Question
I just purchased an investment property that has a challenging lawn.  It is mostly composed of bermuda grass, weeds and areas of just dirt.  I was told that bermuda is very hard to get rid of.  So I thought maybe I should just go with the flow and reseed the lawn with bermuda.  Then, I found out that bermuda seed will not germinate in cool weather.  So now I thought maybe I could plant some fescue and let it mix with the existing bermuda.  Do you have a better ideas?  I just want the lawn to look okay when I sell the house.  Also, when is the best time to reseed in Kansas?  How often do I need to water the seeds?      

Thanks, Jaret

Answer
Bermuda is not a good choice of grass for Kanas. Bermuda is a warm season grass which is green when soil (!) temperatures are above 60F. This is usually from July through October. Most of the year, this grass will be brown in your area.

I recommend that you buy a bottle of Round-Up (glypsophate) and spray all weeds, grasses and bermuda (avoid spraying desireable plants, such as perennials, shrubs, and trees). Use on a calm day and wear protective clothing.

Round-Up does not translocate in the soil and once dry it is safe to reseed although I like to wait for the weeds, bermuda to die back first. You may have to spray bermuda more than once.

Once dead, you can till the soil and plant a good mixture of grasses which are suitable for your area. They include kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fescues. I rcommend that you sow seeds now (perfect time).

Once you have tilled the soil, rake smooth and water once very well to settle the soil. Then re-rake to even out any "hills or valleys" which has formed from settling soil. Then loosen top 1" of soil with a rake and spread 6-8 lbs of grass seeds per 1000 sq feet. Tamp down with back of rake (or rent a landscapers roller for large areas). Water regularily until germination (sprouting). Seeds must not dry out. Once germinated, you can gradually change water pattern to infrequently and deeply (such as once per week for 1 hour i/o frequent daily applications).

September is ideal month for lawn renovation in Kansas.