things down (for a while at least). But one should really loosen up the soil, keep it moist, be sure to get plenty of seed under it, then pull that blanket tight and stretch it out some.

^^I just did half an acre. Compost pile, man. And no, no need to do rye now if you are doing fescue. Rye is good for a temporary, cheap cover if you're not in-season. Otherwise, substituting rye for fescue right now just doesn't make any sense. It's not going to establish (read: germinate and take root) all that much faster than fescue.

[Edited on September 11, 2014 at 2:18 PM. Reason : .]

9/11/2014 2:08:29 PM

^^ ah, thanks for the recommendation...i DO have a small hill that has been worn down to bare dirt by the dogs, erosion, and general neglect, so i might give it a shot...the wooded area i had cleared is sloped, but i may go with straw for that

^ i usually compost if there's more cutting than usual, from the grass being thicker than i'd like (ie. i waited too long between mowings)...but as a general rule, i don't see any dead patches of grass from NOT picking it up, so i err on the side of less work

i don't have a dethatcher...just a mower with a mulching blade (if that's any different than a "regular" blade) and a bag...oh, and i have a hand rake

i realize i'm not doing it the "correct" way...i put it off last year and then seeded with rye to make up for it (which worked, but of course come summer the rye was useless)...all i know is i have time now and i'll take any sort of germination over none

thanks for all the advice thus far

9/11/2014 2:46:57 PM

Quote :

"but as a general rule, i don't see any dead patches of grass from NOT picking it up, so i err on the side of less work"

Right, you *should* to leave your clippings normally since they help fertilize the lawn...just so happens that it's less work. But in the case of a pre-seed mow, you really wanna bag them. It's one of the easier things you can do to ensure at least some success.

Quote :

"i don't have a dethatcher."

That and aerators can be rented from Home Depot (and I assume Lowes).

9/11/2014 2:51:10 PM

Quote :

"Right, you *should* to leave your clippings normally since they help fertilize the lawn...just so happens that it's less work. But in the case of a pre-seed mow, you really wanna bag them. It's one of the easier things you can do to ensure at least some success"

This 1000000 times. Also, dethatchers are cheap. I wouldn't even rent. Craigslist.

9/11/2014 3:32:23 PM

Is there any benefit to letting my backyard grow tall and seed (Fescue)? My backyard has a number of thin spots due to clearing and regrading last year and I plan on spot seeding soon, but I wanted to see if there was any benefit to not cutting it again until the spring (I'd say it's about 6-7 inches right now).

9/15/2014 12:21:24 PM

i have a rainbird esp-6lx+ for irrigation and thought i programmed it correctly last night to water only on mon/wed/fri at 5am if my water sensors haven't detected that it's rained - however zone 1 was running at 8am this morning when i was leaving for work - i can't even imagine what i messed up but i'll run through the setup again tonight

9/15/2014 12:25:09 PM

^^no. your fescue will continue to grow until november/december. and depending on the cultivar, the seed may be sterile. further, leaving grass high all winter isn't good for it, as it will die off and then you have to hope it all comes back next spring. you should only cut up to 1/3 of the height off at a time, so you probably need to mow it now (assuming your mower is like most and won't do much over 3.5-4").

keep it cut 2.5" - 3" for sept-dec.

[Edited on September 15, 2014 at 10:21 PM. Reason : .]

9/15/2014 10:20:25 PM

Where do you guys buy your seed? Just home despot, or lowes?

9/18/2014 7:21:16 PM

Whoever has the cultivars recommended by NCSU

9/18/2014 7:36:05 PM

That's what I'm asking, if anyone has a source they have had success with.

[Edited on September 18, 2014 at 7:58 PM. Reason : I'm in the process of acquiring my first lawn ]

9/18/2014 7:55:21 PM

Check my cultivar link I posted above...look on the back of the bags of seed at the store and match them up.

9/18/2014 11:35:57 PM

Stone Brothers in Durham. They have several blends, depending on sun/shade conditions, based on the NCSU field tests. I use Piedmont, which is:

Falcon IV – 25%
Titan LTD – 25%
Rendition – 25%
Raptor II – 25%

http://stonebrothers.com/product-category/lawn-care/

9/19/2014 9:36:43 AM

Apparently Scott's Southern Gold was developed in conjunction/with input from NCSU TGM. All of the cultivars are on the NC list. It is the only seed I have found at Lowe's in which all cultivars are listed for NC. All other products and brands at Lowe's either have no cultivars listed or low proportions.* I also use Fairway Green seed since I am a customer, though I don't recall which cultivars they use... I imagine they'd have to be on the NC list as they have worked with NCSU.

Now the bad news... Scott's Southern Gold only comes as the "water smart" seed (that I've found), which means it is only 50% seed. Thus you pay $50 for a 20 lb bag that is only 50% seed by weight

*Some of the cultivars listed are at least closely related to some on the NC list, but they don't match exactly, I don't consider it (e.g., the different Rebels cultivars - there are about 5 on the NC list, but most seed mixes contain a Rebel that is not on the list).

9/19/2014 12:03:06 PM

Home Depot carries the Lesco Transition blend, which has Biltmore, Magellan, and Padre, which are also on the NCSU list.

9/19/2014 4:10:59 PM

Cool, thanks guys.

9/19/2014 6:00:34 PM

went to stone brothers tonight before the show at the DPAC and picked up a bag. Thanks for the tip.

9/19/2014 11:23:21 PM

Ahh, I love the first cut of fall...

9/26/2014 4:01:03 PM

oh dilemmas... contractor is coming by late next week to till & spread topsoil in part of my side yards & backyard... the temperatures have steadily been dropping, and I've seen forecasts for lows in the 40s. So, do I take the chance with high quality fescue and hope temperatures don't drop too much too soon, or go with cheap seed?

10/2/2014 1:01:33 PM

I just got my fescue seed down yesterday. Should be OK as long as it doesn't frost. My figers are crossed! Since you've already done the soil prep, you may kick yourself later if you don't go with good seed. This time next year the soil will be compacted and not as prime for new seed.

10/2/2014 3:35:07 PM

http://www.zspotdeals.com/sidedeal/2254.html

10/3/2014 11:41:22 AM

I'm in a whole different boat. I am up here in Roanoke VA and I waited too long to aerate and seed fescue in my yard (it has some already but needs help). Now I'm thinking about just waiting a little longer and overseeding with some rye for the winter, and then aerating and seeding in the spring.

Thoughts?

10/4/2014 8:16:13 AM

You may still be able to get fescue in. And you have the same timing issue with rye - it's a cool season grass that should be seeded in the fall when temps are 50-80. There is no point in waiting to seed rye. I'd say, if you don't absolutely have to get seed in this year, maybe just skip it; otherwise take a chance with fescue now. No need for rye.

Don't seed fescue in the fall unless you plan on watering all spring and summer.

10/6/2014 1:02:01 PM

Quote :

"Don't seed fescue in the fall spring unless you plan on watering all spring and summer"

ftfy

and for you worrywarts, fescue is fine as long as there's no cold snap that gets below freezing

[Edited on October 6, 2014 at 4:14 PM. Reason : ]

10/6/2014 4:13:45 PM

whoops, thanks.

10/6/2014 7:14:58 PM

irrigation winterized this morning

has anyone put in something like the link below before to supply their irrigation system as opposed to using city water? i'm about to get quotes but was wondering if anyone had any idea.

http://www.plastic-mart.com/product/2724/2500-gallon-plastic-water-storage-tank-42040?mn=pm005z&gclid=CMia8eS6jMECFWqCMgodciUAZw

10/7/2014 8:52:01 AM

I haven't, but it's quite commonly used for residential irrigation... especially those not fooled by a $150 "55 gallon rain barrel" from a bigbox store. Great way to save money on paid water costs and eliminate runoff from impervious surfaces.

10/7/2014 9:38:00 AM

So, I have a 2 acre pond, with nutrients and fish a plenty.

I have seen people use floating mats with holes that hold plants of different kinds for water quality/pond quality improvement, but most of those plants were aquatic plants.

http://www.beemats.com/the-science-behind-it.html

Anyone know if vegetables would struggle to survive in the same pond floating environment?

I see tons of videos of aquaponic/hydroponic gardening, and the main idea there is basically nutrient/oxygen rich water flowing through the roots of these plants.

Is there something about a pond that would be prohibitive to the same results?

FYI, I have a 5 CFM aeration system pushing oxygen into the water of the pond, and that could be leveraged if needed at the floating garden.

[Edited on October 11, 2014 at 12:43 AM. Reason : beemats]

10/11/2014 12:42:49 AM

I built a system with 3 similar tanks. It works great BUT you'll want to still have a city water backup. You'd be surprised how fast it runs through the tanks.

10/12/2014 9:26:15 AM

need to get a trimmer for the new lawn. no heavy brush, but a considerable amount of grass that has to be cut with it because the 60 inch zero turn won't fit in some places. any advice on gas powered ones? the ability to adapt from trimmer to edger would be a bonus.

10/19/2014 9:27:41 PM

probably can't go wrong with either a stihl or hurqvarna. I think they both offer models that have interchangeable attachments

10/20/2014 9:41:25 AM

stihl fs 90 r

/discussion

10/20/2014 9:42:11 AM

Anyone have experience with fig trees? I just moved a small (~3') fig tree to a pot with drainage, but the day after planting it, the leaves have all curled up (save for one small, new leaf). I've heard that's not uncommon, but I don't want to overwater the tree and kill it. Any thoughts?

10/21/2014 10:58:32 AM

we have fig trees in our garden (it was a trade for iris), but the tops died due to the cold winter last year and have regrown as shrub/trees. I don't have much experience other than that, sorry.

10/21/2014 5:25:15 PM

My friend's neighbor in Raleigh has productive fig trees. All I know is that they are delicious (ate one once). Definitely worth a try. So delicious.

10/28/2014 2:05:20 AM