Fertilizer and Grass Seed

**ISUKing** · 09-12-2012, 09:55 AM

I plan on aerating and overseeding my lawn this Saturday. I have already purchased seed. My question is, I would like to put down a fertilizer at the same time.

Is this recommended or am I just going to kill my seed. I really like Scotts products as I have tried several others and my yard seems to respond best to Scotts. Is there a recommendation for a Scotts product that I can safely put down at the same time as seed?

**cyflier** · 09-12-2012, 10:07 AM

I believe you can use starter fertilizer, Scott's sells that as well.

**Prometheus** · 09-12-2012, 10:10 AM

I wouldn't put them down at the same time. I would put my fert down one week prior to my seed and work it in with rain or sprinkler. You can risk the chance of smoking those little seeds unless you use a starter type fert but then you are not getting what you need on the rest of the established lawn. I also wouldn't put seed down until late Sep early Oct.

**DJSteve** · 09-12-2012, 10:11 AM

Your best bet would be to read the label of whatever product you're considering. Starter fertilizer or anything that doesn't include herbicide should be safe. You definitely want to avoid anything advertising crabgrass control (pre-emerge grass herbicide).

**brianhos** · 09-12-2012, 10:25 AM

Put your fertilizer down today. It is going to rain for the next 36 hrs, perfect time.

**CykoAGR** · 09-12-2012, 10:42 AM

Use starter if you are going to use a fertilizer. Scotts sells so you should be able to find some.

As someone else mentioned you could put fert down first and then water in or let it rain first and then overseed to minimize risk of the fert "burning" the new seed.

As already mentioned I wouldnt use anything with a herbicide (even broadleaf) because new seeding can be very finnicky.

**ISUKing** · 09-12-2012, 10:49 AM

Thanks everyone for the feedback, i'll see what I can do about getting some starter stuff and water it in before i seed.

**blizzisu** · 09-12-2012, 11:00 AM

Put some starter down before seeding and water in well if you think your soil is low in phosphorus and/or potassium. I would then put starter down at half rate both two weeks and four weeks after your seed has germinated.

**State43** · 09-12-2012, 11:56 AM

Ooops, i put ferilizer with my seeds about 4 days ago. Better cross my fingers.

**CycloneSupt6** · 09-12-2012, 12:16 PM

I always put seed down with Milorganite. It is a good carrier for the seed if you are using a spreader. I also find that it helps jump start the seedling even though it is not a starter fertilizer. I usually also put a 13-25-12 starter fertilizer down after the seed is put down, water it in and you are set.

**cyinne** · 09-12-2012, 11:41 PM

My question is that I want to do this exact thing, but I want to kill the weeds that are currently in my yard. My yard is 100% Kentucky Bluegrass and it turned completely dormant this summer with the heat. I am looking to overseed it with a turf type fescue. Will spraying the weeds in my lawn effect the germination of the grass seed when I do overseed? If it does, how long should I wait before overseeding?

**Let's Go State** · 09-13-2012, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by cyinne

My question is that I want to do this exact thing, but I want to kill the weeds that are currently in my yard. My yard is 100% Kentucky Bluegrass and it turned completely dormant this summer with the heat. I am looking to overseed it with a turf type fescue. Will spraying the weeds in my lawn effect the germination of the grass seed when I do overseed? If it does, how long should I wait before overseeding?

If you have a 100% Bluegrass lawn.... I wouldn't overseed with a fescue as they color probably won't look the same. But that is up to you.

2-4,D needs about 7 days before you overseed.
Dicamba can really hold it back.
Round-up no problem but it will kill existing grass.

If I were you, I would aerate, then heavily fertilize with a 5-20-20 type ratio or worst case a 10-10-10 if you don't remove your grass clippings. Then reseed with more bluegrass. Water often until the bluegrass has some good 2 inches of growth then slow it down.

Bluegrass needs to be seeded before it gets too cool...

I wish I had a 100% bluegrass lawn, but I moved into a house with a mix. I'm jealous.

**Let's Go State** · 09-13-2012, 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by ISUKing

I plan on aerating and overseeding my lawn this Saturday. I have already purchased seed. My question is, I would like to put down a fertilizer at the same time.

Is this recommended or am I just going to kill my seed. I really like Scotts products as I have tried several others and my yard seems to respond best to Scotts. Is there a recommendation for a Scotts product that I can safely put down at the same time as seed?

I wouldn't worry about the brand of fertilizer as they are all required to carry the same content per the USDA to be a fertilizer. You want to fertilize NOW if you are aerating as it is your only chance to get the P&K down as they don't leach like Nitrogen. It shouldn't affect the overseed. I would recommend a low % N, High % P, High % K blend like a 5-20-20 type ratio mix (or higher P and K). I spend $17 on a 40 lb bag of very good fertilizer vs $40+ on name brand and there is NO difference. Scotts does a good job at making a simple schedule for people so there is value there.

If you have dead patches, you will want to aggressively agitate that soil and seed heavily to get good seed to soil contact at a much higher % of soil than just your cores or you won't be happy.

I am assuming that you are using a core aerator and not a spike aerator.

**cyinne** · 09-13-2012, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Let's Go State

If you have a 100% Bluegrass lawn.... I wouldn't overseed with a fescue as they color probably won't look the same. But that is up to you.

2-4,D needs about 7 days before you overseed.
Dicamba can really hold it back.
Round-up no problem but it will kill existing grass.

If I were you, I would aerate, then heavily fertilize with a 5-20-20 type ratio or worst case a 10-10-10 if you don't remove your grass clippings. Then reseed with more bluegrass. Water often until the bluegrass has some good 2 inches of growth then slow it down.

Bluegrass needs to be seeded before it gets too cool...

I wish I had a 100% bluegrass lawn, but I moved into a house with a mix. I'm jealous.

If i were to use the weed killer Trimec I would probably need about 7-10 days before overseeding?

The reason that I wanted to go to the turf type fescue is because I live in a newer housing development and many of the houses have been built in the past couple years. All of the yards have been sodded with a fescue mix. This summer my yard was the only one that was completely brown and dormant. I was pretty embarassed, there wasnt much i could do besides having a $500 water bill...... The past couple years it has been pretty dry here in Lincoln during the summer months and I would like to have a grass that is more drought resitant. I have talked to a few lawncare businesses and Earl May and they all suggest the turf type fescue.

**blizzisu** · 09-13-2012, 10:57 AM

If you have 100% kentucky bluegrass, DO NOT OVERSEED WITH FESCUE. You will end up with a yard that has small circles of fescue that grow faster/taller than the bluegrass and it will look like crap.