The Grass Doctor

Fall grass seeding (Southern State)?

I am going to seed again this fall. I was looking at scotts winter guard grass seed for southern states. I have centipede grass now, which the bag said not to seed while cetipede is in dormit stage Oct 15- March 15, except in Florida. I live on the gulf coast, abut 30 miles from Fl. state line. When will be the best time to do a fall seeding, and what will be best for seeding on top of centipede?

Public Comments

1. Climates can be drastically different in very small geographic areas - especially on the Gulf Coast. It also depends on what kind of weather you are having and may have. This has been changing a lot, too. The best thing to do would be to go to the nursery closest to your house and ask them. If you really don't feel like doing that and want to take a chance, here are some tips. First of all, if your grass is still green and vibrant, it is obviously not dormant. You may overseed it at this time, but you have to make sure to keep the lawn well watered during germination. Applying a thin layer of compost over the seeds will help with this. It also helps keep birds from eating seed. Before you start reseeding, think about how long your grass has stayed green in prior years. The longer the growing time, the better the root system will be developed by the time the grass goes dormant. I strongly urge you to go to a nursery close to your house and ask them. I lived and travelled extensively in Florida for years and years. It gets pretty darned cold in North Florida!