Question
QUESTION: Hey, I bought a house in Canton, NC, old house and completely renovated it (complete gut). Now I am living here and made beds,flowers blooming, etc, but the grass was driving me crazy. I would pull up crabgrass and lay down seed, but it wouldn't take. My yard man said I had bought the wrong kind of grass, bluegrass. So I bought some fescue, but before I got around to throwing it around I accidently started shoveling up all the grass and weeds. I am committed to completing this, on one side of my yard, and if it turns out well, committed to paying someone to do the other larger side of my yard! I bought black plastic thinking that after I finish digging, I'll till and then cover for a week to kill the weed roots. Is this neccesary? Will it work? Please help, soon. I haven't had a lot of work lately, and am enjoying my yard, but with all the work I am putting into it, I want to do what will work. Thanks so very much in advance for whatever advice you give. Bridget

ANSWER: Bridget:

One thing to keep in mind is that the landscape is composed of living beings.  When you replace a board, a roof, or plumbing, these things stay in one place and do what they are supposed to do.

Bluegrass takes a month to germinate, by the book.  If you sewed it in spring, chances are it may not have germinated well.   It may be dormant and some may come up in fall.  Now, you are entering the proper time to sew it and you live in the right zone to grow it.  Be patient.  It is the best turf for your mountain home.

Fescue will grow well, but its seedhead is tall.  It will not fill bare spots and has coarse leaves.  Your choice to sew it.  Bluegrass has five times the amount of seed per pound and, in my opinion, is cheaper than fescue.

If you have already put all that work into the yard, finish it and hope that the drought does not continue.  I do not know what type of weather you have had.  Fall usually brings some rain.

You may not need black plastic unless you have a miserable weed situation.  Weeds will grow with the grass until it covers well.  This may take two years before bluegrass competes with weeds well enough to discourage them.  Crabgrass is an annual and will not grow unless it has bare spots.  Favor the turf and it will cover.

Feed every fall.  Overseed every fall.  Mow at 2.5 to 3.5 inches with a sharp blade.  Water, if you can, to establish the new seedlings.  Keep after it until the lawn does what you want it to do.

Your choice on the black plastic.  It is a good weed killer, but needs a long time to work well.  You do not have much time until best time to sew - September.

If you can get some good compost, high quality, thermophilically processed, it will act as fertilizer, lime and mulch all in one.  Till, grade, sew and cover with 3/8" of compost, no more.  Otherwise, use fertilizer very lightly and straw.  Fertilize with no more than one pound of nitrogen per thousand square feet.

Best wishes.


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

QUESTION: Thanks! I've been buying busted bags of mushroom, and other composts from Lowe's at half price. I have to manage my money until business picks up a bit. Is this kind of compost sufficient?

Answer
Bridget:

Yes, those products should work, though not the best.  If your soil is black or dark in that part of the state, it should do well anyway.  The main idea is to have nutrients available when the grass gets past seedling stage and begins to grow.  If soil is good, you can ignore this step and fertilize lightly when grass gets several leaves on each plant.

If soil is not so good, add compost to every project.

Tom