The best time to over-seed or plant fescue grass seed is in fall. About three weeks before the first frost of the season is when you would ideally plant your fescue seed. This will enable the seeds plenty of time to germinate thus allowing roots to grow and establish itself before winter arrives.
Fall typically provides consistent moisture with fewer heavy rain storms, this is what tall fescue requires.
Fall Rescue Over-seeding
The best way to eliminate competition from weedy grasses, like goosegrass or nimblewill, is by over-seeding your fescue grass in late summer/early autumn. It also helps that many weeds go dormant as the temperature drops.
The soil is still warm in autumn, which is essential for germination. Autumn’s cooler air will also help grass grow better. The increased amount of rain generally seen during Autumn makes it a better time for moist soil. During the following spring, the grass can get a second season of growth and development for itself and its roots before the heat of Summer.
How to Over-seed Fescue Lawns
Before aerating and over-seeding it’s always a good idea to make sure that your sprinklers are adjusted. A big requirement for fescue lawns is to properly water them, if they aren’t properly watered then your aeration and over-seeding efforts could be wasted. A $79 fall tune-up with Conserva Irrigation will ensure that your system is ready to water after aeration and seeding. With a Fall Tune-Up, Conserva will do the following:
- Inspect all system components
- Adjust all heads
- Flag all heads to prevent damage from the aerator
- Reprogram controller for over-seeding
- Recommend repairs and upgrades
The manufacturer of the fescue grass seed will have placed a label letting you know how much you should over-seed your fescue lawn. The rate will also be determined by your lawn’s current thickness. If you’re over-seeding yearly the amount you will need to over-seed each year will become less and less.
As a general rule, if your lawn is already thick you will want 2-4lbs. per 1000 square feet. However, for open dirt areas, you will want 4-8lbs. per 1000 square feet. If you’re completely renovating your lawn you may need to use as much as 8-12 lbs. per 1000 square feet.
If you utilize proper irrigation techniques with your over-seeding, then within a few years your lawn could be looking its thickest and fullest. You should also not apply too much seed in an effort to get a thick lawn immediately. As the grass matures, overcrowding could occur requiring you to start over.
If you would like to learn more about fescue over-seeding, or if you have any other inquiries, then please visit our contact us page here, call us at (405) 531-9105 or email us at info@ecolandscapesok.com. We look forward to helping you any way we can!
