replacing bermuda w/fescue

dontlikebermuda – posted 11 March 2005 08:49

I live in West TN (Zone 7) and have 1 1/2 acres of bermuda. I am not happy with it and want to replace it with fescue. I can be patient – but what is the best way to go about this? I currently have no trees, but will be adding them in the near future. Thanks.

turfman – posted 11 March 2005 14:16

go ahead and areate your lawn with a transition blend grass, definatly seed the shit out of it to ensure good coverage. Also fertilize the crap out of it but not to much 18-24-12 starter fert. when the bermuda comes in, use a product called fusilade to kill off the bermuda. you can get this at your local LESCO dealer. good luck.let me know how it goes

ted – posted 11 March 2005 21:01

i would definitely wait for that size of lawn until the fall. then use roundup first on the bermuda, then dethatch and overseed with fescue. don’t do it now. may be large enough of a job for a pro.

dontlikebermuda – posted 12 March 2005 09:42

Thanks for the info Turfman and Ted. The info you have provided is a great jumping off point.

tommy – posted 12 March 2005 11:15

Usually to get a good bermuda kill- you have to spray ’round up’ twice….6 to 8 weeks apart. After your first spray and the turf looks completely dead, mow low and remove the clippings. Fertilize and keep the area moist so as to stimulate the remaining bermuda to re-grow. Usually the first spray only kills 70 to 80% – so you will get re-growth! Don’t apply your second round up spray until the remaining bermuda is nice and lush. Round up works best on actively growing, healthy leaf tissue. You will also get a better kill if the weather is warm…..so don’t spray too early in the season! You may have to go thru this summer with bermuda, and time your renovation for a fall seeding with fescue.

dontlikebermuda – posted 12 March 2005 19:40

So are you telling me that I am going to have a yard full of dirt? How long will it take between the last time I apply Round Up until I can seed the yard with the fescue? My concern is that it rains here in the fall and I don’t want my yard to wash away – we are on a slight slope. Any ideas? Thanks.

quote:Originally posted by tommy:Usually to get a good bermuda kill- you have to spray ’round up’ twice….6 to 8 weeks apart. After your first spray and the turf looks completely dead, mow low and remove the clippings. Fertilize and keep the area moist so as to stimulate the remaining bermuda to re-grow. Usually the first spray only kills 70 to 80% – so you will get re-growth! Don’t apply your second round up spray until the remaining bermuda is nice and lush. Round up works best on actively growing, healthy leaf tissue. You will also get a better kill if the weather is warm…..so don’t spray too early in the season! You may have to go thru this summer with bermuda, and time your renovation for a fall seeding with fescue.

Buck – posted 13 March 2005 12:37

The problem is not that this is a bad time to kill bermuda, it is a very bad time to get fescue up and thriving. Fescue sown at this time will not have enough time to develop much root structure and the hot summer will just toast it. Fescue sown in the fall has the entire winter and spring to get established before confronting summer. Keep in mind, fescue is a cool season grass, it does not really thrive throughout the summer as warm season turf, bermuda. Fescue will hang in there through the summer, but needs good roots to do so.

ted – posted 13 March 2005 18:47

you can technically spray the roundup and seed on the same day, but i don’t recommend it. do it in your market around early sept. roundup will still work, and the fescue has plenty of time to germinate, and you won’t be into your late fall rains yet. don’t forget to soil test and use a starter fertilizer (18-24-12) or something…

tommy – posted 13 March 2005 19:44

Also…..even when the bermuda is completely dead, the below soil parts (rhizome’s and roots) will take a couple of years before they completely decompose. There is no possiblity of erosion between the time of your bermuda kill and your fescue seeding. Dead bermuda rhizome’s are like an extensive fiber beneath the soil that bind the soil particles extremely well.

dontlikebermuda – posted 13 March 2005 21:33

Thanks so much – all of you – I had no idea how little I actually knew about grass. I just really prefer fescue to bermuda and I think I might actually give it a try. Thanks again.