Over-seeding Centipede Lawns with Winter Rye

As I was riding my bike through the neighborhood this evening I rode past a house that used to have a beautiful Centipede lawn. In fact it may have been the nicest lawn in the neighborhood several years running. Then they started over-seeding with Winter Rye  in the fall about 2-3 years ago. My lawn was fully green by early May but I've been watching this lawn and the winter rye has died off but there is no sign of the Centipede coming out of dormancy.

June 5, 2014 (Over-seeded with Winter Rye)

Centipede grass often called the poor-mans grass, and boasts a number of benefits over other types of grasses, the most important of which for homeowners is its low requirements for maintenance. Centipede grass is able to grow, and often thrives, on sandy and clay based ground, needs little fertilization, and does not require frequent mowing. Centipede grass can prosper without watering in average rainfall years, making it ideal for busy homeowners.

I had never encountered Centipede grass until we moved to SC.It was the sod they put down on our new houses lawn. I'd gotten used to lawns going brown while living in Georgia so that wasn't an issue. But had to get used to the low maintenance needs. But some people enjoy green turf so much they will over-seed their Bermuda grass lawn with rye grass each fall to have a green front yard when Bermuda grass is normally brown. Although Bermuda grass tolerates over-seeding well, centipede grass does not. The fertilizer you give rye grass will stimulate the centipede grass out of dormancy too soon and make it susceptible to freezing. Also Rye grass growing on top of centipede grass holds winter moisture and can cause disease on the centipede grass. Rye grass will  also compete with centipede grass when the centipede grass is trying to green-up in spring.

Most experts recommend that you do NOT over-seed your centipede lawn with a winter rye grass.  It can in some situations result in thinning out (killing) of your lawn over time due to the added stress of early spring competition.  Fescue in general is a better over-seed variety to use (not rye grass). However in general the best recommendation is to do nothing to a centipede  lawn in the fall. Basically it’s a terrible idea to plant rye
grass into centipede grass to keep it green in winter. Let your centipede grass lawn go dormant in November and take a break from mowing!

June 5, 2014 (No over-seeding)

My Lawn Isn't Thriving

The first few year we lived in our Charleston, SC house both my backyard and front yard both did pretty well. Since Centipede grass doesn't like to be fussed over I just check the PH every couple of years and applied 15-0-15 lightly as suggested by my soil report from Clemson Extension. Then about 3 years ago the front yard began to thin and just didn't recover from winter as quickly as before.

I know from planting trees when we first moved into our home that the front yard was mostly clay. I've amended my flowerbeds over the years and the plant there do rather well. I wondered what I could do without digging up the lawn and starting over. I asked several Master Gardeners and Extension Agents for some ideas and came up with a plan.

While my warm-season lawn was dormant I spread a light layer of compost over the yard. This was purchased at a local landfill that also runs a compost facility for $10 a ton. Our truck couldn't quite hold a full ton so it cost us only $7 and we were able to coat the front lawn with a little leftover for my other garden projects.

I've been watering the compost it in on warm days this winter and hope to see my yard respond with healthier turf. When the grass is fully out of dormancy which is usually around the end of May we plan to aerate the lawn and add more compost. It may take a little time but I'm assured that this will help my Centipede lawn. Check back with me in a few months for an update and we'll see how it works out!

This should work for other types of grass as well. Just remember not to bury your turf too deep in the compost. A thin layer will work best.

Water Wise

We had a very dry May and June and I finally had a little relief last week from dragging my hoses all over the yard to keep my garden/yard alive! I recorded 2.5” of rain in 2 days after a really dry spring. Hot, dry summer months are stressful times for plants in the landscape. Without proper moisture, plants cannot grow normally and can become inclined to other stresses like bugs and diseases. It is important to water plants so they develop deep roots. Daily watering can promote shallow roots making it hard for a plant to survive a hot dry summer.

During a drought I worry first about my Trees and shrubs, which are harder and more expensive to replace. The best time to water is in the early morning, when there is less evaporation. It is best to water these in the root area where it will sink in to be taken in by the roots.

After I’m sure my trees and shrubs are cared for I look at the lawn, which can also be expensive to replace if it succumbs to the drought. You have two choices during long, dry, hot summers: Water the grass to keep it green or don't water and let it turn brown and go dormant.

If you decide to keep it green then first determine that your lawn is really dry. Some clues are: Foot printing: Walk across your lawn. If your footprints remain in the grass very long, the lawn is dry. Color test: When a lawn is dry a long time, it will have a bluish-gray cast. Watering brings back the color.
Check leaves: Dry grass responds by wilting, rolling or folding the leaves.

Apply about an inch of water when you determine your yard is dry. This amount should moisten the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. Runoff is a problem in my front yard so I apply half and let it soak in before applying more water. I try to water early in the morning but don’t have Irrigation timers. If you have a timer it should be set to water the lawn between 4 and 6 am. Water only as needed. Watering daily can be harmful and encourages shallow roots making the grass less drought tolerant.

Use mulch to decrease evaporation of water from the soil around plant and trees. It will also lower soil temperatures and reduce competition from weeds for water.