I live in Nashville, Tennessee and was wanting to know if it will be too late to seed fescue around Halloween?

Question

I sprayed some broadleaf weed spray on the lawn yesterday, and understand that I have to now wait 3 weeks before seeding.

Is it maybe possible to only wait 2 weeks btw?

I dont know when we usually get are first frost, but I know this summer has been very unusually hot and we are still getting very warm weather 90 degrees today.

Answer 1

It will be very difficult to get good germination that late. I would go ahead and seed it right now and not worry about the weed killer. Your chances of getting good germination and a nice lawn for the winter are much better breaking the 3-week-rule than by breaking the Overseeding Should Really Be Done By September 30th Rule (+ 4 weeks). If you have very thin existing grass, rent a dethatcher from a tool rental place, and run it over the lawn in one direction. Then apply your Fescue seed. Then run the dethatcher back over the lawn in a different pattern, perpendicular to the first direction.
One other thing: the later you wait, the more you should mix a little Perennial Rye seed in with the Fescue. It will probably die next summer, but it will help a late-seeded Fescue lawn look better over the winter. It can germinate at lower soil temps than can Fescue.

Answer 2

Fescue Care
Turf-type fescues are improved fescue varieties. ... WATER REQUIREMENTS: After sowing Fescue seed, do not allow the seed bed to dry out. ...www.pikenursery.com/stories_php_loc_02_03_03.html - 31k - Cached

Grass sowing and coverage guide, for all Grass Seed varieties, from Clyst Valley Seeds, Exeter
Clyst Valley Seeds, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, specialises in a full range of top grass varieties for landscaping ... Creeping Red Fescue. 10% Highland Browntop ...www.clystvalleyseeds.co.uk/lawns.htm - 14k - Cached

Tall Fescue On-line Monograph
... pasture sowing dates for the area should be used for tall fescue, but with ... east Queensland, May is the best month for sowing tall fescue (Lowe et al., 1981) ...forages.oregonstate.edu/is/tfis/...?pageID=367&chapter=14§ion=17 - 20k - Cached

Differential Sowing Time of Turfgrass Species Affects the Establishment of Mixtures -- Larsen et al. 44 (4): 1315...
... effect of sowing Kentucky bluegrass earlier than red fescue and perennial ... Delayed sowing of red fescue and perennial ryegrass significantly improved the ...crop.scijournals.org/cgi/content/full/44/4/1315 - 109k

Cotswold Grass Seeds - Organic Environmental Stewardship. ELS, HLS and cross compliance schemes for margins, buffer ...
If sowing a six metre margin it is recommended to leave the outer two or three ... 55% certified ORGANIC meadow fescue. 5% certified red fescue ...www.cotswoldseeds.com/orgenvironmental.htm - 20k - Cached

Fescue Toxicosis, AGF-008-92
Tall fescue will persist on low pH, low fertility soils, however, ... the first tall fescue established in the U.S. was by sowing infected seed from Europe. ...ohioline.osu.edu/agf-fact/0008.html - 9k - Cached

bestgardening.com Sowing a New Lawn
bestgardening.com, features, practical how-to pages, gardens to visit, design ideas, plants, ... Chewings Fescue and 50% Hard Fescue. Sowing the Seed ...www.bestgardening.com/bgc/howto/lawns01.htm

Answer 3

You don't have to wait 3 weeks, unless, of course, you want the seed to sprout.

Fescue, huh? I'd recommend that you keep the livestock out of that pasture until the seed has gotten a good hold.

Answer 4

best to sow when weather starts to warm up in uk mid april to september,not sure of your weather calender,grass seed dosent really grow october to march so you will be wasting your money ,after rainfall you should be ok seed,