Sometimes a lawn or parts of a lawn are so far beyond repair, that no matter how well you adhere to best lawn care practices, you will never get the lawn back to it’s former glory. In these cases, it’s time to establish new turf. This post is about the best time of year to do so.
First of all, the manner in which you establish new turf is dependent on the type of grass you have. In Nashville, some lawns have warm season grasses and some have cool season grasses.
Types of grass common to Nashville
- Common cool season grasses in Nashville:
- Fescues
- Ryegrasses
- Bluegrasses
- Common warm season grasses in Nashville:
- Bermudagrasses
- Centipedegrasses
- St. Augustinegrasses
- Zoysia grasses
Recommended Fescue: Pennington Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed
Recommended Ryegrass: Scotts Turf Builder Perennial Ryegrass Mix Grass Seed
Recommended Bluegrass: Scotts Turf Builder Kentucky Bluegrass Mix Grass Seed
Recommended Bermudagrass: Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Bermudagrass
Recommended Centipedegrass: Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Centipede Grass
Recommended Zoysia: Scotts Turf Builder Zoysia Grass Seed
How to establish grass in Nashville:
- Cool season grasses: The most common way to establish cool season grasses in Nashville is to plant seed. You can plant seed overtop of existing grass.
- Warm season grasses: The best way to establish warm season grass is to remove the troubled areas and install purchased sod. You cannot simply spread seed over-top of existing warm season grasses due to the root structure.
Best times of year to establish grass in Nashville:
- Cool season grasses: The ideal time of year to plant cool season grass in Nashville is Fall, between late August and early October. This is because these grasses grow best when the temperature is between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also possible to plant cool season grasses between late February and early April. Do not attempt to plant cool season grass in the summer or winter.
- Warm season grasses: Since sod installation is the typical way to establish warm season turf, you can plant it any time other than winter. However, it is best to establish it in May and June, as warm season grasses experience peak growth when the temperature is between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Be sure to check out our Nashville lawn service page for more information on best practices on lawn care in Nashville.
