New Lawn for new house - looking for input and advice

[CloverKnollFarms]

We were advised to not final grade the drain field until after a winter freeze and thaw... it will settle.

I slice seeded 2 acres, fertilized, and the lawn came in great.

 

[ovrszd]

We were advised to not final grade the drain field until after a winter freeze and thaw... it will settle.

Yep. I seeded a year after all my digging was completed.

 

[WVH1977]

One thing I will say about developing a good lawn is it takes a lot of money and upkeep to keep it going. You have to be dedicated to it for any success. You have to fully commit to it. I would say I am 3/4 committed. When the weeds get green in summer they look good when cut.

 

[brokeasajoke]

I honestly just spread Kentucky 31 over my fill dirt then covered in straw/hay. When it began germinating well I added fertilize and lime. I do have quite a bit of clover and dandelions now which I need to address. This was in the mountains of North Carolina so your results may vary. Getting topsoil was just not an option.

 

[ovrszd]

One thing I will say about developing a good lawn is it takes a lot of money and upkeep to keep it going. You have to be dedicated to it for any success. You have to fully commit to it. I would say I am 3/4 committed. When the weeds get green in summer they look good when cut.

I tried that philosophy without success. I am more tolerant that my wife. So to keep peace I work harder at yard maintenance.

I once complained to my Nephew, the Sod Farmer guy, about the cost of grass seed. He said, "hire me to sod your yard and you'll get over it".

I fertilize every Spring. I just finished spraying the entire yard with 2-4-D. I mow somewhere around 2.5 acres.

 

[LD1]

How old is the build.

It would be a shame to put alot of money in a nice yard to end up with crap in a year.

Every place that was dug needs a good year to quit settling. So around the house/basement....all your septic trenches/tank....all utilities, etc. Make sure it's DONE settling then do a hard ONCE.

Don't know about Canada....but best time here for new install is fall. Less chance of downpours ruining hard work.

I agree with soil test. Because 6" over half an acre is about 400 yards. Round here that would be about 20 full-sized dump truck loads at $500 a pop. So a 3ph tiller not in the budget....how's $10,000 of top soil gonna do you?

 

[ovrszd]

I honestly just spread Kentucky 31 over my fill dirt then covered in straw/hay. When it began germinating well I added fertilize and lime. I do have quite a bit of clover and dandelions now which I need to address. This was in the mountains of North Carolina so your results may vary. Getting topsoil was just not an option.

A friend of mine once told me to mulch with good quality grass hay. He said you gain a LOT of seed in that process.

In my 3 year old yard I'm now trying to get control of the clover and dandelions.

 

[duffer]

Unless you're an absolute master with a box blade, you won't get it as smooth as you might want. I used my FEL and back-dragged the area after I spread the soil with the box blade. Worked really well in filling in the little dips and ruts.

Build yourself the chain link fence drag others have suggested and use that AFTER you seed. It will bury the seeds just enough.

Top it all off with straw to keep it from eroding, water it 3-4 times a day to keep it moist (but not muddy) and you'll have a lawn in 14 days if you do it when the soil temps are at the optimal temp for your particular seed.

 

[LD1]

A friend of mine once told me to mulch with good quality grass hay. He said you gain a LOT of seed in that process.

In my 3 year old yard I'm now trying to get control of the clover and dandelions.

Clover laughs at 24d.

Gotta spray a good 3-way like triplet. Quart and a half per acre. Spring before dandelions go to seed. Then again on fall when clover is sitting away nutrients to the roots. Following year you should have an all grass lawn. Triplet is about 3x the cost of 24d....but it works.

And mow at 4". Too many people scalp their lawns and wonder why weeds take over and their grass doesn't look healthy

 

[ovrszd]

Clover laughs at 24d.

Gotta spray a good 3-way like triplet. Quart and a half per acre. Spring before dandelions go to seed. Then again on fall when clover is sitting away nutrients to the roots. Following year you should have an all grass lawn. Triplet is about 3x the cost of 24d....but it works.

And mow at 4". Too many people scalp their lawns and wonder why weeds take over and their grass doesn't look healthy

Yeah, I've never understood the scalping thing. Until it dries up later in the Summer I'll mow every 4 days or so. I prefer to cut less than 50% of the stand height.