As each product is tested and proven to be effective, it will be added to the list of available options for turf pest management. The middle to end of September is the best time to re-seed your tall fescue lawn. Tall Fescue Avoid installing sod in summer as the extra water required for establishment could result in added disease pressure and increased water bills. Lucy Bradley A list of producers growing certified sod, and the varieties they carry, can be found on the NCCIA website. Soil temperatures need to be greater than 60 degrees for good germination. It is dominant from the Piedmont Region of the Eastern US all the way to Eastern Kansas and Oklahoma. Bermudagrass spreads by stolons and rhizomes. Sedge (Carex spp.). *These cultivars have not been tested in North Carolina but have performed well in surrounding states. No insects are visible, and no fungus can be seen. Compaction also negatively affects turfgrass causing weeds to more easily establish themselves. 7. Sodding: Pre-emergence herbicides can be applied for annual weedy grass control after sodding cool- and warm-season grasses. To keep your tall fescue lawn healthy, you must continue care through the winter months as this cool season grass is actively growing. When using an herbicide that translocates from the leaves to the roots of the plant, do not disturb the soil or plants before treatment. Barbara Goodman Spacing is determined by how fast the grass spreads, the amount of material, and how much time is available. Uneven ground can make mowing below 1 inch difficult. Fertilizer bags have a three-number system such as 8-8-8 or 5-10-10. Irrigation. Working hand-in-hand with our partners at N.C. A&T and 101 local governments, we conduct groundbreaking research that addresses real-world issues in communities across the state. S. but reached a high of 798164 tons of P 2O 5 in 1985 (Figure 1). Table 9–3. Carpetgrass requires only 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft annually. Maybe two hours of full sun per day. Mechanical dethatching is usually recommended when thatch build-up is thicker than 1⁄2- inch. Describe distribution of damage on the plant and specific plant parts: Where is the damage seen on the plant? In addition, two fertilizers, nitrogen (N) and iron (Fe), are the most commonly used nutrients for deeper turfgrass color. When to Plant Fescue Grass Seed. Follow best practices for tall fescue seeding – from seed selection through post-planting care – and you'll start your lawn on the path to outstanding resilience and beauty. Read more about common weeds and management techniques in chapter 6, “Weeds.”. It should never receive more than 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft annually. I have bermuda at one home, and fescue at the other.  CC BY - 2.0, Lucy Bradley N.C. Integrated pest management can be successful, but homeowners must realize that more time and labor are required and high expectations may not be met when pest issues and environmental conditions are severe. Water established lawns to a depth of 6 to 8 inches to encourage deep rooting. When To Plant Fescue Grass. Remove the topsoil (usually four to eight inches) and stockpile it nearby if grading is needed. If the soils seem different, collect soil samples to a depth of 3 to 4 inches from several (10 to 15) locations and mix them together to produce a composite sample. You are careful to apply only light amounts of fertilizer in the summer. You have noticed that a brown area appears in the middle of your tall fescue lawn each year. Because of its weedy nature, it is best planted in contained areas. This means the grass might get the disease, but it is less severe. It is not suitable for use in the coastal plain. Spring, with its mild temperatures and adequate rainfall, would be the second best time to plant. Fortunately, many books and other educational materials are available to assist the homeowner. And even if all of the grass dies, it prevents erosion and weeds.  CC BY-NC-ND - 2.0, Avi S. Ab, Flickr Selective means the herbicide affect only certain types of plants (usually monocots or dicots). Warm-season grasses are best planted in late spring and early summer. Excellent sod results from rhizomes (underground stems) that spread, with most cultivars recuperating from and tolerating pest control measures and moderate levels of traffic. For these reasons, warm-season grasses usually perform better farther east and south in these regions. You can seed for Bermuda in the summer (it requires less water than fescue) and overseed with Winter Rye in the fall. Zoysiagrass is very drought resistant. Pesticides are used only when necessary. Annual ryegrass does not have rhizomes, whereas quackgrass does. Describe any recent changes or events. Few lawns established on clay soils can absorb more than 0.5 inch of water per hour. Planting the best-adapted grass and then watering, mowing, and fertilizing it properly form the basis for integrated pest management. Once it is established, it is drought and cold tolerant. When you have added all the information you know, click on the remaining grass to review images and descriptions and select the one most like your turf. and Climacium sp. Table 9–3 lists many warm-season cultivars. Fescue grasses die back in the summer heat, so you will need to plant a warm-season grass in the spring. Moss (Hypnum or Thuidium spp.). Aerification can help minimize the buildup of thatch, and it can also slow the development of mushrooms in the lawn. Tall fescue and perennial ryegrass exhibit a bunch-type growth habit and are incapable of spreading. Clover is a legume and so has nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the roots, and its blossoms are a favorite of honey bees. I have found that the most important factor when planting grass seed is water. Leonora Enking, Flickr Apply a starter-type fertilizer, such as 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet of 5-10-10 fertilizer. Plugging can be used for those grasses that spread laterally—not bunch-type grasses such as tall fescue, ryegrass, bahiagrass, and fine fescue. Tall fescue. Soils that are subject to heavy traffic are prone to compaction. Allow them to fall into the turf where they decay and release nutrients. Applying 0.5 inch of water every three to four days is adequate for most situations. This year the area has grown and is now about 4 feet in diameter (Figure 9–36). In the meantime, if chemical control is necessary, select the safest effective pesticide and closely follow label recommendations. Generally, late winter or spring seeding of these grasses is not recommended. It doesn’t require mowing or fertilizing and only needs water in drought conditions. It was fertilized at the beginning of the summer. Broadcasting is the uniform distribution of sprigs (cut stems) over the entire area. This evergreen ground cover features dark green strappy leaves and grows well in North Carolina. Planting from pots can be an expensive option for a large area. It is mowed two times a week during the growing season with a push mower, and the mower is set to remove only a third of the blade of grass so grass blades are more than 1 inch tall after mowing. Their blooms are food for many pollinators such as honey bees and butterflies. Prepare a good seedbed. The county Extension center has maintenance calendars for our warm-season grasses, or you may access them online. This may not be necessary if a slit seeder is used. Annual ryegrass (Figure 9–6) is used only when a temporary turf cover is needed. commitment to diversity. September is also a good time to plant fescue. Weed and feed products contain a pre-emergence or post-emergence broadleaf herbicide, and sometimes both. Actually, thatch is made up of roots, stems, and the lower portions of leaves that are below the mower blade. Learn More! It is best used on roadsides where appearance is not a concern and low maintenance is the priority. Plugging is planting individual pieces (2 inches or larger) of sod (or plugs) on 6-inch or 12-inch centers. Kentucky bluegrass prefers fertile, limed, well-drained soils in sun or light shade. Moss needs very little water once it is established, and fertilizer is not needed. Cultural: Aggressive fertilization before the onset of summer stress promotes brown patch. Frequent mowing also stops weeds from flowering and going to seed. This nitrogen should be applied in the central piedmont no later than April 15 (two weeks earlier in the coastal plain and two weeks later in the mountains). It has a medium- to dark-green color and very coarsely textured leaves. It is also possible to go ahead and seed the desired cool-season grass. Seen here glistening inkcap (Corprinus micaeus). Sodding is placing sod stripped from one site to another for an “instant” lawn. There is a large maple tree on the west side of the yard and large elm on the south side, so it stays shaded for most of the day. How do I control excessive thatch build-up in my lawn? Grass can be seeded or established using vegetation in the form of sprigs, plugs, or sod. N.C. Accounts for ~90% of NC Piedmont lawns Cool season grass Prefers a soil pH of 5.5 – 6.5 Mow & maintain a blade height of 2.5” – 3.5” Fescue is a clumping grass. Lawn Care Maintenance Calendars for specific grass types are available online through the NC State TurfFiles website. For a list of specific ground covers that perform well, check the NC CES Plant Database and search for “Native Plants.”. Cool-season grass seeds grow best if planted from mid-August to mid-October, while warm-season grass seeds are best planted from March through July. For mixtures containing bluegrass, do not make the mistake of decreasing water as soon as the first seedlings appear. Use a mower with a sharp blade. Understand the basic functions of turfgrass in the landscape. To remove some existing turfgrass, try one of these methods: Conducting a soil test of the planting area gives insight into plants that are well adapted to this soil type and allows for the addition of amendments if they are needed. Subscribe By Email chevron_right. is usually early fall, but timing also depends on fescue type and local climate. Remove any debris. Planting fescue in … Want to see which lists are available? It handles occasional light foot traffic. This could be a possible reason for the orange stuff on the bottom of shoes. By Chris Gabriel | 2017-06-02T15:24:14-04:00 September 5th, 2014 | Blogs & Articles, Lawn and Garden, Outdoor Living | Comments Off on Lawn Care Calendar for Fescue and Fescue Hybrids in Charlotte, NC Follow best practices for tall fescue seeding – from seed selection through post-planting care – and you'll start your lawn on the path to outstanding resilience and beauty. Since plant characteristics change depending upon their density, age, grazing or cutting height, and other factors, it is difficult to say exactly how many plants it takes to make a good stand. Plant fescues when fall temperature reach about 75 F. General watering recommendations include the following: Take certain precautions if there will be no irrigation throughout the summer.  CC BY-NC - 4.0.  CC BY - 2.0. It is more forgiving of foot traffic than moss, but does not tolerate heavy running and playing. If animals and children will frequently use the area, an alternative plant may be more suitable. Bluegrass takes 7 to 14 days longer to germinate than other cool-season grasses. Depending on the size of the plants and planting area, it may be easier to spread mulch prior to planting. Biological: There are no known biological treatments for brown patch. facebook twitter linkedin reddit tumblr pinterest vk Email. This broadens the genetic base and gives the turf a better chance of withstanding a variety of challenges. Wait 30 minutes for the water to be absorbed.  CC BY-NC-ND - 2.0, John Kaminski, Flickr Young and actively growing weeds are easiest to manage. Need lawn care in Charlotte? 36,158 posts, read 62,945,523 times Reputation: 35885. Depending on the growing conditions and spacing when planted, a moss lawn could take up to a year to fill in. Keeping the lawn healthy enables it to tolerate low levels of diseases and pests and makes the area a good habitat for beneficial organisms that help control pests. 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