Knowledgebase
Want to transition to more drought-tolerant lawn #864976
Asked April 18, 2024, 11:02 AM EDT
What is the best way to slowly convert our Kentucky blue glass lawn to a more drought-tolerant lawn, such as turf-type tall fescue? I was told it was best to aerate our existing lawn and spread turf-type tall fescue seed afterwards. If aerating/seeding every spring and fall, I'm told the conversion should take place in approximately 5 years. Is this accurate information? If so, at what rate should we spread the seed? Also, we have already aerated our lawn this season but don't plan to start our sprinkler system for another month. Since I know we need to keep the seed moist for germination, should we wait to seed until the sprinklers are running? And if so, do you think we would need to re-aerate at that time?
Thank you so much for your advice.
Boulder County Colorado
Expert Response
Take a look at this Lawn Conversion Plant talk with lots of resources:
Lawn Conversion – PlantTalk Colorado (colostate.edu)
Within that there is a garden note specifically on turf type tall fescue, which does not recommend tall fescue as a water saving alternative as it will still require a lot of irrigation.
You may still desire to convert your lawn using the aeration and seeding method. If you do that, the seeds must stay continuously wet to germinate so you should wait until you are ready to start your irrigation system then re-aerate before you seed the new variety. If you do this twice a year, you could see the conversion complete in 2 years instead of 5. Follow package directions for recommended rate for seeding.
I hope this answer has been helpful, but please reach out if you have any other follow up questions.
Best of luck and happy gardening!
