Bad choice of grass seed

[Saltheart]

I wanted to try to fill in some patchy areas so I bought a bag of seed and spent a little more for PKoted better seed. Its Kentucky blue grass. Turns out Kentucky blue grass can take up to a month to germinate!! Its one of the slowest germinaters of all the choices. I got to keep watering and watering for maybe a month! What a Pain. Some grasses pop in just 7 to 10 days. I'll be checking that detail next time I buy some.

[Cool Beans]

The seeds I bought grow extremely fast and get way too thick, making lighter green circles in my yard that almost choke the lawn mower when I cut it. I kinda liked the bald spots better.

[Saltheart]

what kind of seed was it? Nice and thick and fast is what I want!

[Raven]

i want to buy some clover seed

clover is a member of the pea family

it makes these tiny root potatoes
called nodules in the soil
that affix nitrogen right out of the air
thus fertilizing the lawn
it also feeds the honey bees

the way golf courses repair bad spots......
is to have a separate section for transplant grass
that's grown on top of a non porous medium so it's easy to
transplant... then you cut a square and drop in a square.

[fishbones]

Don't buy the U.R.I. seed. Some goofball at the store told me it's the best seed he's ever used. It stinks. It germinated very fast, but has way too many weeds coming up with it.

[Cool Beans]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

what kind of seed was it? Nice and thick and fast is what I want!

Scotts Patch Master, Yard repair Mix

Its a mix of seeds and greenish fertilizer that grows fast, but comes in very thick.

[stcroixman]

i like fescue. thick bladed grass and its very durable for foot traffic.

[justplugit]

By nature Kentucky blue has a chemical in it that prevents it
from germinating until it is washed out by the summer rains.

Because it goes to seed in June it would die if it germinated
in the hot July and August sun, but it will germinate in September
after the chemical is washed out and the weather is cooler.

If you keep it wet, not let it dry out, by watering 3-4 times a day until
the water puddles up it should germinate in 14 days, or like Stcroixman said use
one of the Fescues or improved rye grasses now and overseed with
the Kentucky blue in September.

[fishbones]

You might want to try a hybrid of Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. It the preferred grass of Carl Spackler.

[Saltheart]

I have seen the scotts patch stuff with the green stuff. It does seem to work well were I've seen it used but its very expensive because a bag full only covers a small area.. I may have to go that root. A few peopel have recommended Fescue , I'll keep an eye out for some.

I am watering the KBG in hopes it will eventually sprout but it almost 2 weeks now and nothing and the information I got said it could take up to 4 weeks.

URI 1 and 2 are supposed to be specifically developed for this area but i also had little luck with it in the past.

Didn't Bill Murray patent that blend fishbone?

[basswipe]

URI#2 with starter fertilizer.

Flood two-three times a week instead of watering everyday.STARTER fertilizer is the key!

My lawn is insane.

[Bill L]

I have also had very good luck with URI #2, good for sun or shade and grows well

[EricW]

I used patchmaster last fall to do this strip on my front lawn between my lawn and the road where nothing has grown well since they did the sewer project.... Everyone on my street has this dead strip. It came up really well and is doing well now. Still not growing as well as the rest. They must have replaced the soil with bad dirt....
I also put some seed under the patchmaster and it really came up well.

I bought some new seed from scotts i believe with a coating on it that is supposed to hold water. I put it in my shady backyard and it came up pretty well in about a week and a half last april. I think it came up better than plain seed. It is a little more pricier though.

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

Didn't Bill Murray patent that blend fishbone?

He sure did. The great thing about it is that you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus that night.

[Brian L]

Backbeach is an outstanding local golf course superintendent. I'd suggest to everyone that aggressively seeking his advice on growing grass is an excellent idea. ;^) (d#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g)

Now where is he???

[Saltheart]

Well the Blue grass finally came in. I may save what I have left of that for fall patching and buy some other quick germinating stuff for now. I'm not waiting 3 to 4 weeks again.

I also heard that the seeds with the water retaining white coating work really well.

Damned lawn , work hard to get it healthy then curse it every time I have to cut it. I suppose its better than mud!

[Brian L]

Saltheart, I was just trying to bust on my brother Mike (Backbeach) though he is an outstanding turf manager. We grew up on FCC together and are both still in the turf industry. I left the super's field for a career running the Athletic turf and Grounds division of an outstanding turf and ornamentals product distribution company.

That said, I think you made an excellent choice in the Kentucky Blue. Though it is slow to develop, I think you'll have great luck with that particular grass in the long term. If it's fed and watered properly, there's no turf that looks or performs better in a full sun lawn situation. I planted the overwhelming majority of my lawn to KBG last fall, and it is gorgeous right now. I've found the best results with any seeding in late summer early fall, but I think you can still have great results with your lawn now if you do all the right things.