Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
jenniferemily_gw

Need Advice re. Irrigating New Grass Seed

jenniferemily
16 years ago

Hi,

We just put in a pool and I have to sow grass seeds this spring. My plan was to have everything completed in the fall so that I could sow the seeds then but surprise, surprise there were delays with the pool company.

This is a weekend house in upstate New York, Zone 5. I had an automatic sprinkler system estimate - too much money and there are problems with our water pressure. We use well water. My plan is to set up a system with hoses and timers until the grass has established. I am looking at the Orbit Automatic Yard Watering system . I have water on both sides of the pool so I should be able to cover all four areas of the pool without much of a problem. I know I am going to have some hose marks but I don't know any other option. I am not handy enough to set up my own inground system and I have two young kids to watch so I don't have the time either.

Does anyone have any suggestions? What about recommendations for timers, hoses, and sprinklers.

I am getting worried about my time frame. The pool should be done by next week and then I have to grade and amend the soil. When is it too late to plant in the spring in Zone 5?

Thanks for all of your advice. I have been spending a lot of evenings on this site and I have learned a lot.

Jennifer

Comments (4)

  • tris1969
    16 years ago

    hi,
    i hope i've responded in time...
    you can still plant your grass seed, i recommend running your hose around the peremiter to avoid hose marks..
    i have had good luck with the melnor timers, just not the one with the dial, there is one with a hinged lid covering a keypad. anyway, make sure to water 2x daily, keep seeds moist, moist, moist, until they germinate, then cut watering back about 40%
    i seeded my new lawn about 6 weeks ago (in zone 9) and it looks as good as sod now. what type of seed are you using? i think fescue is probably best, i had stray seeds growing where they spilled over on to concrete!! anyway, it's very simple, make sure to use NO weed killer until several mowings.
    you still have time before hotter months for grass to become established.
    P.S.
    when raking seed into soil, i sort of quickly "bounce" the rake across the yard to avoid "sweeping" the seed away. this way, the seeds get covered, but remain where they were spread. use about 50% more seed than recommended, this way you will be sure to get good coverage, and avoid re-seeding in a few weeks

  • jenniferemily
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks for the advice. My pool area is still not completed so I have not yet planted the seeds. I am going to plant Perennial Rye.

    I am researching Lawnbelt and Accurain as alternatives to setting up hoses all around my pool. Any feedback about these two products?

  • sanzen36
    16 years ago

    watering 2 times a day really wont keep your seeds moist. lets say you water at 8 am and 4 pm. thats way to much time in between for the seeds to dry. please water 3-4 times a day for short times (15 minutes is good) so as to avoid flooding the seeds. been doing this for 16 years.......has never failed

  • jenniferemily
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Hi,

    Just a quick follow-up. We finally got the grass seed down this weekend. It was late but we had no choice thanks to delays with our pool company. When I got my watering system going, 15 minutes seemed like way too much water. There were some small puddles. I have the system watering three times a day for 10 minutes. I am worried that is going to be too much because I think we are expecting a lot of rain this week and I am not there to shut the system off. My soil is filled with clay so hopefully it will absorb a lot of the excess water and not wash the seeds away.

    Thanks!

Sponsored
Ed Ball Landscape Architecture
Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars30 Reviews
Exquisite Landscape Architecture & Design - “Best of Houzz" Winner