The Grass Doctor

Can I seed centipede grass on top of an established lawn seeded with fescue in June?

My lawn is currently somewhat green/brown and I desire a green lawn for the upcoming hot summer months

Public Comments

1. Yes....but with very limited success
2. Yes, you can overseed with a warm season grass seed. Be sure you use a core aerator first. This will make holes for the seeds, and help to loosen the soil. You should use a starter fertilizer at half rate, and use a light coating of straw to help hold the moisture. Just remember that this grass will go dormat with the first frost and turn brown. It will choke out your fescue, and it will stay brown until late spring. I personally wouldn't do it.
3. I personally had great success overseeding with centipede (I live in a southern state). As opposed to the aforementioned method, I utilized a "de thatching" blade on my lawn mower set at the lowest setting, which tore out all the old thatch and exposed the ground for the seeds (which need to be kept damp after sowing, of course). Having said that, my greatest success in re-seeding my southern lawn has been through the use of Zoysia plugs (available online through various nurseries). They took much longer to establish than the centipede (about 3-4 years), but now never require water, and keep a dense, carpet-like mat of turf all summer long. Check out Zoysia before you make your final decision to go with centipede.