bod925
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 10:01 am

Tall fescue seed application rate

Newbie here. My lawn is 16,000 sf and about 35% of it completely died this summer (planted wrong type of seed for my area western NC). Yesterday I overseeded with Lesco tall fescue millennium blend.
I used 55 lbs of seed because somebody told me not to crowd the seed to much for a higher survival rate. This works out to 3.2 lbs of seed per 1000 sf. I have read that overseeding should be 4-5 lbs per 1000 sf. I have already put straw down on all the dead areas. Should I have done more or will the tall fescue come in good using a lower rate for less crowding and thus less competition for water and nutrients?
I do have another 50lb bag that is unopened I was going to return it since it was $70.....

Please advise!

Willy
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 4:18 pm
Location: East Rochester, NY

For newly seeded lawns the application rate for Tall Fescue is 6 to 12 lbs per 1000 sq ft.

For overseeding, the rate is usually half of the newly seeded lawn rate (3 to 6 lbs per 1000 sq ft), but there are many factors. Mainly how badly damaged your lawn is. In your case I would of gone a little higher, but it may have been enough.

When overseeding you must make sure the seed can get good contact with the soil. Any seed that is hung up in dead grass will not make it. Thus lowering actual seeding rate applied.

It is true that you do not want to put down way too much seed, as it could promote disease.



Return to “Lawn Care”