My lot is shaded pretty well. Not 100% but I'd say on average it gets
50% sunlight with some at the edges getting less.

Previous grass was Bermuda, but it's almost all gone. It did very
poorly in the shade.

My choices for new grass are something like Fescue, Zoysia,
Carpetgrass, and St. Augustine. St. Augustine has no seeds and is not
really an "attractive" grass.

I want a lawn that is low maintenance but most importantly thick and
soft.
The grass on the side of the road looks better than what I have. I'd
plant that, I think it's called "carpetgrass" but I can't find any in
the stores.

I only have about 2,000 sq feet (most of my .9 acres is
woods...different story), and am looking to plant from seed. Watering
is no problem with such a small lot, neither is fertilizer.

I plan to kill the whole lawn (most of which is weeds), then roto-till
it under, mix in about 10 yards of topsoil, and some "loam" or
something, then rake it flat and plant seeds. I'll put down
fertilizer with a 1-1-1 ratio before hand.

Does this sound plausible?

I plan to plant fescue...I've heard it's good in the shade. My only
issue is that it gets to be 95 and humid with nighttime lows of 70-72
degrees for a week at a time in the summer. Not Florida humidity but
dew points of upper 60s (as opposed to Florida of mid 70s). Is that
too hot for fescue? On the other hand my lot is in the country, high
on a hill, and reasonably well shaded, so it's a little cooler. If I
water it alot in the summer will this keep fescue alive? Or will
"burn" it out faster?





Thanks for any advice whatsoever.

My lot is shaded pretty well. Not 100% but I'd say on average it gets
50% sunlight with some at the edges getting less.

Previous grass was Bermuda, but it's almost all gone. It did very
poorly in the shade.

My choices for new grass are something like Fescue, Zoysia,
Carpetgrass, and St. Augustine. St. Augustine has no seeds and is not
really an "attractive" grass.

I want a lawn that is low maintenance but most importantly thick and
soft.
The grass on the side of the road looks better than what I have. I'd
plant that, I think it's called "carpetgrass" but I can't find any in
the stores.

I only have about 2,000 sq feet (most of my .9 acres is
woods...different story), and am looking to plant from seed. Watering
is no problem with such a small lot, neither is fertilizer.

I plan to kill the whole lawn (most of which is weeds), then roto-till
it under, mix in about 10 yards of topsoil, and some "loam" or
something, then rake it flat and plant seeds. I'll put down
fertilizer with a 1-1-1 ratio before hand.

Does this sound plausible?

I plan to plant fescue...I've heard it's good in the shade. My only
issue is that it gets to be 95 and humid with nighttime lows of 70-72
degrees for a week at a time in the summer. Not Florida humidity but
dew points of upper 60s (as opposed to Florida of mid 70s). Is that
too hot for fescue? On the other hand my lot is in the country, high
on a hill, and reasonably well shaded, so it's a little cooler. If I
water it alot in the summer will this keep fescue alive? Or will
"burn" it out faster?


..
A fescue ( there are several cultivars) may hold if you have a clay soil. It
does not do well on the sandy soils of middle Georgia, It also requires a
higher pH then the wiregrass types which predominate in middle to south Ga. My
lawn and the road sides around here (I-20) are Bahia, not the pretiest grass in
the world but quite drought resistant. Centipede is however preferred for
shaded conditions. It will grow under pines for example. Carpet grass makes a
beatiful lawn, but is susceptible to drought. If a you have a farm store in
your area, you may find a wider selection of grasses than a local nursery of
garden center.

Especially if you can water or have some moisture-rentive soil, centipede is
a top choice. Centipede will do well in sun also but may loose out to
competition from bermuda or bahia. In sun I've have zoysia beat out bermuda
and bahia. I live in the sand hills region of SC near Augusta GA. I think
centipede is your best choice.
"brianb" wrote in message
m...
My lot is shaded pretty well. Not 100% but I'd say on average it gets
50% sunlight with some at the edges getting less.

Previous grass was Bermuda, but it's almost all gone. It did very
poorly in the shade.

My choices for new grass are something like Fescue, Zoysia,
Carpetgrass, and St. Augustine. St. Augustine has no seeds and is not
really an "attractive" grass.

I want a lawn that is low maintenance but most importantly thick and
soft.
The grass on the side of the road looks better than what I have. I'd
plant that, I think it's called "carpetgrass" but I can't find any in
the stores.

I only have about 2,000 sq feet (most of my .9 acres is
woods...different story), and am looking to plant from seed. Watering
is no problem with such a small lot, neither is fertilizer.

I plan to kill the whole lawn (most of which is weeds), then roto-till
it under, mix in about 10 yards of topsoil, and some "loam" or
something, then rake it flat and plant seeds. I'll put down
fertilizer with a 1-1-1 ratio before hand.

Does this sound plausible?

I plan to plant fescue...I've heard it's good in the shade. My only
issue is that it gets to be 95 and humid with nighttime lows of 70-72
degrees for a week at a time in the summer. Not Florida humidity but
dew points of upper 60s (as opposed to Florida of mid 70s). Is that
too hot for fescue? On the other hand my lot is in the country, high
on a hill, and reasonably well shaded, so it's a little cooler. If I
water it alot in the summer will this keep fescue alive? Or will
"burn" it out faster?





Thanks for any advice whatsoever.

"V_coerulea" wrote in message .. .
this sound plausible?

I plan to plant fescue...I've heard it's good in the shade. My only
issue is that it gets to be 95 and humid with nighttime lows of 70-72
degrees for a week at a time in the summer. Not Florida humidity but
dew points of upper 60s (as opposed to Florida of mid 70s). Is that
too hot for fescue? On the other hand my lot is in the country, high
on a hill, and reasonably well shaded, so it's a little cooler. If I
water it alot in the summer will this keep fescue alive? Or will
"burn" it out faster?





Thanks for any advice whatsoever.

Thanks for advice, all.

I live on the western edge of the state, the Alabama border. It's
mostly clay here. I think I'll have the soil tested for acidity.

Centipede is another choice. My reason for thinking fescue would be
better is that fescue supposedly does better in the shade.

On 10 Jun 2003 21:53:06 -0700, (brianb) wrote:

Centipede is another choice. My reason for thinking fescue would be
better is that fescue supposedly does better in the shade.

Never tried fescue, but I understand it works better in slightly cooler
temperatures. I do have Centipede and Charleston/St Augustine.
Centipede works well in full sun and Charleston works well in the part
sun areas. I have a mix growing on the North side of the house and the
stronger grows over the weaker, depending on the light. I try to favor
the Centipede because it takes less water than Charleston, but Centipede
gets run over in the shade.

About clay, simply means you must water slowly so the water will soak
into the ground and not run off unused. I have some clay spots and
slight grades that tend to run off quickly, so I set the timer to water
lightly twice in two hours instead of once in one hour.

Regards,

Hal Warner Robins, Ga

On 10 Jun 2003 21:53:06 -0700, (brianb) wrote:

"V_coerulea" wrote in message .. .
this sound plausible?

I plan to plant fescue...I've heard it's good in the shade. My only
issue is that it gets to be 95 and humid with nighttime lows of 70-72
degrees for a week at a time in the summer. Not Florida humidity but
dew points of upper 60s (as opposed to Florida of mid 70s). Is that
too hot for fescue? On the other hand my lot is in the country, high
on a hill, and reasonably well shaded, so it's a little cooler. If I
water it alot in the summer will this keep fescue alive? Or will
"burn" it out faster?





Thanks for any advice whatsoever.

Thanks for advice, all.

I live on the western edge of the state, the Alabama border. It's
mostly clay here. I think I'll have the soil tested for acidity.

Centipede is another choice. My reason for thinking fescue would be
better is that fescue supposedly does better in the shade.


I think you'd have lots of trouble getting fescue to grow. I'm in
Mississippi, and tried it in a shady area a few years ago - it pretty
much burned out by July. The heat is just too much for it. For
shade, St. Augustine is our best choice in the South, but you'll have
to sod it, or at least use sprigs.

Harry Boswell

On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 20:51:08 GMT, (Harry
Boswell) wrote:

The heat is just too much for it.


wow does it get to 108F in May? it does here and it doesn't get burned
by heat. July 115F and mine is still green.

On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 16:10:26 -0700, Tom Jaszewski
wrote:

On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 20:51:08 GMT, (Harry
Boswell) wrote:

The heat is just too much for it.


wow does it get to 108F in May? it does here and it doesn't get burned
by heat. July 115F and mine is still green.


and your fescue handles it? We've always been told that fescue is a
cool-season grass, and the few times I've seen it used here, it hasn'r
done well at all.

On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 23:33:08 GMT, (Harry
Boswell) wrote:


and your fescue handles it? We've always been told that fescue is a
cool-season grass, and the few times I've seen it used here, it hasn'r
done well at all.

Yes it does, and it stays green in our cool season....

On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 16:10:26 -0700, Tom Jaszewski
wrote:

On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 20:51:08 GMT, (Harry
Boswell) wrote:

The heat is just too much for it.


wow does it get to 108F in May? it does here and it doesn't get burned
by heat. July 115F and mine is still green.

What kind of fescue do you use? Around here in Texas it is literally spent by
now or at the latest, July. I've tried several times keeping it alive, but the
water it needed was not worth it. Maybe you are using a newer developed fescue?

V

On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 01:07:12 GMT, animaux
wrote:


What kind of fescue do you use?

Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai

A unique variety of dwarf fescue, Bonsai provides a slower, lower
growing and darker green turf that surpasses virtually all other tall
fescues available today. An outstanding, fine textured turf for both
home and commercial landscapes, Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai exhibits
good disease tolerance, very good drought tolerance and moderate shade
tolerance.
MEDALLION DWARF
WITH BONSAI

SOD SPECIFICATIONS: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai


GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai is similar to
Medallion in its overall turf performance characteristics. With a
superior dark green color and density, a finer textured leaf blade, a
reduced growth habit that produces approximately one-third fewer
clippings, and a high endophyte content, Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai
is a dramatic improvement over standard tall fescues. Lawns planted
with Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai are more durable, darker green, and
require less water, fertilizer, and mowing than bluegrass.

RECOMMENDED USES: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai is recommended for a
wide variety of uses including residential, commercial and industrial
landscapes.

COMPOSITION: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai is 100% Bonsai dwarf fescue.
Bonsai is an extremely dwarf turf-type tall fescue-the result of over
ten years of turf grass research and breeding. It is widely adaptable
to California's and Nevada's varied conditions.


MEASUREMENTS: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai is harvested by machine to a
uniform thickness of 5/8 of an inch, plus or minus 1/4 inch, plus top
growth. In Southern California and Nevada, Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai
is harvested in folded five square foot sod pieces that are 15 inches
wide by 48 inches long. In Northern California it is harvested in nine
square foot rolls that are 18 inches wide by 72 inches long.


SHIPPING STANDARDS: Prior to harvesting, Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai
is mowed uniformly to a height of between 1 1/2 to 2 inches for
shipment. It is rolled/folded with the soil facing out to protect the
grass from damage, and the sod is stacked on pallets. Each pallet
contains approximately 500 square feet of sod. Medallion Dwarf with
Bonsai is shipped sufficiently dry for transportation and handling,
yet moist enough to facilitate installation. It should be installed
immediately after delivery.


TEMPERATURE TOLERANCE: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai is comparable to
Medallion with a higher temperature tolerance than PennBlue. With its
deep, extensive root system, Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai grows well in
a wide range of temperatures with very little problem.


WEAR RESISTANCE: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai is more wear tolerant
than PennBlue. Due to its slower growth habit, Medallion Dwarf with
Bonsai will recover more slowly from traffic damage than Medallion. It
is suitable for light traffic and recreational situations and exhibits
fair wear recovery.


SHADE TOLERANCE: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai prefers a full sun
location, but will perform well in light shade situations receiving
4-5 hours of sun light per day. Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai is more
shade tolerant than PennBlue.

COLOR Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai is one of the darkest green dwarf
fescues available and the color remains consistent through most of the
year.
However, during the winter months in areas receiving frequent heavy
frosts, Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai will lose much of its color



INSECT TOLERANCE: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai has a very high
endophyte content that dramatically improves its resistance to
turf-damaging insects, including bilibug, chinch bug, sod web worms
and cut worms.


TEXTURE DENSITY: Established Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai exhibits a
very dense, fine textured turf that is close in appearance to
PennBlue. Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai has much greater density than
the common tall fescues.

SMOG TOLERANCE: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai exhibits normal resistance
to smog, and will suffer ill effects only if subjected to extreme smog
conditions over prolonged periods of time.


SALT TOLERANCE: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai has fair tolerance to
saline soil conditions, and should suffer no ill effects if the soil
has good drainage and was properly amended before the sod was
installed.






ESTABLISHMENT & MAINTENANCE



WATERING: Newly planted Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai should be watered
at least daily to avoid drying out, and to enable the root system to
penetrate its new soil environment. Once the new sod has started to
root in, watering frequency should be reduced. Due to varying soil and
climate conditions, it is difficult to recommend a specific watering
schedule. However, because of its deep and extensive root system, a
twice-a-week deep watering is generally considered adequate for most
summer weather situations. Extremely hot desert locations may require
more water during the summer months.


MOWING: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai should be mowed regularly with
either a reel or rotary mower. It should be mowed no lower than 1 1/2
to 2 inches, depending upon the season, location or individual
preference. Avoid removing more than one-third of the top-growth at
any one mowing.

FERTILIZATION: Due to its inherently dark green color, Medallion Dwarf
with Bonsai will require less nitrogen than most other tall fescue
lawns. During the spring, summer, and fall, fertilizer should be
applied every 6 to 8 weeks using 1/2 to 3/4 pound of nitrogen for each
1,000 square feet of lawn. A complete fertilizer containing
phosphorous and potassium should be applied at least once during both
the spring and fall. During the hot summer months, fertilizer rates
should be reduced.


WEED, INSECT,AND DISEASE CONTROL: Medallion Dwarf with Bonsai is
virtually free of weeds, damaging insects and disease when it is
delivered. However, in some lawn installations, weed and insect
infestations may occur from close proximity to neighboring lawns which
have these problems. Various maintenance practices may be used to
reduce these problems. If chemical controls are required, they should
be used in accordance with the written instructions provided by the
manufacturer.

On Thu, 12 Jun 2003 01:07:12 GMT, animaux
wrote:

What kind of fescue do you use?




Festuca elatior "Bonsai", Bonsai dwarf tall fescue

animaux wrote in message . ..
On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 16:10:26 -0700, Tom Jaszewski
wrote:

On Wed, 11 Jun 2003 20:51:08 GMT, (Harry
Boswell) wrote:

The heat is just too much for it.


wow does it get to 108F in May? it does here and it doesn't get burned
by heat. July 115F and mine is still green.

What kind of fescue do you use? Around here in Texas it is literally spent by
now or at the latest, July. I've tried several times keeping it alive, but the
water it needed was not worth it. Maybe you are using a newer developed fescue?

V
It would help it y'all would say where you're from!

I've heard the thing that kills fescue is not only the daytime heat
but the high nighttime temperatures. Around here it can be 72 degrees
at night for a week at a time in the summer.

What part of Miss? Gulf coast or more north? I think the Gulf is
more humid, maybe I'm wrong.

What part of the country are you in where it is 105 degrees? What is
it like at night?

(brianb) wrote in message om...
[...]
I plan to kill the whole lawn (most of which is weeds), then roto-till
it under, mix in about 10 yards of topsoil, and some "loam" or
something, then rake it flat and plant seeds. I'll put down
fertilizer with a 1-1-1 ratio before hand.
[...]
Thanks for any advice whatsoever.

Hope you don't mind me butting in, new to the group and on the other
side of the Atlantic; but this fascinates me.

I like a gardening challenge up to a point, but I wonder if you
actually *need* a lawn in an area which doesn't seem to want to grow
one? If you don't need it for a play area or something like that, it
seems a bit like insisting on acid-loving plants in a limestone
garden. (I'm not being cheeky, just interested: your garden is your
garden, which is what it's all about.)

My only problem with grass is stopping it, as I live in Wales, with
about 30+ inches of rain reasonably spread through the year, and few
severe frosts. I've planted wild flowers plus a few naturalized
non-natives for variety on part of my biggest lawn (also about 2000 sq
ft), and the need for family games is the only thing stopping me
making the whole thing into a flower meadow. I bet half your weeds
would cost 3 pounds each or more at nurseries here, or have me green
with envy that I couldn't grow them!

The trick with the meadow approach is to make it look both natural and
as though you meant it to happen, not just neglected.

Ignoring things like paving and Zen-type pebbles, I could even
visualize lovely winding walks (OK, short walks, I know!) through
groups of some of your smaller beautiful American trees and shrubs
with local native grasses and flowers in between. The varying aspects
created could give homes to some beauties, and the birds would love
it. Perhaps you have a pond already.

But back to grass: I know zip about your conditions, but it sounds to
me as though the problem is moisture-retention in the soil as much as
lack of rainfall at key periods, so I'm with you about loam if it's
good and rich, not very sandy. I wonder if it's practicable to work in
a lot of absorbent peaty material? Or maybe your hot weather is *so*
hot that it wouldn't make any difference. In which case surely the
Highways Dept could tell you where they get their tough roadside
mixture?

Mike.

On 11 Jun 2003 22:47:55 -0700, (brianb) wrote:

It would help it y'all would say where you're from!

I've heard the thing that kills fescue is not only the daytime heat
but the high nighttime temperatures. Around here it can be 72 degrees
at night for a week at a time in the summer.


It seems much of the information posted here is from the realm of
"I've heard".

Perhaps the gentleman or lady from Georgia should have this discussion
with their local extension service. Tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea,
is generally not recommended south of Atlanta.

A little more searching and you'll find that some species of fescue
are considered invasive weeds in Georgia

Warm nights are not likely the problem unless they are also very wet.
More likely that it's all but impossible to control turf grass
diseases when hot and humid.

In the desert SW we often have a month or more of 90F+ nights and days
to 115. Some fescue does well in full sun. Our humidity occasionally
gets up to 35% and that is precisely when the chemical based lawn
managers have high disease problems.