Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
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- Posts: 485
- Joined: July 21st, 2016, 10:35 am
- Location: Verona, WI
- Grass Type: Bewitched Kentucky bluegrass
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
Some recently built a new dream home on a wooded lot. The lot required a ton of work in terms of tree clearing, culvert addition, and fill dirt to bring up really low areas in front. We just had our first child as well during this process. With all the work a child brings I haven't really been able to do a lot of the new lawn work myself and have relied on my landscaper for the majority of the work. Here is a rough timeline of what has happened.
July 25: 15 dump truck loads of topsoil from former farmland brought in and spread mainly in the front. Native top soil spread around back yard. Fine grading done.
August 9-10: 40 head and 4 zone irrigation installed with Hydrawise wifi controller.
August 13: landscaper used box rake attached to skid steer to prepare seed bed for lawn as well as using landscape rake (rockhound) to remove all the stones and debris from topsoil. Also took two sets of soil samples and sent to Logan labs. One backyard sample (native top soil) and one front (brought in top soil).
August 14: landscaper broadcast seeded 80 lbs of pure Kentucky bluegrass (4 elite varieties) and used e mat on slopes and then spread straw over other areas. I know not ideal. I had told him to use peat moss but he said he "forgot". Also should have used sod quality seed from seed superstore. Another mistake. He also used a 10-10-10 as a starter fertilizer.
I've been watering for short periods daily to keep the soil moist but not saturated. It rained today quite a bit so haven't irrigated today. Will see if the seed will sprout. Keeping my fingers crossed. No tenacity used. Going old school on this one. Weeds will be dealt with later.
July 25: 15 dump truck loads of topsoil from former farmland brought in and spread mainly in the front. Native top soil spread around back yard. Fine grading done.
August 9-10: 40 head and 4 zone irrigation installed with Hydrawise wifi controller.
August 13: landscaper used box rake attached to skid steer to prepare seed bed for lawn as well as using landscape rake (rockhound) to remove all the stones and debris from topsoil. Also took two sets of soil samples and sent to Logan labs. One backyard sample (native top soil) and one front (brought in top soil).
August 14: landscaper broadcast seeded 80 lbs of pure Kentucky bluegrass (4 elite varieties) and used e mat on slopes and then spread straw over other areas. I know not ideal. I had told him to use peat moss but he said he "forgot". Also should have used sod quality seed from seed superstore. Another mistake. He also used a 10-10-10 as a starter fertilizer.
I've been watering for short periods daily to keep the soil moist but not saturated. It rained today quite a bit so haven't irrigated today. Will see if the seed will sprout. Keeping my fingers crossed. No tenacity used. Going old school on this one. Weeds will be dealt with later.
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- Posts: 579
- Joined: April 11th, 2017, 7:09 pm
- Location: Columbus, OH
- Grass Type: KBG, PRG, Fescue mix
- Lawn Size: 2 acre-5 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
You got your hands full man. The house looks fantastic, and little ones are only little once. I’m going to be in this position next Spring, as my wife and I are building on 6 acres starting this fall. My advice is to do what you can with your lawn, but enjoy that little baby. Since you’re gonna be here long term (assuming of course), you’re gonna have time to make your lawn perfect. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Just my opinion...my oldest is starting Kindergarten Monday...I have no clue where the last 5 years went!!
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- Posts: 485
- Joined: July 21st, 2016, 10:35 am
- Location: Verona, WI
- Grass Type: Bewitched Kentucky bluegrass
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
Yeah definitely hands full at this time. That's why I had to outsource the seeding and went with a cheaper non sod quality but yet still elite kbg blend. 100 lbs of sod quality seed ain't cheap! The blend I used has 4 different kbg cultivars. 30 percent each of fielder, sr2100, and mercury kbg and 10 percent Arcadia. From Ntep ratings and descriptions of each cultivar it seems like a good mix. Fielder is said to be quick germinating with 7-10 day germination under ideal conditions. It seems like they put some thought into this blend as it has fast and slow germinating types mixed with more shade tolerant ones. Good disease resistance and has included a dark green midnight type Arcadia. For spot reseeding I do have about 10 lbs of a 50:50 sod quality blend of midnight and bewitched at my disposal from last year.
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- Posts: 485
- Joined: July 21st, 2016, 10:35 am
- Location: Verona, WI
- Grass Type: Bewitched Kentucky bluegrass
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
Forecast doesn't look good for me today. Severe t-storms with flash flood warning today. Some areas may get 2-4 inches. Trying not to stress too much as I'm sure my lawn isn't the first one to have this happen to it. I'm sure it will be fine. Extra scotch for me tonight.
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- Posts: 36
- Joined: April 18th, 2017, 12:50 pm
- Location: NE Illinois
- Grass Type: Kentucky Bluegrass
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
How'd that thunderstorm treat you?
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- Posts: 36
- Joined: April 18th, 2017, 12:50 pm
- Location: NE Illinois
- Grass Type: Kentucky Bluegrass
- Lawn Size: Not Specified
- Level: Not Specified
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
First pic looks awfully rough to me. What's with that grading? Looks like the lot is graded to direct water towards your house.
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- Posts: 485
- Joined: July 21st, 2016, 10:35 am
- Location: Verona, WI
- Grass Type: Bewitched Kentucky bluegrass
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
FIrst on is where they will be working on patio. Bad grading but water staying away from the house. Rain stopped for a bit but has picked up again. 5 inches and counting.
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- Posts: 485
- Joined: July 21st, 2016, 10:35 am
- Location: Verona, WI
- Grass Type: Bewitched Kentucky bluegrass
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
Hahahha. Just ordered 50 lbs of bewitched from seed superstore to reseed washed out areas. Any idea how long it takes to ship?
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- Posts: 546
- Joined: April 19th, 2018, 5:12 pm
- Location: S. New Hampshire
- Grass Type: KBG
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
Looks like the straw and seeding mats did a pretty decent job of holding soil in place considering the massive amount of rain you got. Of course may look worse in person but could have been far worse.
Hang in there it seems to happen to all of us.
Hang in there it seems to happen to all of us.
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- Posts: 1259
- Joined: June 1st, 2015, 3:10 pm
- Location: S.E. Mass.
- Grass Type: KBG
- Lawn Size: 1000-3000
- Level: Experienced
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
SSS is pretty quick, but have always bough smaller amounts. Not sure how the ship 50#'s.
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- Posts: 546
- Joined: April 19th, 2018, 5:12 pm
- Location: S. New Hampshire
- Grass Type: KBG
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
Is their rip rap or any kind of soil barrier behind the wall? If not then you should add one as that’s the proper way to build it.
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- Posts: 485
- Joined: July 21st, 2016, 10:35 am
- Location: Verona, WI
- Grass Type: Bewitched Kentucky bluegrass
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
Their was weed barrier fabric. Guy who put in wall is coming today to assess. Of course I'm not going to let him just build it back like it was so this doesn't happen again.
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- Posts: 485
- Joined: July 21st, 2016, 10:35 am
- Location: Verona, WI
- Grass Type: Bewitched Kentucky bluegrass
- Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
Started reseeding with some bewitched and midnight that I had leftover in the front.
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- Posts: 546
- Joined: April 19th, 2018, 5:12 pm
- Location: S. New Hampshire
- Grass Type: KBG
- Lawn Size: 10000-20000
- Level: Some Experience
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
If they buried the bases of those trees too much they won’t survive can’t tell from picture.
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- Posts: 1259
- Joined: June 1st, 2015, 3:10 pm
- Location: S.E. Mass.
- Grass Type: KBG
- Lawn Size: 1000-3000
- Level: Experienced
Re: Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment
How high was the retaining wall was it engineered?
Is it a real wall with a footing, or just stones piled on top of each other?
You got a lot of rain, that would put a lot of stress on any kind of landscaper built retaining wall. Good walls have foundations below the frost line, are backfilled with crushed stone or well drained gravel, and have weep holes to receive the stress from water building up behind them. Actually they should be designed to hold it back just in case it happens.
7" is a lot of rain, it would be a worse case scenario for a lot of site plans.
Is it a real wall with a footing, or just stones piled on top of each other?
You got a lot of rain, that would put a lot of stress on any kind of landscaper built retaining wall. Good walls have foundations below the frost line, are backfilled with crushed stone or well drained gravel, and have weep holes to receive the stress from water building up behind them. Actually they should be designed to hold it back just in case it happens.
7" is a lot of rain, it would be a worse case scenario for a lot of site plans.
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