New grass planted by road crew

Is the rye grass just a cover for REAL grass? We do that at the resort where I work - looks great, but don't mow until the bluegrass (or whatever) has a chance to grow from beneath the cosmetic overlay of rye grass. The straw is to hold in moisture and hold and hide the seed from birds. If they didn't plant any true lawn seed, now's the time - and keep it watered... ~Tom

On Sun 26 Aug 2007 07:56:09p, Don Phillipson wrote in alt.home.repair :

What do you mean? I know it isn't technically my property, being on the corner adjacent to my property, but do you mean I should just leave it be? Let the city take care of it?

On Mon 27 Aug 2007 12:28:17a, Gizmofiddler wrote in alt.home.repair :

I don't think they did, though Scott's said they would seed over it. I can't tell if they did. Newbie homeowner, never cared about my lawn before, but realizing the necessity of curb appeal now that selling has slumped. I just want to be ready if I need to sell.

On Sun 26 Aug 2007 08:02:07p, wrote in alt.home.repair :

Thanks. I realized that I can't mow it. It got to that height, but the slope is too steep for my lawnmower, and I decided that I won't get out there with a weedwacker to trim the city's mess.

I've come into this thread late. Newly seeded grass is best cut using hand shears. I don't know the area you are talking about, but good luck to you and your knees!

Don't know about you, but I don't have enough years left to waste any of them cutting grass with hand shears, other than maybe right up against plants too fragile for weed-wacker. The open parts will get cut mechanically in some fashion, or not at all.

aem sends...

It may or may not be your property. Some places, the city owns the street, some places, the lots actually run to the centerline of the platted street (which may not be the same as the paved street), and the street is just on an easement. Through streets and highways are usually government owned, subdivisions are usually on easements, in my experience. Only way to know for sure is dig out your deed and/or the subdivision plat.

But that is in surveying world- here in the real world, unless there is a defined drainage ditch or right-of-way fence or something, adjacent property owners are almost always expected to keep the grass mowed right up to the curb or graveled shoulder. If they hydro-seeded, I'd just let it sit till grass starts poking through. As the others said, you may wanna scatter some additional higher-quality seed. Patch areas like that are usually too soft to mow for first month anyway.

aem sends...

Ah, but; doing it yourself helps to keep you mobile, fit and active. Using such things as weedwhackers that I do not understand fully this side of The Pond, (I guess Strimmer), causes you to fade away :)

On Sat 08 Sep 2007 09:05:12p, aemeijers wrote in alt.home.repair :

It's already hosed. Just by trying to mow it, the rye died and now it's just bare ground again, with the rock/dirt mixture under the straw that they tried to hide. The city contractor never came back to correct the grade after I spoke with them. I wouldn't care much except that I have erosion problems there anyways, and now it's going to be worse.