Can i plant fescue in the spring

Has the lawn been core aerated or other soil preparation activities taken place? Does the lawn have a sprinkler system that has been activated for the current year? If not, do you have sprinklers that can be turned on for two to three weeks, or even longer and may need to be turned on two or three times a day to ensure the seedlings will survive? Do you understand that the lawn will need more water throughout the summer?

Do you understand that you cannot apply a crabgrass preventer to the area for this year? Do you understand that you cannot apply any broadleaf weed control to the area until after the seed has germinated and been mowed at least three times?

Your tall fescue seed gets off to a strong start, before seasonal stresses of winter or summer arrive. Fall is the ideal time for seeding or overseeding tall fescue lawns. Late summer to early fall is the best time to plant tall fescue seed. Fall offers several advantages not available any other time of year. As air temperatures drop in autumn, soil still retains some summer warmth. Cool nights, moderate days and warm soil are ideal ingredients for fast, thorough germination and sturdy establishment of tall fescue seed.

Fall planting offers other benefits, too. Fall rains typically arrive about the same time that favorable air and soil conditions align. Tall fescue seed requires consistent moisture during germination, and gentle fall rains meet that need. Unlike spring, when soil often becomes overly wet, fall soil is more likely to maintain healthy moisture levels.

Many aggressive lawn weeds go dormant as temperatures fall, so new grass faces less weed competition. Insect pests become less active, so you have fewer fall problems on the pest front, too.

In general, plant tall fescue at least 45 days before your region's typical first fall frost date. This allows time for the 7- to day germination period for turf-type tall fescue plus adequate time for roots to establish before winter comes.

For Upper Midwest lawns, mid-August may bring ideal conditions. The suggested yearly application is 0. A typical spring application of nitrogen fertilizer will be 0.

Include phosphorus and potassium fertilizers if soil tests indicate there is a need. In the absence of a soil test, a or similar N-P-K ratio fertilizer may be used this spring. If irrigation is available, set your controller within current water restrictions for your area. Irrigate early in the morning to reduce water loss due to evaporation. Since seeds and seedlings may be damaged by some herbicide applications, spring seeded tall fescue requires some changes from a typical pre-emergence herbicide program.

In addition post-emergence programs must also be altered for both broadleaf and grass control. Make sure fescue is extensively tillered prior to applying any 3-way herbicides or pre-emergence products. Several weed control scenarios could be used. One scenario for spring seeding would involve using no herbicide at seeding. Once the new plantings have tillered and have been mowed at least twice, a postemergence herbicide such as Drive or Acclaim Extra could be applied in combination with a preemergence herbicide.

Another scenario would include using Tupersan at seeding of tall fescue. This herbicide will provide 30 days or so of preemergence activity. Once the seedlings have tillered, the normal preemergence herbicide could be applied. It should also be mentioned that Dimension has some early postemergence crabgrass activity. Typically, Dimension will kill crabgrass that has emerged but pre-tiller.

For more specific weed control strategies, check turffiles. It is very important that tall fescue be maintained at the proper mowing height to minimize crabgrass incidence. Fungal diseases are a large part of the reason why spring seeding of tall fescue is not recommended.

Planting fescue seeds at the beginning of fall provides an advantage from the increasingly cooler temperatures throughout the season; fescue germinates best in the cooler weather of the season.

The decreased water needs during fall and winter mean less time spent on maintenance and better germination due to the cool-weather nature of the grass, leading to a healthier, greener looking lawn, according to University of California Integrated Pest Management. You can also plant fescue grass in early spring.

Spring planting comes with some risks -- the warmer temperatures require more frequent waterings and more care to prevent soil drying, which could harm the grass. The grass also has to compete for space, nutrients and light with perennial weeds that sprout during spring.

Nevertheless, you can plant fescue grasses during the season as long as you start early on.