Kbgfarmer's new lawn establishment

[kbgfarmer]

Nice job on the mats what kind did you use? Are those the Lowe’s/HD straw ones?

Today is day 16. I reseeded bare washed out areas in the front and my wife and I took turns rolling out erosion control blankets. Weather is beautiful and cool but was still sweating like crazy. In other news a damn woodpecker has made a hole in one of my stucco columns and is making its home there! It's always something!

My wife actually did most of the work! They are actually from a local farmers coop. I think they are called ez straw mats or something. 27 dollars a piece. 4 feet by 50 feet. Not cheap imho. In reply to Andys comment, woodpeckers are protected species. I do have an Airgun that I shoot ground squirrels with. If I did want to shoot a woodpecker and it was legal would an Airgun work! I also have a groundhog that's making giant holes in the ground and if it was legal to shoot those would
An Airgun work as well ?

[KBGkicksazz]

Lol tell me about it on cost I’m about to get my fall seeding for my side yard and saw the EZ straw at Lowe’s last night.

I’ll be using a mix of the Pennington seed mats and a couple of Pennington straw mats for the steepest part of my slope.

Is this what you used?

Nice job on the mats what kind did you use? Are those the Lowe’s/HD straw ones?

Today is day 16. I reseeded bare washed out areas in the front and my wife and I took turns rolling out erosion control blankets. Weather is beautiful and cool but was still sweating like crazy. In other news a damn woodpecker has made a hole in one of my stucco columns and is making its home there! It's always something!

My wife actually did most of the work! They are actually from a local farmers coop. I think they are called ez straw mats or something. 27 dollars a piece. 4 feet by 50 feet. Not cheap imho. In reply to Andys comment, woodpeckers are protected species. I do have an Airgun that I shoot ground squirrels with. If I did want to shoot a woodpecker and it was legal would an Airgun work! I also have a groundhog that's making giant holes in the ground and if it was legal to shoot those would
An Airgun work as well ?

[kbgfarmer]

I saw that stuff as well. That is just straw with no netting. This is the stuff I'm talking about.

[john5246]

First pic looks awfully rough to me. What's with that grading? Looks like the lot is graded to direct water towards your house.

That down spout doesn't even look like it's in the right spot, all that water will just flow right back to the house.

[john5246]

First I have to say, I can't believe how expensive a roll of straw like that is. All that straw is probably close to a $750 at retail prices. Second, we just had heavy rain 2 days after the landscaper laid down seed and straw just like you have. The water built up in some areas and they suffered (I'm on day 9 now) but the dummies didn't leave any seed so I'll have to try and blend it with some other KBG seeds. It's still early enough in the season that you can throw down more seed where you think they've washed away or will rot away. I wouldn't go heavy on it though. In areas where the seed washed and bunched up I'm thinking I'm going to just use a manual core aerator (yes they sell them) and pull some plugs and throw them away.

[KBGkicksazz]

I will say this the seeding mats are expensive but for slopes they really work wonders.

For new construction lawns with no existing turf and the slow germination of elite KBG is never do it without them.

I wish I had used them when I seeded in May

First I have to say, I can't believe how expensive a roll of straw like that is. All that straw is probably close to a $750 at retail prices. Second, we just had heavy rain 2 days after the landscaper laid down seed and straw just like you have. The water built up in some areas and they suffered (I'm on day 9 now) but the dummies didn't leave any seed so I'll have to try and blend it with some other KBG seeds. It's still early enough in the season that you can throw down more seed where you think they've washed away or will rot away. I wouldn't go heavy on it though. In areas where the seed washed and bunched up I'm thinking I'm going to just use a manual core aerator (yes they sell them) and pull some plugs and throw them away.

[kbgfarmer]

I will say this the seeding mats are expensive but for slopes they really work wonders.

For new construction lawns with no existing turf and the slow germination of elite KBG is never do it without them.

I wish I had used them when I seeded in May

First I have to say, I can't believe how expensive a roll of straw like that is. All that straw is probably close to a $750 at retail prices. Second, we just had heavy rain 2 days after the landscaper laid down seed and straw just like you have. The water built up in some areas and they suffered (I'm on day 9 now) but the dummies didn't leave any seed so I'll have to try and blend it with some other KBG seeds. It's still early enough in the season that you can throw down more seed where you think they've washed away or will rot away. I wouldn't go heavy on it though. In areas where the seed washed and bunched up I'm thinking I'm going to just use a manual core aerator (yes they sell them) and pull some plugs and throw them away.

I agree. My two previous lawn establishments at my old house were northern mixes with lots of perennial rye that germinates super fast to stabilize the soil and provide cover for the kbg. I wish my landscaper had used erosion blankets everywhere because there are pretty much no completely flat areas on my lot. I wasn't given the option and since I've already spent a fortune on landscaping I would have gladly spent the extra money. I think he though he could get away with it because most of these guys around her use a really nice elite no mix blend called Madison Parks mix that makes beautiful lawns but also establishes quickly. They aren't used to getting requests to seed pure KBG

[kbgfarmer]

Raining heavily during what seems like a daily thunderstorm that last hours and drops inches of rain at a time. . I'm getting very frustrated and dejected. It appears that I will not have a lawn anytime in the near future. I know they say fall is the best time to plant a new lawn but given my local circumstances where we get inundated with rain during both spring and fall I may have to pray for a drought next summer and attempt lawn establishment with irrigation during hot weather. Will have to assess the damage again in the morning. I can't keep trying to reseed washed out areas given the severity and frequency of heavy rain this year. Seed blankets can do only so much. Can't grow grass in a lake.

[VitoXI]

You got hosed. I guess you guys are setting, or nearly setting, all kinds of rain records up there. Within 0.2 inches of the largest rainfall event in Wisconsin history. Wettest August on record, beating out the 1892 record.

You got hit with super localized, history-making weather, and you're talking like you did something wrong, or that you should have made different plans. You can't plan for once-in-a-century weather conditions.

If those storms blew a few miles south I'd be boned and you'd be fine. It's not like I'm in a better spot to weather them.

[jfd.lew]

Brother I'm right there with you. It has been raining here every day and we are expecting another 7+ inches by Saturday. Last night we had flash flood warnings all over the place.

I'm going to reseed some of the spots that have washed out and lay those Pennington germination blankets down today. Just keep your head up man, not much we can do other than drink and pray. It will get there eventually. Any area that doesn't take off by fall is going to be covered with snow anyway and we can address it in the spring.

[KBGkicksazz]

Have you considered seeding PRG getting a season in the reno next year?

If my side yard gets wiped out PRG will be going in and I’ll redo it next year.

The Long germination times of KBG has our backs to the wall.

Raining heavily during what seems like a daily thunderstorm that last hours and drops inches of rain at a time. . I'm getting very frustrated and dejected. It appears that I will not have a lawn anytime in the near future. I know they say fall is the best time to plant a new lawn but given my local circumstances where we get inundated with rain during both spring and fall I may have to pray for a drought next summer and attempt lawn establishment with irrigation during hot weather. Will have to assess the damage again in the morning. I can't keep trying to reseed washed out areas given the severity and frequency of heavy rain this year. Seed blankets can do only so much. Can't grow grass in a lake.

[kbgfarmer]

Thanks for the words of support gents. It did clear up for a bit today though it just started storming again. Storms forecasted for the next 7-10 days or so. When it did clear up I noticed a lot more germination than previously. Green haze is spreading but still nowhere near what germination should be occurring for a lawn. The washed out areas will remain washed out for awhile.

Have you considered seeding PRG getting a season in the reno next year?

If my side yard gets wiped out PRG will be going in and I’ll redo it next year.

The Long germination times of KBG has our backs to the wall.

I'm too stubborn to let even a single seed of PRG touch my new lawn so I'll have to deal with the consequences of my decision regarding erosion. I'm hoping on fertilizing what little I do have with urea when it exits sprout and pout in the hope it will spread and provide some extra erosion control. I'll plan on following that up with a spring seeding next year.

[ken-n-nancy]

Sorry to hear about even more thunderstorms. Hang in there. The good news is that even if you end up with sparse coverage this fall, it really is amazing what KBG can do in the spring as far as spreading. Even if you have just one blade in every 4 square inches, you can be okay by the end of June next year. (Been there...)

[PW405]

Last year I had a similar problem. The hurricane brought in waaaaay more rain in September that I ever thought we would get. I have a spot in the backyard that doesn't drain well and I went out after a storm assuming all the seed had been completely washed out. I looked closely and saw that a few of the seeds had sprouted and were 1/4" tall at best. Much to my surprise, they held on, even though they were underwater. Perhaps you'll be more lucky than you think you'll be at this particular moment!

[kbgfarmer]

Thanks guys. I'm at day 21 now and it's amazing how many more sprouts I'm seeing every day even in areas I thought would never have any such as areas that look to be drowning in water and my slopes. Patience is key. The green haze is more noticeable as well. Looking at others quick germination got me worried I guess.

[KBGkicksazz]

That’s what happened to me with my spring reno. I had not used seed mats though.
I still got stuff to germinate but ended up with big bare spots and it’s beem spreading. Not ideal but you’ll still get some germination.

Hang in there.

Thanks guys. I'm at day 21 now and it's amazing how many more sprouts I'm seeing every day even in areas I thought would never have any such as areas that look to be drowning in water and my slopes. Patience is key. The green haze is more noticeable as well. Looking at others quick germination got me worried I guess.

[kbgfarmer]

Noticed some tall shiny relatively fine leaved grass with lines parallel to the middle vein. The damn landscaper must have had some seed from the northern mix he usually uses in his spreader when he spread my grass seed. This is probably the few sprouts I saw at day 4. Another reason to do everything yourself if you can!

[kbgfarmer]

Noticed some tall shiny relatively fine leaved grass with lines parallel to the middle vein. The damn landscaper must have had some seed from the northern mix he usually uses in his spreader when he spread my grass seed. This is probably the few sprouts I saw at day 4. Another reason to do everything yourself if you can!

[KBGkicksazz]

He probably though blah blah blah when you told him what you wanted and figured grass is grass.

Very few homeowners go to the extent of pain and agony we do to establish elite kbg lawns.

Noticed some tall shiny relatively fine leaved grass with lines parallel to the middle vein. The damn landscaper must have had some seed from the northern mix he usually uses in his spreader when he spread my grass seed. This is probably the few sprouts I saw at day 4. Another reason to do everything yourself if you can!

[KBGkicksazz]

Irrigation company came out yesterday to adjust the heads I had couple heads throwing too far and missing spots.

Much better coverage and since temps have cooled I’m noticing the lawn is spreading and growing much gated now.

The over seeded areas under some of the blankets have germinated.