New Yard Pics

[dooleysm]

My cousin came up with his power rake and straw blower on Saturday and helped me put in a yard. It's been about 2 years since we finished building and moved into the house, and the wife has been getting on me every day since to put in a yard.

Two weeks ago I borrowed a tractor and disk and disked the yard several times. I had it looking pretty good, to me, on Friday night. Then my cousin showed up with his Bobcat and rake and made the thing look beautiful! It picked out alot of rocks, leveled everything out nicely, and made a nice seed bed.

We spread 450 pounds of Kentucky 31 fescue and blew 37 bales of straw on top. Here are the results:

http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0168.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0169.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0170.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0171.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0172.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0173.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0174.JPG

 

[LC Brewing]

That's what I've been working on - except I've not quite got the seed on it yet. Spent the weekend getting the sprinklers in (just have to set the heads this week), and will hydroseed next weekend.

Looks good.

 

[andrewj]

My cousin came up with his power rake and straw blower on Saturday and helped me put in a yard. It's been about 2 years since we finished building and moved into the house, and the wife has been getting on me every day since to put in a yard.

Two weeks ago I borrowed a tractor and disk and disked the yard several times. I had it looking pretty good, to me, on Friday night. Then my cousin showed up with his Bobcat and rake and made the thing look beautiful! It picked out alot of rocks, leveled everything out nicely, and made a nice seed bed.

We spread 450 pounds of Kentucky 31 fescue and blew 37 bales of straw on top. Here are the results:

http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0168.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0169.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0170.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0171.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0172.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0173.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0174.JPG

FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY POUNDS?????

here we put 25 pounds to the acre!

 

[Birdhunter1]

That's what I was thinkning, 450 lbs. can cover several acres!

 

[drm]

That's what I was thinkning, 450 lbs. can cover several acres!

The amount per acre depends on the particular grass seed being used. I use a Fescue Plus mix that is applied at 8#/1,000 sf. That is about 350# per acre. I question my supplier the first time, but after I got poor results speading it thin I spread it as specified. The Fescue Plus seed is a larger seed and looks like way too much when applied at the right rate.

 

[dooleysm]

I had originally bought 150 pounds and my cousin said we'd need more. He regularly puts in lawns, so I trust his judgement. I think the area we did was about an acre. I had another bag of fescue mix and that seed was noticably smaller than the kentucky 31. Half the size per seed, if not smaller.

We had a perfect rain last night, light sprinkle for about 2 hours. My cousin thought we'd have grass coming up by next Monday. I'll try to get some pictures once it's noticable and we can all learn whether I put out way too much seed.

 

[Highbeam]

My draw jopped too since I will be seeding about 5 acres here once we get some rain. This spring I used one 45# bag of Kentucky31 fescue for about an acre and it is green now. Not like an instant lawn though, so maybe that's the reason for the high seed rate, hoping the sprouts will be dense enough to look like lawn. More of an instant gratification.

Turns out fescue is a wetland plant. Need to plant perennial ryegrass.

The straw thing still amazes me. We do not use straw in the northwest just seed and maybe a dusting of peat moss to keep the birds away and some moisture in. Do you just wait for the straw to rot? do you have to pick it up? Doesn't the straw contain weed seeds? I have applied straw for erosion control so I know of that benefit.

 

[schmism]

Do you just wait for the straw to rot? do you have to pick it up?

Its been my experience it is left to rot, isnt picked up, and also provides cover for the seads from birds.

 

[dooleysm]

I read the bag out of curiosity last night. It recommended 11-14 pounds per 1000 sf for a lawn. I don't recall the size of an acre off the top of my head, so I don't know how we compared to the recommended application.

As I understand it, the straw is for erosion control until the grass roots are established to hold the soil. It also helps keep the top layer of soil damp as the seeds are germinating.

5 days in and no signs of new grass.

 

[Thomas]

Morning dooleysm.
Nice looking job...looks like a lot of seat time on the riding mower next year.

 

[Farwell]

Highbeam,
Straw is relatively weed seed free, there will always be some weeds mixed in with the straw but not enough to matter. Hay can be loaded with weed seed.
I have used straw for cover when planting grass, it makes a great cover, holds moisture and eventually decays. The price of straw is less than peat moss.
I have a problem believing the amount of grass seed for one acre can be more than 40 to 50 pounds but am willing to get educated.
Farwell

 

[dooleysm]

The number I saw online was 43,560 square feet in an acre.

At 11 pounds per 1000 square feet you need 479 pounds of seed
At 14 pounds per 1000 square feet you need 609 pounds of seed

Sounds like we were about right, maybe a little light, according to what the bag recommended.

 

[michiman]

Yep you are going to need a new mower.

 

[ronjhall]

Nice job.
I was hoping to see some pictures of the power rake and blower.

 

[Gatorboy]

Here are the results:

That's sure some brown grass.

 

[czechsonofagun]

OK, if I am correct, 11 to 14 punds/1000 sf translates to 500 - 630 pounds an acre.

 

[rdln]

real pure kentucky bluegrass can be spread at ~150lbs per acre. Our southern members may be used to bentgrass which can be thinned to about 50lbs per acre which is a good thing at $8/lb. Straw is the way to go, will dissappear in a couple of years and any weeds seeds hiding in it will germinate with the weed seeds that are always present anyways, just spray them.

 

[dooleysm]

8 days in now and you can see the grass starting to come up nicely. Thunderstorms in the forecast starting tonight and continuing through Monday and Tuesday. I hope we don't get any worm stranglers that cut big channels through the yard like the guy down the hill got when he planted his yard this past spring.

http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0176.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0177.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0178.JPG
http://bigd.trachbang.com/shawn/yard/IMG_0179.JPG

 

[dooleysm]

I found the Kentucky 31 on sale at Rural King for $47.99/50# bag. I've got about 20 pounds left that I plan on spreading in a couple weeks on any thin spots.

 

[andrewj]

The number I saw online was 43,560 square feet in an acre.

At 11 pounds per 1000 square feet you need 479 pounds of seed
At 14 pounds per 1000 square feet you need 609 pounds of seed

Sounds like we were about right, maybe a little light, according to what the bag recommended.

gentlemen, I'm not arguing with you but remember you are following the directions of the seller - they will always recommend you buy their product in bulk!

The problem with poor germination mentioned by the other poster could have been many things other than seeding rate. poor ph, low nitrogen, potash, potassium, dry weather, gullywashers, failure to cultipack, there are a myriad of factors that can limit gemination. To simply buy the seed store and throw it out is ok (kidding here) but to most folks that regulary grow grass for profit to feed cattle, the system that works is 25 pound to acre if you drill it, and 50 if you spread it. 60 bucks in chicken litter will cover 3 acres of N, P, and K. Lime may be a little more than that for one acre. So I guess what I am saying is it is no substitute for soil analysis to just throw more seed at acreage.