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chisey_gw

Detailed plan for overseed/renovation of a TTTF lawn

13 years ago

Good morning. I posted about dealing with bermudagrass before and I think I have a plan for what to do. I'd like some feedback as well as answers to one of two quick questions at the end.

The Setting

I'm in East Tennessee, in the heart of transition country (near the border of 6b/7a). The soil generally has a lot of clay but I think I can work with that. We just moved here in April. I have about 6000 total square feet of lawn but I'm mostly concerned about the ~1500 sq ft or so in my small front yard. The current lawn is TTTF and I intend to continue with TTTF, which is the best option in our area. The yard is pretty flat with two young trees, and gets a good amount of morning and afternoon sun. I don't have an irrigation system but with 1500 sq feet it is reasonably easy to water using impact sprinklers.

The Problem

The yard is not in terrible condition. There's a decent amount of good TTTF and very few broadleaf weeds or crabgrass. The problem is bermudagrass, which has invaded the lawn and tries to climb up into the beds. In the center of the yard I would say I have 80% TTTF / 20% bermuda. When you get closer to the road, the driveway, and the sidewalk, that proportion reverses. The bermuda is really the only thing that gives me pause; otherwise I think it would be pretty straightforward to overseed and establish a really great lawn.

The Goal

Ultimately I want to go mostly organic in this front lawn. I expect to still use chemical herbicides but I want to go all-organic with fertilizers. I'm not morally opposed to synthetics but I've read enough to suspect that organic feeding is sustainable and more healthy for the plants in the yard. I'd like a nice, thick stand of TTTF and to eliminate the bermuda completely, if possible, though I know this will take time and effort.

The Plan

My girlfriend and I have discussed this and neither of us want to use the nuclear option (glyphosate the whole thing and seed anew). Summers are too brutal in the transition zone and I want some mature grass to be in place to help the new grass in its first summer. So here's the plan:

August 1: Apply a treatment of selective bermuda herbicide (Bayer Advanced) over entire lawn. Start watering regularly to fight any ill-effects on the TTTF. Around the same time, apply a light feeding-- probably Milorganite.

August 15: Apply a second round of the selective herbicide. Hopefully at this point we will see a severe reduction in bermuda activity. Near the concrete and asphalt this may result in nearly bare soil and we're okay with that.

September 1: Optional third round of selective herbicide. Depending on the results so far, some areas may have to be hit with glyphosate, but I hope to avoid this.

September 15: Overseed: (1) mow low and bag; (2) Manually dethatch using dethatching rake to remove bermuda debris and prepare soil for seed-- rake or collect debris with mower; (3) apply seed at 1/2 new lawn rates (and apply more where the bermuda had nearly taken over); (4) lightly topdress with compost and use a lawn roller if I can find one to rent; (5) start watering routine (2x a day for 2 weeks, transitioning to deeper more infrequent waterings thereafter).

I expect to feed again sometime after seeding, but am not sure when. Maybe mid-October?

Aside from general comments about the plan (which I am really seeking), I have one specific question that this all really hinges on:

If I give the TTTF the best chance I can, will I be able to establish a thick enough turf that the bermuda will eventually have no place to go and will be outcompeted?

Bermuda is a tough SOB. We all know that. I expect that the selective herbicide and overseed will probably need to be repeated next fall. But I hope that eventually cultural practices will make it a smaller and smaller problem and I won't have to look at the repulsive seedheads taking over my lawn every July.

Thoughts? Comments? Thanks in advance!

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