It won't look splotchy if you spread the seeds evenly. However, the fact that you have and want more fine fescue tells me there is too much shade to worry about KBG at all, and there shouldn't have been any in the first place, or the rye for that matter. KBG, rye, fine fescue has to be the weirdest mix I've ever heard of, but that doesn't surprise me since pre-made mixes are usually done way wrong.

If you only have deep shade in some areas and most of the lawn is in mostly sun, I'd sow KBG up to and somewhat into the transition areas. Even the most shade tolerant (only Moonlight in your blend) are tolerant of light shade, not deep or mostly shady areas. In this instance, I'd forego the red fescue except to overseed the shady areas.

Bestlawn,
Sounds like a plan I will use. I have a 1/3 sunny, 1/3 shade, and 1/3 sun/shade lawn.
Do you have a proffered mix of fine fescues that you would recommend for the shade areas?
Thank You

CeeJay, I usually try to leave fine fescue recommendations to A.J. I think they should be blended with other fine fescues, hard, chewings, and creeping reds. I'm not really sure how to compose those blends. Maybe start a new post for fine fescue blend suggestions so he'll be sure to see it. Let him know about your KBG plans so he will know to suggest the darker fine fescues. That way, the transition won't be obvious.

Wondering why you decided on Midnight II, Moonlight, and Bedazzled? Just curious.

Ceejay21, I know your question was directed to Bestlawn, but let me chime in here. I used a blend of Warwick hard fescue, Salem creeping red, and Intrigue chewing fescue. All fescue in the most shady areas, and then mixed the seeds with KBG (Midnight , Moonlight and 50 % Award in the transition areas. The fescue of course is fine bladed but the color very closely matches the KBG blend. These blends were suggested by Bestlawn and others on this forum a couple years ago specifically for my mid-Michigan location. I have a gorgeous lawn now. I am so happy that I invested in the highest quality seed, considering the labor and expense involved. My only concern for you is that some of your old lawn will grow through the new and you may not get optimum results if you donÂt do a complete kill of your old lawn. Good luck with your fall planting. And BTW, thanks again Bestlawn.

Bestlawn's great, isn't she?

I'm doing much the same (a newer lawn that looks nice, but I want the darker greens mixed in and, if possible, eventually dominant). However, my lawn ranges from 6 hours to all day sun, even on the north face (as the house's "north" face is really more northeastern). I'm using almost the same KBG mix you mentioned and I'm also in PA (the Lehigh Valley).

Numberless people have suggested that I core aerate heavily to give the seed somewhere to grow, and also to scalp the lawn just before I aerate and seed (that suggestion came from Bestlawn).

The day before, I'm taking a mower to the lawn set as low as I can manage. That should be a half-inch or less--if I can pop the guider and scalp the whole thing, that's fine by me.

My plan is to strike 20 cores per square foot, or more if the soil structure will support it. Then seed, add alfalfa for some organics right into the holes, and water three times a day.

In a month or so I should have happy little green sprouts. With that much water, the scalped lawn should also recover nicely.

ceejay,

I've overseeded the same KBG you mentioned.

The part of your plan that concerns me is leaving the existing Rye grass in place. Research done at the University of Colorado indicates that rye grass may be allopathic to Kentucky Bluegrass.

This is an excerpt:

Despite cumulative seeding rates as high as 42 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet over a 21/2-year period, no Kentucky bluegrass could be found in the intact areas of any of the plots. In fact, the only bluegrass to be found was in divoted areas that had been overseeded when the divots were still open. It was obvious that slit-seeding Kentucky bluegrass into healthy perennial ryegrass fairway turf, even with the use of a PGR to suppress ryegrass growth, was a totally ineffective method for introducing, much less converting, bluegrass into these fairways.

It should be noted that we did see bluegrass seed germination in the fairways. Within a couple of weeks of seeding, bluegrass seeds were germinating in the seeder slits (approximately 1/4-inch depth). And some seedlings, although spindly and weak, did emerge from the slits. But the seedlings did not mature into healthy adult plants.

Though discouraging, the results were not totally unexpected. Observations over the years by turf extension specialists, USGA agronomists, and many golf course superintendents have noted the general futility of overseeding bluegrass into established ryegrass turf

Here's a link to the report.

Where do you live in Pennsylvania?

Turf Toes, you always bring up the rear with the best and most important. I envision you saving the day. With so much to remember, I go on overload LOL. You don't forget about anything.

CeeJay, you'll find a brief explanation of allelopathic affect in this thread. Scroll just under halfway down the thread for my response to Jarvenin about his cover crop.

Bestlawn,
I decided on the combo from looking at one of the lawns on this site; I believe it was turf toes lawn. I also checked the NTEP results for PA and looked for availability of whatever seeds did well, were dark and I could purchase. I also plan to follow your lawn treatment schedule that I found in another thread (I bookmarked it)

Morpheus,
I am doing similar to what you describe. This fall scalp, Aerate, fertilize seed then maybe peat moss if I can find it cheap enough. I will now be researching the alfalfa.

Turf Toes,
That research worries me. I hope not to loose seed. Your yard looks incredible if it is the one I am thinking of. I live in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.

I think I will use the KBG in the sunny regions / transitions and work on a fescue mix for the shade. Good message board here.

Morpheus,
I am doing similar to what you describe. This fall scalp, Aerate, fertilize seed then maybe peat moss if I can find it cheap enough. I will now be researching the alfalfa.

Folks tell me you can skip the peat. Too much and it repels water.

Alfalfa is an organic, balanced fertilizer (I consider it roughly 3-1-2 or so, but that's really arguable). The nitrogen levels are low, it has to decay to release any nutrients (which it will in a damp seed bed), and it contains a growth hormone that, when released, boosts the grass into high gear.

I haven't made a final decision on the amount yet, but probably close to 20 lbs/1000 square feet. That's 0.6 lbs of nitrogen, extremely slow release, which isn't too much for new seed. About the time it sprouts the resources are just beginning to release into the soil.

I get the cheapest gerbil food that's alfalfa based at my local pet supply outlet. Alfalfa, for some reason, is priced at $25/40 lb bag around here--compared to soybean's $9.

Let us know if you need a retailer for the seeds. Usually, you can't find the elite types locally and often not all from the same place.

Great Pa thread, a little old but a couple things to add.
Morpheus, Fyi, there's a feed mill called Albright's in Kempton (west of lehigh valley) that has alfalfa pellets for $11/50lb. I haven't gotten any yet but I think that price is accurate.
I'm in a similar situation as ceejay, also overseeding with KBG , but my lawn is mostly sun.
Bestlawn or anyone, a retailer for the KBG seeds would be great. I've been looking at the lesco fairway 80/20 but not sure what elites it has and not sure if I want the rye mixed in.

Morpheus, Fyi, there's a feed mill called Albright's in Kempton (west of lehigh valley) that has alfalfa pellets for $11/50lb. I haven't gotten any yet but I think that price is accurate.

That's great! I go to Albright's Mill in Kempton yearly in late April for my load of organics (I got my soy there this year). The alfalfa at the time was $24, so it must have dropped (or the nice lady quoted me the wrong thing, or I asked for the wrong thing).

At least I know to ask again next year...