grass seed called "Kevlar"

Asked June 5, 2016, 3:26 PM EDT

Have a new lawn done with a sod, called "Kevlar" (by the prominent landscaper, who installed in May). Lawn is developing bald spots in 2 areas, even with careful watering and mowing. Would it be good to re-seed now before the problem gets worse? What is the proper name of the grass seed? Where can I buy it? Thanks. M. McNulty Beaverton 97008

Washington County Oregon lawns and turf lawn and turf

1 Response


Based on an internet search, it appears "Kevlar" is a cultivar of Tall Fescue and is sold by JB Instant Lawn. You can try calling them and asking them which seed company they get their Tall Fescue from and what is the variety name, if different. They may also sell you some seed directly.

If not, you can buy some "turf type" Tall Fescue from a local seed company or maybe even one of the hardware stores. Just make sure you do not buy "Kentucky 31", which is a very coarse type used for forage. Be aware, Tall Fescues are also use for forage and most of these are very coarse textured and will not blend well with your sod.

Before you reseed, dig up the dead spots and see if you find any insect larvae (if any, they are probably crane fly or possibly bill bugs). Use a 6" flat shovel and dig a 6" hole about 4" deep. Turn the sod over and dig through the soil to see if you can find any crane fly larvae (gray-brown with no legs) or bill bugs which are much smaller, white colored and have an orange head. After looking, you can flip the sod over and put back into the hole you just dug.

If you have insect problems, you will need to apply an insecticide. A couple of insecticides that would work would be Sevin or Talstar. Make sure to read and follow the instructions carefully, especially about safety (i.e. gloves, long sleeve shirt, shoes, etc.) Depending on the insect, there are other choices as well.

The other problem might be hydrophobic soil or a thick thatch layer that is not allowing the water to infiltrate. If the soil is bone dry in these spots and right next to it, the soil is wet, than this is your likely problem. The best solution is to core (or aerate) the area, but you will need to wait until the fall to do that. You could take a large nail and poke a bunch of holes in these spots to help water infiltrate and then really soak with a hose.

I hope this helps.