Improving my lawn - Ask Extension
Hi, I live in Plymouth, MN. My front yard is primarily south and west facing, and my lot slopes. The western exposure is hard on my lawn, it struggl...
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Improving my lawn #880379
Asked August 06, 2024, 11:25 AM EDT
Hi, I live in Plymouth, MN. My front yard is primarily south and west facing, and my lot slopes. The western exposure is hard on my lawn, it struggles in the hot summer. My lawn is also predominately a thin bladed grass variety, which does not look full and vibrant like my neighbors lawns. See attached pictures.
I want overseed my lawn with a broader blade grass seed, similar to what is shown in one of the attached pix (Lawn 3.jpg). So far, I have done the following:
1) I have dethatched and aerated the lawn.
2) I have applied a soil acidier to move the pH from alkaline to acidic. I have moved from 8.0 to around 7.2, so making progress, and will apply another round.
My question: should I overseed with Kentucky Bluegrass seed? Or should I use a different type of grass? Is there a certain variety of the seed I should purchase? I want a grass that is tolerant of heat, and does not require a massive amount of watering to stay healthy.
I look forward to your recommendations. Thanks.
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Picture 3 is identified as Kentucky Blue Grass using my Picture This App. Fine Fescue is being recommended for MN lawns now, as it uses less water and can be mowed or left long. See this web page and the additional links at the bottom of the page.
https://turf.umn.edu/news/finding-right-grass-seed
https://turf.umn.edu/news/finding-right-grass-seed