|
| Hi,
I'm not sure what to do here, as I've never really experienced this before. I planted a fescue mix designed for this area from a reputable source. The seed sprouted and grew to a wispy 2-3 inches, but then just stopped growing any thicker or longer. What the heck is going on? I've cut back to watering a couple times a week now that it's fully sprouted. Do I just need fertilizer or something? It's been weeks and it's really not grown any longer though it's still green. Any thoughts are appreciated! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| It's fairly common for new grass to suddenly stop getting taller 2-3 weeks after germination. This is generally explained as the grass shifting it's resources to root growth, tillering and thickening. Unfortunately high summer temps can also shut down growth, and cause a lot of stress on seedlings. Keep your eye on it, as it will need to be nursed through this heat wave and the upcoming summer temps. |
|
| What's the best way to combat the sumer heat and try to nurse the grass through? More water? I switched it up for now to water every other day at 5am for a bit. Also put out a little organic fertilizer. Any other thoughts? If your soil looks bad, can you top dress where grass is growing and expect the grass to push through? THanks! |
|
| Shallow, frequent watering can encourage grass to keep the roots at the surface, where they can be cooked by the sun. But if you didn't already start encouraging deeper rooting through deep/infrequent watering, now is not the time to suddenly change. Slowly start moving toward deeper watering on a less-frequent basis over eight to ten weeks. This gives the grass time to adapt. BTW - the sudden stop in growth a few weeks after germination even has an informal name: "sprout-and-pout". |
|
| OK, thanks. We had a very, very rainy number of weeks after the grass was planted, so maybe that's what set it up to keep shallow roots and stop growing/growing deeper. Now that it's possible to control things a bit more I'll slowly move toward longer less-frequent watering. Still wondering how much you can cover existing grass with loose soil from filling in areas where seeds failed to sprout. Anyway I'm going to try to get this stuff more established before I try to patch the empty areas. |
|
- Posted by dchall_san_antonio 8 San Antonio (My Page) on Sun, Jun 24, 12 at 19:00
| Don't even think about patching the bare areas until mid August. Starting new seed in the summer is not a good idea. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Lawn Care Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.