Garden Column for the Salisbury Post
Darrell Blackwelder
October 3, 2002

    Now is an excellent time to renovate and maintain cool season fescue and fescue blend lawns. Cool season lawns have suffered through a summer drought weakening strong turf and virtually eliminating weak lawns. Uncertain weather patterns and water restrictions have many wondering just what to do this fall. The recent rains and possible rainfall give homeowners the "green light" to proceed with much needed lawn maintenance and renovation projects.
    Below are a few questions posed at the turf workshop and phone inquiries that not addressed in recent garden columns.
    Question: When there still time to over-seed fescue lawns? Answer: Yes, there is still plenty of time to initially seed or over-seed weak lawns. With temperatures as warm as they are now, seed should germinate rapidly. Try to have seed down by the end of the month.
    Question: What are the seeding rates for fescue seed? Answer: Over-seeding thin areas use about 3 pounds per 1000 square feet. A new lawn or bare areas should receive about 7 pounds per 1000 square feet.
    Question: Can I over-seed my zoysia lawn with annual ryegrass to have a green lawn over the winter? Answer: The only warm season grass that can be over-seeded with annual ryegrass is Bermuda grass. Ryegrass tends to weaken most turf grasses including fescue.
    Question: How do I kill broad leafed weeds in my yard? Answer: Two applications of broadleaf weed killers such as Trimec, Weed-B-Gon or Spectrum 33+ will eliminate the weed. Applications 10 days apart usually give satisfactory results.
    Question: I have heard advertisements of one weed killer that kill both broadleaf weeds and crabgrass. Should I use that now? Answer: In my opinion, no. It's too late to use this type of herbicide blend on established crabgrass, especially this late in the season. Crabgrass will be dead as soon as frost arrives. This herbicide mixture works best when used in early summer when both types of weeds are emerging.
    Question: How soon after I plant my lawn can I use broadleaf weed killers? Answer: The lawn needs to be well established before applying broad-leafed herbicides. Mow your lawn at least 3 times before an application. Post emergence herbicides can be applied almost any time of year.
    Question: How soon after my fescue germinates can I mow the grass? Answer: Fescue should be cut when the newly emerging grass reaches about 4 inches. Raise the mower as high as it will go and mow. Make sure the blade is very sharp.
    Question: Should I use a straw mulch on newly seeded lawns? Answer: Yes. Bare ground needs clean, wheat straw to hold moisture allowing grass seed to germinate. Use about one bale per 1000 square feet.
    Question: Why do you always recommend a blend of turf type fescues? Answer: A blend of turf type fescues and blue grass survive brown patch much better than a mono culture or single cultivars.

Darrell Blackwelder is an agricultural agent in charge of horticulture with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. For archived garden columns or other information, visit the Rowan County Master Gardener web site at www.rowanmastergardener.com or e mail Darrell_blackwelder@ncsu.edu or phone at 704-633-0571.

--