planting grass.... this is awesome... not

[johnr]

If you can plant before a large rain event your job will be a lot easier on the front end. I've been lucky on my last 2 grass projects. I planted before a large rain and it rained so often after the planting, I never had to use a sprinkler. One project was 2-3 acres.

You didn't hand spread that 3 acres did you?
wow what a project

 

[dwos03]

If you can plant before a large rain event your job will be a lot easier on the front end. I've been lucky on my last 2 grass projects. I planted before a large rain and it rained so often after the planting, I never had to use a sprinkler. One project was 2-3 acres.

Unless the rain is a gully washer! That happened to my uncle twice when he was planting grass around his new house. Washed the grass seed away both times!

 

[Sub_Elect]

I planted my yard going on 3 summers ago. Front looks awesome, back looks like crap but whatever. I just spread seed in the spring and hope it grows. I do water, but prob not enough. I did get rid of all the friggen thistles last year.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Good info guys ! I have a HUGE planting project when I get home from work. ( 120#s of grass seed )

Anybody know where to get a truckload of compost to mix in my seed bed before I plant ?

Lots of great info in the land of Youtube also...

Bismarck city dump, you gotta load it yourself tho I think.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I tried fixing the yard at my old house after a combination of no snow cover and two dogs completely obliterated what grass there was.

Spent a weekend taking out the sod with a shovel, then tilled it with a Mantis tiller I rescued from the curb and refurbished, and finally seeded, fertilized and water. Thought I was a pretty smart cookie.

Until the grass finally started to grow and I had a backyard that looked like a mangy coyote.

I'll just pay the professionals from now on.

 

[guywhofishes]

Until the grass finally started to grow and I had a backyard that looked like a mangy coyote.
.

yep - nothing like a different color of grass for each of the 6 different patchings done over the years - ha ha ha

 

[riverview]

Has anybody else noticed that you really don't see youngsters anymore hitting the local neighborhoods asking homeowners if they need a lawn mower person for the summer? Must not need the money or too busy with other things...ie video games, cell phones.:;:stirthepot

my wife hired a kid to mow our farm yard with our mower less than 2 hours time, kid got 60 bucks. hell I will mow it for 60 bucks

 

[johnr]

yep - nothing like a different color of grass for each of the 6 different patchings done over the years - ha ha ha

Yes, you don't want to use just random bags of seed. Make sure you remember which seed you started with and continue to fill in with the same seed.
also once established water in the mornings only, and 1 soaker a week is better than 3 light waterings a week. Helps develop root growth

 

[Traxion]

Lots of good advice here. For me, success has been with a loose soil bed. Can't be over compacted. Spread the seed, then rake or drag to get seeds slightly covered. Then, ROLL IT! Rolling makes a huge difference, I think it gets the seeds in good contact with the soil. Keep damp and go from there. Covering with mulch helps a lot too.

Mutt lawns are funny, mine is super mutt! Just no way to keep it pure with the patching I have done and the neighbor lawns. But that is OK.

I am a little different on fertilizer. I hit it right when the snow melts, then one more time right before it comes in heavy with the first nice weather. One more shot middle of summer and then a good shot after it is dormant in the fall. It is amazing how much greener my lawn stays this way. I don't go super heavy and use cheap fertilizer but it works. A nice rain in August after my mid summer fertilization and it's as green as it was in the spring. And this is without a sprinkler system...

 

[Captain Ahab]

You didn't hand spread that 3 acres did you?
wow what a project

I had a little spreader I pulled behind my lawn tractor.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Lots of good advice here. For me, success has been with a loose soil bed. Can't be over compacted. Spread the seed, then rake or drag to get seeds slightly covered. Then, ROLL IT! Rolling makes a huge difference, I think it gets the seeds in good contact with the soil. Keep damp and go from there. Covering with mulch helps a lot too.

Mutt lawns are funny, mine is super mutt! Just no way to keep it pure with the patching I have done and the neighbor lawns. But that is OK.

I am a little different on fertilizer. I hit it right when the snow melts, then one more time right before it comes in heavy with the first nice weather. One more shot middle of summer and then a good shot after it is dormant in the fall. It is amazing how much greener my lawn stays this way. I don't go super heavy and use cheap fertilizer but it works. A nice rain in August after my mid summer fertilization and it's as green as it was in the spring. And this is without a sprinkler system...

I actually used a section of combine feeder chain to smooth out the loose dirt and incorporate the seed. I used it after the ground was roto-tilled a couple times.

 

[svnmag]

Two things A+ in Dixie; don't know if helpful up here but good to file: A. Divot sand for dead spots 2. Chicken shi'ite will green your lawn like an acid trip. Verdant man.

Before anyone jumps: I have never used illicit dope in any form. I was once in an intense "controlled burn" which left me tooling around base with a "weird", almost seasick overall feeling and a strange vibrating sensation in my lips. I was actually scared for a bit then realized the culprit and became immediately amused. It's even more amusing to remember the clouds billowing out of the squadron as I arranged my shi'ite in the car. I remember thinking Pink Floyd "should be playing here" as the "Division Bell" blimp had spent a night at the Valdosta Airport. This didn't excite me much at the time as they're not a band without Roger Waters.

Broke my arm in a motorcycle wreck when I was 16 and took exactly ONE dose of Tylenol 3. THAT was HORRIBLE. I pray to the Lord I never have that feeling again. Gutted it out with regular Tylenol despite the cyanide scare (80's). Soon after; became a fan of regular old aspirin.

Anyways; fix your lawn with chicken shit and sand.

 

[lunkerslayer]

Has anyone had any experience with dwarf Mongo grass?