new grass

[dragoneggs]

The higher that you cut the grass will allow your roots to go deeper. Healthier grass will eventually choke out weeds. A good fertilizer will also help with weeds, but I wouldn't recommend a weed and feed.

In the PNW we don't grow Bermuda grass, but much finer red fescue, rye, and blue grass blend. Broad leaf weeds such as dandelions, etc are a pain. Agree that one key is healthy deep roots that will help choke out the weeds. Fertilizer high in potassium and phosphorus promote root growth vs. nitrogen that promotes leaf growth. Another key is deep enough topsoil that grass with finer roots can engulf. Weeds do better in poor soil because they often have a tap root that can go down deeper than grass roots to where water and other minerals might exist. Aerating and reseeding can be effective too. If you do have way too much weed, then a weed and feed after a year, then reseeding after waiting some time for the soil to purify might be in order. Good luck.

 

[CowboyRon]

In the PNW we don't grow Bermuda grass, but much finer red fescue, rye, and blue grass blend. Broad leaf weeds such as dandelions, etc are a pain. Agree that one key is healthy deep roots that will help choke out the weeds. Fertilizer high in potassium and phosphorus promote root growth vs. nitrogen that promotes leaf growth. Another key is deep enough topsoil that grass with finer roots can engulf. Weeds do better in poor soil because they often have a tap root that can go down deeper than grass roots to where water and other minerals might exist. Aerating and reseeding can be effective too. If you do have way too much weed, then a weed and feed after a year, then reseeding after waiting some time for the soil to purify might be in order. Good luck.

You can use weed and feed if you must. Long term use will cause problems for trees.

 

[jenkinsph]

The higher that you cut the grass will allow your roots to go deeper. Healthier grass will eventually choke out weeds. A good fertilizer will also help with weeds, but I wouldn't recommend a weed and feed.

You bring up a good point about higher cutting allowing the grass to root better. I allow my grass to get taller with my Fescue and go to seed before cutting in the fall. The rest of the year I let it get to about 6 inches plus then mow it to 4 inches, never lower than that. My next door neighbor is an agronomist and he has helped me a lot.

I suspect most people are looking for instant results but using good root stimulators over the winter can allow the grass roots to thicken. The next spring the weeds will be reduced dramatically. No herbicide needed in my case.

 

[CowboyRon]

You bring up a good point about higher cutting allowing the grass to root better. I allow my grass to get taller with my Fescue and go to seed before cutting in the fall. The rest of the year I let it get to about 6 inches plus then mow it to 4 inches, never lower than that. My next door neighbor is an agronomist and he has helped me a lot.

I suspect most people are looking for instant results but using good root stimulators over the winter can allow the grass roots to thicken. The next spring the weeds will be reduced dramatically. No herbicide needed in my case.

For years we planted rye in the fall just because we were told we had to. The past few years we let it seed out, and I really don't see much difference. It sure saved us a lot of work and money.

 

[dragoneggs]

For years we planted rye in the fall just because we were told we had to. The past few years we let it seed out, and I really don't see much difference. It sure saved us a lot of work and money.

I agree... I don't like weed/feed fertilizers unless you need to do serious battle... I am... as I previously said... a proponent of reseeding and feeding with root loving chemicals. Cutting/Mulching grass just after it is goes to seed is a great solution. Especially if your soil will take it. Scuffing or aerating first will do wonders.

 

[jenkinsph]

For years we planted rye in the fall just because we were told we had to. The past few years we let it seed out, and I really don't see much difference. It sure saved us a lot of work and money.

I use rye on a couple of properties where the customers request it but not on my own lawns. Most of the ranches I deal with are more interested in permanent pastures and less interested in using annual rye for winter feeding and cover. I find a lot of people at our latitude can benefit more by irrigating the permanent pasture over winter and using the fertilizers for root growth. The dry areas here in New Mexico are hard to get much feed from and I don't bother with these properties. We are at about the same latitude as Mabank TX so the lower elevations will have similar temperatures. I live in Ruidoso and most years I have green grass about 9 to 10 months out of the yearl

 

[dragoneggs]

I use rye on a couple of properties where the customers request it but not on my own lawns. Most of the ranches I deal with are more interested in permanent pastures and less interested in using annual rye for winter feeding and cover. I find a lot of people at our latitude can benefit more by irrigating the permanent pasture over winter and using the fertilizers for root growth. The dry areas here in New Mexico are hard to get much feed from and I don't bother with these properties. We are at about the same latitude as Mabank TX so the lower elevations will have similar temperatures. I live in Ruidoso and most years I have green grass about 9 to 10 months out of the yearl

Hi jenkins... I suppose all depends on your latitude and rainfall. Here in the PNW we like blends of fescue, rye, and blue.

 

[jenkinsph]

Hi jenkins... I suppose all depends on your latitude and rainfall. Here in the PNW we like blends of fescue, rye, and blue.

I have had the best luck with Fescue but don't use it on horse properties. We have all year flood irrigation in the Hondo valley NM.