# Rile78's Backyard Pool Install Lawn Recovery



## Rile78 (May 14, 2018)

Have done a few reno's over the past few years but this was my biggest challenge yet so decided to start a journal. Let's go back to Oct 2021. I was looking out at my backyard, seeing a massive 18 ft x 38 ft x 8 ft hole and an equally sized mountain of dirt next to it. The pool was dropped in the ground on 10/18 but the dirt remained until 4/25/2022.

I knew timing for a reno was not ideal and I didn't want to look at mud all summer so I graded the lawn with my riding mower and a pull behind dethatcher, which works amazing on bare dirt. I threw down some PRG, raked in, tenacity, fungicide, starter fert…then the week after we had a 100 degree heat wave for 10 days. The grass was toast.

I called it quits and just began my plan for a fall KBG reno. I didn't have topsoil brought in and unfortunately most of the dirt they leveled the lawn with was heavy clay. I started in May prepping the dirt. Soil test was first then based on results starting applying calcitic lime, sulfur, and Carbon Pro-G. After each app I incorporated everything in with my dethatcher. I repeated this 3 times over summer while also spot spraying crabgrass, nutsedge and any other weed with glyphosate on a weekly basis.


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## 606-Lawn (5 mo ago)

Once your grass comes up that backyard will look awesome around that pool area.


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## Rile78 (May 14, 2018)

I know central KY is not ideal for a 100% KBG lawn but I've always wanted it, plus i installed a diy inground irrigation this summer to help get it through July and August. I had about 4 pounds of GCI Blue Heat leftover from last year and I decided to order 5 pounds of Barenbrug Turf Blue Pro and I mixed them altogether to get the 8 pounds of seed needed for my 2k sq ft.

Thursday August 12:
- spread 7 bails of peat moss and drug in with the pull behind dethatcher
- spread seed at 4lb per 1m
- spread 25 lb of Lesco Carbon Pro G
- incorporated everything into the soil with the once again trusty dethatcher
- didn't have a roller so I just drove my riding mower over the dirt for about 30 minutes to really press the seed into the soil. 
- sprayed a tank mix of Tenacity at 4 oz rate and 1 oz per 1m rate of Propiconazole 14.3

Set timers to run for 5 minutes at 8a, 11a, 1p, 3p, and 5p

Now I wait!!!


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## Rile78 (May 14, 2018)

6 days since seed down and I'm seeing some 1/8" green hairs emerging from the ground. While exciting, I'm still having daily pep talks with myself that the wait will be worth it for a 100% KBG lawn.

Here is the seed tag on what I planted. Granted it wasn't blue tag like the fescue seed I used on my front lawn, I was willing to risk it because these were the cultivars I really wanted for my locality.


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## Rile78 (May 14, 2018)

Okay take two. I'm 24 days post seed down and only had 10% germination at best. I played put every scenario in my head and landed on that I got the seeds too deep in the soil when I drug the dirt with my pull behind dethatcher. I could tell in some areas the dirt was loosened down to 1.5".

I had 2 pounds of seed leftover and since I'm almost a month later in the year I decided to pre germinate this batch. Soaked for 6 days, changing out the water every 12 hours. This morning I let it dry out for about 2 hours, mixed with 10 pounds of Milorganite, and spread the mixture over about 1k sq ft. Before spreading I raked the dirt to losses it up a bit. After spreading I LIGHTLY raked it in with my landscape rake, spread a few bags of Pennington mulch pellets, and watered in. Fingers crossed this time.


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## Rile78 (May 14, 2018)

Well, Mother Nature got me. Today was a 60% chance of "light" rain and this afternoon we got 2.75" in less than 25 minutes. 6 days of pre-germinating down the drain, literally. Going to see if anything germinates in 3 days and start over, for the 3rd time.


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## Woody (4 mo ago)

Rile78 said:


> Well, Mother Nature got me. Today was a 60% chance of "light" rain and this afternoon we got 2.75" in less than 25 minutes. 6 days of pre-germinating down the drain, literally. Going to see if anything germinates in 3 days and start over, for the 3rd time.


Oh my goodness I feel for you! You'll get it! Don't give up!


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