1. Clean Up – In early spring, thoroughly rake all leaves, and winter debris from off your lawn
2. Mow – Once your lawn begins to grow, mow and edge it to give it a nice tidy appearance.
3. Observe any dead patches (no green, all brown.)
1. Remove dead grass
2. Replant with sod or with seed
3. Water Well
4. Feed – Use a weed and feed type fertilizer. Follow directions carefully. This will ensure a weed-free lawn.
5. Begin watering regularly – remember: it’s better to water less often, but deeply rather than frequent shallow watering!
6. Feed regularly, following directions carefully

Benefits of Bermuda Grass
Bermuda germinates quickly and grows vigorously to produce a fine-textured and dense lawn.  It’s a resilient, wear-resistant turf and is often planted in golf courses and athletic fields.  Bermuda spreads rapidly by surface and underground stolons or runners.  It has excellent heat and drought tolerance and goes dormant in the winter, resulting in less maintenance.

Things to Consider
If not edged properly, Bermuda can invade flower beds and gardens. Because it grows so rapidly, Bermuda requires frequent mowing and periodic thatch removal. Bermuda needs full sun and has poor shade tolerance.

Sun Requirements
Full sun

Water Needs
Seed beds should be kept moist until germination. Bermuda sod should be watered every day or every two days until fully rooted into the ground. Thereafter, provide one to two inches of water per week.

Mowing Height
Bermuda grass should be kept short. Maintain Bermuda grass at ½ inch to 1 ½ inches tall depending on current temperatures, variety type, and desired height.

When to Plant
Technically, Bermuda sod can be laid out year-round. At Armstrong Garden Centers, we recommend laying out Bermuda sod from mid-March through November.

Quick Tip
Do not combine Bermuda seed and Bermuda sod.  Most Bermuda sod varieties are hybrids and do not mix well with the grass from common Bermuda seed, because they have a different appearance and texture.

Fertilizer
Bermuda thrives when fertilized. Apply a fertilizer like Armstrong Lawn Food to Bermuda grass two to three times during the growing season.  In April, it will start to come out of its dormant state.  When it is about 50% green, apply a slow-release, high nitrogen fertilizer to your lawn.  Make a second application about six to eight weeks later or as directed on the bag.  A third application in another six weeks may be desired.

Weed Control
To prevent winter weeds like poa annua, apply Armstrong Crabgrass Preventer to your Bermuda lawn in late September or early October.  Apply it again in February to prevent crabgrass and certain other broadleaf weeds.  A healthy, well-fed Bermuda lawn rarely has a weed problem.  If weeds do develop, apply Armstrong Weed & Feed in June to control growing weeds. 

Benefits of Fescue Grass
Fescue’s coarse texture and fast germination make it an excellent grass for erosion control. It can also tolerate compacted soil, it stands up to heavy foot traffic, making it a good choice for play areas or sports venues; and it stays green all year.

Things to Consider
It must be watered frequently during the summer months or it will quickly turn brown. This makes it necessary to overseed your lawn annually to supplement areas that were weakened or damaged by the heat.

Sun Requirements
Sun to light shade

Water Needs
After sowing fescue seed, do not allow the seed bed to dry out. It should be kept moist at all times until the seed germinates. After the grass sprouts, fescue requires at least one to two inches of water per week. During the summer months, you may need to water even more often.  To determine if your grass needs water, step on it. If it doesn’t spring back, it needs water. Don’t just sprinkle a little water over your lawn. For best results, water the grass thoroughly and deeply. You want to water until right before there would be run off.

After installation, water fescue sod about every two to three days, depending on the temperature. It will take about three weeks for it to completely root into the ground.  Once the sod is well-rooted, it will require at least one to two inches of water per week.

Mowing Height
Maintain fescue at a height of 1 ½ inches to 2 ½ inches. Mow regularly. Fescue grass will weaken if allowed to grow too tall and will burn out if it is mowed too short.

When to Plant
For best results, plant fescue seed from mid-February through mid-April or from mid-September through mid-November. The mild days and cool nights that occur during these time periods encourage strong root development. The stronger the root system, the better the grass can withstand our summertime temperatures.

How to Plant
Before planting, till the area, then smooth the planting surface with a rake. Sow the fescue seed at a depth of ¼ inch to ½ inch. If overseeding, use 5 pounds of seed per 1000 square feet. Use 10 pounds per 1000 square feet if planting a new lawn. When planting turf-type fescue seed, use approximately 8 pounds of seed per 1000 square feet. It will take about 14 days for the seed to germinate if sown at the proper time of year.

Fertilizing
In October, apply a fertilizer formulated especially for the fall season such as Armstrong Lawn Food. These products are designed to strengthen the root system and prevent winter injury to your lawn.

In late February or early March, apply a slow release lawn food like Armstrong Lawn Food that is high in nitrogen. This fertilizer will promote a healthy green color and will feed your lawn for about two months. Apply a second application of slow release fertilizer in early to mid-May.

If seeding or sodding, apply a starter fertilizer Marathon Starter Fertilizer instead. Starter fertilizers stimulate strong, vigorous root growth and accelerate the maturity of your new lawn.

Do not apply fertilizer to fescue grass during the summer months. Fertilizer promotes rapid growth and that would only put extra stress on the root system during the hot summer months. Fertilizing in the summer also encourages the development of fungus on fescue grass.

Weed Control
The best way to get rid of weeds is to prevent them in the first place. Apply a crabgrass preventer Armstrong Crabgrass Preventer between January 15 and March 15. These pre-emergent products put a barrier on the soil that prevents crabgrass and certain other weed seeds from germinating. If desired, spread a second application of crabgrass preventer in May to prevent late crabgrass and certain summer weeds from developing.

CAUTION: Crabgrass preventers will also prevent grass seed from germinating, so if you plan to plant fescue seed in the spring, do not apply a crabgrass preventer to your lawn.

If necessary, you can apply a lawn weed control on growing weeds before temperatures exceed 90 degrees.