Growing tall turf-type fescue (TTTF) here in southwest Missouri, and it’s been 2 weeks since a light overseed. Everywhere around me is brown, but my lawn is still growing strong, and I’m even mowing regularly!
Couldn’t be happier with how it’s turned out this year — it’s looking awesome.
Looks great! I think your neighbours need your help lol
Beck said:
Looks great! I think your neighbours need your help lol
lol ya…it’s a wonder I don’t have a full blown Bermuda invasion. I have to spray fusillade 2 every spring to keep it at bay, and I still get some by mid-summer. It’s terrible. I want to take a flamethrower to the yards either side of me! It’s ok; I keep them at bay 
.
Across the street, they have a nice one, so it’s a war of the yards with me and him. I just wish the rest would participate.
@Gael
I don’t know how practical this is for you, but I have a buddy who “fixed” this issue - neighbors with Bermuda and a plethora of aggressive weeds. He created a barrier by digging a “trench” and inserting those plastic garden bed barriers. They are like 1/4 in under the soil so you can barely tell they are there. It stops the underground runners, and he clips the above ground runners when he edges the rest of his property with a string trimmer.
@Tatum
Ya, I had strongly considered that. I read Bermuda can dig a couple feet down, so I didn’t go through with it. Maybe it works better than I thought.
It’s an ongoing war. I just wish they cared about their lawns, but as you know, most people don’t. They scalp down to the dirt so they don’t have to mow.
@Gael
Can I use fusillade 2 to kill Bermuda grass in my tall fescue?
Shan said:
@Gael
Can I use fusillade 2 to kill Bermuda grass in my tall fescue?
Yep, that’s what I do, but I use a half rate and do it twice a year (spring and fall). Never when it’s too hot, only when the fescue isn’t stressed. I put like 0.7oz over 9,000sq/ft with about 7-8 gallons of water. One single pass, no overlap. If you do that, then the fescue won’t die. You see people doing it when it’s hot and applying too much and burning their fescue too.
But yes, it works just use it sparingly, and you can always use more just remember that.
@Gael
Good to know. I just need it for spot treatment.
@Gael
Glad they are not. No need to pollute our environment for a green lawn. You’re basically poisoning everyone around you every spring.
@Reeve
Yep that’s us! .
The flex on the neighbors is hilarious.
Around here, we call that a domination line.
Oli said:
Around here, we call that a domination line.
Haha yes! I just wish I hadn’t gone over with the seed and water and had a more defined line.
“Neighbors hate him.”
Jai said:
“Neighbors hate him.”
Haha nah, they are all pretty cool. Down in the cul de sac, they both have really nice ones, and across the street, he has a nice one, but everyone else does not.
Believe it or not, my yard was awful 2-3 years ago when we moved in. This is the 3rd round of seeding. Hopefully, it really pops in the spring. It’s taken a ton of time and work as we all know! Hope yours is looking good too!
@Gael
I’m probably in a similar boat to where you started. We moved into a 4-year-old house last summer. The previous owners were not into maintenance of, well, anything. They left plenty of dog spots and dried-out patches of dense, bare soil. Our next-door neighbors have an absolutely pristine lawn. I have no clue what I’m doing, but things have improved just from a little reseeding, aerating, regular mowing, and making sure the irrigation system is working properly. I also hired a local fertilizing service that does eco-friendly products only, since we have a drainage garden in our backyard. The lawn has been looking a lot better this season.
@Jai
Ya, seeding, weed killing, fertilizer, and proper consistent water is really all it takes. Just doing all of those at the right time and right amount and you are set. Fescue requires seeding sometimes each year if not every other just lightly to keep it healthy since it doesn’t spread.
Have fun with yours; it’s a journey!
Obviously there’s some explanation here because the neighbor’s lawn is completely different. Is yours a different grass type? Watering schedule? Fertilizer?
What’s your secret, OP?
Nevin said:
Obviously there’s some explanation here because the neighbor’s lawn is completely different. Is yours a different grass type? Watering schedule? Fertilizer?
What’s your secret, OP?
Well, they all have weeds and Bermuda that have taken over. It’s all dormant. We are in a transition zone, so the Bermuda will absolutely creep in if not kept at bay. I have tall fescue, no irrigation, but I have a couple 4-way timers, so I have an automated watering schedule. 45mins per zone every other day.
Fert, weed killing, overseed in the fall, and lots of water is all it takes. Just be diligent on those things. Once established, you can just get a hand spreader and throw like 40lbs down over the whole yard (9k sq ft) in the fall, and it keeps it full for the next year!
