Grass seed and re-seeding/ patching lawns question, nf

[chris.brock]

Does anybody have any tips or insight? If not, I'm done with seed and it will be sod from here on.

I've tried them all, CIL, Scotts etc. Tried different techniques with watering and top soil. Some germinate and some grass does grow but it's patchy and crappy looking. How do the guys that sell sod grow that thick, shag carpet like stuff? better chemicals that I can buy? 

I throw in a fish pic from last weekend for some fishing content, lol.

Edited June 11, 2018 by chris.brock

[Jmeyer]

Sweet fish Chris, working in New development I've seen the struggle for great grass quick first hand and unfortunately the best results are sod laid in mid to late fall. Cooler wet conditions help it take root then the dormancy of winter makes for a great lawn. Spring is ok too but it's been so dry and its probably a bit late for seed or sod with good results

[bigugli]

Seed soil fertilizer mix is something to apply in the earlier part of spring. later spring switch to sod or sod in the fall. Moisture retention and root development are everything. If you are laying sod on clay be sure to lay an inch of topsoil first.

[Garnet]

I have automatic waterier $ 50 at home depot ,ctc.

It's going to rain for 10 minutes just in front of my garden  at 7am.

 

[craigdritchie]

Not much to it Chris. Lay down a solid coat of good grass seed, then cover it with an inch or so of topsoil mixed with some sort of fertilizer (bagged sheep manure from the garden center works great). Make sure you water it every day for at least three weeks. Ta-da! Nice thick grass.

One more thing - the dirt needs some clay or peat moss mixed in to hold the water ... if its too sandy, the water just flows through and the grass will die.

Nice speck by the way!

 

 

Edited June 11, 2018 by craigdritchie

[Headhunter]

In a white bucket, mix seed and top soil together. Put the mixture in the bare spots. Cover the mixture with burlap, tacking it down with pegs. Water it daily and do not allow anyone to trod upon it, until you see tiny blades of grass growing through the burlap. You can now remove the burlap and cut like any other part of the lawn.

Most places on lawns that have dead spots are usually the result of two things. Grubs eating the roots of the grass or pet urine (females dogs) toxic to grass.

If you suspect that dog pee is the culprit, you will need to dig out that section at least a foot below grade, fill it in with good top soil, they do the burlap trick.

You will have green grass in under three weeks.

HH

[Jds63]

1 hour ago, Headhunter said:

In a white bucket, mix seed and top soil together. Put the mixture in the bare spots. Cover the mixture with burlap, tacking it down with pegs. Water it daily and do not allow anyone to trod upon it, until you see tiny blades of grass growing through the burlap. You can now remove the burlap and cut like any other part of the lawn.

Most places on lawns that have dead spots are usually the result of two things. Grubs eating the roots of the grass or pet urine (females dogs) toxic to grass.

If you suspect that dog pee is the culprit, you will need to dig out that section at least a foot below grade, fill it in with good top soil, they do the burlap trick.

You will have green grass in under three weeks.

HH

HH ... i'll have to try the burlap solution ...

yep ... very true ... I've trained my dog to pee on a patch of rocks that i setup in the back yard ...when she peed on the grass it would die within a day ...

[Headhunter]

Female dog urine is nasty stuff! I bet it would remove paint if it could! Yah, the burlap trick works great, just remember to mix the grass seed with top soil and it will be fine.

HH

[GBW]

2 hours ago, Headhunter said:

In a white bucket,

or pet urine (females dogs) toxic to grass.

Chris isn't a whit bucket sort of guy to me...

My old dog Sierria I swear her pee made the grass grow 2x to the rest of the lawn for some reason!  But she never ate people food so maybe that could be why?  

[Sinker]

Just plant dandilions. Can't kill those, and its good for the bees apparently...lol

 

[ccmtcanada]

I just raked the bare spots...put a good amount of seed down, layer of topsoil and made sure it was kept moist.  Took a few weeks of constant care but it worked for me. I have a few spots that are thin, so I will repeat in those few spots.

Edited June 11, 2018 by ccmtcanada

[Tom S]

I redid my entire back year a couple years ago. Killed everything, added in 10 yards of top soil, then seeded and watered. Used the Scotts coated seeds, worked fine. I followed the bag directions, but I feel I could have gone much heavier and had things fill in faster. 

My mistake was booking the first loads of the year (literally - the first loads) of topsoil from the supplier. It had sat all fall and early spring, and had plenty of weed seeds mixed in, which is now the new fight. Would have been better to wait a week or so until the top layer of soil from the pile had been sold to someone else, but I was anxious to get the job done.

[Old Ironmaker]

Not rocket science Chris. I worked at a new Golf Course after I took my pension. The greenskeeper there could grow grass on a Bowling Ball. Look for a Bentgrass/Fescue mix. Or one or the other. If you can get some from a local Golf course is ideal. Best for our Southern Ont climate and that type of grass spreads like wildfire.  A few inches of good topsoil or triple mix. Spread the seeds on the topsoil by hand or a seed spreader depending on size of area and how small an opening you have on a spreader. Flip a tine rake over and use the smooth side to spread the seed. Water daily, when it looks to be muddy stop. Get your lawnmower ready. We did a pals 1/2 acre of seeded lawn around his new home. He was cutting grass in a month.

Edited June 11, 2018 by Old Ironmaker

[chris.brock]

The last few springs I pick up a yard of triple mix and work on the lawns. This year I started in early May and I am on my 3rd round of patching the patches, lol. 

I have tried mixing the seed and soil in a bucket. I haven't tried the burlap trick or the bentgrass/ fescue.

I was guessing the depth the seeds are below the surface is critical but you guys are saying an inch of soil on top. 

 

[craigdritchie]

That's about right, an inch or so is fine. you just have to be sure you water the hell out of it for a couple of weeks, so the seed doesn't dry out and that the roots go deep.

Haven't tried the burlap trick but I expect that would work well,. Good idea.

[smitty55]

2 hours ago, craigdritchie said:

Haven't tried the burlap trick but I expect that would work well,. Good idea.

I use a similar strategy when I plant my basil, except I use white floating row cover. Soak the soil real good the first time then just wet the fabric daily. The soil stays moist and I get great germination and the seedlings have no prob lifting the light fabric.  Of course burlap is much heavier and will hold more moisture so it should work great as long as you don't let the grass get too long before lifting the tarp.

If there's one absolute for me when it comes to grass seed success it's to make sure the soil never dries out, firstly to get even germination, but also depending on the amount of top dressing used, so you don't kill untold just sprouted seeds that could be close to the surface and dry out, as well as those sprouts deeper in the soil that  have to work harder to reach the surface.
Good luck with it Chris.
 

[glen]

This year I got great timing.   I went out and threw some seed and fert in the air and now  my lawn is 90% perfect was 50% before. No watering no soil.  

[woodenboater]

Used Scott Turf Builder EZ Seed on the front lawn, chewed up the ground a bit first, then laid some topsoil mixed in with the seed. key was watering it often and for me, heavy at times. Good luck, nothing sadder looking than bare patches on lawn

[Old Ironmaker]

22 hours ago, chris.brock said:

 

I was guessing the depth the seeds are below the surface is critical but you guys are saying an inch of soil on top. 

 

I don't agree. The Sun has to get to the seed so why bury it. Burlap if you have a bird problem. You never see burlap on a Golf Course. Scarecrows, yes. And Big Ugly Bruce is bang on, early spring is best for seeding and fall is best for sodding. For the cost of a roll of sod I might consider living with it this summer and sod the thing this Fall. We in Canada and in the US are a few of the only nations that grow grass just to cut it. Most Europeans think we are nuts to spend all that time and money on lawn care. The water we waste to keep lawns plush and green is sinfull. I have never watered the lawn here in 22 years, ever. They cut grass by lighting it on fire in Italy. I'm surprised that peninsula hasn't sunk into the Sea with all that chamenta on the ground.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Old Ironmaker

[Lape0019]

We have used the burlap trick in the past. Went so far as to make frames to cover in burlap. It gave the seeds some breathing room and the burlap held some moisture around a little longer. After a week, we had nice grass in that spot so we would move onto another. it took about a month or so to do the whole yard this way but the results were good.

[Old Ironmaker]

OK I get it, burlap acts like mulch to hold moisture, not just for Birds eating the seeds. Give it a shot, better yet pave it. Chamenta doesn't need to be watered or mown.

[Headhunter]

You can't pick worms on cement.. just sayin...

HH

[ketchenany]

And chamenta is heavy to mix and if it gets in your boots, you may get lost.

 

[OhioFisherman]

LOL, I have country grass, disk ed up the yard with a tractor, raked most of the rocks out, spread seed and put straw on top top hold in moisture.

Show them dandelions a little love! They are wildflowers!

[chris.brock]

A neighbor has an astro turf front lawn. No weeds and no lawn mower required. It looks ok from a distance, up close it looks silly.