New Home and new challenge.....

[SyNtAxx]

Its been a while since I've posted to this forum, but my love of green blades of grass has not been diminished. As the title indicates I've moved to a new home with a much larger yard and a much larger challenge. The property is a bit over an acre and full sun, and full of weeds and crabgrass. The owner said when the house was built he had his mix of KBG and PRG seeded. I'd love to have a acre of pure KBG, but it would take years. My previous experience has been with TTTF and mixing in some KBG into TTTF. I've never done pure KBG or any PRG. Is it possible to seed a mix of KBG/PRG and have the yard turn out as KBG over the long run? I'm in S.E.P.A and KBG time is near.




I found the best area of the yard and did an immediate organic feed with a 50/50 mix of Milorganite and Scotts Organic. This is the result after a week. I think it has done well. I also like the look of the KBG and how soft it is. I cant be certain its 100% KBG but I'd love the entire yard to be my mini sod farm. How should/would you proceed? How does a KBG/PRG look? PRG would give me a quick yard, and I hear it makes a nice turf.





Thanks,

Nick

[bpgreen]

Rye germinated quickly. That's a good thing and a bad thing. If you're trying to seed rye and KBG at the same time, the rye may need to be cut while the KBG is still germinating. Rye also has properties that inhibit other grasses, so if you have rye growing, the KBG may struggle.

Rye can be a beautiful grass if conditions are right. In some areas, it does much better than KBG. One example is the Seattle area. Since it rains a lot there, KBG is prone to fungus. And with the relatively warm winters and cool summers, the rye doesn't die off in either season.

I'm not sure how it would do in sepa. A lot depends on local conditions. I was in Philly for a while and if I remember correctly, there were areas where it never really got cold enough in the winter to need a coat and ooo that areas whee the winter weather could be brutal. And summer was similar, with some areas staying fairly cool. I think it was largely a function of proximity to the ocean.

[ken-n-nancy]

I've never done pure KBG or any PRG. Is it possible to seed a mix of KBG/PRG and have the yard turn out as KBG over the long run? I'm in S.E.P.A and KBG time is near.

I'm a complete newbie to this site, and don't yet know much about successful lawn care from experience. (I have lots of experience in unsuccessful lawn care, though...)

However, I've been reading a lot in the last couple weeks. I just read an article written to address your specific question above, but for golf course keepers. It's probably quite relevant to your situation:

Conversion of Ryegrass Fairways to Bluegrass: Impossible Dream?

My take-away is that if you really want a KBG lawn, you should make the complete switch at your next opportunity. Otherwise, "you'll be one year older when you do..."

[HoosierLawnGnome]

I tried to take over my NoMix for many years by overseedings KBG to no avail. I wish I had done a complete Reno YEARS ago. All that time and money gone....


Sent from my iOS device using the Yard Help App

[maynardGkeynes]

I'd also vote to go all KBG rather than blend or overseed. For me the problem was less that the PRG dominated the KBG or vice versa, than that the stand was uneven: in some areas the PRG seemed to dominate, and in others, the KBG took over. I'm still not sure why, exactly. It still looked ok, regardless, when everything was green and growing. However, the real problem came when it got really hot/dry. The PRG went brown faster than the KBG, and the lawn looked very patchy -- sort of the same problem people have with poa and triv. I don't see why KBG wouldn't do extremely well in SEP, all on its own.

[kevreh]

I would do some soul searching over the next few days. As others have noted it usually doesnt work out, as you'll end up with a mutt lawn. Since youve been on this forum a couple years you probably have an overall grasp of things. Any effort and $$$ you put into the lawn will be wasted if you decide to renovate in a year or two. You say it would take years to have pure kbg, and you would love it. It will only take years if you hem and haw over it. If you kill it now you will have a new kbg lawn in a few months. And one year from now it will be well established.

[ Post made via Android ]

[lawnandgarden]

I would do some soul searching over the next few days. As others have noted it usually doesnt work out, as you'll end up with a mutt lawn. Since youve been on this forum a couple years you probably have an overall grasp of things. Any effort and $$$ you put into the lawn will be wasted if you decide to renovate in a year or two. You say it would take years to have pure kbg, and you would love it. It will only take years if you hem and haw over it. If you kill it now you will have a new kbg lawn in a few months. And one year from now it will be well established.

[ Post made via Android ]

Explain to me how proper fert and weed control or other improvements be a waste?

A well cared for mix lawn can look fabulous. I don't agree with the denigrating of mixed lawns as "mutt" or the assumption 100% KBG is they only way to get a nice lawn.

OP, get those weeds in check and some tighter mowing and lawn will look great.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[CTShoreGuy]

Is there enough booze in your new town to get you through a full KBG Reno for that lawn?

But if you want KBG do it NOW....and if your sanity holds out you will be happy.

[kevreh]

I would do some soul searching over the next few days. As others have noted it usually doesnt work out, as you'll end up with a mutt lawn. Since youve been on this forum a couple years you probably have an overall grasp of things. Any effort and $$$ you put into the lawn will be wasted if you decide to renovate in a year or two. You say it would take years to have pure kbg, and you would love it. It will only take years if you hem and haw over it. If you kill it now you will have a new kbg lawn in a few months. And one year from now it will be well established.

[ Post made via Android ]

Explain to me how proper fert and weed control or other improvements be a waste?

A well cared for mix lawn can look fabulous. I don't agree with the denigrating of mixed lawns as "mutt" or the assumption 100% KBG is they only way to get a nice lawn.

OP, get those weeds in check and some tighter mowing and lawn will look great.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

No offense meant. Just responding to the statement that the op ideally wants a pure kbg lawn. The waste would be striving for that, while never acheiving a 100% kbg lawn, then going that route a year or two from now. Life is too short to look back and play what-ifs. If he doesnt know proper fert and weed control I agree theres room to learn there. But maybe he's beyond that. ?

[ Post made via Android ]

[lawnandgarden]

No offense meant. Just responding to the statement that the op ideally wants a pure kbg lawn. The waste would be striving for that, while never acheiving a 100% kbg lawn, then going that route a year or two from now. Life is too short to look back and play what-ifs. If he doesnt know proper fert and weed control I agree theres room to learn there. But maybe he's beyond that. ?

No offense taken, I just look at his lawn and see very easy weeds to eradicate (like clover).

Just getting rid of the weeds and clover goes a long way. His lawn could look really,really nice without the effort and expense of a reno.

[ZethLent]

Just getting rid of the weeds and clover goes a long way. His lawn could look really,really nice without the effort and expense of a reno.

I agree.

I would get rid of the weeds, feed the lawn as assess, and decide in the Winter/Spring.

[SyNtAxx]

I am prepping the house for my first child! A son, hope he likes grass I haven't had a second to start weed control yet. But I have the skill and tools to get it done. I have a 25 gallon boom sprayer for my tractor. Thing is, in most of the lawn if I get rid of the weeds, there will be nothing left but soil. I know any real attempt at renovating will have to wait for next year. I need to figure out the logistics of seeding/covering/watering an acre, not to mention the yard could use some rolling to flatten the high spots.

Anybody purchase from Williams Seed lately? I wouldn't mind doing a small 20x20 full kill test patch. I had purchased 12# blend of bewitched/blueberry/prosperity in equal amounts but mixed that in with a tttf reno I did last year.

I would like the KBG being put down to be deep green of course, but aggressive in terms of spread/repair. I have some areas of light shade, but this is a mostly full sun yard. I haven't looked at the NTEP ratings yet for KBG, I was hoping for those more knowledgeable in KBG to provide some insight. I know/recall 'midnight' and its variants are deemed aggressive and dark though if I recall it was a medium sized blade.

Thanks,

Nick

[andy10917]

Anybody purchase from Williams Seed lately? I wouldn't mind doing a small 20x20 full kill test patch. I had purchased 12# blend of bewitched/blueberry/prosperity in equal amounts but mixed that in with a tttf reno I did last year.

Williams was sold, and it was questionable about whether they would be doing business with homeowners going forward, when I spoke to Dennis in April. But as far back as April, they were already sold out of "Blueberry". I have no idea about the other cultivars. I switched to Preferred Seed.

[SyNtAxx]

Anybody purchase from Williams Seed lately? I wouldn't mind doing a small 20x20 full kill test patch. I had purchased 12# blend of bewitched/blueberry/prosperity in equal amounts but mixed that in with a tttf reno I did last year.

Williams was sold, and it was questionable about whether they would be doing business with homeowners going forward, when I spoke to Dennis in April. But as far back as April, they were already sold out of "Blueberry". I have no idea about the other cultivars. I switched to Preferred Seed.

Yeah, I had heard that I just didn't want to say it without being sure. So I asked the question. As far as 'blueberry' cultivar I wasn't dead set on it but I knew it was well received. I will have to dig up that test block thread with the multiple block cultivar test(s).

Thanks,

Nick

[paulr]

Welcome to the big lawn club, it can get expensive.

I would give it a year and destroy the weed cycle. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how well the grass comes back. The pics in the original post look really good. I recall 4 years ago when I "bought my new lawn", first of July, it was dead dormant for 30 days, I literally did not mow once. As fast as the following year without re-seeding I had it going really good.

[BoatDrinksQ5]

My guess is that if you could kill off the weeds/Pre-M and fertilize regularly through the rest of the growing season, and a solid winterizer dose - by late spring things will be looking great!

[lawnandgarden]

OP, I assume that lawn in NOT irrigated correct? My last two lawns are very much like what you have. And not irrigated.

Many of the people you see doing 100% KBG have far smaller yards. Our amounts of lawn are an entirely different beast.

If that was my lawn, I would hit it with a combo of Momentum FX2 and Quinclorac. No fert at all yet. Then, hit it again about 3 weeks later. Would not waste time with simple WBG. You'll be amazed at the transformation.

[SyNtAxx]

Non irrigated...so far. That is why I suggested it might take years for me to kill/seed/water/nurture almost 1.25 acres. I'd have to do it in sections/plots over a few seasons. I just cant feasibly water the entire area all at once. It would for a full time job moving hoses etc.

-Nick

[lawnandgarden]

I would have guessed that lawn is more than 1.25 acres but pics can deceive.

And you are correct that watering that much lawn at an inch per week with sprinklers just ain't gonna happen.

Are you also on a well?

We can get you a regimen to kill the weeds and I think you'll be very happy with the results.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[SyNtAxx]

This property is serviced by public water, so that a plus as far as water pressure is concerned. In Fact, last week my hose blew apart where it was repaired. Seems like a lot of pressure. I just might get that 80' sprinkler stream they claim on some sprinklers.

Anybody have any recommendations for KBG cultivars? Wants: Dark Green, Aggressive, fine to medium blade.

-Nick