# New grass curling



## Rescuefescue (Apr 29, 2020)

I Did a Reno on a spot and overseeded The rest of the yard and I just want to make sure I'm ok here. My new grass, a lot of it is curling at the tips. It's perennial ryegrass standing about Maybe 2.5 inches on average. Seed down was 9-10 it is now 9-22. Saw germination on about the day 4 mark


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

General rule is to make the first cut at 2" when the new grass blades start reaching 2.5". This is a guideline only; but new grass needs to be cut early and frequently to promote growth.

Once you cut, you can start apply nitrogen weekly at 1/4lb N, preferably from Urea or Ammonium Sulfate.


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## Ngilbe36 (Jul 23, 2020)

Mow it!


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## Justmatson (Apr 4, 2020)

^ +1

Time to mow


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## Rescuefescue (Apr 29, 2020)

Ok thank you very much. I had plans to mow this weekend but maybe I will mow it tonight.


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## Justmatson (Apr 4, 2020)

Sleet said:


> Ok thank you very much. I had plans to mow this weekend but maybe I will mow it tonight.


Best thing you can do now is mow and mow often.
Try to keep it at 2" it'll help promote growth and for it to tiller (spread)

Could also start spoon feeding it once you start mowing.


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## Rescuefescue (Apr 29, 2020)

I'm very reluctant about being on the new baby grass but I also put a bit of peat moss down and put a bit more seed out in the more bare spots in the last few days. Still ok to mow? And I'm also a bit concerned I shot myself in the foot with the peat moss on the new seed. I hope it doesn't hinder and mess up the young grass that is growing


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

Baby grass is tougher then we think. All of the University articles will tell you to mow early and not wait for it to reach 5+" when it's more established. Just don't make hard turns and it will be fine. The peat will not hinder the growing grass. If using a rotary, you might suck up some of the seed you put down, but if you don't cut, the taller grass will crowd and shade out the seed. Waiting longer to cut will be more detrimental.

If you have a manual reel mower, even better, but don't run out and buy one if you don't have it.


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## Rescuefescue (Apr 29, 2020)

I was going to add starter fertilizer all over the yard to help establish the new overseeding and I was waiting to put it down until first mow. The bag of fert is 10-18-6 32 lbs covers 10k sq ft. My lot is roughly 9k sq ft. I was going to split the bag and put down 16 lbs now and in a few more weeks put the other half. Is this a good or ill advised plan?


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

Save the bag for the Spring and see if you can get Urea or Ammonium Sulfate. Apply 1/4lb N weekly after the first mow.

Quick release N is important given the time of year. Not sure what percentage of quick release is in your starter fert.


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## Rescuefescue (Apr 29, 2020)

From the bag this is what is listed for nitrogen.

Total nitrogen - 10%
7.1 - ammoniacal nitrogen
2.9 - urea nitrogen

This lawn has been neglected and hasn't received fert for years. I just was initially thinking of easing in the starter fertilizer but I'm getting the itch just to throw the whole bag out In the yard and being done with that bag. Total grass area is roughly 9000 sq ft


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

If it's easier for you, then go ahead and split the bag and do what you mentioned above. It's just not going to give you the same rate of N listed in the overseed guide.


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## Rescuefescue (Apr 29, 2020)

The bag rate says the 32 lb bag covers 10000sq ft. Apply at 3.2 lbs per 1000. Since in around 9000 can I just throw it all out there since the soil is probably deficient in all regards


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

Yep. You can do that too. That would put down just over 0.3lbN per K.


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## Rescuefescue (Apr 29, 2020)

Thank you very much!


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

:thumbup:


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## georgiadad (Aug 18, 2018)

Sleet said:


> I'm very reluctant about being on the new baby grass but I also put a bit of peat moss down and put a bit more seed out in the more bare spots in the last few days. Still ok to mow? And I'm also a bit concerned I shot myself in the foot with the peat moss on the new seed. I hope it doesn't hinder and mess up the young grass that is growing


You need to learn how to "hover" mow. :lol: Step lightly, plan each step as you push your hover mower.


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## Rescuefescue (Apr 29, 2020)

georgiadad said:


> You need to learn how to "hover" mow. :lol: Step lightly, plan each step as you push your hover mower.


I will get to work on that and get my research and development team involved.

So when would it be deemed safe to allow my research and development team (kids) to play in the yard again? Weather is way to nice to keep telling them to stay off the grass.


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## georgiadad (Aug 18, 2018)

Each type of grass is different. I'm only familiar with bluegrass and fescue. The front yard bluegrass I kept the kids off of it until spring. The backyard fescue I let the kids back on it after the third mow.


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