… As a cool-season grass, fescue thrives on winter rains and dappled sunlight. Fescue comes close but keeping it thick and healthy during the summer is tough. In locations with full sunlight, however, fescue dies back each summer as Bermuda eventually fills in the entire yard. Because consistent mowing stimulates Bermuda, both stolons and rhizomes rapidly fill in the yard and choke out any remaining fescue patches. Mow the Bermuda grass to 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall. In this instance you don’t want to kill it all off and re-seed. Still, mixing the two grasses can help homeowners to keep a green-looking lawn all year long. Red Fescue. Apply a nonselective herbicide directly to the fescue according to the manufacturer's instructions using chemical-resistant gloves to avoid spraying the nearby Bermuda. Any fescue grasses incorporated within the Bermuda become covered as stolons spread across the ground for more access to sunlight and photosynthesis activity. Texture and density on the more recently released seeded bermuda grasses can be quite similar to some of the medium and medium-fine textured hybrids. Wait until fall, when the weather begin turning cooler. Since Bermuda grass is a warm-season grass and fescue is a cool season grass, the two seem like a match made in heaven. Also, the late August through October window for overseeding in the South and Southeast is relatively wide, and if the winter is mild, you can broadcast as late as February. Larry Parr has been a full-time professional freelance writer for more than 30 years. But know that a serious winter heat spell could kill off your rye. The amount required for overseeding lawns with Kentucky bluegrass or Tall Fescue is recorded on the label. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, grass image by green308 from Fotolia.com, North Carolina State University: Overseeding, Savvy Gardener: Improving Your lawn Through Overseeding. You'll have to keep the fescue mowed short (1 inch) to prevent overshading until the baby bermuda becomes dominant. Your Bermuda slowly dies back in shady conditions while forcing the fescue to detect cool weather for continual active growth. You can overseed at almost any time of the year for a fraction of the cost of a complete reseeding. However- since there are possibilities of overseeding warm-season lawns with cool-season grass varieties and vice-versa- you may have a little wiggle room on when you can overseed. All you need to produce a thick stand of annual ryegrass is 20 to 30 pounds of seed per acre. Run a soil test two weeks prior to overseeding. Hybrid Bermuda is a water guzzler and greens up when fed in the summer. Tall fescue is grown as an "all or none grass," in that it is not compatible with bermudagrass. The best time of the year for overseeding with fescue is four to six weeks before the first killing frost for your area. The Bermuda grass underlying an overseeded stand will still be partially dormant. The roots of bermuda will crowd out the fescue for sure. Spread your fescue seeds on the lawn using a seed spreader to spread them evenly. I am wondering if overseeding will get rid of the tall fescue. Buy 2 1/2 to five pounds of Bermuda grass and the fescue grass seed of choice for every 1000 square feet of soil surface you want to cover with turf. Unfortunately there are problems mixing the two grasses. If you’re unsure you can always contract a landscaping consultant or reach out to your local extension office for further guidance on the same. Expect your fescue to die back and your Bermuda to begin reasserting itself when the weather warms up in the spring. It’s not always required, but some light tilling can help encourage germination. If you have a shaded area with bermudagrass, or a small bermuda area you are changing over to tall fescue, here is the plan to follow. 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