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FeaturesAugust 23, 2000

Always be sure to read the label on the grass seed bag before seeding. Everyone seems to know that the fall is the best time of the year to seed cool-season grasses. The big debate begins when people try to decide when in the fall to seed. I have always contended that, if you have a choice, the latter half of August is the best time to seed...

Always be sure to read the label on the grass seed bag before seeding.

Everyone seems to know that the fall is the best time of the year to seed cool-season grasses. The big debate begins when people try to decide when in the fall to seed. I have always contended that, if you have a choice, the latter half of August is the best time to seed.

The objective of seeding in the fall is to get new grass plants up and producing a good root system before cold weather slows down growth rate. If you seed too late, new seedlings will not have enough time to mature before cold weather strikes.

When I say seed in August, everyone thinks it is too hot, too dry, too etc. I agree it is hot and dry in August. But the most important thing is that time is in your favor when you seed in August.

Why seed in August? Seed germinates faster when soils are warm. Soils are warm in August. As the fall progresses, the soils begin to cool off. If you seed later in the fall, the cooler soils mean slower germination rates.

In addition, August is usually dry. This means that if you control watering, you can get your seed up and producing roots early in the fall. When the rains come in September and October, the knitted roots will control erosion.

Now that I have convinced you to seed early in the fall, I want you to know what products you will need when seeding. The first product of course is seed. When buying seed you'll be faced with the choice of bluegrasses, turf-type tall fescues, perennial ryes and creeping fescues. There are other choices, but these seed groups are the ones most commonly found at garden centers.

In the Heartland, I recommend the use of turf-type tall fescues. This group of grasses, has a deep root system that can withstand summer droughts and stays green all fall and winter (unless we have an extremely cold winter). There are several varieties, such as Jaguar, Adventure and Millennium, on the market.

Some turf-type tall fescues come as blends. A blend is a combination of different varieties of the same grass species. I really prefer blends because you have just enough variation in the species that may allow one variety to withstand a potential disease problem while another variety may not.

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Some turf-type fescues come as mixtures. A mixture is a combination of two or more different species of grass. One common mixture is K-31 tall fescue and annual rye.

I would tend to stay away form creeping red fescue except in very shady situations. It has a tendency to burn if placed in full sun.

Perennial ryes tend to be susceptible to several diseases. In addition, at some times of the year they do not mow well. The ryegrass blade will shred instead of being cut cleanly with a mower blade.

Blue grasses are fairly shallow-rooted. When the hot dry summer hits, these grasses will go dormant. To keep them from going dormant, they need to be continually watered during the summer. Therefore, I do not like to sow bluegrasses by themselves.

Because bluegrass developed rhizomes (underground horizontal roots which produce daughter plants), it is a good grass to mix with fescues. Fescues grow in clumps. Damaged fescue turf will not fill in very fast and repair the damage. By adding a little bluegrass to the mixture, damaged areas will fill in rapidly because of the rhizomatous nature of bluegrass.

When you go to your local garden center to purchase seed, talk to the clerk. They should be able to help you decide which grass seed species and variety that you will need in your particular situation.

Be sure to read the label on the seed bag. I once had an individual brag to me about what a great deal in had gotten on 10 bags of Quick Start Grass Seed. I asked to see the label on one of the bags. (All states require a detailed label be attached to each bag; the details include the quantity of each variety and species in the bag). In his case he had only 10 percent turf-type tall fescue and 90 percent annual rye. Needless to say, he returned the grass seed.

In my next column I will explain what fertilizers to use when seeding your lawn. I will also review when and if you need to lime your lawn. I'll also explain the actual process using when seeding.

P.S. Now is the best time of the year to apply insecticides to your lawn for grub control. Elimination of grubs may reduce mole problems and can reduce the chance of turf damage.

I have recently had reports of army worms infesting lawns. Keep an eye out for this potentially damaging insect.

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