converting grass to ground cover - Ask Extension
Hello! I currently have grass that I think might be Kentucky blue grass and it's in bad shape. I'm wondering if there is an easy-ish way to convert th...
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converting grass to ground cover #927054
Asked March 30, 2026, 11:40 AM EDT
Hello! I currently have grass that I think might be Kentucky blue grass and it's in bad shape. I'm wondering if there is an easy-ish way to convert this to a different ground cover. I missed out on Denver's turf replacement program. One area I would like to have a soft dog friendly ground cover and it gets part sun and part shade. Other areas I'm open to ideas and some are full sun, some are partly shady. I am going to aerate and dethatch. Are there seeds I can sprinkle on top of this that will take over? What other options would you suggest? Thank you so much!
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
Unfortunately, it's not easy to replace a turf lawn with ground cover. The grass must first be killed before the soil can be amended and worked to provide a good foundation for ground cover plants. In your situation, planting ground covers would not be a good choice for your dog area because they are not tolerant of foot traffic.
Perhaps the best option for now would be to try and revitalize your existing lawn using proper mowing, fertilizing and irrigation practices. Utah State University has a good fact sheet on Basic Turfgrass Care that might be of help to you. Here is a link to the fact sheet: https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/basic-turfgrass-care
We do not recommend dethatching because it rips out the roots of the grass.
Gardening will be challenging this year due to the water restrictions which will determine whether you will be able to overseed the lawn. If the conditions are favorable the best time to do that along the Front Range is mid-August to mid-September.
In the event you are able to overseed this year, here is a basic primer on overseeding which was provided by the Larimer County Extension office:
"If you do want to overseed, using tall fescue can work, but it does have a slightly wider blade than bluegrass and may not "blend" well. Another species to consider is perennial ryegrass. This is commonly used with bluegrass. It germinates quickly, has excellent traffic tolerance, and is a nice lawn grass.
"If you do reseed, the easiest way to do it would be to aerate the lawn heavily - use a machine that pulls plugs - and make lots and lots and LOTS AND LOTS of holes. The more holes the better. The lawn should look "bad" when you're done aerating. Then apply your seed. Put half of the needed seed in the hopper of a push-type fertilizer spreader and open the mouth just wide enough to let some seed fall out. Apply in one direction, then add the rest of the seed, and go in the opposite direction. Then rake the entire area to work the seed into the aeration holes. The seed that falls into the holes will germinate best.
Water to keep the seed coat moist - this might be once a day or a couple times per day depending on temperature. Soils are warm in the fall, but seed before September 15 so the seed has time to germinate and harden off before winter. Grass seed usually takes up to 2 weeks to germinate, then another couple of weeks to establish roots strong enough to carry it through the winter.
You can fertilize the lawn the same day you aerate. Keep mowing and watering the rest of the lawn as you normally would."
Perhaps the best option for now would be to try and revitalize your existing lawn using proper mowing, fertilizing and irrigation practices. Utah State University has a good fact sheet on Basic Turfgrass Care that might be of help to you. Here is a link to the fact sheet: https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/basic-turfgrass-care
We do not recommend dethatching because it rips out the roots of the grass.
Gardening will be challenging this year due to the water restrictions which will determine whether you will be able to overseed the lawn. If the conditions are favorable the best time to do that along the Front Range is mid-August to mid-September.
In the event you are able to overseed this year, here is a basic primer on overseeding which was provided by the Larimer County Extension office:
"If you do want to overseed, using tall fescue can work, but it does have a slightly wider blade than bluegrass and may not "blend" well. Another species to consider is perennial ryegrass. This is commonly used with bluegrass. It germinates quickly, has excellent traffic tolerance, and is a nice lawn grass.
"If you do reseed, the easiest way to do it would be to aerate the lawn heavily - use a machine that pulls plugs - and make lots and lots and LOTS AND LOTS of holes. The more holes the better. The lawn should look "bad" when you're done aerating. Then apply your seed. Put half of the needed seed in the hopper of a push-type fertilizer spreader and open the mouth just wide enough to let some seed fall out. Apply in one direction, then add the rest of the seed, and go in the opposite direction. Then rake the entire area to work the seed into the aeration holes. The seed that falls into the holes will germinate best.
Water to keep the seed coat moist - this might be once a day or a couple times per day depending on temperature. Soils are warm in the fall, but seed before September 15 so the seed has time to germinate and harden off before winter. Grass seed usually takes up to 2 weeks to germinate, then another couple of weeks to establish roots strong enough to carry it through the winter.
You can fertilize the lawn the same day you aerate. Keep mowing and watering the rest of the lawn as you normally would."
