Thanks!!

Katie

The aggressive cutting shocked the growth and since we were headed into a cooler period, it never was able to green back up and stayed short. This allowed me to aerate and top dress with organics, then seed with 5 different TTTF seeds. I let the fescue grow up to 2.5"-3"+ before mowing. Reseeding every year in the fall will be a must.

When the spring comes, keep the fescue tall and it will shadow the centipede, not allowing it to green up until much later. By the time the centipede is ready to green up, the fescue will have a good root and be strong.

The next thing you need to keep in mind, is to water and feed the yard for fescue and not centipede. Year after year, you will gain some ground. Again, in the fall, cut the grass shorter (maybe 2") and reseed with different fescue.

I have found when it gets really hot, the fescue will start to go dormant and the centipede will strengthen up.

The main issue I see is the growth rate. The fescue will grow much faster and 3 days after cutting, the grass doesn't look even. But after you cut it, it looks like carpet.

Funny note: Every house in my neighborhood has centipede sod. Every year before the centipede has greened up, but the fescue is going strong, someone always walks by and ask why my grass isn't deal dead like theirs.

I always play dump and I say, "Im not sure." and smile.

One and most important is soil PH. Centipede thrives in very acidic soil where nothing else will grow. So if you get a PH test and it comes back say 6.0 or lower, you might want to just keep the Centipede because it is about the only thing you can grow without a life long battle trying to neutralize acidic soil and all the complications that come with it.

Once you clear the PH hurdle, then you need to determine if the cool season grasses do well in your area. You should be able to get a pretty good idea right now by just being observant and looking around at everyone’s lawn in your area. If they are green now they have a cool season grass like Fescue. But if you do not see a large percentage of cool season grasses you might stick with Centipede or switch to another warm season grass like Bermuda, Zoysia, or Saint Augustine.

Assuming you go ahead with it you will have to wait until late next August to convert. Once you see the Centipede turning green in spring fertilize it with 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000/ft2. Repeat fertilizer application once a month up till about 3 weeks before you plant a cool season grass. Centipede hates fertile soil and lots of fertilizer, so applying healthy doses of fertilizer is going to wreck havoc on it and weaken it.

Then about 3 weeks before you over seed with Fescue, spray the Centipede with Round UP. Wait a week and spray again. Wait a week, then remove the dead centipede, prepare your seed bed and get with it.

Kmgard,

I doubt is Centipede, builders usually sod with Bermuda when using a warm season grass. Tall Fescue/Bluegrass is the norm in NC except costal areas. Centipede does not do well here because of our winters. However, if in fact Centipede, then it is easy to kill if not dead already with the recent cold spell we have been having lately.

Let the grass green up on its own, probably about mid to late May if not June, then hit it with roundup or any other product with Glysophate as active ingredient, wait two weeks, apply roundup again to anything that it is still green. If your neighbors have warm season grasses, then now is the time to put inground borders to prevent these grasses from invading your future cool season turf.

By mid August, you're ready to seed the area with a mixture and blend of Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass. You can find those mixes at any Lowe's or Home Depot stores - ACE carries those as well. Put Starter Fertilizer and water, water, and water every day twice a day (3 is better) until grass is nearly mature (about 3 weeks later or so) By the time Halloween arrives, you will have a dark green carpet.