# Joe C's Lawn Journal - New Construction Fall 21 Reno - Front Lawn (Complete)



## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Greetings - My first post. I stumbled across TLF while I was searching for reno ideas. Been lurking here for a few weeks, additionally watching lots of the mainstream YouTube lawn care content. My situation seems unique to me, but to those experienced folks here, probably not. Perhaps your wisdom can help steer me in the right direction. Regardless, this is better than keeping a Google Keep log, so here goes:

Front Lawn Reno, Back Lawn Overseed (not a subject of attention at the moment)
Front Lawn Total sqft 4500

Built a new home during the pandemic, moved in Feb 2021. Middlesex County of CT. New development, 10 homes, 2 homes completed in 2019 (Their lawns look OK, perhaps Tier 1). Was farmland. We were house 8 of 10, they have poured the foundation for the final (10th) home. No one has a driveway paved yet, and the final road + sidewalks wont be completed until late 2022 (earliest).

Contractor seeded with Pennington Contractors Mix in late May 2021. Mix consisted of:
32% Applaud II Perennial Ryegrass
14% PPE_C2[Illegible] Annual Ryegrass
2.75% Other Crop Seed
50% Coating Material
1% Inert Metter
0.25% Weed Seed

As I've learned about PRG, it makes sense that contractors would use this mix - Get the grass up quick. My father told me to put down starter fertilizer, he at the time was all I knew about lawn care. My newer neighbors were surprised at how nice my lawn was looking (it looked like crap IMO). Only the first 2 homes have decent lawns (Tier 1?), the others are 80% weeds including myself. The Annual Ryegrass obviously died. Our specific lot had LOTS of ledge, soil is very rocky. Contractor did not put any screened topsoil, so I have tons of rocks, many within 4 inches of the soil, a few of them being as large as a catchers mitt. I began to notice areas where the grass was not growing, and after taking a pickaxe to the soil...ledge. After examining the soil and performing a ribbon test, it appears I have clay loam or silty clay loam.

I needed to do something about this. I want a nice lawn. Front yard is slope-y, about 1.75:1 slope ratio
*Goal: Tier 2*

*Here's what I have done so far:*
July 2021 - Got blessing from significant other
July 2021 - Installed an underground DIY Irrigation system, 2 zones, Orbit Blue lock with Saturn III heads (6) for front, and 
RainBird 32ETI with 32sa heads (4) on the side. BHyve Wifi Hub/Values for both. Water pressure is 55psi, 6GPM.
July 2021 - Performed a soil test. Surprisingly, PH is 6.2. Very low P and K Clay loam or silty clay loam. 
July 2021 - Ordered SS5000 Sunny Mixture from SuperseedStore.
8/1/2021 - Applied Glysophate using a pump sprayer with surfactant and blue dye.
*8/6/2021 *- The lawn looks primarily dead now, I see the areas I have missed. See photos. I'm continuing to water to bring out weeds.
8/6/2021 - Realized I could should have used liquid soil loosener from SLS, but bottle says I need to wait a month, too late...
8/6/2021 - Areas of the lawn where grass or weeds did not grow, I'm using a pickaxe like a madman and will continue to find that the builder put some of the ledge there. Continuing to remove large rocks.

*Here's my plan now:*
8/8/21 - 2nd Round of Gly. Continuing to rake rocks and clean up debris.
8/14/21 - Apply SLS Soil Hume. Continue to water.
8/15/21 - 3rd Round of Gly
8/27/21 - Scalp lawn with mower. (Ego Power+ Rotary 56V, brand new.) Bag Debris and dead clippings. Hope I don't ruin my blades with the rocks. 
*8/28/21 *- Core Aeration 
- Removal / Raking of cores
- Spread peat moss as topdressing over holes (to add organic matter, not for seed cover)
- Take delivery of topsoil or topsoil mixed with compost, hopefully 2" ($$), spread and level using a lawn leveler.
- Roll using a rented roller from Home Depot
*8/29/21 - Seed Down. SS5000. 60% KBG, 20% Radar Chewings Fescue, 20% Grand Slam PRG*
- Roll using rented roller from Home Depot
- Friend coming over (lawn care nut) to spray Tenacity with backpack sprayer.
- Install Curlex I Erosion Control Blankets, staking with biodegradable stakes, tight. I cant risk losing my seed. Gutters pose a problem and cause erosion.

8/29 and beyond: Water 4 times a day depending on weather. Continue to follow g-man reno guide. Not sure about starter fertilizer. Sort of want to wait until germination, then spread SLS 3-18-18 due to low P and K, but I'm spreading new topsoil, so unsure where to go from here.

Anyways, most of these photos as of 8/6. Dirt photos are from earlier to show erosion concerns.

Cheers folks!


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Welcome to TLF

I think you should hire someone with a Harley rake and grade the property. The rake can help to remove the large rocks. You also likely need a lot more soil. The right side of the house by the garage is a big hill.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

They did use a power rake (assuming it's the same as a Harley rake) and leveled before seeding, however no gutters for a couple months + erosion caused issues.

8/8 - Asking the builders if they can power rake it again. They didn't do much by the street as 12ft from the street will have a curb, sidewalk, and grass strip. Will be installed next year (hopefully).


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

8/10 - Applied round 2 of gly around 6pm. Let the dog out around 10:15, and found a single white mushroom had grown in a matter of 4 hours. I look at my yard carefully multiple times a day, and this thing was definitely not here when I was out here spraying. I don't have great soil as shown by a soil test. But this particular area is where I'm testing some bluegrass. I have thrown some coffee grounds and potting soil in this small area, so perhaps the organic material led to the perfect conditions. Additionally, my clay loam soil doesn't drain well and stays wet for a fairly long time. Cool photo, taken with Google Pixel 4 XL. I don't know why I'm so interested in seeing this lol.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

8/15 - Dead lawn stripes? Removed some dead material from the side Lawn (1400sq ft)and bagged them. Scratched up the ground to loosen the dead crabgrass, dead crabgrass is thick!


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

8/16 - Builders gave me some unscreened topsoil. I sifted by hand, like a madman, using a wheelbarrow approx. 1.5 yards of topsoil. The lawn leveling rake really makes a difference and was a great investment. Watered the lawn as I've most likely introduced new weed seeds to the mix. Sprinkler heads are away from the driveway and house because I'm not exactly sure where the driveway will be (don't want machinery to cause damage) and I'm adding some landscaping on the side of the home. I'll probably need to go 360 on them until those projects are done. The car could use a wash anyway.

Still have 3500sq of front yard to fill holes and erosion spots. Did I take on too large of a project?


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

joec-ct said:


> Did I take on too large of a project?


You are posting on TLF and have your own journal. The only answer to that question is "no project is too large". :lol:


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

8/17 - Yesterday I watered after leveling the side yard. Today around 6pm I noticed this area was still fairly wet.

*I think it could be one of the following:
*
- It's shaded by the house and roof eve 
- There's poor drainage in this area, debris from build or lots of rocks underneath
- Leak in my irrigation

These builders threw beer cans, extra siding, insulation, all kinds of junk around the yard and buried it  , I'm leaning towards that. The irrigation tubing is less that 2 months old and 8in deep, that would be a really bad leak problem and my heads would suffer in water pressure (but that's not happening).


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

I think #1 and 2. Also, check the grade away from the house. You can see the good pitch towards the street, but make sure it pitches away from the house, too. When it rains, the gutter tube at the back of the house, in the photo, could build up water alongside the house, before it it sheds towards the street.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@Chris LI Great point, it is pitching towards the street but not 'away and towards' Added more topsoil at the top and graded.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

8/22 - Aerated yesterday, Hurricane Henri today. Hoping this is a good thing, the holes have filled with water.

Tried to stop some erosion in my trouble spots, especially the front middle of the lawn. Laid down some tarps in the front and plastic on the side yard. I ran out of plastic, and obviously there is trenching closer to the street, but I can fix it.

Not too concerned about the areas close to the street as they will be putting in 1ft of curb, 4ft of grass boulevard, and 5ft of sidewalk next year. I am still planting grass here for now so it doesn't look weird, but it will get torn up. This will reduce my yard sq in the front, which I'm happy about, less to manage.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I would go to Lowes/hd and get a couple of downpour connections. Route the water flow thru the driveway/gravel. The way it shows in the image, water will screw up your soil again. This will be something temporary until grass grows.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@g-man Brilliant, thx. Can't believe I missed something so simple.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

HD had 3 non-perforated tubes left. These will be handy in the future as well. Partial crisis averted.


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

It will be a lifesaver on those heavy rains. I've done the same temporary drainage down the sides of my house until the reno is more established.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

2 Week forecast had partly sunny weather showing for this Saturday, 8/28. I've checked the weather each day and it remained the same until this morning. Now a chance of thunderstorms. I'm expecting delivery of 10yrds of topsoil that morning, not sure I'll be able to get it spread, seeded, and covered with erosion blankets in time.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

8/26 - Applied 3rd and final round of gly. The lawn is so dead, it's ready for Halloween.

Tomorrow I plan to remove debris, look for and pull out any additional rocks that are popping out beneath the surface, fill and tamp those holes. Since I have topsoil coming, I'm not too too concerned about this but it will make things easier come Saturday.

*Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to fallow my delivered topsoil. My lesson learned here is not to schedule the spreading of new topsoil, leveling and seeding in the same day. * I could have had the topsoil delivered back in July, but that was when I was still learning about lawn care. I am now too late to wait and will just have to deal with any weeds at the first safest time to do so, post emergent. I will be spraying tenacity at seeding, so hopefully it should take care of most of the issues.

I never had an established lawn to begin with that I could take care of and learn. I moved into this house, they seeded with junk, I didn't know what lawn care was besides my dad telling me about lime, and I had 60% crabgrass. Although I'm a newbie, I am still doing a "reno."

Plans changed a bit with weather and folks helping. Saturday will be dedicated to spreading the soil, leveling, and applying SLS Root Hume. Sunday will be raking, seeding, covering.

*Here's a cool picture of me and pops back in early july *when we were installing my irrigation system and using the trencher. And what the lawn looked like:


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

I didn't really fallow my soil the way I wanted to either but I think you'll be fine with the tenacity and hand pulling anything that gets through. Reading past journals on here has taught me that no amount of fallowing or tenacity is gonna keep the weeds out. There are people with massive poa infestations that stuck to the plan and now are in amazing shape. The most important part is taking the time to get the grade you want and worry about the easy weeds later!


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@lbb091919 Thank you! Tomorrow is the day, getting some good sleep and eating a huge breakfast. Maybe if I do any renovations in the backyard (future), I'll do a full fallowing. Cheers.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

8/28 - *10 Yards of topsoil delivered.* Can tell this is high quality loam. Native soil is very red (silty clay loam). You can *see the difference *in the photos. This is a dark loamy soil with organic materials, tiny twigs, and tiny green balls which appear to be fertilizer (N?). Interesting. Very happy I decided to bring in topsoil.

Had some help from a neighbor and friend, it took about 8 hours to dump, spread, and rake. Soil was screened to 5/8" inch, some tiny pebbles but the lawn rake helped catch some of the debris - was pushed to the bottom and sides. Spread the soil heavier in areas that will actually be my lawn. Down by the mailbox was much thinner, it's getting torn up anyway with curb, sidewalk and boulevard installation. Overall successful day!


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Wow, that's a lot of progress in a short amount of time. Rocks to topsoil, pronto! It looks like seed down is imminent. :nod:


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Wow man you guys did work! That soil looks like some nice material. Were you able to get the seed down yesterday?


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@lbb091919 Yes!

8/29 - *Seed down.* SS5000 Superseed. Another full day.

- Prepped the area, marked sprinkler heads
- Friend brought over a SunJoe to make some grooves in the soil
- Lightly raked the seed
- Applied 12-12-12 Yard Mastery starter
- Friend had 1/4 bag leftover of Milo, spread that out very thinly
- Rolled with lawn roller filled about 1/3 with water. It was heavy enough lol.
- *Tenacity down*
- Covered the main sloped area with Curlex I blankets. Ran out of stakes, ordered more, doing that Tuesday (hopefully that's ok)
- Covered the rest of the areas with Peat Moss using friend's Lanzie roller, spot filled with hand sifting. That thing is awesome. 
Used about 7 bales.
- Everything came out great!

*Other notes:*

- Sprinkler coverage 
The future sidewalk area is watering thin. Since my heads spin 360 on the main area, 15 minutes of watering doesn't get a lot of water in those areas. Additionally, heads don't reach to the driveway. With 6GPM water flow, I will probably have to change the nozzles from .75GPM to 1GPM on my 6 Orbit Saturn III heads. I don't exactly know how wide the driveway will be yet.

- The Curlex blankets are designed to stay in place, let grass grow through them, and they will dissolve naturally. I know that if I try to get them up I could risk losing KBG, read some horror stories.

- Again my only concern is walking on the mats on Tuesday to put more stakes down. Only 2 of them are down really tight. Wont have germination by then anyway, so if seed does get shifted around, *I should be ok, right? * :shock:


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

very nicely done. You should be fine walking on it. When overseeding the guide actually says to have the family walk over the area to push it into the ground or drive your mower over it. lol.. you would be all good walking.

How much rain are you getting there with the storm coming in?


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@uts Local forecast says so far we're looking at 3-5 inches. Definitely going to use the long tube extensions for the gutters again.


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

I will say you did a excellent job you really couldn't ask for better. Now comes the nerve wracking part waiting for germination and dealing with the sometimes cruel mother nature she has a tendency to throw the ball high and inside.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

M32075 said:


> I will say you did a excellent job you really couldn't ask for better. Now comes the nerve wracking part waiting for germination and dealing with the sometimes cruel mother nature she has a tendency to throw the ball high and inside.





joec-ct said:


> @uts Local forecast says so far we're looking at 3-5 inches. Definitely going to use the long tube extensions for the gutters again.


That is exactly what I am scared of as well. 3" of rain on a slope can become a wash out very fast.


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

Washout is possible for sure hopefully no thunder storms then maybe you can escape it. But the good news if it happens it's early in the game for a reseeding in the area. You have extra seed?


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@M32075 I have 5 pounds left, so about 1000sq ft of cover..

SSS is sold out. Now what? More Blankets? Plastic? Something I need to buy at HD?


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

I'm thinking complete the job with more blankets but not really positive I never dealt with a sloped property on a renovation. Hopefully someone with more knowledge can help


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@uts Just saw the last few posts of your journal, and you're in CT. Are you getting tarps to cover it? What should we do?


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Since I'm out of blankets and concerned about the side lawn, I may try this product which I can get tomorrow. The only thing I don't know is if this tackifier mulch is better than just buying tarps. I need to cover about 1200sq feet of un-blanketed seeds. I've already top dressed with peat moss, less than 1/4", but I almost don't care if the seed is too deep underneath, I'd rather have it in place than wash away.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Pennington-Slopemaster-30-lb-Soil-Tackifier-Erosion-Control/1000775706


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Blankets would be better, but the Slopemaster should help. I have their previous product which was decent. If it is similar, the pellets expand when moistened, so be sure to wet it before the rains come. Tarps would probably be best, but cost prohibitive. Harbor Freight would probably be the best option, or get the largest, thickest mil plastic drop cloths from HD or Lowes.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@Chris LI Thanks. I'm on the hunt Tomorrow.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

How did your search/prep go?


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

joec-ct said:


> @Chris LI Thanks. I'm on the hunt Tomorrow.





joec-ct said:


> @uts Just saw the last few posts of your journal, and you're in CT. Are you getting tarps to cover it? What should we do?


Don't call me crazy..





I had the second one which I used to cover the sand when Henri came. It's 25x35 I think. It's from harbor freight. You always find a use for tarps so I would not hesitate to invest in it.

The second I just bought on Facebook marketplace. It's 60x40 and will protect where my downspout comes out as a pop up and where most of the water puddles at the end. This will help keep some stuff dry.

If I can I will get another one tomorrow and cover the leftover stuff.


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Whatever it takes! Just make sure you secure those edges the best you can


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

uts said:


> joec-ct said:
> 
> 
> > @Chris LI Thanks. I'm on the hunt Tomorrow.
> ...


Not only are you crazy but you're my hero of the day.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@Chris LI Went to Harbor Freight and got huge tarps to cover the side yard. The front yard is mainly OK since I have the erosion blankets covering 80% of it. My neighbor gave me EZ Straw which I'm debating putting down, I might put that down by the street since I "care less" about that area.

I have 20' gutter leads that will spill gutter water into the driveway. Can't control if the gutters overflow but they are clear of debris. I flew the drone up to check 

I'll be setting up tomorrow morning and will post pics of that after. Weather update pics below shows my area, &*($&#*!

The area from my planting bed to the start of the blankets I'm debating on tarp or EZ Straw, not entirely sure but I need to decide soon.

@uts I feel much better about my plan! I thought I was crazy too...let's get this over with fellas. @M32075 100% Agree, and that's a MASSIVE tarp.

Fingers crossed fellas!


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Nice! &#129310; for you.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Rain started this morning around 7am here. Got outside to spread tarps, add gutter extensions and some EZ straw in low spots, and common erosion areas. The side yard I think will hold up, it's the gutter leads that caused issues in the past. Put the gutter lead on top of the tarp and it's feeding down into a swale between me and my neighbors yard. Contractor is still fixing his yard.


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Failure is not an option!! I think you're going to be just fine with this setup.

Looks like the neighbor is doing a reno too :lol:


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@lbb091919 He is. He has less work to do as he hired a local lawn care guy to do the seeding/fertilizing. We did split 20 yards of topsoil and spread it ourselves.

My other neighbor wants to kill his lawn - what did I get myself into? :lol:


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

With the luxury of working from home, I'm able to monitor for any damage. Rain has subsided a bit. It's drizzling now. The side area where there is no tarp coverage has started to form tiny rivers and the water made its way into the tarp. I see seed.

The heaviest part of the storm is yet to come. Might go get another tarp.


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## Kmartel (Feb 12, 2019)

These weekly storms are a killer! I am on my third tropical storm remnants since seed down on 8/14 in southern Maine! About to start raining in the next hour or two. 2-4" predicted. Good luck !!!


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

We were OK until it really came down around 6:30-7 pm. I hope your setup is holding up OK. It looked really good from the photos.


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

Im thinking from the setup minimal washout at least I'm hoping so


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

*IDA'S AFTERMATH*
_"If I spread dollar bills all over the yard, rolled and covered with peat moss, would they germinate?"_ - Joe C -Michael Scott

*Side Yard:* Lots of wash out. I could probably rake the upper area. The lower area I will need to fill the trenches and reseed.









*Front Yard*: Held up well. Peeked under the blankets, seed is in place! *I can't recommend these blankets enough if you have any sloped areas.* Tarps helped too, kept the peat moss down, you can clearly see where I didn't have a tarp by the pole, that area washed.





*Upper Front/Side Area:* More trenches, didn't lose as much peat moss, pretty easy to fix



I have enough seed to cover another 1k sq feet, so I should be fine. I'm just super bummed about the side yard. I should have bought blankets for the whole yard. What I spent on peat moss for the side yard is the same price as a 4x100ft blanket.

_"Love Is The Death Of Duty."_ - Jon Snow


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Man, the renos this year have just been getting hammered. It's almost like there is no such thing as a light rainfall anymore. Either feast or famine with the precipitation. Give it some time to dry out and it'll be easier to work with. Marathon, not a sprint, you will get there.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

The blankets did a super job. Let it dry and you should be done in an hour or two. Hoping to see some germination in a day or two!!!&#129321;


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

I'm glad to see it held up fairly well to the pummeling Ida doled out. Hopefully, it won't be too much work for you to get it whipped back into shape and we see some seed pop soon.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

*9/3 - Repair*

- Took all the clumped up peat moss, ez straw, and seed and let it dry on a mat for a day. The seed was not germinated yet, and I didn't want to toss it.



- Fixed the side area as quickly and as best as I could and re-leveled. I knew germination was soon. Flattened both side areas with some scotts topsoil, which is primarily mulch, and crap. :twisted:



- Threw down seed in areas that washed out at half the application rate (2lb per 1k).

- Sifted the clumped peat moss, straw, and seed, and spread it back on top, by hand. *Hope this works.*


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

*9/4 - Germination*

Baby grass coming up! Surprised even the repaired areas are sprouting. I need to only fix by the street now as that was all washed out. Overall, I'm pretty happy!


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

You got this! Great idea to let everything dry out and re-spread. And then babies to top it off.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

joec-ct said:


> *9/4 - Germination*
> 
> Baby grass coming up! Surprised even the repaired areas are sprouting. I need to only fix by the street now as that was all washed out. Overall, I'm pretty happy!


Super job dude!! Congratulations!


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@uts @lbb091919 
Thanks guys! Just water, wait, watch. Will continue with Reno guide, I'm sure I'll have questions along the way.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

*9/6 DAS: 8 | DAG: 3*

*Applied SLS Root Hume *using hose end sprayer before rains last night. That stuff stains, it stained the erosion blankets :lol:

Yesterday it was hard to see the grass growing through the mats, blends in with the green. Today I can see the grass without having to squat down.


As expected, areas that did not have covering during Ida are thinner. As read in other journals, "You'll be surprised what comes up." I'll be patient.





Side area by the street is killing me. It's so hard to stop this trenching every time it rains. Shouldn't be a problem after lawn is established, but some of the topsoil I had graded away and down washed away. Tempted to get more topsoil, but then I'd be covering seed.

The smaller bumps and valleys I can fix next year with some leveling. It was perfect before the storm 



.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Grass babies!!! :yahoo:

Keep up the good work. Many renos suffer setbacks, but will recover. I would keep scouting daily and add a little seed 1-2x per week for the next couple of weeks in the thin spots you can reach without walking on it. The kbg might take awhile to germinate, so just use a little seed on the thin areas, so you don't overcrowd it. It is amazing how it will slowly fill in during the fall. Also, if you don't already have a Pro Plugger, pick one up. It will be helpful in the spring to transplant into any bare areas.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Thank you @Chris LI. It's hard for me to identify which are the KBG babies, if there are any. I definitely see some tiny ones next to the taller blades (assuming rye).

Pro plugger is definitely on my wish list!


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

DAS 9
DAG 4

*LEAK IN IRRIGATION*
I discovered a leak in my irrigation, in the front yard near where sidewalk will be.

What I initially thought was the drain area actually appears to be a puncture or separation in the line. It may have happened when we took the SUN Joe scarifier to make groves in the soil before seeding. Either way, I need to fix it.

My question is:

*Should I fix it now? Or wait until the grass grows and hand water for now?
*
Fixing it now I'll make a mess and distrub the erosion mat and disturb the area.

Blue line is the irrigation line.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

How many sprinklers are in the zone? If it's a small zone then hand watering might not be a bad idea but of it's a main section with a few heads then I would not hesitate to make a nice sharp hole and have a small tarp/mat with you to keep everything on and replace back. Stand on a mat as well. Leave nothing anywhere.

There is no huge rains coming in either so I wouldn't worry too much of the blankets.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@uts This is the main zone, front area, there's 6 sprinklers covering the entire front yard. My concern with the mats is when I pull that section up, it could de-root some grass. I also have to assume I accurately find the source, there could be a foot or two of discrepancy.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Get a knife and cut the blanket section out.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Found the issue quickly. My stupid mistake. One of my mat stakes punctured the poly irrigation line. Fixed with a coupler, patched and seeded. Lesson learned.


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Glad you found it quickly and it was an easy fix. You'll never notice that spot once it's all filled in


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

How deep are those lines?


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

@joec-ct you were not able to get the soil out in good size pieces?


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@g-man *8 inches.* Where this part of the line is: *6in.* There is ledge underneath. Stakes are 5in, soil is looser here and I hammered down as far as I could. House was built on all ledge. We have radon.

@uts I did have some small grass blades I placed on top, but this area was thin due to the leakage.

At first I thought the water running down was actually the drain valve, but thought it was odd because the drain is the lowest/deepest point. Drain valve is about 5 feet left of the leak, another giveaway. Could have caught this about 5 days sooner.

*The good news*: Grass is growing well under the blankets. After digging saw some nice roots forming.

Thought it would be hard to do with this clay. Aeration and topsoil helped.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

*DAS:10 | DAG:5*

This mix is 60% ***. I'm assuming the tallest plants I currently have are the Rye, so that's 20%. The other 20% is FF. *I can't tell the difference at infancy between the FF and KBG.*

Some of the rye plants are already at 3". KBG is pouting. Areas that appear to the eye as "thin" are mostly where KBG (and maybe FF) plants are tiny.

Starting to think (just think!) about that first mow. *At what point would it be OK to tread lightly with the manual reel?* I have to buy/borrow a manual reel, not taking out the Ego until 3rd or 4th mow.

I'm in conflict because the storm washed out some areas and I lightly re-seeded 6 days ago, so those areas are young.



Tenacity caused some bleaching in this particular area (assuming the FF is bleaching?) where the end of the planting bed begins. So friend who sprayed tenacity 'started' spraying the next line here.



*Also, is this plant perennial rye? *It looks like a weed but there is tillering and I know some rye can be 4mm wide. I see several of these.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

*DAS:11 | DAG:6 | DARepair1: 6 | DAR2: 0*

Really frustrated. Really disappointed. 1.3 Inches of rain last night, and rain about to start again. I'm losing this battle with the side yard. This entire front/side yard, every square inch needs erosion blankets, period.

I hope the blades that are laying flat recover. Window is closing or *pretty much closed *on reseeding with any KBG.

*...I could *wait and see what happens
*...I could *go buy Grand Slam PRG for the side lawn for this year and reno again next year with blankets
*...I could* throw down more seed, but I can't walk on it, so I'd be throwing it


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

That side yard still has the same original problem. There is no path for the downspouts to get the water to the street, so it is making it's own path. You removed the water from one downspout to the driveway, but all the water from the other one is making a channel.

I think you need to address the water path problems first. The blankets could help, but I would create a small channel at the property line from the back to the street. Make a path for the water so it doesnt cut thru in front of the tree.

Drop more seeds and maybe the slope master stuff from lowes. I think it will be cheaper than blankets. It has mulch + tackifier.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Sorry to hear about the downpour. I would definitely spread more kbg seed now. You're not past the window, yet. We're a little warmer than your area, but I had a situation where I had to seed late September/early October a few years ago, with kbg and I was ok. It was slow going, but filled in with spoonfeeding. Get a manual hand spreader (not Wizz) for the perimeter and tape a broomstick to some kind of small scoop to cast the seed further towards the middle. I would save the prg seed to mix with kbg, if you need to reseed a last time, in a couple of weeks.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

I woke up this morning and I saw some of the spots in my front to be particularly wet. Didnt realize it rained that much last night. Il check my rain guage and see. Sprinklers are off today I guess.

Your 2nd and 4th picture and decent for this time frame. I really think with the clear skies coming ahead you will be okay. It might be thin going into the winter and coming out of spring but you can always push it then.

The first picture kind of concerns me a little. If I were you I would put down PRG in that section only.

Once the grass starts to go dormant in late fall I would dig and bury those pipes like g-man said. You can always reno that small section later if you want but the *** will eventually thicken if you feed and you will get some dieoff of the PRG from the winter.

Edit 1: Considering you have irrigation you can always do a spring reno. Yes, you will need to water more through summer but you will get what you want.


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

+1 to g-man's comment. That water has no place to go

Take that back corner downspout and route it down the side of the house to the driveway. You could even "Y" it into the front corner downspout so there aren't two pipes going down the driveway.


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

At this point I would concentrate on your main front lawn it's looking good and save your extra seed for any hick ups that come. The small side plot just keep it moist see what happens. If it works out fantastic if not you have plenty of time to do a quick PRG over seed then next spring figure out your down spout situation like possibly having the driveway contractor run it underground to the street or the backyard he has all the equipment for the job then next fall renovation for that area


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Thanks all for the support. I talked to my neighbor, going to dig a swale for the water to flow down between our yards.
@g-man Absolutely. I thought I remediated by extending the pipe in the back, but there's a low spot that spikes towards the tree. 
@Chris LI I will try that or make some sort of contraption. Additionally since I'll have planting beds along side the house, I'm not too too concerned with walking carefully along the house.
@uts Yeah, I thought about spring. It wouln't be a full reno so perhaps I can get some grass to fill in any bare spots. Of course I keep reading that Spring doesn't work, but I won't be doing any damage. If I end up needing to seed in spring, then I'll have to use Tenacity instead of prodiamine for pre-e.
@M32075 I have 3lbs of seed left. I can put down 2lbs and save 1lb. I contacted SSS on getting some more mix, estimated is mid-sept, but if they have a date I'll like that. The town did not approve underground gutter pipes that lead to the street, but I could have the driveway pavers make a concave "U" shape on the side of the driveway and let the water run down.

*Analysis and proposal for today:*
Dig and create a swale to rest the pipe in, continue around the property line and then down towards the street.


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Looks like a solid plan for now. Home Depot sells corrugated pipe tape for the connections so they wont leak. It's basically 2" wide electrical tape.


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

lbb091919 said:


> Looks like a solid plan for now. Home Depot sells corrugated pipe tape for the connections so they wont leak. It's basically 2" wide electrical tape.


That's good to know thanks


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

It sounds like a plan. You likely dont need more than 1in of depth to channel the water. It will help you long term with moving water away from the house and being able to mow after a rain. I do think you need to start the swale all the way from the back. You have a small hill and all that water is coming down from your hill and the neighbor. I would even consider a swale parallel to the hill and at the bottom of the hill to move the water from the hill to the left or right of your house. This will prevent all that water from getting into your backyard.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@g-man That is true, I just dug up early photos of finished grade (before power rake) taken with Drone... you can see the low spots where water ran. Need those 2 swales or my backyard will be soaked. Maybe a french drain. Goal was to eventually reel mow the side or maybe the back. More distant future.

If you told me when I was 17 years old if I was going to care about erosion and water flow, I would have laughed at you.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

lbb091919 said:


> Looks like a solid plan for now. Home Depot sells corrugated pipe tape for the connections so they wont leak. It's basically 2" wide electrical tape.


Thanks - I'll pick some up!


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

*DAS:14 | DAG: 9

FRONT LAWN*

Front lawn is growing taller. Area on top that had tarp is starting to fill in more. I'm around 2.5 - 3 inches. Can't really tell how much it has filled in because of KBG. More could be under the mats.
Thinking about first mow. Have a Great States manual reel mower getting delivered Tuesday 9/14.

*Is it time to mow this? Reel mower highest HOC is 2.5" Worried about puffs in the mats and the reel getting tangled in the mats. Use rotary instead?*

Photo below. The area with no mats by the street was washed out and re-seeded twice. Can easily avoid when mowing by mowing east to west. *The dog? *That's Molly, our Goldendoodle. She's 5.


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

That is looking really good, even in the areas without the mats! I'd stick with the manual reel no doubt. I have never used those mats, nor do I know the consistency of them, but if you have ever ran over any type of netting/mesh with a rotary mower you know how much of a pain that is to clear off the underbody and spindle of the mower. Not too mention the force that it would be pulling that netting up with. You'd be running the risk of tearing immature blades out with it. At least with the manual reel it's gentle enough that even if it gets tangled, there is no suction to rip out a big section of grass.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@jskierko Very true. OK, I'll try the reel and see how it goes. I'm going to tread as lightly as possible. I have a pair of old Allbirds I'm going to wear for this first mow. Mower is 20lbs. Low availability on grass catchers, but I could use a blower and blow off clippings from the mats.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

*SIDE YARD*

DAS:14 | DAG: 9 | DARepair1: 10 | DAR2: 2

Called a local landscape company to come install french drains at the base of the hill in the backyard. The pipe will run down to the street, and catch my front and 2 side gutters + my neighbor's gutters before ending in the street drain. This will hopefully *resolve my water problems.*

For now, I dug a short trench to allow water to flow from the hill + gutter between our yards and down to the street. So I can now continue without the worry about a 3rd washout.

Repaired the side yard, seeded at half rate 2lbs per 1k, threw down Pennington Slope Master. Thanks @g-man for the recommendation on that product.

*NOTE:* These photos are my temporary solution until I get quote back from landscape company.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

You have a small area, you could just rent a trencher from HD and go to town yourself. You will save some major dough as long as you get your slope right. There are lots of videos on youtube for these.


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## zeroibis (Sep 28, 2020)

Just wanted to check that the Erosion Control Blankets are the ones from DeWitt that you can buy at HD or Lowes correct?

It looks to me like you got great results with them, do you agree?

My entire back yard is on a slope and it goes even steeper in parts than yours does. Looking for a decent cost effective solution to keeping the seed down.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@zeroibis Yes they are Dewitt. Another company that makes them is A.M. Leonard. 
You can buy them at HD or Lowes but I had a hard time with availability. I got mine from Zoro, they shipped UPS and I got them next day: 
https://www.zoro.com/dewitt-erosion-control-blanket-4-ft-x-1125-ft-aec-segrn4/i/G8598466/

There are 2 kinds. Curlex I and II, I believe Zoro only has I (which is what I have). If you have a steeper slope, you might want to consider Curlex II. These have a 'double' fishnet.
These I found on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/M-Leonard-Er...ld=1&keywords=Curlex+II&qid=1631621961&sr=8-5

I've witnessed first hand how great these things are so I highly recommend them. They can survive heavy rains and wind and prevent erosion, holding your seed in place. This would be your covering instead of peat moss.

They need to be installed properly and staked down. My front yard has 400 biodegradable stakes. They are spaced about every 20" apart. Make sure you look at the markings on the blanket. There is a paint strip that indicates the beginning of the blanket, and there's a sticker that shows the direction of the blanket unroll. Be vary careful when you unpack and start to unravel, lightly pull them back.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@uts Normally I would do this myself. However, it's a bigger job. To grab my front gutter, I need to tear up my walkway and go underneath the stone in the driveway. With 6 gutters total (including neighbors) plus water from the hill, we need a 6" pipe which would require a wide trench. Also the 6" pipe is going to be drilled into the street basin, 2 feet down. I'm definitely not doing that, lol.


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## gregonfire (Sep 18, 2017)

Just catching up on your journal. Wow what a stressful few weeks it's been for you lol. Welcome to the world of lawn renovations! Everything will work out fine in the long run so don't stress out too much.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@gregonfire Thanks for the reinforcement! It has been stressful and physically exhausting. I could stress about having multiple germination timelines to juggle but I'm just going to be patient lol.

Not sure if I need to ask this question in Cool Season forum but I'm looking to get some feedback on when to start mowing over the mats with the manual reel.

*I've heard 2 conflicting things:
1. Don't mow right now, wait for more KBG to catch up so you don't disturb the KBG.
2. Mow right now to allow more light through as the FF and PRG are starting to shade out the KBG.*

*What are everyone's thoughts?*_ FF and PRG seem to be around 3-4 inches. HOC Max on Reel is 2.5"_


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## gregonfire (Sep 18, 2017)

joec-ct said:


> @gregonfire Thanks for the reinforcement! It has been stressful and physically exhausting. I could stress about having multiple germination timelines to juggle but I'm just going to be patient lol.
> 
> Not sure if I need to ask this question in Cool Season forum but I'm looking to get some feedback on when to start mowing over the mats with the manual reel.
> 
> ...


I did #2 with my reno. I think I waited about 3 weeks or so. Grass was about 3-4", cut it down to 2" over a couple mows. Not sure how the blankets will affect it though, I didn't use them.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

Waiting for an update on this.


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## zeroibis (Sep 28, 2020)

joec-ct said:


> @zeroibis Yes they are Dewitt. Another company that makes them is A.M. Leonard.
> You can buy them at HD or Lowes but I had a hard time with availability. I got mine from Zoro, they shipped UPS and I got them next day:
> https://www.zoro.com/dewitt-erosion-control-blanket-4-ft-x-1125-ft-aec-segrn4/i/G8598466/
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info also good to know about the fast arability from zoro. What I will likely do is a top dressing of peat moss then seed and put everything else down and then apply the seed blanket. From what I can see the worst slope in my yard is about what yours is in your worst area so I should be good with the same ones. In my case it is a bit strange becuase half my yard is weeds and the other half is now red clay. The weed half has been aerated by moles and the clay section had all the pine shavings, needles, and english ivy mixed over a few times and is actually more of a black clay at this point from all the organic matter from the trees. Right now I just got to kill the moles, extend the sprinkler zone and level the bumps out and I am good to go. My biggest worry was my seed washing away and with all the rain you got if these worked for you they should work pretty good for me.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@zeroibis Sounds like a plan, your seed should hold in place just fine.....good luck!


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Front Lawn

DAS:18 | DAG:14
*Applications: *
8/29 - DOS 12-12-12 (.36/N 1k)
9/16 - 16-4-8(Simple Lawn Solutions)

*9/15 FIRST MOW!*

*9/15* - Forgot to take pictures yesterday after first mow. Mowed only over the matted area, upper area shown in this photo at the bottom of page still has small germination from first storm, and lower area by the street was reseeded 9/11.

HOC at 2.5" - Not very eventful, the areas that had some taller ryegrass definitely got shaved down. Not a lot of clippings at all, however most of the rye/FF is at the same height (and maybe some bluegrass lol).

*9/16 *- Applied Simple Lawn Solutions 16-4-8, a little more than half the bottle. Mats area is 2k sq feet. Light rain today and tomorrow, nice weekend coming, hoping to see a boost in growth soon....for my sanity.


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## kman6234 (Jul 29, 2021)

Congrats on your first mow!


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

The first mow is such a great feeling! It's only going to get better from here


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Thanks guys. Just seeing these messages. @uts I didnt have notifications set for when someone replies to a topic I have bookmarked, only when someone @ me. Changed that should be working now. After applying fert. the next day after mow, tomorrow or sunday i'll be mowing again, might bring it down to 2" since I probably only cut the longer blades on the first mow.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

DAS: 21 | DAG: 17
Applications:
8/29 - DOS 12-12-12 (.36/N 1k)
9/16 - 16-4-8(Simple Lawn Solutions)

FRONT LAWN 
Mowed at 2" It's filling in pretty good. Weather has been perfect.

Front by the street has good germination from reseed on 9/11.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

SIDE YARD

Top area where tarp was looking just like the front.
Bottom area has germination and some areas filling in more. Nemesis.


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## kay7711226 (Jun 24, 2020)

Nice work man! Happy grass daddy! Now the fun starts cutting emm down


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

DAS:25 | DAG:20
Applications:
8/29 - DOS 12-12-12 (.36/N 1k)
9/16 - 16-4-8(Simple Lawn Solutions)

*FRONT LAWN - Timeline*

Thought I'd put together a photo of the first 20 days or so. I am not exactly sure about the DAG for the KBG. 
Considering this is 60% KBG, I think this is filling in OK, after seeing other journals at this timeframe.
*Here is DAY 5 to DAY 20* (with 8" rain in 10 days) of the front lawn from Nest Cam.


DAY 0

DAY 5

DAY 10

DAY 15

DAY 20 (Today)


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

coverage looks great man. It will be even better when the KBG really takes off in a few days.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Outstanding results, despite the monsoons you were experiencing! :thumbsup:


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Love the time-lapse photos. When you see it every day it doesn't seem like much is happening. But those pics put it into perspective how it just chugs along. Great work!


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Looking good. Keep spoon feeding with 0.2-0.3 lbs of N/1k per week and it will really take off.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Thanks guys. Grass looks even better at dusk.

@bernstem Need to practice more with sprayer, but looking at spraying urea (foliar app) in the coming days. Considering mixing with Propi and at 1oz rate with NIS. We've had very wet nights here lately. Any advice on that?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

joec-ct said:


> Thanks guys. Grass looks even better at dusk.
> 
> @bernstem Need to practice more with sprayer, but looking at spraying urea (foliar app) in the coming days. Considering mixing with Propi and at 1oz rate with NIS. We've had very wet nights here lately. Any advice on that?


For a new reno, foliar can be tough on the grass. One option is to wash it off. If you do want a foliar applications, then stay on the low end (<0.2 lb/1k). For Propi, you don't need NIS. It is rapidly absorbed by itself. 
- If you want to do a single application, then I would do Propi at 1-2 Oz/k and Urea at 0.15 lb/k. 
- If you want to step it up (this is what I would do), then Urea at 0.25 lbs/k and irrigate it off into the soil immediately after application. Follow with a second foliar application of Propi at 1-2 Oz/k.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Thanks @bernstem. I need to step it up given the late Aug seed down and the washouts. I didnt have time to practice and mix this weekend, so I put down SLS 16-4-8 hose end sprayer which got me .1/N per 1k. Next week I'll hit it with .25 and wash off, along with the propi.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

*Backyard (Single Post)
*
Highlighting a few things here with this post. A flat yard is much easier to deal with than a hilly yard. Hitting that perfect window where there are no washouts takes some luck.

Not making a journal for backyard but just thought I'd place this here since I've had a successful overseed in the backyard. Was full of weeds and crabgrass this summer.

*All that was done in this area:
*Sprayed Tenacity + Speedzone during the first week of September. 
9/11 - Mowed to 1" with rotary and bagged.
9/12 - Rented power rake from HD, made grooves in soil. *No topsoil or peat moss.* Mowed with rotary and bagged debris.
9/12 - Overseeded (if you can call it an overseed, contractor's ryegrass was very thin here) with a TTTF blend from SSS. 
9/12 - Applied Yard Mastery 12-12-12, and some Milo. Didn't rake in seed, didn't roll. Walked all over it yes.
9/12-9/26 Watered with above ground irrigation (Melnor) + Hoses.

9/26 - *Result*. This is a photo after the 2nd mow with manual reel. Very pleased. TTTF + Flat yard was very easy.

*Lesson*: KBG on a hill is a bi&$ to establish!


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## 01Bullitt (Aug 31, 2020)

That backyard is looking amazing!


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Looking good!


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

joec-ct said:


> *Lesson*: KBG on a hill is a bi&$ to establish!


True that!


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

DAS:30 | DAG:25
Applications:
8/29 - DOS 12-12-12 (.36/N 1k)
9/16 - SLS 16-4-8(.1/N 1k
9/26 - SLS 16-4-8 (.1/N 1k)

*FRONT LAWN - Patches. Fungus, burn, or other?*

Got some rain today and light is low. It appears that there are patchy areas of very green thick lawn, and other areas that are thinner.

*It's hard to tell what is going on.* At a glace from far away, I thought the brownish areas were portions of the blankets. See Closeup C. I think the fibers are what's brown underneath.




CLOSEUP A

CLOSEUP B

CLOSEUP C

CLOSEUP D


*Any thoughts?*


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

Most of the stuff seems to be under the net. I dont see any lesions on leaves or patches of dying grass. You should be good. I would give more N weekly though, 0.25lbs and mow, mow mow. People drop 0.5-0.75lbs/ week and mow every 2 days. That's the key to get it nice and thick. You would also be coming to your second tenacity app.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

I can't tell what is going on for sure. Inspect the lawn for brown lesions on the grass in the lighter areas. Look for grass blades that are dying. FWIW, I'm not seeing much in the pictures above. Most of the brown stuff looks like the seeding mat that is loosing its green color. It is most likely just some grass more mature than others. If you see lesions, then treatment may be in order. Post up some pictures if you find anything and hopefully someone can help with disease ID, but I'm terrible at it with just pictures.

That definitely needs a mow. Back off the watering and get the soil dry enough to cut the grass. The reduced water will help reduce disease pressure. I would cut at 2-2.5 inches since you have a rotary mower.


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## kay7711226 (Jun 24, 2020)

I have something similar and guessing since we have similar grass mix and weather conditions it can be related to "melting fungus" like @bernstem said, back off the watering. May even need to not water for the next 3-4 days to let it dry out. If it's wide spread can try disease ex/Azoxy for quick treatment.


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## Perillomarc (Sep 4, 2021)

I have a similar if not the same issue going on. Seed came up wonderful and filled out great in most places. Seed barenbrug RPR and have mowed it 5 times. Been moving every other day at 3". But in a few the grass thinned out and started to yellow and even went white and died. Now I did grow my lawn with straw and part of me thinks the soil just isn't drying out in those spots so I have lightly raked out any straw that was matted on top of the soil but under the canopy. Would a consistently damp soil cause a new lawn to thin and go yellow/green and even die in some spots? Or should I be looking into fungus? By the way I haven't watered in two weeks, just 1" or so of rain over that time and temps ranging from 50-85 with no to high humidity (gotta love this CT weather)


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## Perillomarc (Sep 4, 2021)

By the way, love the lawn Reno and journal Joe. Looks greats and seems like working your way thru the issues seems to be paying off. Can't wait to see more updates. I apologize if I jacked the thread. It's just your lawn issue with the thinned off color grass os just an issue I can find a consistent answer to and I got excited someone else may be struggling with the same thing


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@uts @kay7711226 @bernstem Thanks guys! I'm going to look in other areas of the front lawn and check for a systemic issue. If you look closely at a couple blades in closeup B and C, there are brown tips. I'm going to pull some of these throughout and see if I can find anything of concern.

In regards to mowing, I have been mowing with a manual reel every 2-3 days, but this is not an even ground. I've mowed 4 times so far, and I *now feel safe enough to switch to the rotary.* That will get a better blanket mow. I honestly haven't been watering much!

@Perillomarc Not a problem my friend, this is a learning experience for me as well. From what I can tell you is constantly damp soil/blades, especially overnight + humidity is *not *favorable. Feel free to PM, would love to see what you're doing. Thanks for following along, I'm glad there's a good community here willing to help and observe/learn.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Going to be spraying urea at .25lbN/1k on Sunday, and I'm also due for Tenacity. Can I mix them in the same tank or is it too much for new grass? If I have to separate the applications, do I need to wait a few days between the two? If so which to spray first?


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

joec-ct said:


> Going to be spraying urea at .25lbN/1k on Sunday, and I'm also due for Tenacity. Can I mix them in the same tank or is it too much for new grass? If I have to separate the applications, do I need to wait a few days between the two? If so which to spray first?


The second app of tenacity is both a foliar and ground app. Its wierd because you can target current weeds with foliar and pre-em for the part that goes in the soil. If you will immediately rinse off the urea after spraying (this is what I have seen from other users on new grass) then I would do it separately. I would apply the tenacity first if you have hit the 30d germination mark.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@uts As far as timing, how long to wait after the tenacity is down to put down urea?


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

I looked back at my notes from my last reno. I was watering once a day in the afternoon and applied in the evening and ran the irrigation the next day. So you can apply in the evening and apply urea next day. Continue watering as needed. Btw the label says you should use NIS on the second app of tenacity.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Actually, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to apply Tenacity right now. I have thrown down more seed on my side / front yard multiple times and I have some new germination there now.

I think I'm going to focus on pushing N and getting my grass to spread until my 60 day prodiamine application.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

DAS:35 | DAG:30
Applications:
8/29 - DOS 12-12-12 (.36N/1k)
9/16 - SLS 16-4-8(.1N/1k)
9/26 - SLS 16-4-8 (.1N/1k)
10/3 - Urea (.4N/1k)

*Front Lawn*

Haven't been putting enough N down. SLS has good stuff but it's expensive and not a lot of N/1k in their mixes. Practiced with the sprayer, I have found a perfect walking pace of 1 gallon per 1k.

Diluted just under 2lbs of Urea granules in a bucket, filled sprayer with 2Gal and spayed while crossing my fingers. Washed off immediately, watered for about 40min. Lawn looking darker already. Hopefully it doesn't burn :shock:

Also decided on an all granular program for the backyard and liquid in the front (except some milo/organic matter) just to see what kind of results I net between front and back.

Side yard is coming in, will post a photo tomorrow after a mow.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

For your granular program mix some milo with urea. It provides some filling material for a better spread pattern and you get some slow release with it albeit small. It acts like a carrier. I think for a young lawn, I would go with an all granular.

I dont have milo but have mixed xgrn which has a similar size as milo and it works good.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

uts said:


> For your granular program mix some milo with urea. It provides some filling material for a better spread pattern and you get some slow release with it albeit small. It acts like a carrier. I think for a young lawn, I would go with an all granular.
> 
> I dont have milo but have mixed xgrn which has a similar size as milo and it works good.


^+1
This is a great idea. In addition to being a good carrier, biosolids have been a success in establishing roadside turf, from a study done with a state DOT in the midwest (I forgot which state). You also get a little P to help with root development. Getting some down now with soil temps still warm, should help do the trick. BTW, the lawn looks great!


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@uts Great tip on urea/milo. Have plenty of both products, trying on next backyard application.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

DAS:35 | DAG:30
Applications:
8/29 - DOS 12-12-12 (.36N/1k)
9/16 - SLS 16-4-8(.1N/1k)
9/26 - SLS 16-4-8 (.1N/1k)
10/3 - Urea (.4N/1k)Front Lawn Only

SIDE YARD

This area may require some work in the spring. Not as pleased as the results in the front. Color of grass is turning lime green near the top. In the 2nd photo, notice the line where my backyard begins, 100% TTTF overseed. Dark Green. Neighbor's reno also has lime green areas, and this could be indicative of a soil issue.

Lots of germination windows, lost track honestly. Don't want to put tenacity or too much N down in this area because of the aforementioned.

With the water issue temporarily fixed, the lower valleys/trenches caused by initial storms still allow water to pool up and slide down when it rains, nothing to hold the water and the hard clay doesn't help. The grass was strong enough in some areas of these washouts where I was able to throw down some top soil and use level lawn tool to reveal blades underneath.

As a* hail mary,* on 9/27 I threw down Scotts High Traffic seed which is around 60% PRG and 40% Jumpstart KBG *in the area that will be replaced by sidewalks*. Just wanted to get something up to temporarily hold.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

That side area looks hungry. Try some good size feeding.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

10/6 - 2nd App of tenacity on front lawn. Practiced some diagonal lines.

Posted in weed ID thread, waiting on response to whether I have Nutsedge or annual rye, I'm starting to think annual rye because I don't see it's turning white yet from tenacity.

Debating tenacity on side lawn because there's still some younger grass. Company is coming Tuesday to install french drain and grab gutters, meaning side yard is getting torn up. Don't know about fixing in spring, could focus on front and plan for fall 2022. Looking for advice on that.








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https://postimg.cc/LhmskRTJ


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

DAS:56 | DAG:51
Applications:
8/29 - DOS 12-12-12 (.36N/1k)
9/16 - SLS 16-4-8(.1N/1k)
9/26 - SLS 16-4-8 (.1N/1k)
10/3 - Urea (.4N/1k)Front Lawn Only
10/14 - SLS 3-18-18 + Milo
10/20 - Lawn Star Iron + .15N/1k

FRONT LAWN

It's been a while since I've posted. Overall, the front lawn is looking OK, but growth in October seems to have slowed. I can't say the same about my back lawn, it was growing at a faster rate. Updated my apps since last post. Looking forward to soil test in the spring.

Just patchy areas, discoloration in some spots, especially in the areas where the blankets are. *Above the blanket area, closer to the house, the grass is much thicker and greener.* I'm thinking either the blankets didn't allow for full growth potential (air, sun, holding too much moisture) or that there is more fresh topsoil (didnt get washed or thinned out in storms) in the upper area.

Full Photo


Blanket Area






Upper Area


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

joec-ct said:


> Blanket Area


Seeing some stripes herelikely due to your spreader. Time to up the game to a lesco 

The front looks fantastic. how much feeding did you give the back? How has it responded?


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

@uts Could they really be spreader stripes? All I put down with spreader was Milo. The backyard all I really put down after germination was Yard Mastery 5-0-0 and some Milo back in September. No sprays back there except for Tenacity. I'm still surprised at the response and growth I got back there. It looks pretty awesome for a 45 day old lawn. And it's darker than the front. Pics don't even do it justice.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Looking really good! :thumbup: I hope you're breathing easier now. I know you were concerned with the slopes and runoff, but the reno was a success. There is still a little more time for it to grow in before winter. If you can get one more synthetic granular app down, that should do the trick.


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## gregonfire (Sep 18, 2017)

Looks good man. I wouldn't worry too much about the front yard. Just keep feeding and mowing and it will all fill in and thicken over time.


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## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

DAS:66 | DAG:61
Applications:
8/29 - DOS 12-12-12 (.36N/1k)
9/16 - SLS 16-4-8(.1N/1k)
9/26 - SLS 16-4-8 (.1N/1k)
10/3 - Urea (.4N/1k)Front Lawn Only
10/14 - SLS 3-18-18 + Milo
10/20 - Lawn Star Iron + .15N/1k
10/29 - Milo + Leftover Bag of Andersons 5-0-0 (did not measure N rate)

FRONT LAWN RENO FINAL UPDATES

60 Day Timeline - Big Jump from day 30 to 40!



Final Reno Photos - Halloween after Iron App




Safe to say this reno was a *success*. It was pretty bumpy along the early stages and I'll be looking back at the summer/fall of 2021 often. I can't thank this forum enough for all the information I've gathered over the past few months. I now have some reno experience, and I'll give back where I can. It will start with a TLF supporter title 

*Closing this journal *and renaming this reno as the front lawn reno. Opening a  separate reno for the side lawn as I had to deal with water issues + french drain installation.

THANK YOU TLF :mrgreen: :thumbup:


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