I need to seed some grass on new excavated property. Some say use a mixture of rye or alfalfa with the grass seed. What have you had good luck doing ? Thanks, Iowa883
BTW I live in Iowa hence the signature , if that makes any difference
you could try
alt.home.lawn.garden
Peter H
Your local hardware or landscape store should have the right kind for your area.
Here's a list of grasses.
Alfalfa? I don't think so. Rye is good for quick growth? How long is this plaint going to last, permanent or temporary? Clover (the white, short kind) mixed in will help with a quick green up, but will probably want to kill the clover at some time in the future if the area is to be used for play.
Iowa883 wrote:
I'd use a mix containing Kentucky blue grass. Buy the highest quality seed you can find.
Yes...please don't skimp on the grass. The city did some work in my yard recently then planted grass over it. I insisted they leave a bail of hay, which they did. Nothing ever came up despite my watering it, etc. I went to a local nursery and picked up some fresh grass seed (it wasn't packed years ago), raked up the hay they put down, scored the surface, put seed down, raked it in a little, put more hay down then reseeded. That was last Friday, I already have a lot of grass coming up in the area.
Your local supplier should have a variety called "Quick and Fine", "Quick Fix", or some such. This will be, mainly, *annual* ryegrass, which will root and grow quickly, but die off over the winter. The remainder will probably be a mix of ryegrass and fescue, which should give you a basis for a lasting lawn, but won't look good yet on its own. What you should do to help it along is overseed after Labor Day (you've missed the moderate-temp window for best lawnmaking) with a mix suited for your conditions (sun, probably, since "excavated" probably has no real trees, right?). Water by the book -- which is to say, two light waterings a day for two weeks or until sprouts are seen, then slowly back off -- and you'll have a decent looking lawn by fall. Next spring, second year growth will give it a lush appearance.
The idea isn't to pick the right variety based on name, but to judge your conditions, pick a *range* of varieties, and let them grow together. This gives your lawn diversity and robustness in the event of poor conditions or disease. So most seed you can buy in stores is a mix.
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