What Type of Grass Seed?

[scesnick]

I built my house a few years back and the first summer was spent finishing the house, ( no yard) then the following summer I planted Kentucky 31 and it didn't grow the way I would have liked. I did use good soil and lime etc..
Then I heard that Kentucky 31 does not work that well in my area.
Any Idea what I should use? my yard is mostly sunny, with a few shady spots. Very cold in the winter and usually covered with snow the whole winter. Pretty good rain usually, if not I water it on a regular basis.
Any help would be great !!!

 

[ToadHill]

Buy a good mix of cool season grasses. I'd go with a mix of a bit of annual rye , it grows and germinates fast and gives some cover for the other grasses to start. Include Kentucky Blue, (very slow to germinate) some fine fescue for the shady areas, perenial rye, and don't forget to put down a good starter fertilizer. You have to keep the soil moist until the grass gets about 3" high. I also suggest not cutting it before it gets at leaast 3" tall and then keep it about that long to keep weed seeds from germinating.

If the yard gets heavy foot traffic you may want to look for a mix made for athletic fields.

 

[Cottonhawk]

I suggest that you go to your local farm and feed store. They usually carry the right kind of grass seeds for your area both for lawn and pastures.

 

[pilonidal]

I used Kentucky 31 on about an 1 acre in central PA in the spring two years ago when my house was built. Grass planting will be finished this spring with about another 3/4 acre. The ground was harrowed and then rock picked. I am quite pleased with it. I figured since it was the cheapest I shouldn't expect to much, but it turned out great. It has filled in some bare spots and the area left by the crab grass I killed. I put some fertilizer down when I planted it and last year I sprayed for weeds. I cut it long. I cut it at about 3.5 inches. It stays thick and green while the neighbors who cut to short and scalp their grass look terrbile next to mine. Leaving it long makes for ball field looking grass. Looks real nice cut on the diagonal. Last years lack of rain really tore up yards, but mine is very thick and long yet from over the winter. Not sure how short you are cutting yours, but longer is better.
I planted another acre last fall (Sept.) with blue and rye grass cuzzz TSC was out of 31 and they weren't getting anymore in. The fall planitng doesn't look so good this spring. Looks terrible, it's a wait and see game I guess. Last years lack of rain was bad timing to plant grass.
For any grass really, cut it long to mantain ground moisture and crowd out weeds.

 

[RonR]

We'd been fighting the clay soil, splotchy fescue for years. I'd fertilize, overseed, spray, etc.

Two yrs ago, we topdressed our yard with six thousand pounds of composted zoo doo. We did about a ton per weekend, just shoveling it on the grass. Verticut and overseeded. NOW, it's NICEE. You can walk across it and the ground feels springy. Before it was like walking on concrete.

I'm sold on adding compost, and will likely top dress our yard again this summer with about a ton of it. It allows the grass to grow in thicker and lusher. Of course, you do have to spray for WEEDS.

ron

 

[heehaw]

one of the nicest lawns i have ever seen was with Bent grass: do a google search and you can find all sorts of info. it isn't cheap, but it sure is nice.
heehaw

 

[HGM]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( We'd been fighting the clay soil, splotchy fescue for years. I'd fertilize, overseed, spray, etc.

Two yrs ago, we topdressed our yard with six thousand pounds of composted zoo doo. We did about a ton per weekend, just shoveling it on the grass. Verticut and overseeded. NOW, it's NICEE. You can walk across it and the ground feels springy. Before it was like walking on concrete.

I'm sold on adding compost, and will likely top dress our yard again this summer with about a ton of it. It allows the grass to grow in thicker and lusher. Of course, you do have to spray for WEEDS.

ron )</font>

Ron, maybe its obvious that the manual labor is required.. But is there a spreading device for this application? I've heard of many different types of compost and topsoil being used for this application, just seems like an awful lot of work for anything larget than an acre.. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif