Make it an annual practice. "Annual overseeding is recommended to thicken lawns and make them more attractive, but also to introduce improved varieties of grass that are hardier, less prone to insects and diseases, and more drought tolerant," explains Mayer.
In order to maintain a healthy fescue lawn year round, it's important to aerate and seed once per year, and now is the time. Because fescue is a cool season grass, September and October are perfect months to core aerate and overseed your lawn.
If you maintain fescue in a transition zone region like the Richmond, VA area, overseeding fescue is best to do on a yearly basis. Fescue grass seed germinates best in mild weather, which is why fall lawn seeding is the most popular time of the year to repopulate your turf.
Overseeding can help you get back to the thick, lush, green lawn you're looking to achieve. By spreading grass seed over your existing lawn, you can thicken up the thin areas and get your lawn looking terrific again. (This is different from reseeding, which is when you start over and plant a completely new lawn.)
Grass variety: Cool-season grasses like fescues and bluegrasses are more likely to reseed themselves in temperate regions, while warm-season grasses like Bermuda rely more on spreading through stolons and rhizomes.
It depends on the type of grass. Kentucky bluegrass has runners that help it spread on its own. But many northern grasses are bunch-type grasses which don't spread, so seeding is needed to fill in bare spots. Perennial ryegrass and fescue are among the non-spreaders.
Quality grass seed labels include guidance on optimal seeding rates to maximize your results. Don't overdo or cut corners. Too much grass seed causes undue competition for resources such as light, water and nutrients, and grass seedlings struggle as a result. Too little seed leaves lawns thin or bare.
Remember, lawn grass seeds only need to be lightly raked into the soil, or even just scattered directly on the soil surface. Any seeds buried more than the length of the seed will have a hard time germinating successfully.
While grass clippings themselves won't sprout new grass, they can play a significant role in supporting new grass growth and even contribute to natural reseeding under certain conditions.
Why should you aerate before overseeding? Aerating before overseeding ensures good seed-to-soil contact and a high germination rate.
Fescues are a cool-season grass, so it's best to plant its seed in early fall between mid-August and mid-October when outdoor temperatures average around 70° to 75°F. This way, the young seeds will experience less heat, stress, and disease.
Mowing at the correct height is crucial for fescue grass health and appearance. Set your mower to a height of 2.5 to 3.5 inches for Tall Fescue and 1.5 to 2.5 inches for Fine Fescue. Avoid cutting more than one-third of the grass height at once, as this can stress the grass and lead to weakened growth.
Cons of Choosing 90-10 Tall Fescue Sod. While it can tolerate partial shade, it won't do well in full shade. Additionally, it's not as tolerant of diseases and insects as some other types of sod, so you'll need to be extra diligent about pest control.
Because fescue is a cool season grass there are two times per year you can plant fescue seed; Fall (September through October) and Spring (March and April).
Aeration, combined with seeding, will encourage new growth for grasses like fescue and your lawn will be back to looking lush and green in no time! If your lawn has thin spots, seeding in the Fall will also help fill in areas that did not survive the summer temperatures well or had disease.
Very Small Patchy Areas: For tiny bare spots (think a few inches in diameter), throwing a small amount of seed and keeping the area moist might suffice. However, even in these cases, lightly raking the soil to create some seed-to-soil contact can significantly improve results.
Turfgrass seeds can be soaked in water for 3 to 5 days to germinate. Kentucky Bluegrass (KBG) is slow to germinate and should be soaked for five days.
Straw is the traditional aid often recommended to cover grass seed, mainly to help retain moisture. However, it's not necessary to use straw to grow grass, and there are better options you can choose from.
Will grass seed grow if you just throw it on the ground? Definitely yes! Hand-sowing is the simplest method if you only need to cover a few spots. Take a handful of seeds and spread them over the dead patch, or better yet, involve your kids and introduce them to some basic gardening chores.
Some soil types will get spongy, especially newly seeded topsoil. Walking on it in this condition will leave serious depressions and cause compaction.
Technically, yes. Planting a lawn is as simple as sprinkling seeds on the ground. But if you're growing grass on hard dirt, you should prepare and aerate the soil before. Also, it's important to sprinkle the seeds during the grass's peak growing season and mix them slightly with the dirt.
Tall Fescue is one of the grass types that can compete with Bermuda grass and potentially choke it out in certain conditions. However, it requires proper management and maintenance to suppress Bermuda grass effectively.
Grass Type Affects Mowing Height
Cool season grasses, like fescue and bluegrass, can be mowed at a variety of recommended heights. It is recommended that fine fescue be mowed to a height of 1-3 inches, tall fescue between 1 ½ – 4 inches, and Kentucky bluegrass between ¾ – 3 ½ inches.