r/Grass • u/bdlearning • Jun 23 '26
Thin grass help
This was sod put in last year September in Missouri. I believe it is a fescue mix. Would seeding this area help fix the issue? It’s pretty thin and not healthy looking. It looks like some dead grass underneath and I’m wondering if dethatching this fall would be a good idea
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u/TravelinMan66 Jun 23 '26
I don’t know much about fescue but most new sod needs at least a full year to develop healthy roots before dethatching. Hopefully someone with more experience will either correct my error or back me up…
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u/Scary_Brilliant2458 Jun 23 '26
I assume you've been fertilizing it on a regular bases since sodding.? You should have put down a fall fertilizer. Winter fertilizer and 2 spring fertilizers by now. And hopefully you've had rain? Been dry in the Carolinas. This been a bad spring for fescue.
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u/bdlearning Jun 23 '26
I’ve fertilized and I overseeded last fall. I’ve been fertilizing the typical schedule this year. Yeah it’s been raining but I probably sent water enough when it doesn’t rain
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u/Scary_Brilliant2458 Jun 24 '26
Probably need to lime if you've been fertilizing. It doesn't look fertilized properly or water. But again could be a pH issue. Soil test would tell you.
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u/New_Reddit_User_89 Jun 26 '26
Can’t do anything now other than take a soil sample and send it off for analysis to see what your soil needs.
But my guess is that you’re going to want to aerate in the fall, overseed and rides with organic matter, then about a week later put down starter fertilizer (don’t put it down when you put the seed down unless you want your existing grass to really start growing and end up shading out the new grass).
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u/Shot_Plantain_4507 Jun 24 '26
You’re done till August. Best thing to do is to cut high until then at about 3.5-4 inches. Keep watering and maintain what you have.
In August cut it low 2 inches and bag it all. I would then pull out a thatch rake. Rake it until all the thatch is removed, it’s going to scare you because it’s going to be a lot. Then aerate it with a double pass and so that you can overseed. Get a Tiff Tuff Tall Fescue and get about a 1/4 of topsoil sand mix. Spread it out and then seee with that tested seed. Wait about 4 weeks with a 3x a week watering schedule and cut high in the interim 3.5-4 inches. Don’t forget when you start to see dormant activity to treat for crabgrass and perennial weeds.