Question
I just overseeded my front yard, yes, in Feb, because in NC we had a terrible drout and are still in it, and my yard had bare spots, so another expert told me to overseed this feb to give the grass enough time to mature before summer.  So, we just overseeded today, (after a much needed shower, so the groud is moist).  It is a fescue yard.  Should we fertilize right away?  We can't water it in, b/c of the drout.  Should we use Scotts starter fertilizer, Starter fert. w/ crabgrass control, or another type?  Also, how can I keep from getting those brown stripes from overlapping too much with a rotary spreader.  Any tips?  Thanks... this is our first lawn.

Kristi

Answer
Fact of life:  New Grass MUST be watered RELIGIOUSLY or it won't become established.

Drought or not, your Fescue has got to be irrigated.  How hard can you pray for rain?

Assuming that works, I would strongly discourage your use of any so-called 'Starter Fertilizer'.  This is great if you hold stock in the Scotts Miracle Gro companies, but most Soil has everything you need to grow Grass already.  A soil test will tell you if you need any 'Fertilizer' AT ALL.  Why waste money on something you don't need?

Even worse, if you put too much of nutrient 'x' in your Soil, nutrients 'y' and 'z' will have no place to go.  They'll stayed locked inside your Soil, and won't get into your new Lawn.

Of course if it does not rain, this problem is moot, because your Grass will not survive.

Have you guys considered Xeriscaping?

Yep -- that's a big word, ZEEEER-ESCAPING.  I don't even think that word existed 10 years ago.  Now, it's all over sunny California, where it never rains (like the song says), parts of Nevada, Arizona, etc.  If you have a very modern house it will look quite nice.  A traditional split level or ranch, on the other hand, need adjusting.  Oh -- that Xeriscaping trend is simply the idea that you plant things that grow without being watered.  If you have a Full Sun plot, you won't get anywhere with Pachysandra and Hosta, but you may like something else.  Something that does not NEED Water the way Cool Season Grass NEEDS Water.  Give it some thought.  Be the first on your block...

Back to your Fescue fix.  Tell me, did you pick Fescue that is Tall, or Fescue that is Fine?  Just wondering if you were looking for high Traffic Grass, or drought tolerant Grass, or shade Grass, or what????

Instead of Fertilizing your baby Grass, before it rains, I recommend you top dress with Compost and/or Humus (NOT 'Top Soil', which can be anything at all and is not as good as Compost or Humus).  Then get yourself a nice big juicy Soil Test.  After all, you have one of the planet's biggest think-tanks in the Grass Arena right there, North Carolina, which has posted a nice little chart for your reading pleasure, 'Principal Lawn Grasses Grown North Carolina':

http://ipm.ncsu.edu/urban/cropsci/c10turf/c10aturf.html

Note their advice about newly seeded Lawns: 'To prevent drying of planting material and soil erosion, keep the top ?inch of the soil moist. This may require light watering two or three times a day for 15 to 20 days.'  This is as I said a fact of life.

Regardless, if you are going to plant anything, you have to water.  Weeds will have a field day if you don't put something down there ... fast.  If you don't use the concentrated fertilizer, you don't have to worry about stripes on the Lawn.

Yes, this is your first Lawn.  You picked a helluva time in history to do this.  Let me point out one important thing you probably don't realize:  Most people -- I'll bet this includes you -- learn EVERYTHING THEY KNOW about growing Grass from the commercial breaks run during the football season.  Did you know that the people who put together those spots don't know ANYTHING about growing Grass?  Take a look at the description of last year's new VP of Marketing at Scotts according to Advertising Age: 'Jan Valentic has found greener pastures at Scotts Miracle-Gro Co.'

You know where she used to work?

FORD!

Tell me, would you take your mechanic and expect him to know how to grow your Grass?

But this person is not an expert in Grass, or Gardening, or Trees, or anything remotely connected to all of the above.  This person is an expert at MARKETING.  And MARKETING is what the Lawn Care Products business is all about.  These people are SUPERMEN when it comes to sales.  It's their job to make money.  Not to educate the world.

That's where I come in.

And in my opinion, what you need to grow a Lawn is 3 things: GREAT SOIL, GREAT SEED, and WATER.

And a Soil test.

That way, you have everything you need for a big, beautiful Lawn.

You can get that Soil test here:

http://www.agr.state.nc.us/agronomi/sthome.htm

Get your Soil Sample in so you can get the show on the road.  A good analysis will take as long as 2 months.  When they're done, you know EVERYTHING you need to know -- and this will save you money, time and trouble.  Plus you'll have a better Lawn because of it.  It costs less than a tank of gas.  Your North Carolina Tax Dollars at work!

OK, you probably have some questions here.  I'll shut up now.  Thanks for writing.  Followups invited.  Pleased to meet you.