yard care in eastern Alabama?

Question

just moved south, wondering whens a good time to fertalize and add a coat of seeds to the grass thats already there.theres already been a slight frost. and what kind of grass is best. (phenix city area)

Answer 1

I'll assume from your statement that you just moved South that you're from up North where rye or fescue grass is prevalent and requires frequent over seeding. Bermuda or St. Augustine is the 2 primary Southern turf grasses and over seeding is not required. You can over seed with rye if you want to mow all winter but that is an exception and not the norm in the south. Present is the time to apply a good winterizer fertilizer, basically anything that's not high in nitrogen (the first of the 3 numbers on a fert bag). Nitrogen is responsible for growth and greening and since most southern turf grasses are dormant during the winter it is not good to put a lot on at this time. It is also a great time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent winter weed growth in the turf. I'd recommend taking a trip to a Lowe's or home depot . Both stores have knowledgeable personnel and can assist in picking the right product for your lawn. If you aren't sure what type of grass you have then pick some of it and take it with you.

Hope this helps.
doc

Answer 2

You'll need to wait until spring since it won't be warm enough to germinate the seeds. If you seed your lawn now the seeds will rot before they'll have a chance to sprout. Fertilizing will depend on what kind you buy...read on the bag.

Answer 3

don't do anything now... you cannot water seed since we're in a drought...all the grass most of us has is dormant right now, hoping for a little rain........ don't waste your time or money worrying about the outside stuff right now.... if it don't rain, we'll all be starting from scratch next spring....