Question
QUESTION: Sir, I live in coastal Md. My tall fescue lawn is about 30% overrun with that wiry bermudagrass. Should I kill off the entire yard before reseeding? If I spot kill, must I then dig out the dead grass before reseeding? Or,can I kill, then just de-thatch/seed or slit seed? Can I get better results from another grass type, like Zoysia, perhaps? Thanks for your guidance.

ANSWER: MD can be a tough area for grass. You're right in the transition zone where Bermuda will try to take over in the Summer, while the tall fescue will do better in the cooler months. Unfortunately, Tall Fescue really doesn't spread, so the Bermuda just gets more and more prolific as the years go on.

You CAN spot kill, then aerate and/or dethatch and/or slit seed. The trick is to make sure that the vast majority of the Bermuda is ripped out so that the seed can get into the exposed soil without having a thick mat of dead stuff on top of it.

I'd recommend doing exactly that as soon as the weather drops into the low nineties consistently. Seed with good Tall Fescue and water to get it going. If you do this every year, the problem will get less and less to where it's not that big of a project anymore.

Good luck Steve!

-C.J. Brown
www.TheLawnCoach.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: "I'd recommend doing exactly that as soon as the weather drops into the low nineties consistently."
Mr. Brown, thank you for your help. You mentioned "low 90's" which would put me into July/August...is this correct?
Thanks again.
Steve

Answer
Actually, I had figured it would be more around the September time. The key is to wait until temperatures are dropping, not rising. When they start getting lower and they hit 90 or so, then you can get to it. This way, the Bermuda will be weakening as the Fescue grows in.