Overseeding kbg into current lawn

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
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spectrum1c
Posts: 105
Joined: June 1st, 2018, 9:51 pm
Location: Cape Cod Massachusetts
Grass Type: KBG front yard, Tall Fescue backyard
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

Overseeding kbg into current lawn

Post by spectrum1c » August 7th, 2020, 10:43 am

My back yard started off 3 years ago with a spring ren of a 3 way elite mix of TTTF, PR, and KBG.
https://www.preferredseed.com/detail/?nPID=27
I did not have irrigation that summer and my results were not ideal.
Since then I've added irrigation and have gone through 2 rounds of overseeding with elite tttf (Regenerate, titanium 2ls and Firecracker SLS)
Rather than overseed with tttf every other year or so, I'd like to overseed with kbg as I find my front lawn which is pure kbg to be much lower maintenance. Even if I accidently kill a patch by doing something boneheaded like cleaning brake parts off with brake cleaner, the grass grows back (I had no idea brake cleaner was so deadly to grass 😬,).
From everything I've read, overseeding with KBG is difficult and often fails, though I don't commpletly understand why. If the goal is to thicken thin areas and replace dead patches, could kbg overseed really fail easier than TTTF and leave thin areas and empty patches unimproved? My thought is that over the long run, a heavier ratio of KBG will self heal.
If I did go ahead with the KBG overseed, could I use a dark elite cultivare such as bewitched, or should I go with a somewhat lighter color such as nuglade to prevent a patchy looking lawn?

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turf_toes
Posts: 6042
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 8:46 pm
Location: Central NJ
Grass Type: 77% Blueberry/23% Midnight Star KBG in front. Bewitched KBG monostand in back.
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Overseeding kbg into current lawn

Post by turf_toes » August 7th, 2020, 12:48 pm

Did you ask your seed vendor? That’s where I’d start. NTEP scores aren’t useful in your case because you can’t compare scores across different grass types.

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ken-n-nancy
Posts: 2571
Joined: July 17th, 2014, 3:58 pm
Location: Bedford, NH
Grass Type: Front: KBG (Bewitched+Prosperity); Side: Bewitched KBG; Back: Fine Fescue Blend + Prosperity
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Experienced

Re: Overseeding kbg into current lawn

Post by ken-n-nancy » August 8th, 2020, 11:20 pm

The trouble with KBG overseeds is that the grass seeds only supply enough food / energy for the baby KBG grass to grow about one inch tall and the grass is then reliant upon photosynthesis for further development. The large TTTF seeds, however, supply more food and energy, allowing the baby TTTF grass to get taller and more mature. The baby TTTF is able to get tall enough to start to compete with the existing grass before running out of initial energy from the seed. KBG growing in an existing lawn doesn’t.

Anyway, that’s my perspective on why KBG overseeds don’t do as well as TTTF ones. The larger seeds and quicker initial development enables TTTF to establish in a situation where KBG gets outcompeted.

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turf_toes
Posts: 6042
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 8:46 pm
Location: Central NJ
Grass Type: 77% Blueberry/23% Midnight Star KBG in front. Bewitched KBG monostand in back.
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Overseeding kbg into current lawn

Post by turf_toes » August 9th, 2020, 9:33 am

KenandNancy is correct.

This is one of the few cases where I’d use a growth regulator.

A few years ago, I did the following.

1. Gradually (over a couple of weeks) lower the cut to as low as I could get it. (1st or second notch on the mower)

2. Water and let it recover for a week.

3. Keep the cut at the low setting

4. Apply the growth regulator

5. Continue regular mowing

6. About 4 days after applying the growth regulator is when seed goes down

7. Cut the grass regularly with a reel mower

8. About two weeks after germination, apply micro dose of urea. Yes, that means walking on the seedbed. Just do it gingerly.

The growth regulator gives the new KBG time to get established

This worked well for me. Remember advice on a forum is no substitute for reading product labels.

spectrum1c
Posts: 105
Joined: June 1st, 2018, 9:51 pm
Location: Cape Cod Massachusetts
Grass Type: KBG front yard, Tall Fescue backyard
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

Re: Overseeding kbg into current lawn

Post by spectrum1c » August 10th, 2020, 10:04 am

Thanks so much for the replies KenandNancy and Turf_toes. I've been researching aggressively over these past few days and am starting to think it a bad idea to push the backyard to a high percentage KBG beyond the real issue of trying to get the KBG established. I've read that when the ttf gets too isolated (one TTF plant in a sea of KBG), it changes it's look and becomes signicantly more broad leafed.
I think I've experienced this in my front lawn where I have some broad-leafed weeds interspersed in an otherwise pure kbg lawn. I've not gone after these weed grasses because they have great color and blend right in (are just as dark as the elite KBG). I don't think anyone else would even notice them though they stand out like sore thumbs to me eye everytime I lawn-mowe.
I would hate to deliberately cause this weedy look in my back yard, assuming these front yard weeds are infact elite TTTF accidentally introduced by my carelessness. I guess a complete reno would be the answer, but I think my wife would lose her mind if I put her through another reno, especially when she thinks the backyard looks great to begin with 😁.
I already bought the KBG and will likely put it down with TTTF mix, but won't worry to much if it doesn't get well established- unless others think I'm off in my thinking


spectrum1c
Posts: 105
Joined: June 1st, 2018, 9:51 pm
Location: Cape Cod Massachusetts
Grass Type: KBG front yard, Tall Fescue backyard
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Some Experience

Re: Overseeding kbg into current lawn

Post by spectrum1c » August 11th, 2020, 7:36 pm

Image
Here is an example of what I believe is a clump of TTTF surrounded by kbg (grass not looking great right now because we're in the middle of unusually hot, dry weather)

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