Tall Fescue - How? When? What?

[Holloway32]

I have so many questions, I hardly know where to start. The subdivision where we recently purchased a home was previously a 500 acre field that was cut for hay and housed several hundred head of cattle. Needless to say, my yard is a mixture of many different weeds, grasses, etc. The predominant grass is tall fescue but there are clover patches (and little white flowers, I think that is also clover) everywhere. How do I get them under control and erradicated from my yard? I have not aeriated* or over-seeded and I'm quite certain the previous owner didn't either. I want to have a nice looking yard where all the grass looks the same instead of a patch of "grass" here and there. What do I need to do in order to reach my goal?

Questions?? Comments?? Advice??

Thank you for the help!!!!!


Location: Northwest Georgia
Lot Size: 1.5 acres
Type of Grass: Tall Fescue
Mower: JD Z445 48" w/mulching & striping kit
Irrigation: None (except when The Almighty decides to water it)

 

[Lawnboy18]

A good dethatch wouldn't hurt if there is a lot of it. Aeration woud be very good also. After doing all of that and mowing, add some grass seeds and fertilizer. It is hard to control 1.5 acres.

 

[possum]

Clover can be killed easy enough but keeping it that way is another story. I would have a professional come out and advise you before trying much of anything. You need to ID all the weeds you want to get rid of. Then decide on a budget, irrigation, seed type, mowing et. Good pasture grass can be a real value if established like yours is. Another thing is you make no mention of shade, fences, neighbors. Where is your house? In the middle? On one end? A common plan here is to have a real nice care intensive area for the home and the rest is just well mowed and sprayed once or twice a year. A large wonderful lawn is very time and money consuming. Think about some of those things. Make a trip to a lawncare store and get a few prices. Talk to your neighbors. Go to your nearest university extension. Do not just start pouring in time and money. You have time to find out and then act with a plan. That hay field might begin to look better after a look into things.

 

[Holloway32]

Clover can be killed easy enough but keeping it that way is another story. I would have a professional come out and advise you before trying much of anything. You need to ID all the weeds you want to get rid of. Then decide on a budget, irrigation, seed type, mowing et. Good pasture grass can be a real value if established like yours is. Another thing is you make no mention of shade, fences, neighbors. Where is your house? In the middle? On one end? A common plan here is to have a real nice care intensive area for the home and the rest is just well mowed and sprayed once or twice a year. A large wonderful lawn is very time and money consuming. Think about some of those things. Make a trip to a lawncare store and get a few prices. Talk to your neighbors. Go to your nearest university extension. Do not just start pouring in time and money. You have time to find out and then act with a plan. That hay field might begin to look better after a look into things.

WOW!!! Thank you very much. I would have never imagined there were so many decisions to make/consider. I have attached a few pics of the house/yard. The pics were made in May 2014.

If my lot were a rectangle, my house would be located in the lower right quadrant. If standing in the driveway, there is a large section of yard to the left (a little over an acre, see pics 1&2), a small section of yard behind & to the right of the house (sorry, no pics, and a little larger section to the right of the driveway (see pic 3).

 

[Shughes717]

Holloway32 the clover in your lawn is white clover. Most likely giant white clover (aka ladino clover). White clover is a legume that is commonly used in pastures because it is a cool season perennial. It is not difficult to kill it out of your lawn. I don't know if you have any farmers in your family, but the herbicide known as harmony can be used in the spring to kill the clover. It has a residual effect and you shouldn't have to worry about clover for the remainder of the season. I mixed it with roundup and sprayed my lawn this spring. I had no clover problem. If you do not have access to such products then hiring a professional to spray your lawn is your best solution.