# New Construction Lawn Renovation and a Touch of Drama



## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

Hi,

My wife and I purchased our new construction house in October 2019 in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. This July with the heatwave that came through the area, the builders installed fescue sod started getting some heat damage. At the same time we had schedule some grading work in our back yard to the tune of 30+ yards of topsoil brought in to level it and the side yard a bit better. I commenced reseeding the side yard with box store fescue, put hay over it and started watering to keep it wet and get it going. The fescue in the side yard started coming in good due to the constant watering but I could not keep the front yard cooled enough to keep it from dying off as we do not have an installed sprinkler system.

At this point with the front yard at least half dead, I decided I did not like fescue and began trying to find someone to install a well, pump and irrigation system. It took quite a bit of looking to find a company that could get the install complete prior to December. I then bought some Bluebank KBG and had it sent out. After getting the irrigation system planned for installation in late August (this week) I sprayed the entire yard on a Thursday evening with GlyPhoSel Plus to start killing everything off including the new fescue I planted.

This is where it gets a bit interesting for me. The next day I got told some extremely unexpected news. I was deploying in 7 weeks for 9 months. I panicked. On Monday or Tuesday I got told to wave off on my deployment so everything is back to normal for my lawn renovation.

- Ordered Bluebank KBG from seedsuperstore
- 1st application of gylo
- Aerated the entire yard including the sodded areas twice
19AUG20 - Ordered a PRG mix from seed superstore
23AUG20 - 2nd application of gylo

I previously asked a question about aerating. Specifically I asked if I should pick up the plugs from the sodded area because they are primarily clay and because I am going to be top dressing with top soil. Initially I decided to go with the advice of breaking them up but then decided if I am dressing with top soil that removing those clay plugs wouldn't hurt.

Today, while raking up the plugs and some of the dead grass, I came across the green nylon sod netting.

Should I bother with trying to remove the sod netting or just remove what comes up with raking?

I am sure I will be looking for other advice going forward. So if anyone has any good ideas please let me know.

Heat damage to the yard


Front yard


Left side of the house


Right side of the house


Back yard




Here is the front yard as it is today. You can see the sod netting.


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## Glen_Cove_5511 (Jun 13, 2020)

That looks almost exactly like my lawn. I still really don't know what happened. Best guess is that my soil became saturated and didn't drain well and the roots suffocated in the water and heat. This picture shows how it looked mid-July, much worse now... around 80% lost.


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## Lawn Noob (Jul 26, 2020)

I'd just get whatever netting comes up easy. I'd leave the rest.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

Glen_Cove_5511 said:


> That looks almost exactly like my lawn. I still really don't know what happened. Best guess is that my soil became saturated and didn't drain well and the roots suffocated in the water and heat. This picture shows how it looked mid-July, much worse now... around 80% lost.


I assume mine was due to the sod being placed on the highly compacted clay from the build. This is the main reason I am removing the cores from aerating and leveling/dressing with topsoil.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

Lawn Noob said:


> I'd just get whatever netting comes up easy. I'd leave the rest.


I am worried my OCD will kick in and every time I see some I will try and rip it up. I am pretty sure it is a waste of my time to actually attempt to remove the netting. I am just trying to avoid anything causing me problems once I sow my KBG.

The real issue is that as I am raking the plugs up the netting is getting caught in my rake. I only raked up about a 400-500 ft section today and it feels like the netting made it take way longer than it should have. The good news is I decided to widen my driveway and the sidewalk going to the back of my house so I have maybe 700ft less lawn now. I will probably measure out the new concrete tomorrow and see what it really is.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

The crew was out today to start the irrigation system install. They plan on getting the heads and valves installed tomorrow and expect the well to be drilled early next week allowing them to finish connecting everything up.


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## gregfromohio (Aug 14, 2019)

My opinion would be to 1. Remove as much of the netting as possible and aerate the heck out of it 2. Topdress with 50% sand and 50% topsoil, 3. Get 5 lbs or so of mazama or bewitched (mazama preferred) to mix in with the bluebank for seeding your backyard. My bluebank isnt doing as well in the shade as the NTEP scores led me to believe. 4. Water like hell and starter fert 5. Wait


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## behemyth (Jun 8, 2019)

Just out of curiosity, have you talked with anyone that has a pure KBG yard about the water consumption? I know for a fact that KBG requires a TON more water to keep green than fecsue grass. My front yard is mostly fescue, and my back is about 3/4 KBG, and i have to put down a lot more water on the KBG then the fescue in the front, for the same results.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

gregfromohio said:


> My opinion would be to 1. Remove as much of the netting as possible and aerate the heck out of it 2. Topdress with 50% sand and 50% topsoil, 3. Get 5 lbs or so of mazama or bewitched (mazama preferred) to mix in with the bluebank for seeding your backyard. My bluebank isnt doing as well in the shade as the NTEP scores led me to believe. 4. Water like hell and starter fert 5. Wait


Thanks. I will probably pull up as much as I can with raking everything else up. I will also look a the mazama to see if I want to throw some of that in.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

behemyth said:


> Just out of curiosity, have you talked with anyone that has a pure KBG yard about the water consumption? I know for a fact that KBG requires a TON more water to keep green than fecsue grass. My front yard is mostly fescue, and my back is about 3/4 KBG, and i have to put down a lot more water on the KBG then the fescue in the front, for the same results.


I have not spoken to anyone about it. I am hoping that with the well install everything will go well.

What is the size of your backyard and how often do you water?


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## BrainBailey (Nov 20, 2019)

You might want to also consider a product like Hydretain just for your overhaul. It will help retain moisture in your soil and, in doing so, should help you stabilize your watering schedule. I used it during some overseeding four weeks ago in the July heat, and it seemed to work well. It is a bit pricey though.


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

I suggest you get in touch with @j4c11 who is growing KBG in North Carolina. He can explain the challenges and how he manages in our inhospitable climate for cool season grass, especially KBG. You might also like to talk to @Captquin who is trying hybrid bluegrass instead of KBG. He's in the Tidewater region.


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## behemyth (Jun 8, 2019)

@NavyGator My backyard is about 7000, and I have to water it minimum 3 times a week, during the summer it can be more depending on how hot it gets. My front fescue gets 1 long watering a week and it looks good.

I was just watching a video of a big youtube yard guy, his entire backyard is KBG, and its all brown and dormant. He said with how hot/dry this summer was, there was no way he was going to pay for the kind of water it would have taken to keep it green. He's also using special strains that are more drought resistant, ect.

Then he shows another part of his yard he doesn't take very good care of, and he showed off patches of green Fescue. This was a really good example of how little water Fescue takes to stay green, it has a very deep root system compared to KBG.

KBG does look very good compared to most grasses (I think TTTF looks great too, and its a Fescue), but make sure your OK with the cost that comes along with a pure KBG yard to keep it green.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

Due to heavy rains Thursday night, the second day of the sprinkler installation was not as productive as expected. The open trenches they dug were filled with water and a lot of the soil settled in the bottom causing them to have to re-dig parts of it. They will be back out on Monday to keep working.

We are expecting the well contractor on Tuesday and I am hopeful I will have an operational irrigation system by the end of the day.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

BrainBailey said:


> You might want to also consider a product like Hydretain just for your overhaul. It will help retain moisture in your soil and, in doing so, should help you stabilize your watering schedule. I used it during some overseeding four weeks ago in the July heat, and it seemed to work well. It is a bit pricey though.


Thanks. I will look into this and see if I want to get some.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

Virginiagal said:


> I suggest you get in touch with @j4c11 who is growing KBG in North Carolina. He can explain the challenges and how he manages in our inhospitable climate for cool season grass, especially KBG. You might also like to talk to @Captquin who is trying hybrid bluegrass instead of KBG. He's in the Tidewater region.


Thanks. I will reach out and see how its going for them.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

behemyth said:


> @NavyGator My backyard is about 7000, and I have to water it minimum 3 times a week, during the summer it can be more depending on how hot it gets. My front fescue gets 1 long watering a week and it looks good.
> 
> I was just watching a video of a big youtube yard guy, his entire backyard is KBG, and its all brown and dormant. He said with how hot/dry this summer was, there was no way he was going to pay for the kind of water it would have taken to keep it green. He's also using special strains that are more drought resistant, ect.
> 
> ...


A well pays for itself in about 2-3 years here so I should be able to keep up with watering and it shouldn't be an issue.

I saw that same video, I think my perspective is different when he doesn't take care of his back yard. I haven't paid attention to see how many hours a week he puts in to the front and back yards.

Most of my neighbors don't like their fescue lawns and are keeping a close eye on how my renovation is going.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

I have been growing KBG in the transition zone for 10 years. You can expect to need a lot of water so the well is a good idea. You can also expect a lot of disease pressure, so start brushing up on Fungicides. KBG (even shade tolerant cultivars) still need at least 2 hours of sunlight and won't be happy unless you can get them at least 4. My journal is linked in my signature.

I would strongly consider a soil test if you are going to all this effort. You can take samples and send it off any time before seeding. I would assume the lawn is deficient in the major nutrients, so would use a high P starter or balanced fertilizer at seeding. Even if you are not deficient in P and K, one application won't cause any long term harm.

I don't have any experience with PRG, but it is generally considered less heat tolerant than KBG or TTTF.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

bernstem said:


> I have been growing KBG in the transition zone for 10 years. You can expect to need a lot of water so the well is a good idea. You can also expect a lot of disease pressure, so start brushing up on Fungicides. KBG (even shade tolerant cultivars) still need at least 2 hours of sunlight and won't be happy unless you can get them at least 4. My journal is linked in my signature.
> 
> I would strongly consider a soil test if you are going to all this effort. You can take samples and send it off any time before seeding. I would assume the lawn is deficient in the major nutrients, so would use a high P starter or balanced fertilizer at seeding. Even if you are not deficient in P and K, one application won't cause any long term harm.
> 
> I don't have any experience with PRG, but it is generally considered less heat tolerant than KBG or TTTF.


Thanks. I am reading through your journal.

I mailed out a soil test to Virginia Tech and they cashed my check. Hopefully I will get the results back by Tuesday. I took a sample from the previously sodded portion of my yard and one with the topsoil I had brought in.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

Our well was drilled today and was pumping 50 gallons a minute with the pump on the truck so it should easily handle watering the lawn. The irrigation crew will be back tomorrow to get the final connections made and adjust the heads.

I was a little nervous with the truck driving into the yard even with the plywood used under the wheels. The ground looks like it is definitely compacted where the truck drove in and sat while drilling.


THe drilling operation was quick and a pretty straight forward process.


I figure my neighbors think I am losing my mind considering the well head along with the suction and supply lines are currently above ground. The top of the well head is 110ft so the finished depth will be about 105ft.


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## mobiledynamics (Aug 9, 2020)

Navy -

Might have missed the detail in my ? but why (wellhead) in the front , it not by the entrance.
No other options for more obscurity. When do the shrubs get planted ;-)


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

mobiledynamics said:


> Navy -
> 
> Might have missed the detail in my ? but why (wellhead) in the front , it not by the entrance.
> No other options for more obscurity. When do the shrubs get planted ;-)


The wellhead will be about a foot under ground after the irrigation crew completes the hookups. Due to the amount of children running through the neighborhood, the irrigation crew decided to close up all trenches in the front yard at the end of each day.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

I got my soil test results today from VT.

Should I put down lime on the previously sodded areas now or should I wait since I will be topdressing with topsoil?

This is the sample from the areas of the yard that have top soil on them.


THis is the sample from the areas that had sod over the clay.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

What's the recharge time? What's the flow after 2hrs?


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

g-man said:


> What's the recharge time? What's the flow after 2hrs?


I wont have specifics until the connect they pump. The well driller pumped for 20 minutes with a flow rate of 50 gallons. That almost gives me a half inch of water on my entire yard.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

They finished the main part of the irrigation system today. Once we have our flower beds ready they will come back and install the drip zone.

I also had 5 yards of top soil delivered today and will begin filling in low spots and leveling the yard.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

This is how the yard looks today.

Here is the list of the next few things to do for the renovation
Finish dethatching
Remove sod netting
Apply lime and water in
Top dress
Level
Roll


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

The wife and I spent the long weekend pulling up the old sod netting and spreading out 5yds of topsoil.

Pulling up the sod netting required us to rake up a bunch of extra dead grass and took about 2 days. I wish the crew that installed our sod would have pulled the net off when they were installing it.

Spreading 5 yards of topsoil can only be described as miserable. I never want to do that again. If I had to do it over again I would have rented one of the little tracked things from Homedepot to let it do most of the work.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

The better half gave me a thumbs up earlier in the week to get some more drainage lines installed for three gutter down spouts. I now have all of my roof water channeled to storm drains or the street. I will need to level part of the lawn again where they dug the trenches but it will be worth it to not worry about washout during the renovation.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

I was able to adjust the timer on the new sprinkler system today setting a normal watering cycle to 1/4in. I plan on creating a program for seed down watering tomorrow.

The wife and I discussed and have decided that we are probably going to get poured/formed in place concrete edging around our flowerbeds. If they can get it done by the end of the week, we will get it done.

If the weather holds I will do some leveling again on all the areas where we had the drainage pipes run. and get ready for seed down on Friday or Saturday.


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## NavyGator (Aug 2, 2020)

I dragged the yard after the drainage system install but we decided to have concrete edging installed. We got the edging poured on the 21st causing another small delay in the renovation schedule. On the 23rd I rented a power rake and roller from HD but the peat moss spreader was already rented.

23Sep20
Power raked the yard
Dragged the yard to flatten it
Sowed my seed, 90% Bluebank KBG with some PRG mixed in with it.
Lightly raked the seed in
Put out granular starter fertilizer in the areas of the yard that were still mostly clay
Rolled the entire yard
Broadcast Scotts Disease EX (Azoxy)
Sprayed Tenacity
Started spreading peat moss by hand

24Sep20
Finished spreading the peat moss

28Sep20
I am calling today germination day as I have a whole lot of seedlings all around the yard. I thought it might be the PRG at first but with the small amount I put out there has to be KBG sprouting also.

I will be putting some urea out in 2 weeks and I am going to finally decide if I will buy a manual reel mower.


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