I Used Cheap Seed!!! How to Fix?

[flipflopper]

Just found the forum after deciding to get serious about my lawn. I just sent my soil test off to Penn State for a test so I'm awaiting the results.

But over the weekend, I decided to overseed some trouble areas of my lawn. I cut it low with my trimmer, raked it to loosen it up, then put down some cheap store seed "Expert Gardener" Sun & Shade from Wal-Mart.

After reading and learning here, I realize I should have put down much better seed.

I put some black, loamy soil I had sitting in backs over as a top dressing to keep the birds away. Then I walked over it all to get good soil to seed contact. Then I watered and have been doing so since Friday.

I realize this seed may contain noxious weeds - those aren't my concern as I will be plucking out any weeds that come up regardless as I do already around the whole yard. My concern is that I put crappy seed down. It was about half ryegrass, the rest a mix of fescues and KBG.

Is there anything I can do now? Can I buy good seed (perhaps all KBG) and mix it in with the soil and seed already there?

I will be aerating, overseeding, and topdressing with appropriate compost (that I hope you all can help me with once I have my soil test results) come fall.

My yard is a Ryegrass, Fescue, and KGB mix. 5,500 sq.

Thanks!

[Paul]

I will be aerating, overseeding, and topdressing with appropriate compost (that I hope you all can help me with once I have my soil test results) come fall.

This is the time you should be over seeding with a better quality seed, not now. Over seeding is very difficult and hard to get good results. The grass that's already there usually takes over unless you have large bare spots.

As for the seed you just put down, don't water it and most should not germinate unless you have two weeks or so of rainy weather. You could also put down a pre emergent down now to stop most of the new seedlings, but you would need to water it in to be successful.

My advice to you is to do allot of research in the next couple of months, and then decide if you want to over seed in the fall, or do a full renovation.

[flipflopper]

So is the seed I put down so bad that it's better to let it not germinate?

[bpgreen]

One comment on the soil test. If you want the soil experts here to interpret the soil test for you, you'll need to get a test from Logan Labs.

Seeding in the spring can be problematic. The grass often doesn't really get a good chance to establish a good root system, so the new grass struggles (and maybe dies) during the heat of the summer. Fall is a better time to seed. I wouldn't worry too much about what you've already done. I'd concentrate on working toward the future.

[flipflopper]

I appreciate the input bpgreen. Next year's test will be from LL (I kept wondering what LL stood for). This year's is already in the mail. Penn State gives recommendations about things I can do so in the meantime I'll have something to do.

Both comments have been helpful: I will continue to water what I have and what comes up, comes up. I am planning on watering the areas where I've seeded over the summer as it always dries up bad (there's a thirsty tree and a grade that take my water away). In the fall, I will over seed.

I'm stoked I found this place. Seems like nice people who know how to help get me where I want to be.

[ken-n-nancy]

But over the weekend, I decided to overseed some trouble areas of my lawn. I cut it low with my trimmer, raked it to loosen it up, then put down some cheap store seed "Expert Gardener" Sun & Shade from Wal-Mart.

As others have mentioned, this isn't a good time for overseeding (or any grass seeding for that matter). My suggestion would be to try to take the best care of what you have (including the recent seeding) to develop good maintenance practices and experience. If, in mid-summer, the lawn still doesn't look like you would like, and you are still interested in doing more lawn care, you can decide how to proceed then.

Continue to keep the seedbed continually moist (not soaked) for 14 days after seeding. This will require very light watering multiple times a day.

I will be aerating, overseeding, and topdressing with appropriate compost (that I hope you all can help me with once I have my soil test results) come fall.

The consensus on aerating is that it's really only a good idea if you have significant mechanical compaction issues -- like from heavy equipment being driven on the yard, or a lot of repeated foot traffic. Search on this site for "aerating" and you'll find many discussions on this topic.

... sent my soil test off to Penn State for a test so I'm awaiting the results.

As others have mentioned, the soil test review team only provides detailed analysis and a soil improvement plan for test from Logan Labs, as it's just too time-consuming to learn the testing procedures from the many different soil test labs. I'm game to help interpret the guidance that Penn State gives you to avoid doing anything harmful, however.

[Paul]

So is the seed I put down so bad that it's better to let it not germinate?

I have no idea how good or bad the seed is you put down. I was just commenting about your statement - "put down some cheap store seed", and "I realize I should have put down much better seed".

I would agree with what other members are saying, give it a shot and see how it looks.

[SNOWBOB11]

I realize this seed may contain noxious weeds - those aren't my concern as I will be plucking out any weeds that come up regardless as I do already around the whole yard.

Just one point I noticed and thought I would comment about. I think you should always be concerned with weed seeds in your seed mix. If you think the only weed seeds in cheap grass seed are say dandelions or clover that's not really true. Those weeds are easy to pull or get rid of but the real concern would be grassy weeds like quackgrass or poa triv/poa annua which are not nearly as easy to get rid of. I've used scotts seed for years thinking I was getting quality seed. After having different grassy weed problems over the years I realize that scotts and the big box store seeds aren't what there cracked up to be.

[nocsious]

One tip to keep the area moist is to buy one of those faucet digital timers. They are around $30 or so at your big box hardware stores. You can set them to water every 6 hours for just a few minutes. I've found that it's easier to do that when just trying to germinate one spot, then run the whole sprinkler system.

[DevilDawg81]

Just found the forum after deciding to get serious about my lawn. I just sent my soil test off to Penn State for a test so I'm awaiting the results.

...I realize this seed may contain noxious weeds - those aren't my concern as I will be plucking out any weeds that come up regardless as I do already around the whole yard. My concern is that I put crappy seed down. It was about half ryegrass, the rest a mix of fescues and KBG

I had my soil tested from Penn State a few years ago. The response time was pretty quick and they do provide some helpful information.

I also had used a crummy seed from Meijer a few years ago and those noxious weeds are still haunting me. I'm contemplating a Reno for 2018, after I do my homework on here first.

[Green]

I would just work with it. We all make mistakes, so just keep an eye on those areas. Even using good (sod quality) seed isn't a guarantee if your soil or topdressing has weed seed. I made the mistake of using top-quality seed and then put supposedly weed-free straw over it a few years ago. I didn't know any better. But now I know paper mulch exists. Guess what? while the straw might have been weed-free, it wasn't "other crop" free. Over the past few years, I've pulled out literally thousands of plants of another grass type by hand that were a result of the weed-free straw.

[flipflopper]

I appreciate the responses, everyone. I decided to just keep at it and see what comes up. I really hope there is no quackgrass in this mix. I hadn't thought of that.

The weed issue is a perennial one, I would guess. My neighbor has a nice weed garden going right across the street from me so I have my work cut out for me every week going around plucking and spraying. The dandelion seeds get so thick in the air when the wind blows that I'm afraid I'll swallow one.

The grass is coming up and quite nicely at that. The Pennington Shade mix that I put down in the shady spots isn't up but in a few spots. It's been raining like cats and dogs the past two days and and promises to do so for the next few days. Means I don't have to water until things dry out a little.

[flipflopper]

The seed thus far has impressed. It's up and there's been very little weed so far. The grass looks really healthy and is growing fast. It seems to blend in well with the rest of the mix I have as well.

[GeorgiaDad]

Got any pic's?