September is turf month, and that means time to sow grass seed to fill in a few bare spots or over-seed to thicken those thinned lawns.  And one question that always comes up is, “which seed do you recommend using?”   

Well, the answer is easy.  Use the same seed as the grass that is currently growing in the lawn, or something that is compatible.  If you’re not sure what you have, try cutting a 12 inch by 12 inch square piece of your sod, and take it to a local garden store and see if they can identify what’s growing in your lawn.  Then you can make a seed decision. 

One of the most common turf mixes in our area is a mix of bluegrass, perennial rye and creeping red fescue.  The other would be the turf type tall fescues, which have been available now for well over 15 years.  BUT, you’ll want to choose one or the other.   

If you have a bluegrass / rye mix lawn, don’t over seed with the tall fescues, as over time, they will begin to clump and separate.  If you have tall fescues in the lawn, don’t over seed with the bluegrass / rye mix, as the same thing will happen.  They’ll look good at first, but over time may not blend well together.  If you want to switch the type of lawn you have from one to another, you’ll need to kill the existing lawn with Roundup, and then reseed with your new seed selection. 

The other question that then comes up is which is the “best” type of grass to grow here?  Well, there is no one best grass to grow, as it depends on the conditions, and the look you’d like your lawn to have.  But for overall performance, in the sun and partial shade, I’ll personally recommend the turf type tall fescue blends (Scotts / Turner 5Way, etc), like TLC which is one of the many tall fescue blends available.    

By the way, whenever you put down new seed, always make sure you apply a starter fertilizer at the same time.  Very important for getting those new seedlings off to a great start!