I used Scotts brand grass seed commercial grade.. or contractor grade.. The mix was different with what looked like a mix of experimental varieties... I do look at what variety of grass there is in the bag and everything, it wasn't just the price although price had a little to do with it.. My feeling is that with the drip irrigation system I use to start grass seed that any kind of grass that I get I can get to start.. But the first time I set it up, it was after getting the weeds out and scratching the top soil.. That worked great ... or it seemed like a good idea, put the least amount of effort into it.. That turned into a no win and I had to till the area completely.. Then I put a starter fertilizer down, seeded with the hand held spreader and then set the sprinkler up and needed the timer to water in true increments not just guessing.. I went with fifteen minutes with an hour between waterings.. That turned out to be good and bad.. It might have drowned some of the seeds.. But at the week mark the grass was coming up.. I reseeded it again but might abandon the Scotts exclusive and get some Pennington... Can't decide yet.. If we didn't have relatives coming in September I'd leave it to see how it will come up.. My feeling is this should be full by the month mark which will be the day they should be leaving, or day after..
It has turned off hot and dry, the old dog days of summer as it were and these are the exact days where the grass (lawn) turns into what it is.. Either well manucured grass or well growing managed weed patches.. I bought a bottle of weed spray mix and use it in a hand held sprayer.. Earlier towards the end of July I used it on the weeds (lawn) in the back and it seems like the grass as well as the weeds are very happy.. I mixed it lite, so next time I mixed a little heavier and some of the weeds start looking like they are coughing a bit but then came out of it just fine.. Week three I mixed it a bit heavier and some of the weeds took to a orange color.. Orange is the new death and I liked it, but I have no way to start new grass there so I am opting to keep the weeds growing as green until after labor day then zap the crap out of them.. Mom thinks anything green is good.. I showed her the neighbors weeds and tell her that's what's growing here.. She's alright with getting rid of the weeds.. Truth is we (I) watered more this year than I was planning to, but again with my uncle coming I felt I should.. Had he not been coming I think the patch in the front still would have been done, but maybe not until the day after labor day (we have a podunk celebration of loving life in the podunk lifestyle of pudunk) lots of podunkery there... Anyway I decided that I wanted it done, but knowing now what I didn't bother looking up before hand is that planting a big patch of grass in the middle of the hot zone of summer is a HUGE NO NO mostly because of the water it takes to keep the seed wet.. Either plant in the spring or fall but never a big area in the summer.. The largest area in the summer should be about a square foot maximum.. And this area is in direct sun for well over 8 hours a day. from nine until five.. And that is direct sun with absolutely no shade.. I'm happy to have any grass growing there knowing this..
Badge Henry
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