6) Can I still use a grub control product safely with the seedlings? Is it too cold for it to be effective now?

7) My backyard took a heavier hit from the heavy rains, esp the first one before the hurricane. A lot more washout. I have maybe 50% germination overall in the back. Im thinking about seeding with a Perennial Rye alongside the fescue that has already germinated. The backyard will get much heavier traffic from the little spawns and entertaining. The front yard will be more for show. Is it too late for Perennial Rye? Would annual be a better choice to get through the winter and then seed in the spring?

Bump

Too late for most grasses, rye may be the only choice now

1. Add more seed.

2. Wait 60 days and use prodiamine.

3. 1# N/month through December and then winterizer.

4. When they first reach 3.5" mow to 2.5". Next 3-4 mowing cut to 3". Then go higher to 3.5" for the rest of the fall.

5. Couldn't say, picture is very poor quality. After the 2nd mowing you can spot spray it with some Tenacity.

6. No clue :-)

7. You can still seed fescue. My neighbor just seeded 3 days ago, he seeds around this time every year. Mid 80s next week, I suggest you do it now. Might get germination in 4-5 days.

Thanks for your advise j4c11.

On the prodiamine, does the 60 days start ticking from seeding or germination? Or am I nitpicking too much?

Ok to spot spray with the tenacity and also follow up with Prodiamine for winter PreEm?

On the fert, is the nitrogen the biggest factor? Would a follow up of starter be a good or bad choice? I still have a good bit of the Lesco starter, which is why I ask.

I still have some seed left and plan to spread the fescue, so long as itll germinate AND survive before the frosts set in. My question regarding the perennial rye is simply for its high traffic tolerance. I am not as concerned with the back being only fescue as I am with the front. My biggest concerns in the back is that it will hold up to the torture of my kids (and me,,,). Running around, power wheels, general entertaining, etc. Does perennial rye follow the same seeding times/guidelines as fescue?

Go 60 days from germination. Yes, you can spray Tenacity as post and apply prodiamine as well.

Nitrogen is the biggest factor right now. You should get a soil test to see if other nutrients are lacking. If I had starter fert laying around I'd use it.

I'm not very familiar with rye, but I do know it will be the first to die when the heat hits.

Thanks again.

I hope the prodaimine helps with the poa A as its been bad the past 2 years. My understanding is PoaA germinates the same time as fescue... which means I probably already have some. I know tenacity is so so with it but hopefully it helped since I used it at seeding.

I've read through your entire thread for your overseed/renovation. You've certainly had your challenges! Hope all goes well through winter.

This is my 2nd round of total renovation. I had great germination last year but did not follow a good fertilizing schedule post germination and had a very thin/dying lawn in spring. At least it stayed green with 80% crabgrass!

If the back is going to get a lot of traffic, you should have a turf that repairs itself. Those grasses are limited to Kentucky bluegrass, bermuda, and St Augustine. Zoysia sort of repairs itself but not in the same season as the damage occurred. Rye and fescue do not repair themselves.

You don't need grub control unless you have grubs. And at this time of year you don't have any active grubs. Grubs are an early summer critter. The beetles arrive in May or June to leave their eggs. Eggs hatch and the grubs get busy through July. This time of year they have finished feeding, so it's too late to kill them.

If you decide to get a soil test, read the soil test posts on this forum to see what you get by posting your $25 Logan Labs test here.

Mow when the grass is 5 inches tall. Mulch mow it back to 4 inches (mower's highest setting).

You can try using a leaf rake to lift the grass blades. I would not overwork it though. They don't have much of a root system established.

I would try more seed now rather than waiting until spring. Spring seeding almost always leads to crabgrass. If you do seed in the spring, do it in late February or early March. The idea is to beat the summer weed seeds.