Fescue Lawn – Taken Over By Bermudagrass

Q: I have a fescue lawn but I am surrounded by bermudagrass lawns. Bermudagrass has crept onto my property and I’ve given up hope of controlling it. I’d like to aerate the fescue in May, overseed with bermudagrass and let it take over. Is this a good idea?

A: If your lawn is in full sun, bermudagrass is a better choice than fescue. Aerate when the soil is warm in May. Seed with one of the improved bermudagrass varieties, like ‘Princess 77’, then drag a piece of carpet across the lawn to get good seed-soil contact. Scatter some starter fertilizer and irrigate lightly each day for a week. Phillip Jennings, “The Sodfather”, points out that bermudagrass spreads faster when it is mown low. Conversely, fescue hates a low cutting height. Mow the lawn at one to one and a half inches for the rest of the summer, fertilize monthly and you should have a pretty good stand of bermudagrass by fall.