"The Problem - The Plan"

[nwjt]

Attached is some pics of my lawn. Please ignore the plane, its the only good close up pic of my grass from last season that I have. This is probably sept-Oct or so. Definately late summer.

It appears to be a mix of blue grass and Thick bladed fescue, and dead stuff.
My soil is gray clay. You can see my neighbor's lawn in the background, it looks nice. My clippings just build up and drown out the blue grass, so I bag them now.

My Goal: To have good soil to support a 100% bluegrass lawn that doesn't require massive amounts of water and chemicles to stay alive (like my neighbors). I also want to get rid of the fescue without killing the whole lawn, like I did to a large portion laster year on the side of the house.
The Plan (?):

Hit the fescue with roundup as it greens up and be as "selective" as possible.
Rake up all the dead stuff.
core aereate.
Overseed with annual rygrass and perrenial blue grass
Spread Gypsum
Put down compost sand mixture.

After the grass is growing, put down pre-emegergent. All of this done by mid april. I will hit the fescue one by one and plant the seed mix througout the year.
I don't get too many weeds except sedge near the cement.

The idea is that the ryegrass will:
1) Make my lawn look better temporarily
2) put roots into the clay, and when the grass dies the roots will help build up the soil with organic material
3) Help strangle out some fescue and other sedge that pops up.

If I continue this regimine for a few years, I should have some good soil building up which will utlimately allow me to just fert and water my 100% bluegrass lawn.

Would this be a good idea or should I kill it all and start over?

Suggestions appreciated.

The grass is green but the lack of consistent texture makes it look like crap.

[White Gardens]

I'm not sure of the name, but there is a selective herbicide out there to kill fescues. Might want to search around and get some info on it.

From what I was told about it, is that it works fairly well, but it might take 4 applications over two seasons to get it eradicated.

For hardiness, I would topdress the lawn every year or two, and aerate twice a year to help break up the clay in the root zone.

I wouldn't use roundup unless you plan on doing a complete renovation of the lawn. It would be extremely hard to not have complete kill off of the turf.

Rye grass will work pretty good, just make sure it's a true annual ryegrass and it doesn't have perennial rye in it. If you do perennial, you'll be kicking yourself every spring when you have to mow twice a week.

[nwjt]

http://www.monsanto.com/ito/layout/turf/certainty.asp

How do I buy it?

[mngrassguy]

I could be wrong but I've been told "Certainty" is no longer labeled for residential lawns. I've used "TFC" in the past but I have no idea where you can buy it. In fact, we have no idea what part of the world you hale from.

In most areas, it is VERY difficult to get grass seed to grow in the spring. It gets too hot and dry too quick. Watering is the tough part.

Your better off aerating and using the pre in the early spring and plan to do your aeration/seeding in early fall- end of August.

Depending on which pre you plan to use, you should read the label as to how long after you can seed. Most say 60-120 days. Most pre's will stop crabgrass as well as grass seed from growing.

[nwjt]

I am from Nebraska. However I am using annual rygrass, correct if I am wrong but doesnt that have to seeded in the spring?

I've actually had good luck seeding the the spring, tons of rain around here in the spring.

[Kiril]

I'd kill it all, till in some OM, use sod, get your irrigation under control. When clay turns blue/grey it probably means too much water.

[fritowrdo]

Attached is some pics of my lawn. Please ignore the plane, its the only good close up pic of my grass from last season that I have. This is probably sept-Oct or so. Definately late summer.

It appears to be a mix of blue grass and Thick bladed fescue, and dead stuff.
My soil is gray clay. You can see my neighbor's lawn in the background, it looks nice. My clippings just build up and drown out the blue grass, so I bag them now.

My Goal: To have good soil to support a 100% bluegrass lawn that doesn't require massive amounts of water and chemicles to stay alive (like my neighbors). I also want to get rid of the fescue without killing the whole lawn, like I did to a large portion laster year on the side of the house.
The Plan (?):

Hit the fescue with roundup as it greens up and be as "selective" as possible.
Rake up all the dead stuff.
core aereate.
Overseed with annual rygrass and perrenial blue grass
Spread Gypsum
Put down compost sand mixture.

After the grass is growing, put down pre-emegergent. All of this done by mid april. I will hit the fescue one by one and plant the seed mix througout the year.
I don't get too many weeds except sedge near the cement.

The idea is that the ryegrass will:
1) Make my lawn look better temporarily
2) put roots into the clay, and when the grass dies the roots will help build up the soil with organic material
3) Help strangle out some fescue and other sedge that pops up.

If I continue this regimine for a few years, I should have some good soil building up which will utlimately allow me to just fert and water my 100% bluegrass lawn.

Would this be a good idea or should I kill it all and start over?

Suggestions appreciated.

The grass is green but the lack of consistent texture makes it look like crap.

Isn't that a ME-262 model airplane?

[nwjt]

Isn't that a ME-262 model airplane?


Correction: Me-262 radio controlled ducted fan jet :)

[greendoctor]

Certainty is still labeled for residential turf, I have not heard of any reason for it to be removed from that market unless an individual state has decided to prohibit it. It is Monument and Tranxit that is not labeled for residential turf. Although that point is mute. Both of those will kill bluegrass. TFC is the old name for chlorsulfuron, now it is Corsair. Most Lesco outlets should have it, but it is close to $100 per ounce.

[nwjt]

I picked up some roundup clone concentrate. I found this fescue takes more than 1 hit of roundup to die. So I mixed up a stronger does, nearly twice that of regular strength.

I went out and any thing thick bladed and starting to green got a shot. I am carefull not to hit too much of the surrounding area.

This will be the equivelant of killing it all off for the most part, with some blue grass spared. I'll seed annual rye and bluegrass once it warms up, still have snow on the ground right now. Its 65 today so it all should melt and I'll go hit the rest.

I killed a large area and seeded it 2 seasons ago. Despite that, some fescue still returned! But it basically fixed it.

Fortunately fescue greens up first so it is possible, though unlikely, that my blue grass won't be harmed at all. Its all pretty much dormant on top.

With all the time and thoughy I have put it, if I just would of killed it all and started over would of been done a long time ago.

I pulled up those fescue chutes and took then to various places. "Its grab grass" or "its sedge". Leaving me to believe a selective herbacide and some pre would fix it. Nothing worked at all.

Now that I am a bit more savvy, it is obvious to me it is fescue. The people who owned my hosue before me must of over seeded it with some cheap grass mix.

[mngrassguy]

More is NOT better!!!:nono:

Always read and follow the label.

[fritowrdo]

Correction: Me-262 radio controlled ducted fan jet :)

The jet plane that started it all if you know what I mean.