Spring Reno input...

[srm077]

FYI... This is posted on the other board too so feel free to comment wherever you prefer. I realize most of you frequent both boards.

Against my better judgement I have decided to do a spring lawn reno on the home I purchased last fall. I am in SE Michigan and am undecided on what seed species to use. My lawn is currently thin KY Bluegrass but is spotty due to the poor practices of the previous owner. I am not going to nuke it and start over as by the time its warm enough for the Glyophosate to act effectively I could have a good head start on having the seed down and ready for germination. Plus I think my HOA would have a cow.

I have gone crazy on my last 3 houses with elite seed renovations and quite frankly- I'm kind of over the craziness. I am trying to decide between straight KBG or a KGB -Perennial Rye mix. I have irrigation and my yard is mostly sun. I am using big box seed (I know, Sacrilege.....) Pennington Smart Seed KBG or Midwest Mix. I used this on a neighbors yard in TN when I helped him renovate and his lawn turned out great. I found a good lot with .01 crop seed and 0 noxious weed seed so hopefully it will be okay. I am going to use 2 rounds of Siduron / Tupersan to help keep the weeds out and then hit it with pendi or dimension when it is well established.

Sorry for the long read- guess the question is how are my chances and which seed should I choose? What soil temps should I drop the seed at? ANY TIPS? I plan on documenting the reno for future reference. If it fails, I'll nuke it in the fall and go all in.

I have thick skin so feel free to comment however you see fit.

Thanks in advance.

[eriocaulon]

If you are not under snow and it is not too wet, there is no reason not to drop seed right now. It will germinate when conditions are right. The early you get a spring seed going, the better--even 2 weeks of growing time makes a huge difference and who knows, you may luck out with a mild summer. Alternatively--I don't know how thin is "thin"--but oftentimes, neglected kbg just needs some TLC.

[John_in_SC]

LOL... Sounds like you have the drill pretty well down.....

Welcome to Bestlawn by the way....

Definitely get a soil test... That will go a long way to telling you why the lawn is like it is....

Knowing you don't want to fool with it too much.... I think there's still some value in looking at the new cultivars that are performing well in the University trials.... Even if it's just because they have better bug and disease resistance and they tend towards stronger dwarfing and spreading habits..... and more uniform color.... Frequently, you can find "The Good Stuff" if you look around at turfgrass suppliers and good nursery companies... They tend to aim a bit higher quality wise.

Personally - I would stay away from PR/KBG mixes - as the PR doesn't play nice with the KBG..... I also get nervous with Spring renos... The grass has 1-2 months there till you hit June and get no rain till September.... If you want "Grass" that sprouts fast - how about using Annual Rye this spring and then seed with KBG on Sept 1st.... That will give you the summer to sort out your soil test results.

Thanks

[srm077]

Well, I am kind of torn on the seed selection. I will stick with pure KBG but am undecided as to the supplier. I like that the Smart seed is inoculated with the Mycorrhizae and it is easy to obtain. My other current front runner is a blend by Rose Agriseed called the Galaxy blend. It contains: Midnight', 'Brilliant', and 'Prosperity' Kentucky bluegrasses but is not inoculated with the Mycorrhizae. Any input would be appreciated as I need to order or purchase the seed ASAP so I can put it in the freezer for a weed or two to prime it. I ordered 2 bags of Tupersan and have my starter. Now if the rest of the stinkin' snow would melt.

[MorpheusPA]

I've used the Galaxy to great effect on my own lawn, with no issues. The micorrhizoid fungi are inherent to your soil, so they'll re-populate the new lawn quite fast. Warranted, some of the new endophytes (fescues only) are quite good and really do help, but that's just not an option with KBG until we start genetically modifying the stuff directly instead of by breeding.

You shouldn't need to freezer-prime the seed--only very fresh seed needs priming. Once aged a few months, as this will be, the priming is no longer required for germination. Additionally, even after the snow melts, you'll get frost. That'll perform any helpful (but not required) cold stratification. Plus they don't store it in a heated warehouse, so it got chilled.

[andy10917]

I fully understand the desire to use locally-available seed, but I'd really like to push you hard to become a label-reader - you have no idea how the "smart seed" and other coated seeds are making seed MUCH more expensive than it should be.

I did a survey/study last Fall and found that seed costs per 1000 sq ft varied from $12.50 per 1000 sq ft (Elite KBG) to $18.00 per 1000 sq ft (Fine Fescue). The premium for coated seed varied from 40% to 2000% - the standard coated seed is around 51% coating and 49% seed. The worst? Scott's EZ-Seed came in at $275.00 per 1000 sq ft (it's 91% coating and fluff) - and it's junk grass seed to make things worse!

Here's a link to the survey results: Comparative Seeding Costs

[reppend]

I used the Galaxy blend last year for a small renovation of my backyard. I have no regrets and have already been getting compliments on the color -- even though it is dormant. I think the price/performance of that blend is right in the sweet spot. Don't waste the money on the smart seed; sometimes you just don't get what you pay for.

[eriocaulon]

Galaxy blend is top quality. Short of picking cultivars suited for you area, it is a very good choice for kbg.

[srm077]

Galaxy blend it is! I will order it in a bit from Rose Agriseed unless someone knows of another supplier. I just wish they listed the seed tag info on the site. I just measured my yard and plotted my plan to move 3 sprinkler heads for better coverage. My zones have some Maxi Paw impacts and some crappy rotors. I'll replace them all with Rainbird 5004 with the pressure regulated body and the matched precipitation nozzles. I've used them before and they are excellent. MELT SNOW, so I can get to work!!