Need help with lawn installation plans

Hi gang,

I?ve just bulldozed a 1.3 acre piece of land (about 5,260 squar meters), and want to plant grass over about an acre. I?ve never don anything with lawns before, other than mowing them. So I?m trying t take a macro look at things, and figure out my strategies. I plan to put a modular (manufactured) home on the land, and sel it?hopefully within six months. I live in the state of Washington west of the Cascade mountains. Very moderate summers, very moderat winters. Preparing. I?m assuming I?d better lay down a layer of topsoil. I?ll work wit local nursery to figure out what?s best for this soil Seeding Again, I?ll work with local experts. Someone today mentioned hyr seeding. Is that a good method? (I guess I would hire that done eh?) Watering I see some rotary sprinklers that will cover an area 8500 square fee (790 square meters), with a diameter of 106 feet (32 meters). I? thinking that if I chain two of them together, I can water the whol acre in 3 settings. Does that strike you as a reasonable way to go? Are sprinkler hoses a better way to cover this large an area? Othe methods? Mowing Should I do bag mowing, or just let the cuttings fall back on th lawn?

Comments or answers to any of these topics will be much appreciated. Or can you suggest other issues I should be addressing? Thanks.

-- leegilchrist

You have a big project. First thing is to find out what soil is already there. Many areas have agricultural services that will analyze soil samples for a small fee. Check the phone book under county listings. If the soil already there is ok, that is going to save you a lot of bucks. You need at least 6 inchs, preferably 9 of good soil. Paying for topsoil to cover an acre isn't going to be cheap. Whatever you go with, have the PH checked, which is very important with disturbed soil or new top soil. Apply lime to get the PH adjusted if needed.

You also need to get rid of anyything growing there just prior to seeding. That likely means you'll need to use Roundup (glyphosate) about 2 weeks prior to seeding.

For grass, a mix of the newer dwarf type tall fescues and blue grass would likely be a good choice. You can apply it with a slice seeder. You also should put down a starter fertilizer.

For watering, I agree, a large rotary is the way to go. But what are you going to use for a water supply? You need to be sure you have large enough piping to supply a head with the capacity you're talking about. I don't think I'd rely on moving two of them around somehow, it's just not practical. For the cost of some extra pipe, and heads, I'd rig it up so you don't have to move stuff around. Even working the valves is a major pain. In the first couple weeks, you want to water it for short periods to keep it constantly moist. That means several times a day. I'd wait till early fall, which is the optimum time to establish a new lawn. Hopefully, you'll get enough rain then to help.

Hydroseeding is a good way to establish a new lawn, but it ain't gonna be cheap either. It's seed, fertilizer and hydraulic mulch sprayed onto the surface. You could get some quotes, but you'll find that DIY with the slice seeder, which you can rent, is going to save a lot of money.

When you get to cutting it, it's not very practical to bag an acre. I'd use a mulching mower. It's also more beneficial to the lawn to return the clippings. The only advantage to bagging is it does leave it looking somewhat nicer.