Question
QUESTION: I am very frustrated with my lack of success in growing Tall Fescue in Raleigh, NC.  I have a heavy clay content and a fair amount of large rocks in my soil.  Because I experienced a lot of heavy equipment traffic on my lawn last year due to some construction on my home, I decided last fall to deeply rototill my lawn.  Four weeks ago, I slit seeded my entire dead lawn with Tall Fescue.   Unfortunately, my success was spotty. So, I decided to slit seed again two weeks ago.  This time is was a bit more successful.  However, I still see a lot of bare spots.  I would say that my soil is still a bit compacted and most likely acidic.  Before seeding in September I core aerated.  Should I core aerate again?  What about adding lime to my lawn?  Peat Moss?  I do not want to tear up what I currently have since, in Raleigh, you can only plant new grass in the Fall.  Please help.  I am tired of my grass dying each and every year.

ANSWER: Mark:

Please keep in mind that the drought in NC has been brutal on all lawns and plants.  You have done all the preparation you can.  Without rain or irrigation, given water restrictions, any coverage will be a success.

I have a few suggestions for turf and soil development which will give you a better drought response.

Topdress your lawn with a high quality compost.  Add 3/8 inch of this material over the whole lawn.  It will help to germinate the grass, provide long lasting nutrients, and raise the pH over time.  This application will take one cubic yard per thousand square feet.  McGill from Chatham County has good compost and may have a local distributor.

Do not believe time limits on planting fescue.  As a contractor, I had to plant fescue 365 days of the year and guarantee it on commercial/institutional jobs.

The seed you have planted will wait for rain to germinate.  Do not give up on it.  I have seen seed wait a whole season before germinating.

Do not waste time and money on peat moss.  If you use compost, you will not need lime, unless the soil is very highly acid.

Hope this helps.  Best wishes.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Tom, Thanks for your advice.  I failed to mention that I have an irrigation system and have been watering the yard twice a day since planting (approx 4 weeks now).  The new seedlings came up within ten days but are not growing much.  I have not had to mow the grass yet.  Is it because of the heat and drought or the fact that the soil may be too compacted?
Also, Are you familiar with Nature's Lawn products such as Aerify Plus?  They claim that this product will break down compacted clay and add much needed biological nutrients into the soil.  Should I use it?
Thanks again!
-Mark

Answer
Mark:

Thank you for clarifying.

Lack of growth is due to lack of moisture and high temperatures.  Temps, now, are cool and grass should grow.

Irrigation is not a perfect replacement for rain.  It will assist, but can not perform all that rain will accomplish.  Today's rain may have helped.

Compaction will deter good growth, but, in drought, all clays appear compacted.

I do not use or recommend what I call "slice of the pie" products.  They seem to work well in certain environments, but do not perform equally well in all environments.  Although there are some beneficial microbes in that product, without the supporting micro-envirnmental system, they will not induce such a system or the results you desire.  I am not familiar with the product you mentioned.

Compost is a general soil builder with several benefits.  It has all the nutrient needed.  It will biologically transform the A horizon of soil to a rich topsoil and increase its depth.  It will, if made correctly at high temperatures, be antifungal.  It encourages beneficial nematodes.

I have seen carryover benefits in lawns for more than three years after application of such a compost. Soil analyses climb in values of nutrients and topsoil increases in depth - from twenty years of observation and testing.

Best wishes.