# Hozer62 Rio Bermuda seed lawn



## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Well it's a new house, new yard, and new seed cultivar. Follow along with me as I put this Rio Bermuda seed to the test. I'm in Central California (Fresno area) in zone 9. Super hot heat, 100*F+ summers and mild winters. Should be a perfect fit for this new cultivar. It's #1 in a lot of tests and trials so I figured I'd be the Guinea pig. I will start the tractor work and rough grade this weekend, follow up with the finish, then let it rip. I will order enough compost/top soil to give me about 2". till it in to prepare the seed bed. looking to get about a 5,000 sq.ft. back yard so the dog has plenty of room to enjoy.

The land was virgin before I started. Soil is very sandy and low in organic matter. Had a dozer come in and level a nice pad for a 1600sqft pre manufactured home, 30'X40' shop, and backyard. lots and lots of work still to do but really looking forward to see it all come together. A lot more pictures to follow. Happy weekend everyone


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Grade is done and seed is down! Here goes nothing. Starter fert down too. Thank you Hogan Seed Company, really great company to work with. Lawn is just short of 5,000sqft I threw down 9lbs. of seed. I decided to keep 1lb. so I can hit bare spots and thin areas next year after the shop, back patio, and fence get installed soon.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Well the first week is in the books!!! I learned a lot this week about the ground and weak points that will come up in the future in the turf. First thing is the soil is very sandy with very little loam and no silt. it will drain well so I can put the water to it and frequently. should be great soil structure for the bermuda. I'll will need to work on getting organic matter into the soil but one step at a time. Picture attached of a quick soil structure test.

Looks like there is some low spots and dips I didn't get worked out when I leveled the seed bed. For now it is what is it. I can address it later. Next thing is just to sit back and watch the magic happen. By the end of next week I should start seeing some seed sprouting. Temps have be well into the 90's. Overnight temps have been over 60F as well. Until next week.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Starting to see some nice germination now. Watering schedule is 6am, 10am, 2pm, and 6pm for 10min. The weather has been nice and hot and will be in the mid 90's for the next 10 days. Couldn't ask for better weather for seed germination. I'm running 2 lawn sprinklers on a simple timer so the guess work is taken out of it. I was able to score up a nice Tru-Cut 27C on Facebook marketplace and was given another for parts. I will keep the current watering schedule up for the next two weeks. I will then start applying the bio stem pack so I can start conditioning this sandy soil of mine. That is it for now!


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## gbestemt (Oct 2, 2019)

Welcome to fresno Glad you have your priorities straight.
#1 lawn
#2 shop.
#3 well I guess I need somewhere to sleep oh yeah house. 
I wish I had that much sand. Some reason I have a lot of clay in my soil, but I just added two tons of sand/loam topdress to my celebration. Tilled in lots of organic matter before laying my sod.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

@gbestemt Thank you! Hell I can always sleep in the shop LOL. I'm sure it's because you're in a older well established neighbor hood/lawn that you had issues with drainage. Nothing like a fresh start!!! The celebration looks great and is coming along very nice. Cheers! and here's to Central Cali bermuda!!!


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## gbestemt (Oct 2, 2019)

@Hozer62 I'm just glad I don't have any of that valley hard pan. When we laid fescue at my last house we spent three days with a tiller and moving topsoil to prep the ground. But once you go bermuda you don't go back. You over in the foothills? I think thats where I'll buy my next property in 5-10 years. Nice to be a little isolated.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

@gbestemt I'm in the foothills about 35min north of you up hwy 41. I love it up here I'm on 14 acres and love the peace and quite.


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## probasestealer (Apr 19, 2018)

Is the dry spot the future home site?

Also, do I see two reel mowers in the pictures?


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

@probasestealer The home is already done. The pictures are taken from the view point of looking out the dinning room window into what will be the backyard with the most beautiful golf course like bermuda lawn LOL!!! The dry spot (lower part of the picture) will be a flower bed and a walkway out to the shop and covered patio. Your eyes are not playing tricks on you. I have two, one is cherry and fully functional the other one was given to me for parts and doesn't run.


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## probasestealer (Apr 19, 2018)

@Hozer62 got it. Good luck


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

Fun project, looking great! How many days since seed down and germination?


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

@Wiley Started to see germination on day 10. It's really starting to take off now on day 16 :mrgreen:


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Well another week has passed and the seed has germinated like crazy!!! Looks to me I will have a few trouble spots mainly from the areas that are low and flood. It's a happy medium I need to deal with. If I cut the water back so it doesn't flood other areas dry to quickly. So I'll address the low spots later with plugging and getting the rest of the turf to fill in as I push it to grow. Footings for the shop are done. Monday we pour concrete for the slab. The next few weeks are going to be crazy with everything coming together all at the same time. Concrete pours for shop slab and back patio/walkway, shop install, sprinkler system, chain-link fence, and my favorite MOWING!!! Happy early Fathers Day to all you Dad's out there.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Wow what a long and hot day. We will be in the triple digits all week long. The day started at 6am with the concrete crew showing up and getting ready for the first truck. By 8am it was already 81 degrees out. The guys worked their tails off and earned it today. Dad even came by to crack the whip Hahaha. The shop slab is poured and done. We will give it a week to setup and the shop should be here next week. By the end of next week she will be done and ready for insulation, then doors. The lawn is really starting to green up and take off. This weekend I'll hit it with some 16-16-16 and just keep the watering up. Still on a 4 times a day watering plan. We will see how it holds up through the middle of the week with all this heat. It does look great from a distance :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Lawn seed update!!! Monday will be the four week mark from when the seed was sowed. The lawn is starting to get long and thick in spots. The low spots have been top dressed with a compost/sand mix to level and help with water pooling. I'm still going to wait one more week before my first mow. Temps have been and will remain in the triple degrees for the rest of the week. Watering schedule will remain the same because of the high temps.


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## ladycage (Aug 12, 2019)

The lawn is really looking good. That seems to be a great seed cultivar. It may be all filled in by end of the season.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

@ladycage So far the cultivar is great. Really took well. But no way it fills in by the end of the year. The plan is to run it through the grinder. I will be trenching it for sprinklers, pulling cores to help compaction, and top dressing with sand so I can cut reel low. I'll be breaking all the rules for the care and establishment of a turf stand the first year. But bermuda grass don't care :lol: :lol: :lol: #alphagrass


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

One month down. It has been 4 weeks since the day I threw down the Rio bermuda seed. Lawn is still trucking along. Temps are in the mid 90's and will be in the triple digits soon. I just couldn't hold off anymore, I had to use the Tru-Cut. One spot of the lawn really needed it. Other areas still haven't filled in enough for a mow but it was a nice test run. I cut it at 3/4" so I had to get a picture with a golf ball for a fairway picture. I also have some thin areas so I threw down some 16-16-16 @ 1/2lb per 1,000. I have also ordered up a Pro Plugger so I can hit the really bad bare spots. Until next week!


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

The lawn is really taking off and needs to be mowed about every three days.



Still have some thin areas and spots that need some work.



I also got a new toy. I'm going to be using this bad boy for sure in the few bare spots I have because of the water pooling.



A few more shots and close ups for the thin and slow to fill in spots.


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

The progress from dirt to Bermuda is amazing! Keep it up man, I'm a follower now.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

@BakerGreenLawnMaker Thank you!!! You're coming right along as well!!! You have done a fine job over the last few years.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

I was able to get a solid mow in yesterday. The lawn is going bananas with the heat we are getting right now. Put out some 21-0-0 too keep the pedal to the metal!





And this morning the boys showed up to start on the shop!!! So excited.


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

Looking great!


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

@Wiley Thanks! Lots of work left!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

These guys really kicked some *** today!!!


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Stand back non believers!!! These guys are the real deal. Progress on the shop is moving right along.









The bare spots in the lawn are filling in quick, can you say #alphagrass :lol: :lol: :lol:





I also have put the Pro Plugger to the test. Here are some close ups of the worst bare spots from water pooling. I'll keep up on the updates while these spots fill in.


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

See you are putting down some 21-0-0. What rates and intervals are you applying? What does your watering schedule look like? I've got a small bermuda project going so I'm curious to see what working well in our environment. I'll say it again, it looks really good!


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

@Wiley I put down some Scotts starter fertilizer at bag rate when I put the seed down. Followed that up with 16-16-16 @ 2lbs per 1k sq. ft. two weeks after the seed had all germinated. The 21-0-0 I put down 2.5lbs per 1k sq. ft. I'll keep trying to spoon feed the grass with nitrogen every two weeks to get about .5lb of N down per 1k sq. ft. As for my watering I've been getting 3/4" of water down every three days. Temps have been 95+ closer to 100 every day the last two weeks. Will stay that way for the next 6 weeks for sure. I'd say the real important thing right now is to keep it watered, not the fertilizer so much. Keeping the young grass stress free is the plan. Where in Northern California are you at?


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## JRS 9572 (May 28, 2018)

What a great thing to have. You're own "shop." I assume they're going to insulate the bejesus out of that thing? Our business is a 6,000 square foot metal building. 1/2 the area the roof wasn't insulated, and it was brutal until we got it taken care of. If it's brutal in the midlands of SC without insulation, then it has to be that bad or worse in Central California.

Grass is coming along nicely. Keep going. It's going to really be nice when it's done.


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## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

@Hozer62 thanks for sharing your inputs. I'm in Red Bluff, about 90 miles north of Sac.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

@JRS 9572 You got the idea :nod: . The shop will be insulated for sure as well as the doors. That way I can use it and enjoy it year around. Thank you for the kind words. I keep telling myself not to get to attached to the lawn this first year. I still have to rip it up for a fence and irrigation install. Pull cores and level as well. After year two I can kiss it and fall in love! :lol:


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Lawn update





Plug update





Well the fence got started today. Post holes dug and the guys will set them tomorrow. More updates to come.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Everyone has been hard at it. Fence posts are all installed


I love it when a plan all comes together. Right as the fence is going up, trenching for the sprinklers started.


Fence is all complete and I think it came out pretty cherry! :thumbup: 








Install on the sprinkler runs are underway and I can't wait until they are all in. I'm not going to lie watering manually and moving sprinklers all over by hand is way overrated and a total pain. :lol:


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Work is coming right along on the sprinklers. Everything has been tested and is working as it should.




Started to backfill the sprinkler lines but kept the areas around the heads open so I still have the option to move them around if I want. It will really come in handy when we start the back patio next week. I'm not for sure on the location of the patio and the forms so it gives me some play.




Now with all the yard work wrapping up Gracie was allowed back in the backyard. It has been a couple weeks since she has been back there and she was shocked when she realized she couldn't just run up to my parents house anymore like she was used too. Poor pup! :lol: :lol: :lol: 


Now just to sit back have a cigar and beer and enjoy the sunset!!!


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Lawn update!!! Boy Ohh Boy does bermuda love the heat. I have been pumping the water and fertilizer to this Joker.






Update on the Pro Plugger areas too!!!




I also want to drop a heads up on things coming up.  
Next week The back patio and walk way will be knocked out. Grade, forms, concrete, and stamping will all be done. While the guys are doing that I will be pulling cores and have 5.5 yards of sand to spread. It's way too soon to do any sand leveling on this young turf but I'm still going to grip and rip! My plan is to hit it with water and a drag to keep the sand working into the canopy. Wish me luck and stand by :lol:


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Sweet! Back patio and walkway is started and coming along nice. Grade is all done and the guys will start setting forms tomorrow. I have been using a water hose to help me visualize the way I want the walkway to look. Tomorrow morning I'm going to pickup a core aerator and the sand for leveling will be here too. Going to be a awesome week to come. :nod: :thumbup:


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

First thing this morning I ran into town and picked up the core aerator. Worked out great because the sand was being delivered when I got back. I love when a plan comes together.









The compaction is unreal. The backyard was built up and compacted by a dozer. I think this is going to take a few years to get this soil dialed in. The core machine wouldn't pull more than 3/4" cores. I have been dumping the water on this lawn too. I will order up the biostim pack to get this soil whipped into shape. The liquid aerator will help with nutrient penetration and humic acid, sea kelp, and micros will help the soil structure.



The sand was nice, clean, washed, and had very little rocks. I was very happy with it.



After running around all day, running the core machine, and picking them all up for sand leveling tomorrow Gracie was pooped and had to get a nap in! :lol:


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

I got all the sand spread and hit it with water. Now it's the waiting game. Here is all the piles around the lawn.





I spread the sand around using a level lawn tool on the known low spots. All the others piles were just knocked down then I ran a drag mat over the entire lawn.



The guys have all the forms in for the patio and walkway. Concrete pump and hose are ready and in location for the pour tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see how it comes out.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

The boys kicked *** again!!! Everyone was here and ready at 6am. First truck was here at 7am. I'll show off some more pics tomorrow of how the stamped concrete came out.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Concrete came out sweet! Here's a shot of the front driveway at the shop





In the back for the patio and the walkway I went with a stamped concrete. The guys did a awesome job :thumbup:







And a shot of the progress the turf is making after the sand leveling.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Sand leveling update! I ran the drag over the lawn again to help settle and work the sand down into the turf. I'm still hitting it with water every other day. Temps are up in the 100's


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

I went ahead and ran the drag around again. Worked a few spots with the level lawn. Looks to be coming right along.



The turkeys are out already. They must be loving all the green, water, and insects. LOL


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## Trader Jay (Dec 14, 2020)

How is the Rio Bermuda looking now in December?


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## dslab (Oct 18, 2017)

Similar question to @Trader Jay, how did the lawn do Aug - December? A few years ago I seeded about 10,000 sq ft of Jubilee Bermuda seed. I have been very happy with it. I put in a pool and tore up a portion of the lawn and was going to do more Jubilee seed, but it sounds like the "Rio" is what they are recommending for me now!


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

@Trader Jay @dslab What a crazy and wild year!!! Sorry for falling off the planet but between the construction, getting married, and this pandemic the lawn journal took the backseat. I went through my phone and could only find a few pics of the lawn progress. Pics are from Aug. 28





All the quail approve!!!


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Thank you 2021!!!! Here is to getting back in the saddle. Pics of the lawn today.





With the lawn not even a year old yet I got a good stand of turf to start with. Still have a long way to go and lots to do. This year the main objectives will be.

1.) Now with the patio, fence, and sprinklers done and dialed in. I can make a for sure call on the defined lawn area.

2.) Seed the bare spots with the left over seed. (Curious on how well it will germinate after sitting around for months)

3.) Really push this thing. I'm going to lean on the turf this year to push growth and see it spread. (Here comes the N)

4.) Try and get this compaction under control. I'll be doing another round of core aeration to see what a year of root growth, irrigation, and bio stims have done. (the pulled cores will tell all!)

That's all for now. Cheers to another great year out in the lawn!!!


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Spring Scalp is Done. What a difference two weeks makes. We are on the way to green up. Looks like I have some trouble areas of brown patch/ spring dead spot. I'll just plan on fertilizing right trough it, no biggie. Lets see how quick this cultivar will green up after its first ever winter.


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## Hozer62 (May 28, 2019)

Well after a few rains and some nights near freezing this is how progress is going.





Time to hit with a round of fertilizer. More updates to come


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