Formidable weed problem? We received this question from one of our customers, and it is a question we’ve received in various forms quite a bit recently.
“We took out our grass quite some time ago. We are working on getting the weeds under control so we can re-plant grass. Your planting tips page was helpful, but I wondered if you had any other tips to prepare our soil as the weed situation is so vast. When we plant the grass, I am interested in a drought resistant and low maintenance grass. What recommendations do you have? And what is the preferred time of year to plant the seed? Thank you in advance for your time and response.”
Our reply:
“It is important to begin with as sterile a seed bed as possible. Make sure you have clean soil on top. You might put new potting soil down; up to an inch is ideal when trying to overcome a weed problem… If you are concerned at all about the soil nutrient levels, pull a soil sample and send it in to determine if any deficiencies exist. If you receive poor results, take the necessary steps to improve your soil quality before you plant. If it is possible, I would start by removing everything that is currently growing in your yard. Till the yard and water until you see new weeds sprouting. Hand pull or kill the first weed seedlings, then water until you get a second sprout. Do this between two and four times to eradicate as many weeds as possible. Once you have finished, bring in fresh, weed-free potting soil to spread over the top of your yard. Spread between half an inch and one inch of the potting soil evenly across the yard. This will provide a topsoil buffer between your new grass establishment and the underlying dormant weed seeds. When you spread the seed, make sure the soil is loose on top. You can use the back of a leaf rake to help work it in. You want to be careful not to plant the seed too deep. A shallower planting is typically safer than buried seed.
For your grass seed choice, you might consider Hard Fescue and Chewing’s Fescue. We have a mix of both, called the Northern Shade Blend, which you can find online: http://www.silverfallsseed.com/seed/Grass-Seed-Mixes-and-Blends/Northern-Shade-Blend.html. Chewing’s Fescue tends to be more shade tolerant than Hard Fescue, and Hard Fescue tends to have better drought tolerance. Annual rainfall of 16-30 inches in a Pacific Northwest climate would be sufficient for this mix. During the summer months, this mix requires less water than many of our other species and mixes. They are low maintenance varieties, requiring less water, less fertilizer, and less frequent mowing than other turf options.
Keep in mind that while the Northern Shade Blend is low maintenance once it is up and growing, it is more difficult to establish. Hand-pull any weeds that push through your new topsoil to keep the bed as clean as you can. Make sure that the seed bed is adequately watered during establishment. Do not plant when the temperatures are consistently above 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Ideal growing temperatures are 50-65 degrees. You can plant grass this time of year, we just put 70 acres into the ground, but you need to make sure you keep a good eye on it and watch for any signs of water stress as it establishes. If new seedlings are subjected to too much heat or water stress, the plants will fail and your stand will die.
I do not have any information about the size of your yard, or whether you would actually be able to do all of this. It is a lot of work. Based on the information you provided, these are the recommendations I would make. The preferred time of year to plant is either fall or spring. If I were you, I would do all of my preparatory work now, and aim to plant between September and October, depending on the weather conditions. You want to have at least two inches of plant growth before the first frost.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions. I am happy to help.
