# PNW Fine Fescue lawn - 2020 reno



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Greetings,

New member but long time lawn tinkerer.

I have gone through a multi-year renovation project in the hope of establishing a fine bladed lawn made up of Fine Fescue and Colonial Bentgrass. I am not doing anything this year except watching it grow so I may not be around much but I always like to see what others are working on.

Regards


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I recognize this property. Welcome to TLF.

Are those the same maples in pots?


----------



## DTCC_Turf (May 26, 2018)

looks great. What"s the height of cut?


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

g-man said:


> I recognize this property. Welcome to TLF.
> 
> Are those the same maples in pots?


Yes, they are the same, original maples.

Not the best time to attempt pictures in harsh, midday sun but I felt compelled to get a picture of my stripes in honor of our fallen stars.

Thank you.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

DTCC_Turf said:


> looks great. What"s the height of cut?


Haven't measured but would guess about 1/2 inch.

Thanks


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

@PNW_George welcome to TLF! Glad you found us!


----------



## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Looking beautiful as always @PNW_George! Glad you found TLF as well! Your lawn was always an inspiration for me, and something I hope to eventually achieve. I look forward to seeing you here and even more pictures of that beautiful yard!


----------



## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

One of the first lawns that I've seen that has made me say "Ohhhh, woooow!" in an introductory post. :thumbup: Welcome to TLF!


----------



## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Hey, you made it here!

Nice pics of a nice looking lawn! It's basically a golf course, only better.

How's the photography going? I just ordered a 16/2.8 fisheye, as well as a battery backpack sprayer, and am looking forward to both!


----------



## GlennBlake (Feb 28, 2018)

A hearty welcome @PNW_George. Magnificent looking lawn. Both you and your mower's reputation came before you. I'm interested how you came about a Dennis in the PNW.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

GlennBlake said:


> A hearty welcome PNW_George. Magnificent looking lawn. Both you and your mower's reputation came before you. I'm interested how you came about a Dennis in the PNW PNW_George


Thank you,

I had a 16+ year old Locke CL 125 that started having issues with no local service options so I started looking for a replacement.

I'm a big soccer fan and came to learn the Dennis G860 was used on many of the Premier League pitches and had been selected to maintain the 2014 World Cup fields.

I found a US distributor and came to find they had a demo G860 available so I bought it and had it shipped to me. It came with a scarifier cartridge that is a big help when maintaining a fine fescue stand.

With a 34 inch reel it is a bit larger than I would have purchased without a demo deal but it has worked flawlessly. Deal is relative; this is a spendy beast.

Dennis has seemed to grow their presence a little since I purchased mine in 2014.

https://dennismowersusa.com/

Regards,


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Green said:


> Hey, you made it here!
> 
> Nice pics of a nice looking lawn! It's basically a golf course, only better.
> 
> How's the photography going? I just ordered a 16/2.8 fisheye, as well as a battery backpack sprayer, and am looking forward to both!


Hi, been taking a bit of a sabbatical from my sports photography. It started to become a bit of a grind and I had reached all but one of my goals. I need to start it up again but likely on more normal subjects, not on the sidelines anymore unless my kids get on the stick and give me some grandkids.

I still have all the toys though.

Regards,


----------



## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

incredible landscape George!


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

I will try and post some images from my progression as I transitioned from a typical northern mix to a fine bladed stand.

This is a couple years old. Just like ball parks, the lighting needs to be right to capture the stripes.


----------



## Jconnelly6b (Mar 4, 2018)

Incredible looking lawn @PNW_George


----------



## LIgrass (May 26, 2017)

Beautiful @PNW_George . This is LOTM candidate worthy.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Seattle Weather has been awesome; a few iPhone snaps from my back patio.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Wow, that ain't fair. Here I'm dealing with 96F.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

g-man said:


> Wow, that ain't fair. Here I'm dealing with 96F.


85 degrees at 6 o'clock, Perfect!


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Here is a picture of one of my heavy top dressing, overseeding seasons (2015). The lower lawn was a bit boggy, not bad but the sand has helped a lot. The garden has filled in a lot since then.


----------



## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

PNW_George said:


> Here is a picture of one of my heavy top dressing, overseeding seasons (2015). The lower lawn was a bit boggy, not bad but the sand has helped a lot. The garden has filled in a lot since then.


I remember these pics from a few years ago. Their is no denying all the time and effort that went into getting your yard so perfect!

Regarding the topdressing, do you care to elaborate on the process at all? I would be curious as to what type of sand mix you used and why(looks to be a mix to my eye) and also the tools used to get the sand so perfect(fling and drag, topdresser, etc).


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Hi Pete,

I can't remember if this was the first or second year I added sand. The first year I used a 70/30 sand/peat mix and the second year 100% sand. I looked for the companies that provide sand to golf courses and sports fields. There were more choices than I thought and the prices were competitive.

http://www.tewalrath.com/mixes.php

I just had them dump the sand on my driveway, filled wheelbarrows and dumped them as evenly around the yard as I could.

I then roughly raked the piles down, took a 20-foot ladder apart, looped one of the pieces around my waist by tying a rope to each end, and dragged the ladder around the yard until I was happy with the results. I would also make passes with my landscape rake to remove material from heavy spots, add material to light spots, get some grass to show and leave some grooves for overseeding.

Good exercise for sure but the ladder worked really well.

Regards,


----------



## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Thanks for sharing, and good idea to try the ladder!


----------



## DTC (Jun 8, 2018)

This looks awesome and thanks for the pictures!

I'm a rookie here, and building up some equipment to ultimately do what you've done here. Just learned about the top dressing and sand methods ... my lawn is pretty (c)lumpy and it sounds like these 2 things are going to be my solution.


----------



## stotea (Jul 31, 2017)

While the lawn is obviously amazing, that landscaping is what wows me the most. Very, very, very nice!


----------



## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

Beautiful lawn. A 34" cutting width walk behind reel? Monstrous! Are you 7'2", 350? :shock: :lol:


----------



## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

PNW_George said:


> Greetings,
> 
> New member but long time lawn tinkerer.
> 
> ...


All I can say is wow, that is one fine looking lawn and landscape. Must have been a lot of work to get it so nice but the results show.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Thanks all.

I ran out of gas today, my body, not my equipment. I edged, mowed, weeded the side of the road and raked the gravel strip. Still have a bit of work but time for a glass of wine.

A snapshot after today's mow.


----------



## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

https://www.facebook.com/865206873620759/posts/1181198425354934/


----------



## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Hey! Your name is in blue! Congratulations @PNW_George :thumbsup:


----------



## dacoyne (May 27, 2018)

Congrats @PNW_George the lawn looks incredible as does the landscaping. I hope you are sharing this title with your better half!


----------



## Butter (Nov 14, 2017)

Congrats! You're place is amazing! Makes me uncomfortable posting pictures of my yard. Great job!


----------



## Shindoman (Apr 22, 2018)

Congrats, George. It is a beautiful yard.


----------



## dtillman5 (Jul 20, 2017)

That is one truly beautiful lawn! Congratulations on winning lawn of the month :clapping:


----------



## Gudor (Jul 2, 2018)

George,

I live in the same area as you and I bought 70/30 from Walwrath last summer too. My 30% was compost though, and I am a little sorry I didn't get the peat. I am getting a bunch mushrooms, but I am hoping they will go away after they do their thing.

Anyhow, I went with a straight fine fescue and am liking it okay enough. Ironically I debated Colonial bent grass or FF. My lawn is pretty thick now so I wonder if overseading for a few years with CBG would be a good option. Not sure of the final cut height I want. Did you do a mix from the start, or overseed an established lawn (either FF or CBG)? Thoughts on adding CBG to my FF?

Can I ask how often you water? I have ~4" of the 70/30 mix, and when I tried to water 1 - 2x a week I got a lot of dormant/dying grass when we had that hot spell 1 or 2 months ago. I read that the high sand content evaporates water really quickly, so I went to watering just a little bit each morning (and once in the afternoon on those hot stretches we get) and it is correcting itself. Not sure if it is because my lawn is only 1 year old or if our soil simply requires more frequent watering.

I thank you in advance.


----------



## Lawn_newbie (Jun 19, 2018)

@PNW_George

Are you able to keep your maples in pots year round?

Btw, the entire landscaping is killer!


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Gudor said:


> George,
> 
> I live in the same area as you and I bought 70/30 from Walwrath last summer too. My 30% was compost though, and I am a little sorry I didn't get the peat. I am getting a bunch mushrooms, but I am hoping they will go away after they do their thing.
> 
> ...


"Did you do a mix from the start, or overseed an established lawn (either FF or CBG)? Thoughts on adding CBG to my FF?"

I started with a mix but have not used Colonial Bentgrass to my overseed in at least two years. If you find something that can control Poa in FF I would stay with that blend. I am not sure there will ever be anything that can control Poa in the mix. I haven't fount anything that works on a FF blend either so adding Colonial Bentgrass may not matter.

"Can I ask how often you water? I have ~4" of the 70/30 mix, and when I tried to water 1 - 2x a week I got a lot of dormant/dying grass when we had that hot spell 1 or 2 months ago."

I did a heavy scarify treatment in the spring and overseeded requiring me to water every day through that spell. I have backed off to twice a week and see some stress but not bad. A large percent of my FF is still young and hasn't had time to establish deep roots and as it matures it should reach down below the sand cap and stay healthy while the poa dies off. I think I will just water longer those two days and drop to once a week once the hot weather passes.

Regards


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Lawn_newbie said:


> @PNW_George
> 
> Are you able to keep your maples in pots year round?
> 
> Btw, the entire landscaping is killer!


We keep the maples in the pots all year.

Thanks


----------



## Gudor (Jul 2, 2018)

Thank you George,

So, I had to look up Poa - knew IMMEDIATELY what it was when I saw the picture. I actually pick it out by hand - I have found it is pretty easy to spot as the shade of green is completely different. Also, since I have been keeping my HOC (guessing) ~1 1/2", the Poa tends to seed which lets me catch them. The roots on the Poa seem to be REALLY short, so they come out nearly effortlessly. Trying to get them prior to them getting established.



PNW_George said:


> stay healthy while the poa dies off


Does the Poa tend to die off if you water less? Is that the 'way' to prevent it. Obviously my watering daily is not helping that.

Only current issue I don't have an answer for is some odd browning - not lack of water browning, but something else. I am guessing you or someone else will know what it is from the picture:



Wish the pic was better, but in the middle you might be able to see the black/brown color. Both myself and a buddy that redid his lawn are having the same issue - he has PNW blend seed, not FF.

Thanks again George.


----------



## wiredawg (Apr 6, 2018)

Wow! Beautiful lawn and amazing landscaping...and congrats on your LoM win....with all the stiff friendly competition its well deserved.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

I am taking it easy for yet another season. All I am doing is mowing and fertilizing, I didn't even scarify this spring. Looking OK though thanks to my wife gardens. Picture take June, 3, 2019.


----------



## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

@PNW_George, still awesome, though.

And have you checked out @Shindoman's journal? Very similar approach to you.


----------



## Shindoman (Apr 22, 2018)

I love your yard!


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Green said:


> PNW_George, still awesome, though.
> 
> And have you checked out Shindoman's journal? Very similar approach to you


Yes, he has a beautiful yard and is doing a great job.


----------



## RCUK (Jul 16, 2018)

Hi, how is your lawn looking? I look on with envy at the FF


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

It has been 8 years since I transitioned from a traditional PNW mix of Perennial Ryegrass and fine Fescue to a Fine Fescue blend and this spring the poa annua has bloomed much more than I can remember. It is not just my yard but the entire neighborhood seems to be overrun much more than I can remember.

I debated going back to a FF/PR mix but decided to give fine fescue another 7 year run if I can get the poa killed, fallow a bit and reseed. With all the poa seeds in the seed bank realize I might not make it 7 years again. Unfortionatly I still haven't found a pre or post emergent control that is safe for FF and colonial bent grass, so a healthy stand is my only defense.

Timing is late and I am having trouble getting my seed, I was finally able to find another source so have started the reno process. I prefer spring and will decide if I will fallow all summer or just for another month. Nice thing about the PNW is our temperature is mild enough seeding even in late spring can work. I prefer spring to fall in the PNW anyway.

I sprayed round up a bit ago, will do a heavy scarify this weekend, hit with round up again, core aerate, haven't done that in 8 or 10 years, hit again with round up, top dress, seed and begin again.

I haven't done much to the lawn in over 5 years and it has held up well but I am a perfectionist and the poa bloom drove me over the edge.

I have a sickness, wish me well.

From yesterday, starting to yellow a bit.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Put the Tungsten Tipped Verti-Cutter cassette on my Dennis and gave the lawn a few passes.


----------



## rob13psu (May 20, 2018)

Good luck with the reno! Love your property and the landscaping.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Just a few green but dying spots left. Hope to core aerate this week, give it one more week for last roundup spray and I might have topdressing down and seed dropped by the end of next week or early the following week. The color balance on my iPhone seemed confused. Taken May 11th, 2020.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Soon the neighbor and mail carrier will be asking what happen.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Core aerated today. Would like to fallow longer but have a top dresser reserved Thursday and Friday. Depending on weather, will seed Friday give or take a day.

Put dolomite lime down. The 120# Lesco Drop Spreader works much better than the broadcast spreader. 40 pound bag in each side and go, nice even distribution and not as susceptible to wind making a mess.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

I put the last application of glyphosate down yesterday and will put down some of the seed today. Some of the topdressing may be too heavy for all the seeds to make it. I planned on topdressing Thursday but there is an 80% chance of rain so may delay until Friday. After topdressing I'll put the rest of the seed down. I don't think I want to cover with peat so will lightly rake in and manage irrigation.

Here is where weed seeds are sure to come from, my next door neighbor to the south. With our recent rain/drizzle their lawn is actually looking good. It should go up for sale soon and I'm hoping the new owners try and bring it up to the rest of the neighborhoods standards. It has always stood out like a sore thumb.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Very nice. I don't even know what to say about the neighbor...

The motion blur on the trees looks trippy.


----------



## 000 (Dec 9, 2019)

PNW_George said:


>


You can see those stripes from space!!


----------



## crussell (Mar 12, 2018)

PNW_George said:


> Core aerated today. Would like to fallow longer but have a top dresser reserved Thursday and Friday. Depending on weather, will seed Friday give or take a day.


Can I ask where you are renting your top dresser from?


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

crussell said:


> PNW_George said:
> 
> 
> > Core aerated today. Would like to fallow longer but have a top dresser reserved Thursday and Friday. Depending on weather, will seed Friday give or take a day.
> ...


PM sent.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Got 12 yards of topdressing sand spread but it was too windy to drop the rest of the seed, especially the Colonial Bentgrass. It will give me something to do to stretch out the sore muscles tomorrow.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

The wife will be so happy of all the sand in the house.  it looks great. Did you drag or only used the top dresser?


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

g-man said:


> The wife will be so happy of all the sand in the house.  it looks great. Did you drag or only used the top dresser?


We have a dog and cat, just part of normal cleaning. I just used the top dresser, no dragging at all. I have always filled wheelbarrows, raked, dragged with a 10 foot ladder and raked some more. Why I never rented a top dresser before I don't know. I may have searched before and not been able to locate one but I will never go back.

The top dresser is amazing but not really designed for pure sand. It is too heavy. Add some wet sand and forget it. It took twice as long because I could only fill the top dresser half way. My neighbor let me borrow his tractor to load the top dresser, what a life/back saver. Regardless, it spreads much more evenly than I was ever able to before I tried the right way. I will only need to rake the seed in lightly and I'll be done. Very happy.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

I spread the rest of the Fine Fescue seed today and put down some 16-16-16 fertilizer. I also put down some Colonial Bentgrass seed. I was considering going with a pure Fine Fescue Blend but broke down. I do love what Colonial Bentgrass adds to the stand. The hand held Wizz worked perfectly to spread the Colonial Bentgrass. I ended up putting down 10 pounds, that's over 50 Million seeds. Seemed like a lot and more than the Fairway mix I started with 7 or 8 years ago but even that is at most half what the specs suggest. Trekked about 17 miles on the lawn the last 2 days.

Now I wait and watch grass grow, the hard work is done.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Friday was the third day of 80 degree weather in the Seattle/Tacoma area. It has made it a challenge to keep the sand moist without putting too much water down. Sand dries out fast especially with a bit of wind and my decision not to use peat moss or some other seed cover has me at some risk. I am able to manage it though. For now I have 5 short irrigation cycles and I can touch up dry areas with the hose when needed.

I'm starting to see some Germination, likely the SR 5130 Chewings Fine Fescue. These must be from the seed I threw down before topdressing. This may have been one of the lightly covered areas or the seedlings are persistent.

It's Saturday morning now and a thunder storm is rolling in, hopefully not a down poor.

Here is a picture taken on May 29th, 2020. I need to try a different macro lens; they all have a very shallow depth of field but this one is razor thin even at f/25. Notice the tiny ant that photo bombed.



Edit: added pictures from 05312020. We had over an inch of rain on May 30th. Likely did some damage but not too bad. The seeds I dropped on top of the sand are starting to germinate. My ant friend showed up again.


----------



## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Nice photo! It's almost like your photo bomber knew exactly where to pop in, to be in focus with the shallow depth of field. The detail that comes out with the macro lens is really cool.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

A thunder storm swept through last night with a Very heavy prolonged downpour even by Seattle standards. Still surveying the damage but it is not pretty.

Here is a screen capture from one of my security cameras. Most the back yard and patio have standing water, the drains couldn't keep up with the rain. You can imagine what that volume of water did to my hilly areas.


----------



## PNW_TurfNoob (May 29, 2020)

Hey George, any updates? How's the germination going?


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

@PNW_TurfNoob a bit of a delay on replying since we just got a new puppy and I was puppy proofing the house and with the monster home now, not getting much sleep.

I must live in the convergence zone because those heavy thunder showers always seem to hit me at full force. It did a lot of damage but I threw some more seed down and I will be fine. I was light on seed anyway since not much of the first half of seed I spreed before top dressing made it through the sand.

The main issue was where my hill is the steepest and where all the excess water makes its way to at the very bottom middle front of the yard. Even that is starting to see recovery and the weather looks promising the next 10 days.

I'll get some pictures the next couple of days but here is a screen capture from some security cameras and one with Darby, our new Red Tri Aussie with some young fescue in the background..


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Note to self; don't plan a Reno and then get a puppy. I didn't know we were getting one when I started but dogs tearing around on new grass with shallow roots and a soft sand cap wrecks havoc. Worth it though.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Slowly coming in, had to add seed to a few areas due to the rain storm wash outs.


----------



## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Your photos rock!!!


----------



## PNW_TurfNoob (May 29, 2020)

Looking really good George! We had a pretty good June for grass growing didn't we? Now the heat is on though!


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

I have thrown in the towel on trying to get a pristine stand this summer. A new puppy is too much work. My daughter brought her dog over and the divots were extreme! I love it though. I'll over seed in the fall and again next spring and all will be well. these Aussies are fun.


----------



## sangheili (Jul 5, 2020)

Fantastic property, garden, and lawn! What is your HOC typically on the FF? How often do you mow?

I wonder if PoaCure will finally be the solution to Poa in FF lawns, if it ever becomes available outside golf courses.

Do you use Sethoxydim at all?


----------



## radicalad (Apr 29, 2020)

Hey @PNW_George, are you planning on taking another pass with your Reno this year? I'm much in the same boat as you were last year. My wife begged for a dog, I didn't want one, so we compromised and now we have a 4 month old mini goldendoodle.

My plan last year was to hold off and do a full reno this spring (I put in a sprinkler system last year which was the final piece I needed before I could go full lawn crazy). I'm a little concerned about the puppy angle. She'll probably top out around 14-15lbs so I'm _hoping_ her lack of "heft" will mitigate any major damage. How long would you say a FF reno would take to establish enough for kids and dogs to play in it again?


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

@radicalad, As much as I love my Fine Fescue lawn, Fine Fescue isn't the best choice for traffic areas. Add a sand cap with a pair of 50+ pound Australian Shepard's that only have one speed, full, 3 when my daughter visits with her Aussie, and it is a recipe for disaster. Their sharp turns and full stops tear it up like you can't imagine. Even with that it can take the abuse from the dogs after it establishes. The lower part of my lawn survives them pretty well.

I am not bothering with a reno but did just overseed and it is just starting to germinate. Now to see if I can control the dogs while it fills in. Darby turned One today, I just posted a couple pictures in the pet thread. I also had a fence installed and they are enjoying the freedom to tear around to their heart's content.

Here is one from this morning that shows more of the lawn, although at such a shallow depth of field you can't see it very well. Grass does better in the front yard due to grater depth of good soil. The back yard had all the top soil excavated and I haven't been able to add as much.


----------



## SOLARSUPLEX (Aug 4, 2020)

I vote you host a TLF PNW meetup and we can all marvel at your property and animals. What a great looking dog only made better by the photography and landscaping. Great job George.

If you have the time i'd love to hear your process for overseeding especially knowing that you'd previously sand capped the yard.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

SOLARSUPLEX said:


> I vote you host a TLF PNW meetup and we can all marvel at your property and animals. What a great looking dog only made better by the photography and landscaping. Great job George.
> 
> If you have the time i'd love to hear your process for overseeding especially knowing that you'd previously sand capped the yard.


I'm not sure how relevant my over-seeding process would be to you. I maintain exclusively fine bladed grass sourced from Seed Research of Oregon, specifically Ruddy Strong Creeping Red Fine Fescue, SR 5130 Chewings Fine Fescue and occasionally Puritan Colonial Bentgrass but that has been difficult to find and may not even be available any more due to an entire crop failure a couple years ago and I don't think it has been planted since.

Have you reviewed the Cool Season Overseed guide? Some good advice there. An exception is in Western Washington spring seeding is fine and based on many, preferred in the Seattle area.

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6250&start=90

I also don't use any herbicide since I haven't found any that doesn't do more harm than good to Fine Fescue. The exception is glyphosate I use to spot treat poa annua. There are studies that suggest low concentration broadcast applications of glyphosate can be effective controlling poa annua while established fine fescue is able to tolerate it. I've only tried it in areas I don't worry about killing both as I overseed anyway. One other thing I like to do after treating a larger patch of poa annua with glyphosate is take a weed torch to it after the poa dies. I haven't checked many studies and have only anecdotal evidence but it seems to help keep poa from returning in those areas as fast and I love the sound of what I hope are poa seeds popping like pop corn. Glyphosate kills the plant but not the thousands of viable poa seed dropped before it dies.

If you have primarily PRG there are a few viable pre and post herbicides that are safe and effective. PRG may also be a better choice for higher traffic areas and lawns with dogs and active kids.

In summary, I spot treat Poa annua, mow a little lower, make a couple passes with my Dennis G860 verti-cutter, mow again, put the seed down and set irrigation based on weather to keep the seed moist. Fine Fescue doesn't need nearly as much fertilizer. I might put some Perfect Blend organic fertilizer down after adding sand to help promote soil microbe growth and in spring organics don't push too much top growth from the established FF due to lower soil temperatures.


----------



## SOLARSUPLEX (Aug 4, 2020)

Thanks for the detailed info - I was mainly interested if you did anything different with timing considering our location. Glad you have faith in a spring overseed and i remember some of your advice about the types of sand when it comes to leveling from last year.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Looking good! Nice to see non-*** as well.


----------



## SOLARSUPLEX (Aug 4, 2020)

How did the turf hold up to the hot days we experienced?


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Other than dog pee dead spots and Australian Shepperd divots, the lawn is doing great but I'm getting bored. Might need to do something different just for fun. Not sure what yet.

Before and after of a 2022 spring seeding in the front yard


----------



## Ben4Birdies (12 mo ago)

Those are stunning results! 😍


----------



## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

@PNW_George 

I bought some Seabreeze GT (glyphosate tolerant) recently for use in my low input area. It's a slender Creeping red that has some chewings fescue DNA crossed into it. Have you ever tried slender Creeping red?

Btw, Mesotrione-tolerant FF is being bred, and will eventually be on the market.

I like the macro shots of germinating grass. Haven't seen any taken that close on here until now. Hope you're keeping up with the photography. My friend bought a Z9 a few months ago, but I haven't tried it yet.


----------



## garlicrainbow (4 mo ago)

I'm following this thread for the dogs. They're beautiful


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Green said:


> @PNW_George
> 
> I bought some Seabreeze GT (glyphosate tolerant) recently for use in my low input area. It's a slender Creeping red that has some chewings fescue DNA crossed into it. Have you ever tried slender Creeping red?
> 
> ...


Sounds interesting. FF is already one of the more gly tolerant grasses. I'm not sure if adding Slender Creeping Red would be much of a change. I was thinking something completely different but still fine bladed that can be cut short. The puppy damage and trouble getting seed allowed be to really get the poa under control and right now hand pulling is all I am doing. I'm certainly open to FF that allows herbicide control. I haven't used anything other than gly for a long time and I still love a FF lawn. I haven't been able to source a quality Colonial Bentgrass for years and still would like to add some.

I have had a Z 9 for some time. Love it. Thanks.


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

garlicrainbow said:


> I'm following this thread for the dogs. They're beautiful


I am dog sitting my daughters Aussie while she is in Italy. The three of them are really tearing up the lawn but I'm OK with it, I'd rather the dogs get their ya ya's out.


----------



## garlicrainbow (4 mo ago)

PNW_George said:


> I am dog sitting my daughters Aussie while she is in Italy. The three of them are really tearing up the lawn but I'm OK with it, I'd rather the dogs get their ya ya's out.


Yea Aussie's are some energetic dogs! Better tearing up the lawn than the inside of the house I guess. Although there's got to be at least one member here who would do it the other way around


----------



## PNW_George (May 28, 2018)

Wallee, our Blue Merle and Darby our Red Tri playing tandem fetch today. I'll mow later and hopefully pick up most of the torn up grass.


----------

