Can I replace part of my lawn or do I have to do the whole thing?

3 years ago

I live in Tennessee (zone 7a) with a primarily St. Augustine lawn, although when I get it over-seeded in the fall, they use some kind of fescue.

I estimate that my front yard is about 3000 square feet and the back yard is about 4000. About a third of each is currently overrun with Bermuda grass, which I despise. I've pulled out a ton but I think it's at the point now where I need to start over.

The back yard was also torn up a little bit about 18 months ago when I had work done on the driveway. There are some decent sized holes that I've filled but have trouble getting grass to grow on.

My question is: can I rip out and replace (either with sod or seed) just the areas where there is Bermuda grass? Or do I need to re-do the entire lawn? And would fall be the best time of year to do this? Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

User
3 years ago
You can replace any part of your lawn you want, and decide if you like it. If you do, you can do the rest the following year, or just leave it if that's all you feel like doing. Dealer's choice. This is your lawn, not mine. :-)

It sounds like the Bermuda is the invader and the fescue is what you want to move to. In that case, you'll want to go on a murder spree next June and July, using RoundUp or the like to kill the part of the lawn you want to renovate. It's dirty, it's ugly, and it's not nice. But the earlier you do it, the happier you're going to be in the end because it's going to have to be done more than once.

That Bermuda is not going to give up the fight easily. It'll resprout. You'll miss some. And there will be weeds growing. Respray about two weeks after the first time, hitting anything you missed. Then again two weeks later (these are usually easy spot-sprays). Water a bit too, get the weeds sprouting so you can kill them before they sprout from seeding.

Through the process, mow the lawn. Sounds crazy, but mow it shorter each time, moving it downward so you don't have to scalp it all at once. Keep mowing it until it's as short as it'll go--you should be able to see soil and, by that time, the old grass is probably rotting away a bit. After that, no special prep is necessary.

For you down Tennessee way, planting Fescue is probably a later sort of thing. The rule is to plant when summer's coming to an end and evenings are just getting that first touch of late summer feel. For me here in Pennsylvania, that's actually August 15th or so--earlier than most would expect. So yours will be earlier than expected but later than mine.

Were I to guess? September 10th? There will be a window and fescue is not that picky, far less so than bluegrass will be, although I might suggest a good mix with bluegrass in it.

Fescues have to be reseeded when they get damaged, they're unable to repair themselves. Bluegrasses are self-repairing if properly fed (that if-clause is, however, quite key to the self-repair). So I do suggest a mix that includes bluegrasses where possible. In TN, it's definitely possible and they'll work fine with fescues, but do take longer to sprout and establish.

Drop the seed at the recommended rate. There's no requirement to cover, although many people do find it helpful to apply up to 1/4" of peat moss or very clean compost. It helps retain some moisture in case of irrigation failure or a heat wave, which you're almost certain to get. We go early to give the grass a lot of time to develop roots and store energy, but...well, there's a price for that.

Water three times a day. Yep, thrice.

And that should be enough to get you started.
Corey Eagan thanked User
User
3 years ago
Sod is easier. Kill the lawn. Rent a sod cutter to rip it out. Replace it with sod come April or May (for fescue or a tri-mix, which is probably available down there).

If I'm reading this wrong and you actually want Bermuda, I think the best ones are sod anyway. That would probably be in June, but let David chime in on that one if this is the case.
Related Discussions
What lawn mower to purchase? Or do I stick with what I have?
Q
Comments (35)
Commercial mowers? Seriously? In my opinion, no homeowner should ever consider going commercial. There really is little to no point in doing so. I use an HRC-216 from Honda when I help my father-in-law with his landscape business, and while it is a great machine, it is way more than I would ever need for ~52 times a year. Also, when something does go wrong, they are very expensive to fix. My advice for the OP is to sharpen the blade on the reel he has now and get it working well. Maybe add a weedeater, probably electric, so you don't have to store gas. If the reel has a hard time with your type of grass then go with a cheap mulching mower, gas or electric. When you find yourself with a larger lawn, then consider a premium residential mower like a Super Recycler or Honda. What you want to look for at that point is a decent engine and non-rusting deck. Also, if you do not need self-propelled, don't get it. It adds to the cost and complexity of the mower and is one more thing that can break. Looking at your lawn, a large self-propelled commercial would almost be more of a hassle to use than something smaller and more nimble like the reel mower you have or a 19"ish electric. Also, the money you save could be put towards more landscaping. There are plenty of plants and such that are drought resistant. That would do far more to beautify your lawn than a mower.
...See More
Is my backyard lawn worth saving?What kind of grass do I have?
Q
Comments (6)
Most turf grasses in the PNW will be blends of various cool weather grass seeds, however sod farms seem to prefer monocultures and often go with a single type. Because many of these grasses look virtually indistinguishable from each other, best to go back to the source and ask where you purchased the sod. Because our cool season grasses want to go dormant in summer, I tend to recommend fall as the best time to overseed or do much remedial lawn care. What you can do now is to aerate the soil, using a plug or core aerator. Aerating is one of the best things you can do for a lawn or the ideal first step in lawn care prep. After aerating, spread a thin layer of compost, just a half inch or so. Water as necessary but not too frequently and deeply when you do. In my Puget Sound climate, once every week to 10 days is usually sufficient through summer provided the water penetrates down 6-8 inches. Weed manually as required. Then in fall you can overseed. Again, cover with a thin layer of compost (better than peat or topsoil) and keep moist until full germination, usually about 10-14 days. Mow when the new grass is at least 2.5 inches tall. And you can still fertilize before winter. If you overseed in September, you should be able to fertilize in mid to late October. Of any time of year, the fall fertilizing is the most beneficial in our region. And opt for an organic product if you can.
...See More
I have a serious infestation of weeds in my lawn, how do I fight it?
Q
Comments (2)
If you live in the south and want bermuda or St Augustine, we can help you get to a nice lawn in a few months. If you live in the north and want something like rye, fescue, and/or Kentucky bluegrass, I would suggest you hang onto that thought until after summer as suggested by someone in your past. In the mean time practice proper watering, mowing, and fertilizing and you will have the best looking weeds on the block. That's what I'm currently doing at my new home. Because I'm satisfied with the look of green, even though it is green weeds, this is a very low stress approach. Here's a picture of my weeds from last July. Proper watering means deep an infrequent. Deep means 1 inch all at one time; not spread out over several days. Infrequent means to adjust frequency for the temperature. When it's hotter you deep water more often. With temps in the 90s water once per week. With temps in the 80s water once every 2 weeks. With temps in the 70s water once every 3 weeks. With temps below 70 water once a month. This works in Phoenix and in Vermont, so wherever you are it will work. Mulch mow most grasses at the highest notch on the mower. The only grasses that get mowed at the lowest level are bermuda, centipede, and creeping bentgrass. Fertilize once in the late spring and twice in the fall. Late spring is Memorial Day. Early fall is Labor Day and late fall is around Thanksgiving. That's about all there is to it.
...See More
I do like the sum of its parts - just not the whole
Q
Comments (19)
I think there are a number of things I would do differently. On my monitor the green is too warm for what's going on in the sofa, but not different enough to seem a purposeful mismatch. I am not getting the magenta based pillows (although again this is a very current thing). It's a very flexible look, because things can come and go and nothing really has to go together in this formula. It's not quite disciplined enough for me.
...See More
dchall_san_antonio
3 years ago
St Augustine is the most dominant of all the grasses you mentioned, ONLY IF you mow at the mower's highest setting and water it deeply and infrequently throughout the growing season.

If you want St Augustine, you should stop overseeding in the winter. That just makes life difficult in the spring when the St Aug is trying to awaken. But it will dominate the bermuda when mowed high.

Can I replace part of my lawn or do I have to do the whole thing?

Comments (3)

User

User

Related Discussions

dchall_san_antonio

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US