Making new lawn

[kevincook]

I'm way behind schedule but I'm ready for grass seed on the last 1.5 acres of my yard. I'll have to wait until spring to put the seed down but at least all the old weeds and rocks are gone.

This used to be an old farm many years ago and has just been a mowed field since I moved in 6 years ago. I've already planted grass on the other 2.5 acres. My son wanted a lacrosse and football field out here so I tilled and raked (about 75 hours worth) and shoveled until I got to this point.

 

[kevincook]

Sorry about the picture size. This is the first time I have posted a picture. How about this size?

 

[JJT]

With the weather we've been having, (unseasonably warm), why not put down a cover crop of winter rye? I planted 200 #'s 2 weeks ago and it's already up. It's supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow... Crazy weather for upstate NY.

 

[kevincook]

Is winter rye like a lawn grass or a grain? What would I have to do to prep the area for a lawn in the spring? BTW, I'm not complaining about the warm weather at all. If I knew it was going to be like this I would have planted it a month ago....last year the seed would have been under a foot of snow by now.

 

[njrqs]

Geez you sure have got that area looking good.

Any time you are over in Australia I have a 4 foot blade and 6 acres for you !

I won't show that to my wife, she wants a sports field too !!

Congrats !

<font color=blue>Neil from OZ.</font color=blue> /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[JJT]

winter rye is just an annual ground cover, I call it green manure. It's annual and will not come up in the spring. I'll till it under in the spring and plant a mix of fescue, perennial rye and blue grass.

 

[HR_Mutt]

kevincook
That's a fine looking job you're doing there/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. I planted late(I thought, for Michigan) and it's coming up great.
regards
Mutt

 

[dummy]

Couldn't you have just used perennial rye now and then overseeded in the spring? Isn't the rye grass primarily a quick cover until the other seeds get established? Don't know, but after I did some clearing this summer / fall, that's what the Agway guys recommended. Did they steer me wrong?

 

[TerryinMD]

You could mix a your permanent grass seed with an annual rye. Something 4 to 1 mixture - permanent/annual. The annual rye will germinate very quickly. Once it germinates it provides protection to the permanent grass. Usually, annual is up in 5-7 days. Permanents like fescue usually take 7-10 days. With the warm weather, you can get a head start for next year.

Good luck.

Terry

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Kevin,

That looks like a perfect site for "mud-wrestling".../w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Then after the event... start the grass.../w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif