Dormant Seeding Lawn

8 years ago

Greetings All: I would like to do a Dormant Seeding of my lawn this December. Currently there is spotty Bermuda grass, volunteer grass, weeds, and bare dirt. Not particular about the yard, so am looking for low maintenance, shade/sun/heat/cold tolerance, & minimal creeping into boarder areas. Have decided on a turf type tall fescue (not KY-31).

Can the coated seeds be used in a Dormant Seeding or do I need to find bare seeds which are nonexistent in Big Box Stores and overpriced everywhere else? Advised by Scott to used Classic blend because the other might waterlog and rot before spring germination. Found a Scott's Landscapers Blend South that looks like it could be what I need (price and blend), but it is coated with water absorbing filler. Also looked up the fescues listed and they are mostly used for golf courses, playing fields, etc.

Here's a pic of the label. Would appreciate advise/input/help! Thanks.

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Comments (5)

User
8 years ago
Where are you located?

Some people like to do dormant seeding, but personally I am against it. You are basically relying on nature and going in blind because you have no control. Sometimes you get a period of warm weather followed by an ice storm, sometimes you get a few days of solid rain and then none for a month. There's little to no advantage to dormant seeding, imo, and a lot of risk.

Instead what I would recommend is to wait until spring, after the last frost. Check the weather, and when you see the temps are within range and maybe there's some spring rain coming your way, seed. That way you know when you seeded, you know when it's supposed to germinate, you know when it's time for fertilizer, you know when it's safe for weed control and pre-emergent, you know when it's safe to mow, you know to water if need be.

Regarding the seed, I would recommend staying away from big box seed mixes. You can get better cultivars for the same price - they will be darker, more drought and disease resistant. Contact The Hogan Company and ask for their recommendations for your area - they have great cultivars at a great price.

http://www.thehogancompany.us/home.html
holmaneva thanked User
holmaneva
Original Author
8 years ago
This zone is 7a, which is a transition zone. Folks use Bermuda too which I am also now rethinking since been advised that fescue & Bermuda don't mix well. So I don't want to kill the scrappy Bermuda trying hang in there. If not for drainage/water run off issues I would dig the whole yard and replace with decorative stones and display areas & be done.
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User
8 years ago
I'm in 7b, Greensboro NC. In 7a, I wouldn't recommend seeding in the spring, chances are high it's not going to make it and succumb to the summer heat and weeds.

If you don't mind having a brown lawn 8 months out of the year, Bermuda will work great. The other option is to seed perennial ryegrass in the fall as Bermuda goes dormant - that would give you a low maintenance lawn that's green year-round. Ryegrass germinates in 4-5 days, establishes quickly and then dies out the following summer, just in time for Bermuda to take over.
holmaneva
Original Author
8 years ago
Did you mean "annual" rye if it's going to die out? Is there such a thing as a mix of "perennial" rye and Bermuda that would coexist happily together in the yard? I would definitely buy that and problem solved.
User
8 years ago
Well annual rye is not the best looking grass, so the idea is to use perennial and withhold irrigation when the summer heat hits, and it will die off from lack of water.

There is one person in my neighborhood that has a mix of fescue and Bermuda. The fescue goes dormant around June, it comes back in around November and he lets it grow fairly tall to cover up the brown Bermuda underneath. Seems to work well. I think that would be your best best for a low maintenance lawn, should not require much irrigation in 7A, if any at all.