Update on My Lawn Adventure in Zone 9B

It’s been 40 days since I seeded bare dirt. I used to have a really old St. Augustine type that was terrible, and it took almost two weeks to remove it entirely. I expect this new grass will last until June or July, then I plan to switch to Celebration or TifTuff Bermuda sod. Part of me is hopeful that the SPF-30 might stick around since it’s more heat tolerant, plus I have irrigation set up, but I’m not getting my hopes too high. For now, I’m just enjoying my green lawn while others go dormant.

Looks good, this mix of seed seems really impressive!

Jean said:
Looks good, this mix of seed seems really impressive!

I took a chance with Outside Pride through Amazon since the shipping was steep from their site. The seeds germinated well and came up quickly without any weeds, so I’m really happy.

@Lior
There’s a similar mix available from Twin City Seed if you ever want to plant more or overseed. I’ve switched to them completely because of their quality. You should check them out.

So you’re putting Kentucky bluegrass in central Florida and planning to switch to Bermuda in the spring. That’s interesting.

Bermuda is a great grass. Waiting until July might not be the best plan. Spending time and money on cool-season grass here isn’t the most effective way to go. I know seeding is sometimes done to help manage larger areas during winter dormancy, but it’s not common.

Consider laying your sod in March or April so it can root well by mid-summer in July. Otherwise, you might find yourself watering three times a day in the peak of summer just to keep it alive.

@Sloan
I talked to a friend who manages turf here, and he recommended the SPF-30. He said he’s seen it survive in commercial setups with good irrigation. He also suggested using 20% PRG for faster growth but warned that it might die off in the summer. This is more of an experiment to see if the TXxKBG hybrid can last, but for now, I’m pleased with it.

@Lior
Ah, I don’t think it will survive. Our cool season fades by the end of April into May because of the heat. Plus, many herbicides made for warm-season grass don’t mix well with cool-season grass, pushing them out even more.

I’m curious to see how this turns out for you. Seeding won’t hurt, but it will take your time and money.

@Sloan
Thanks for the advice!

I’ve been generally good with pre-emergent (using Tenacity) before seeding, but given that my neighbors have Pro-Vista, I’m sure I’ll deal with some glyphosate drift when weed pressure rises. I had some brown patch early on, applied Azoxystrobin, and followed up with Propiconazole, which cleared everything up nicely.

I’ll keep this updated, whether it’s a failure, a success, or somewhere in between.

I’m more curious about your one statement:

You mentioned it took almost 2 weeks to remove everything.

That seems like a very quick turnaround for a full lawn renovation. How did you manage that?

Sam said:
I’m more curious about your one statement:

You mentioned it took almost 2 weeks to remove everything.

That seems like a very quick turnaround for a full lawn renovation. How did you manage that?