My lawn - 3 weeks after overseeding (picture)

16 years ago

Just thought I would post this. I know it is not as exciting as photos from a complete renovation, but I have been very happy with the response to overseeding:

For those that haven't read my numerous posts lately, I moved in last year. The lawn looked great in May when I first saw it, but HORRIBLE in September when I moved in. I assumed grubs. I put down some late grub killer and overseeded. This year, same thing. I found out this supposedly happens every year, so I am assuming fungi (which I will treat organically, if possible, next year). Anyway, with big patches dead, I overseeded this year:

1) cut low

2) dethatched

3) went back over with the mower

4) slit seeded

5) topdressed with compost, peat moss and Milorganite

It looked like a battle zone three weeks ago. In fact, considering how much grass was either dead or ripped out you might consider it a renovation. Now it is looking pretty good. I am back to getting the "Your lawn looks great!" comments that I was getting in April and May. So far, so good.

And now to figure out this fungus issue!

Comments (14)

rutgers1
Original Author
16 years ago
It actually looks darker than that in real life. The camera is playing tricks on me.
subywu
16 years ago
Looks plenty dark...nice job! I forget, kbg or pr?
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rutgers1
Original Author
16 years ago
It was originally a rye/fescue/kbg mix. I overseeded with KBG. From this point onward, only KBG.
rcnaylor
16 years ago
Good job. Bravo.
firstandgoal
16 years ago
"I am back to getting the "Your lawn looks great!" comments"

rutgers1, Your lawn looks GREAT! BEAUTIFUL!
pvandyke
16 years ago
Looks great!

How short did you cut it before slit seeding? How long did you wait before mowing? 10 days ago, I cut my lawn to about 1.5" before slit seeding and want to mow it to make sure the new seeds get enough light.
bestlawn
16 years ago
Oh boy, does that look good!
Congrats on all your effots.
kelleynelson
16 years ago
That looks great! What did you seed with?
subywu
16 years ago
How tall is most of the lawn? Seems too long and mature to be 3 week old kbg...especially elite kbg. At 3 weeks, KBG seedlings should be roughly an inch high and starting to leaf out from the hairlike stage. I hope what is shown in the picture isn't just the flush of growth of the existing lawn that comes with cooler temps/verticutting/watering/fertilizing.
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
16 years ago
I'm very curious...Where are you located? You don't have your preferences set to show a zone (and state abbreviation).

Looks great though!

Sue
turf_toes
16 years ago
He's in NJ (note the Rutgers name -- It's the official State University). (I know he could live elsewhere, but he's in Jersey)
rutgers1
Original Author
16 years ago
Let me see if I can remember all of the questions:
1) I mowed it as low as it would go. I would say it was about 1 to 1.5 inches max, but then again I didn't measure it. There was enough sunlight for the seedlingssince I had some pretty big areas of no grass, and therefore there was nothing to shield the sun. I dethatched the heck out of it, which opened up a lot of sections of bare dirt.
3) I mowed it at about 3 weeks. There is a part (about 25 square feet in my back yard) that was completely new grass that I haven't even mowed yet. I couldn't bring myself to walk on it. It is only a couple inches high.
4) I am in northern NJ. I can't figure out how to get my state into the preferences. I thought I figured it out one time, but now I don't see it in my posts.
5) I overseeded the whole front and side with Scotts Pure Premium KBG, and I put some other seed mixes in a few spots where I either had trouble growing in the past, or where shade was an issue. But most of what you see is the KBG seeded area.

I really have only two complaints about my lawn:
1) There are a few spots where I can't get anything to grow/live for too long, which I think is because my sprinkler system barely hits them - if at all.
2) I have to figure out how to cure this annual fungus problem that predates me moving in last year.
3) When my lawn grows tall, it is pretty obvious that there is a mix of grasses in it. I had the chance to completely renovate and didn't take it, so I have to live with that. But from the road, the lawn looks very good.

I even got two compliments today at work from co-workers who drove past it (I work in town)!!!!!
dac_in_ontario
16 years ago
Great looking lawn!

Just a question about steps 4 and 5: did you topdress immediately after overseeding?

The reason I ask is that I mowed, dethatched and overseeded a part of my yard(broadcast spreader, not slit seeder) then added topsoil and compost and I think I ended up burrying my seed to deep! I dumped by wheelbarrow and spread it out thin with the back of a straight rake, but after almost two weeks, very little germination.

So is seeding and then topressing the accepted practice? Or should you topress and then apply seed? I'm referring to cool-season grass in northern area.

One area of my yard
rutgers1
Original Author
16 years ago
I topdressed right after I seeded. I actually didn't rake it on. I just three it on. I pulled the wheelbarrow over to an area and basically threw it side-arm. It flew apart in the air and landed like rain. After I could see a very light coating over an area, I moved on. It was a long process, and my arm hurt after, but I didn't want to apply it too heavily nor push around the seed. Then, when I was finished the compost, I tossed around the peat moss. I was filthy. More than a few neighbors were laughing at/with me.

If you go around my lawn and note where the new seedlings are thriving and where very little came in, it is in direct correlation to where I applied the compost.