Fall is a great time of year. There is lots to do in the lawn and landscape, like planning a lawn. Planting a permanent, healthy lawn requires planning, time and work. Allow adequate time for soil preparation. Make a checklist of things that need to be done. List supplies and equipment that will be needed. Measure the area to be planted, and convert to square feet. Plant at the right time. Use quality “certified” seed or sod for quality assurance. New grass will require extra care until it becomes established.
Cool-season grasses—bluegrass, fescue and ryegrass—are best seeded in early September. Seeds germinate and grow rapidly in the warm soil with time to become well established before winter. Warm, fall days and cool nights are ideal for seedling growth. Plus, there is less weed competition than in the spring. Early October seeding can be successful if fall temperatures remain mild, but chances of the seedlings becoming well established before winter are not as likely as in September, and winter weeds can become a problem. October 15 is generally considered the last day for planting a lawn in the fall.
So, if you plan to plant tall fescue this fall be sure to eradicate the unwanted weeds and grasses now so you don’t have to fight them down the road. This is done by using an herbicide such as glyphosate that has the ability to kill Bermudagrass as well as other weeds. Be sure not to spray plants you want to keep! Glyphosate is found in many herbicide products. This may take a few applications for success. You may need to spray three to four weeks later especially if you have any green appearing after the first spraying. Once this is done you can work the soil into a nice seedbed for new seed.
Eradication of unwanted plants should be done to give your new cool-season lawn a chance to grow and be successful!
