Lawn Seeding

Picture-perfect lawns under the shade of mature trees - it sounds nice, but is often not realistic especially for trees which produce very dense shade like oaks and linden. Acceptable lawns in partial shade are possible, however some modifications in lawn care are needed.

After waiting all winter for a new growing season to start, when spring finally does arrive it seems to hit us hard and fast. Then before we know it, spring is gone and we’re in the middle of summer.

There are many tasks to accomplish in the spring landscape. To help you develop a plan and not get behind or miss your “window of opportunity”, here’s a quick rundown of common landscape projects listed in order of attack.

Many lawns have been thinned by drought over the last two years, resulting in more weeds. The best long-term way to minimize lawn weeds is to thicken up your turf and the best time to seed cool season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue, is between August 15th and September 15th, so it's time to get ready! Getting your seeding done as early as possible is really important, because each week of delay in seeding, translates into 2-4 additional weeks required for the grass to mature.

For many years, Nebraska Extension recommended fertilization of high-quality lawns up to four times each year. We often used memorable dates to help homeowners remember when these applications should be made – Tax Day, April 15; Memorial Day, Labor Day and Halloween. However, turf research is ongoing, and our understanding of how turfgrasses grow and utilize soil nutrients have led to updates on home lawn fertilization recommendations. 

Here are a few changes to consider when planning this year’s fertilizer program. 

Traditionally, we think of seeding lawns in either spring (April-May) or fall (August-September). But increasingly, turf specialists are recommending a new option - dormant seeding. With this method, the area is prepared in fall but the seed is not distributed until after the growing season has ended. Seed remains in place, but does not begin to grow until soil temperatures are warm enough for germination in mid-April.

It’s difficult to imagine, as we sweat our way through early August, but in just 8 weeks we’ll be talking about early frosts. Fall is a great time to get many landscape tasks accomplished, so here’s a quick rundown of some common landscape projects listed in order of attack.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, over 69 million or 54% of American households own a dog and 85% of those pet owners view their dogs as family members or companions. So naturally dog owners want their landscapes to be a safe place for their companions.

This spring, some of our lawns look beautiful and others are showing some winter damage. The dry conditions we experienced from September through March have caused patchy grass death in some locations, especially south or west facing sites exposed to wind. Here in eastern Nebraska, cool season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue should be fully green now. So if your cool season lawn has some brown patches – and it’s not zoysia grass - the lawn may have experienced some winter desiccation injury. What should be done?

The best time to seed cool season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue, is between August 15th and September 15th, so it's time to start your site preparation.

Getting your seeding done as early as possible is really important, because each week of delay in seeding translates into 2-4 additional weeks required for the grass to mature in fall. It is critical to seed tall fescue no later than mid-September. Tall fescue seedlings take a longer time to develop cold hardiness, so get your seeding done early.