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Plant Answers > Archives: Search for the Answer

Question:
When I took a sample of the grass I now have in my yard to a nursery, they said it is buffalograss. I think I want to overseed with a bermuda (maybe the Sahara variety?) should I do that NOW or wait until spring? Also, we've had 2 or 3 inches of rain in the last two days; I am thinking of aerating tomorrow and then overseeding with the bermuda and then fertilizer. Is this wise?

Answer:
Aeration is a good idea. I'm not sure that tomorrow is. If you received the rain that you say then the ground is still muddy. I'm not sure of the effectiveness of aerating muddy soil.

I would be reluctant to seed bermuda at the present time. In order to germinate and get established, bermudagrass seed (and subsequent plants) need for the top inch or so of the soil to be pretty much constantly moist. This requires daily sprinkling for about the first 3 weeks. There appears to be no let up on the sprinkling restrictions other than the possible lifting of the absolute ban in another week. You will still be restricted to one day a week (or one day every other week is the restrictions go to stage III).

When, and if, you do seed the bermudagrass you should not apply any fertilizer until it is up and going good. This would be perhaps 4 weeks after seeding.

See this PLANTanswers web site for much more information on turf:

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/PLANTanswers/turf/turf.html


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