Renovating Cool-Season Lawns

— Written By and last updated by
en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲
turf

Cool Season Turf – Image by NC State CES

As cool fall breezes sweep across the state, now is a perfect time to breathe new life into an existing cool-season lawn. A primary cause for renovation is filling in areas where grass has died out. This could be symptomatic of poor pH, incorrect fertilization, excessive thatch, or a variety of other causes.

Make sure to start with a soil test and use the results to determine how much fertilizer and lime to apply to correct pH and nutrition. After the soil sample, reduce weed competition in the areas you plan to reseed. Plan to use a combination of hand-weeding and herbicides to tackle these weeds, especially tough perennials. If the area has thatch buildup, wait a week after applying herbicides before de-thatching.

For bare spots, till the top 4 to 6 inches and smooth the soil before re-seeding. Ensure uniform broadcasting by passing over the area in one direction with half of the seeding rate then applying the remaining half at a right angle to the first pass. For areas where grass is thin but present, use a de-thatcher or verticutter to slice an opening in the ground. Drop seed into these furrows and lightly cover. Some cool-season grasses, such as tall fescue, do not spread to fill in an area but will form bunches.

Keep newly planted areas moist with light irrigation. As these areas fill in, encourage deeper rooting by watering less frequently but for a longer duration. Deeper roots are more resilient and can lead to a healthier stand of grass that has fewer weeds and disease issues.

Avoid over-fertilizing or adding too much nitrogen as this can push growth too quickly, leading to stress and health issues. For information on when to re-seed, fertilize, and manage weeds in different lawns, see the NC State Lawn Maintenance Calendars for each type of turf in the “Lawns” chapter of the NC Extension Gardener Handbook.

—Selena McCoy

Extension Gardener Newsletter Banner

Additional interesting articles are linked from the index
Extension Gardener Newsletter