The most common grasses in my area are bermuda, bluegrass, fescue, and what is locally called "park mix". St. Augustine is common further south.

If you have bermuda or a variant of it, it will choke out weeds if it is fertilized and watered. It puts out runners above and below ground. I had African bermuda at my other house, and it is a very plush, fine-bladed grass that goes dormant at first freeze. If your grass does not put out runners, you probably have a mix of bluegrass and its variants, or St Augustine. There are also some less common grasses available, also.

Since one of your grasses turns brown at first freeze, it is probably not bluegrass or fescue. Bluegrass has fine blades and does not do well in heat, over 90F. Fescue is thick-bladed and does much better in heat. Both will stay somewhat green during the winter in my zone, 6b.

If you want information right away, you can type the grass names into the search engine on GardenWeb, or try Google.
If you cannot identify your varieties by looking at pictures, or providing photos for us to see, it would be best to go to a local reputable nursery with samples. They can identify your grasses and match them with seeds.

Best wishes

Thanks for the help, much apprieciated. Does it matter when I throw down the seed for it to grow?

Sorry to miss that the first time. When you buy seeds, your nursery person should be able to give you more info for your area.

Although Spring is the best time to seed entire lawns, you can reseed spots just about any time except winter, with caveats about individual varieties of grasses and their heat or cold resistence. You indicated that one of your grasses turned brown after first frost. It would be almost too late for me to start seedlings with your grass because the seedlings might not develop a root system which would get through the winter, but you can try it in your zone. Bluegrass doesn't like heat, but you can start it easily now and it will make it through the winter fine. Fescue is very hardy, heat and cool resistent, so you can reseed anytime except winter. It is probably too late for St. Augustine, so wait until Spring. (By the way, I reseeded some bare spots with fescue just today because the weather finally cooled off enough.)

Another option: if you have other areas of grass that you are going to dig up anyway, sod those grasses into your open spots and water them every day for a couple of weeks.

Best wishes,
El Grillo

hauer, the plush stuff is bermuda, if you want more of that you plant the seeds in early May. The other stuff is most likely some type of fescue, which needs to be seeded from now 'til mid-October.
With either type seed, you need to scratch up the surface of the soil so you get good soil to seed contact. Spread your seed and lightly rake it into the soil. Spread a starter fertilizer at the rate reccommended on the bag and then keep it moist by watering for 5 minutes several times a day (a light covering with wheat straw will help keep it moist). Once it sprouts and get 3" high reduce the frequency of your watering to once a day. After you have cut it 3 times reduce your watering to 1" once per week in abscence of rainfall.

It is October,Do I wait till the spring before I lay seed? I live in Maryland and it is starting to get cool.
Lucas

You might get bluegrass started, depending on your first freeze. New grass might be killed by freeze or heavy freeze before it can develop roots for the winter. Most other grasses are better off waiting until Spring. Others might have better advice for your area. Our zones may be the same, but elevation, humidity, etc. are very different.

its the end of october.i seeded someme fescue 31 about a week ago.we had a cold snap and we have had 2 frost since i seeded.will the frost keep my seed from germinating? i live in the mountains of n.c.

when spreading bermuda seed should i mix it whith sand and if so how much sand to how much seed ?

Hello. Been reading for awhile now and want to chime in on the Bermuda Grass Debate. I live in a cookie cutter neighborhood in south texas (30 min south of Houston). I purchases my new house with nothing but sand in the backyard. The builder was going to charge $1200 to sod a 3,000sq ft area. I said no. Went to Home Depot and spent $100 on Scotts Bermuda Grass seed and Scotts Starter Fertilizer and supplies. That was three weeks ago. My father in law and I spent 2 hours raking the yard and then spread the seed and fertilizer. Today I have a nice thick grass coming up about an inch long. The kicker is that it is spotty. The rain and watering washed the seeds, so I have some bare spots. This is my story on seeding my own yard. I do have one question. Bermuda grass is so invasive right, well, will it fill in my bare spots. Also, i seeded in late winter(very impatient). Just my story on seeding, let me know what you think.

How do I spread common bermuda. I have heard you need to mix with sand, but what ratio, and how to mix, I'm not sure. Also, what do you use to spread it? A common spreader, or handheld, or by hand? I'm just not sure, and I don't want to screw it up. Please help. Thanks..........Rich