Late Overseeding?

Persisting drought conditions and severe water restrictions in the Southeast may pose concerns for lawn care operators (LCOs) who’ve had to postpone overseeding tall fescue lawns from last fall until winter or early spring.

This timing is close to the early spring preemergent herbicide application window. Applying an herbicide too early can damage the seedlings, says Scott Eicher a senior sales specialist with Dow AgroSciences in Charlotte, N.C., adding that this application is still important because experts expect weed pressure to be high in the Carolinas and parts of Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky this year due to the drought.

Though many companies did not overseed at all and are making do with fertility and weed control, a good portion of LCOs aerated and overseeded in late February and early March and need to be careful when timing their preemergent applications, Eicher says. “The key thing is to make sure folks are thinking through the process.” He offers the following recommendations:

 • Let the seedlings grow until they have developed a good root system and a uniform stand.

 • Wait until at least two mowings (sometimes as many as four, depending on the label) before the first application.