# KBG Overseed on KBG Lawn



## BrainBailey (Nov 20, 2019)

Need a little help understanding how to overseed KBG specifically. I made the transition to a predominantly KBG lawn this year and I'm already thinking ahead to maintenance and game plan next year. To get my new KBG in, I stunted then stressed the existing grass and power seeded, which got me the KBG I desired. However, this was also extremely abusive on the existing turf, so it can't be a yearly task.

So here's my question: If overseeding KBG on an existing lawn is a futile exercise, then how do you overseed existing KBG turf? Does it not work well in that instance either? Does it require PGR to be successful?

I did read multiple threads around this topic, but the information seems to be conflicting.

Greatly appreciate any insight!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

The issue with overseeding with KBG is the slow development time of bluegrass seedlings. The other grass will out compete the overseed making it difficult for the seeds to grow. If your looking for a 100 percent bluegrass lawn you have to renovate.

If you want to overseed into a KBG lawn you can use perennial ryegrass which germinates and develops quickly. It also can blend well with bluegrass.


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## always_creative (Aug 28, 2020)

Since KBG spreads via rhizomes, you should be able to get the existing KBG to reproduce by pushing it hard with nitrogen. Do a hardcore Fall Nitrogen Blitz and it will thicken like crazy. No need to overseed it. KBG loves nitrogen, just give it some gas that way.

Overseeding is more necessary in bunch grasses that don't fill the lawn on their own, after a while you need to re-establish the thickness with new seed. KBG doesn't need that, so getting it to produce rhizomes and thicken that way makes more sense to me.

Different plants need different techniques, you wouldn't plant an apple tree by seed you'd use a cutting.


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## badtlc (Aug 22, 2019)

If you already have KBG then ideally you don't overseed. You just let the KBG take over.


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## CoopyHarry (Sep 26, 2020)

I actually had mine over seeded after aeration. I had some disease In the front and Lots of dog patches in the back (I have two golden ret that kill the lawn) and some of it's coming in pretty decent.

I'm starting to push some N to the lawn now and used the pro plugger in a few spots as well to move some good plugs to big spots.

Might have gotten away with not reseeding but I felt like I had quite a few open areas and being uneducated about lawn stuff I believed the lawn guy that it needed reseeded


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## BrainBailey (Nov 20, 2019)

I'm going to dig this back up and reignite the debate. I was watching one of Ryan Knorr's latest videos where he had the opportunity to visit the Football field at Iowa State. He asked the maintenance team there if they overseed, and they stated that they do with their KBG - and it sounded like they do it a lot. So, if this is what the turf management pros are doing, why do we have so much pessimism for the practice on TLF? I understand that it doesn't work as well as using PRG, and if you're trying to overseed KBG on a non KBG existing lawn, hoping that it will take over, that has very slim odds too. But maintaining a KBG turf with KBG overseed seems logical. In the grand scheme of things, seed is pretty cheap. Seems like it would be worth the effort if you're trying to achieve lawn glory. Especially if done over many seasons, it will help tilt and keep the balance towards a dominant KBG blend.


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

You can get slow growing compact type bluegrass theses days. I don't see a beneficial reason to overseed bluegrass unless it's the same cultivar.


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## elgrow (Mar 30, 2020)

BrainBailey said:


> I'm going to dig this back up and reignite the debate. I was watching one of Ryan Knorr's latest videos where he had the opportunity to visit the Football field at Iowa State. He asked the maintenance team there if they overseed, and they stated that they do with their KBG - and it sounded like they do it a lot. So, if this is what the turf management pros are doing, why do we have so much pessimism for the practice on TLF? I understand that it doesn't work as well as using PRG, and if you're trying to overseed KBG on a non KBG existing lawn, hoping that it will take over, that has very slim odds too. But maintaining a KBG turf with KBG overseed seems logical. In the grand scheme of things, seed is pretty cheap. Seems like it would be worth the effort if you're trying to achieve lawn glory. Especially if done over many seasons, it will help tilt and keep the balance towards a dominant KBG blend.


I think their reason for overseeding is a little different than the traditional homeowner. That field is going through a lot more stress and wear and tear than your standard lawn, and that's probably why they are constantly overseeding. You don't want a mudpit running down between the hash marks late into the season, so they are likely overseeding as a precaution so that there is turf on the entire field late into the season.

They also aren't maintaing a monostand as I believe the guy in the video said they probably have 25 or so cultivars out there from overseeding year after year after year.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

^ bingo.

The mud areas need recovery and he explained that they even do it ahead of a game so the cleats push the seed into the soil. There is an approach for athletic fields called seed banking. The short version is basically weekly overseed during game season (fall for football). I remember reading about it and it works really good with prg. I think the fifa games also did it.

Money is not a problem for some of these fields. They will try seed and nitrogen and grow lights and anything to keep the field playable. Some fields, replace the entire surface after a concert and be ready for game day.

But like abc123 said, I would not overseed a kbg lawn. I think it is a waste of money. My front lawn is the TTTF, PRG, KBG sod the builder used. It is 5 years old, I mow it at 22mm and I never overseed it. Nitrogen and water.

The neighbors lawn is the same sod from the same roll and placed on the same day.


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## j4c11 (Apr 30, 2017)

It's just not necessary, unless you have major damage and need to speed things along. Like, a heavily trafficked football field that needs to be ready again by a certain date.

Generally, the preference is to allow bluegrass to spread, and repair larger damaged areas via plugging. Seeding is the least preferred, but not "wrong". Under normal circumstances bluegrass will self-repair and form a dense canopy on its own without the needs for more seed. If you have a lot of damage, that may take a while, so you may choose to overseed, and there's nothing wrong with that. But I've seen areas recover with as few as 3-4 plants per square foot in a few months. Allowing the lawn to recover on its own is preferred because it's much less work, uses far less water, costs nothing, and results in grass that is better rooted and identically matches the color of what's already there. Some bluegrass varieties take a year or more to mature and develop their final color, so even if you're seeding the exact same variety, it may still be blotchy for a long time.

Ultimately, you have to choose what's right for your circumstances. Best practices are most likely to produce best results in most situations, but not necessarily in your particular situation.


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## elgrow (Mar 30, 2020)

I'm going to piggyback off this thread since I know that typically overseeding KBG is a no-no, but what about overseeding KBG into TTTF?

I am kind of kicking myself for not getting some in my reno this year(wish I had gone with TTTF-KBG blend), as I noticed a few of the spots that survived the summer fungus issues were random patches of KBG and I am starting to think it would have really helped the stand in the back from a fungus approach, and also the fact my dog loves to tear the back yard apart.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

elgrow said:


> I'm going to piggyback off this thread since I know that typically overseeding KBG is a no-no, but what about overseeding KBG into TTTF?
> 
> I am kind of kicking myself for not getting some in my reno this year(wish I had gone with TTTF-KBG blend), as I noticed a few of the spots that survived the summer fungus issues were random patches of KBG and I am starting to think it would have really helped the stand in the back from a fungus approach, and also the fact my dog loves to tear the back yard apart.


The short answer is: it's not easy unless the lawn is really thin. Also, KBG is so slow to germinate, mature, etc., that even if you pulled out all the tricks to make it work, you'd still have to keep your dog off it for months after the overseed for it to have a chance.


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