# Coloradograss 2021 journal - 20k Bewitched monostand reno



## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Well, I'm taking the plunge. This August I plan on renovating my 20k no-mix into a Bewitched monostand!

Some backstory: We purchased our first home in Northern Colorado (zone 5b) in 2019 and I knew nothing about lawncare. Through TLF I learned a lot and spent the last year getting good practices in and dialing in my irrigation. Last August I killed patches of thick bladed grass and seeded with a PRG mix. Things came in well - a little too well. Now it is obvious where I seeded as it is much darker green than the previous grass that was there. Also, I have a few bare patches and am seeing the downside of PRG with the lack of lateral spreading. My wife is on board with the reno so we are moving forward!

Purchased 50lbs of Bewitched from Twin City Seed yesterday, should be here in 1-2 weeks.

Here is where we stand now. Currently I mow at 2". Lawn looks much better than last year and I get compliments from neighbors, but to me it is painfully obvious the color discrepancy between where I seeded last year and the old grass.















Here's my planned prep leading to seed down:
7/1 glypho 1 and continue watering
7/10 glypho 2
7/16 glypho 3
7/17 scalp
7/17-8/1: sprinkler audit
7/24 aerate and drag
7/25 measure and mix seed/soil moist
Day before seed down: glypho 4, run dethatcher tines to disturb soil bed
Day of seed down: Seed down at 2lbs/M, soil moist, starter+mesotrione, cover with rake, roll

Regarding the seed down date, I am off from 7/31-8/15 and somewhere in there we will be going on vacation for a week. In my mind I've got two options:
Vacation first, then seed down around 8/12
Seed down 8/2, check irrigation for a couple of days, then leave 8/5-8/12.

In the first option I'm around the whole time to tweak watering times but my kids (ages 7, 5, 3) are forced to be off the grass for an additional week. In the second option, we save one week of being off the grass but I only have a couple of days to confirm proper irrigation. I have a neighbor who can keep an eye on things if needed. Also having our kids off the grass for an extra week won't kill them but certainly would be harder. Any thoughts people have on this?

A few other questions:
Fungicide at seed down? I don't have a fungus problem currently but wondering if it would be better to get ahead of it.

Imidacloprid for grubs in June? Again, historically I haven't had an issue with grubs

For broadcasting on seed day, is it better to mix starter and seed together or do it separately?

Thanks! Nervous about killing but looking forward to the results!


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Below are my soil test results. I wasn't planning on adding anything outside of starter fertilizer at time of seed down but certainly open to suggestions.

I've used PGR + FAS but have not ventured into micronutrients with humic, RGS, etc. I could certainly be swayed into putting something down to increase chances of renovation success.


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Congrats on taking the plunge (and at 20k, what a large undertaking)! As @Pete1313, @SNOWBOB11, @g-man, and many more can tell you, you've chosen a great cultivar in Bewitched. The aforementioned names were a big source of inspiration for my own reno and left very good, detailed guides on their processes and present day regimens.

Do you plan on scalping (or at least gradually lowering HOC) in between gly apps? My only concern is that if you let it go for that long without scalping it down some it will flop over and be much more challenging to remove.

For a vacation my vote would definitely be seed down first, then go on vacation. The first week or so after seeding you are pretty much helpless and all you can do is watch and wait. Since you likely won't be changing irrigation practices in the first 2 weeks, leaving after getting everything all dialed in and scheduled would be fine. If I vacationed beforehand I'm sure I'd find myself stressing about having the right supplies and amounts. Once the seed goes down it's essentially out of your hands.

When seeding I would do all seed first, then apply starter separately. This will let you visibly be able to see where your seed went down so you can manage any bare or too heavily seeded areas. If you mix starter in you won't have as good of visibility to these areas. Not to mention the small seed size of KBG might make an evenly blended mixture challenging.


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Looking forward to following this thread and your progress. I'm taking the Bewitched plunge this July as well. Definitely read through Pete's reno thread if you haven't already. It is a wealth of information.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

This sounds like a great project.. Looking forward to seeing the progress!


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## Liquidstone (Mar 31, 2021)

Your plan looks great. I think Jskierko nailed his reply especially with putting seed down and then heading on vaca. I am doing a renovation this fall as well and am in the denver area so I will be checking your progress as well! Good luck, hope Mother Nature is good to us.


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## Tassoty (Oct 2, 2020)

Cool, finaly someone closer with the same climat. I am in the metro area as well. Great cultivar choise. I have followed all the journals jskierko mentioned and leatned a lot before my reno. 
You will probably have a few areas that will dry quicker than other I think it is good to tweek the zones before you leave but is shouldn't take more than a day or two to do that. If you can check that before the vacation you will be able to relax better. Fungicide app is good idea as you never know with the constant watering in mid Aug and 20K. I skipped it on my backyard reno last year and I had a few fungus spots which are still not complitly filled. I will be doing reno on my front this fall with the same reason. I have mostly PRG and it doesn't spread. I can't wait to follow your progress....and do not forget photos.


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Thanks for the input! I'm excited for what lies ahead!

I should have mentioned that I plan to cut sequentially lower and bag along the way after the first glypho - in many ways this feels like the most painful part given how much turf I have.

@jskierko I appreciate the insight on the seed and starter - I'll keep them separate. For those interested, Lowes currently has Scotts starter + mesotrione on 50% off clearance. I was going to use tenacity but given the price off the Scotts I snagged 4 bags yesterday.

For fungicide, if I went down that route I've seen various strategies on TLF - azoxy at seed down or propi 2-3 weeks post seed down.

@Liquidstone @Tassoty good to see other CO folks! Haven't seen too many on here before. We probably share similar joys and struggles of CO lawncare - plenty of sun, no water.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Looking forward to seeing your progress :thumbsup:


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Well there's no turning back, we are officially in the dead zone!

I'm out of town 8/4-8/13 so I decided to have my tentative seed down date of 8/1. With that, I moved up my first glypho app to 6/28. I think I got a pretty decent kill overall.







This weekend was about trying to get the dead stuff picked up. I purchased a tow dethatcher and made 2-3 passes over every area. I then mowed with a rotary at the lowest setting (1.25in) and tried to bag the clippings. The mower seemed to pulverize the dead grass more than pick it up.

Glypho app #2 went down today as well. Plan to water regularly.

Here's a close up of where we stand now. Do you think this is 'good enough' or do I need to remove more of the dead grass? If I need to I'm not sure how I will. I do plan to aerate and drag in the next 10 days.


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## Tassoty (Oct 2, 2020)

I was just wandering how far are you with your project. Silly question but did you 
have something in the bag when you used the rotary? I helped one of my neigbors to dethach. He was using the rotary to suck up the dead grass but forgot to change the settings and was mulching instead. Dragging will probably help break down some of the dead grass.


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## Liquidstone (Mar 31, 2021)

I think you need to work really hard towards getting rid of all that decaying material. Are you bringing in top soil? You're going to want that good seed to soil contact.

Edit: aerating and dragging will definitely help


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

You need more gly to get a good kill. Do you have a push mower that could can set below the lowest point? Like get the deck dragging the soil.


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Thanks for the insights! I was borrowing a friends rotary and I put it at the lowest position. I am not sure about whether or not there was a 'bagging' setting and a 'mulching' setting - but that certainly may explain what took place!

After those pictures gly #2 went down. I'll plan to try and scalp again and bag with a rotary at the end of this week, making sure that I check that the settings are correct.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Dont use a setting. The adjustment can likely be setup even below a setting.


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## Tassoty (Oct 2, 2020)

@g-man he meant if there is a setting for mulching and baggind in order to get the grass in the bag and not just pulverise it...I have seen my neighbor doing it


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Well, I've tried a few things in order to try and optimize the seed bed.

First, I used the same rotary mower as before and confirmed that there wasn't a bag vs mulch setting. I then lowered it down as far as physically possible and mowed again. I realized the first time that the chute the bag was getting clogged early, so I emptied it every pass.

I then dragged my tow aerator over part of the lawn (maybe 5-7x) and then ran the drag mat over it.

Here's where we are now:





In a small section I raked and got some additional material up. Here's what that section looked like after:



Is this adequate? If not here are the options I can consider (seed down date in 10 days):
1. Aerate and bunch more times and then drag with more soil exposed

2. Bring in topsoil and drag - I'm hesitant with this given the short fallow time and the amount of topsoil I'd need for 20k sq ft

3. If the raking was all that I needed maybe I rent a lawn vacuum https://www.bestrentalinc.com/equipment.asp?action=category&category=45&key=VACUL and try to suck up the loose material.

Thoughts?


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Is the tow behind aerator one that extracts cores? Or is it the type that pushes tins into the soil to create holes?


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

It's a plug aerator that extracts cores. I water the lawn before I aerate. I will say I've been unimpressed with the size of the cores.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Brinly-Hardy-40-in-Tow-Behind-Plug-Aerator-with-Weight-Tray-and-Universal-Hitch-PA-40BH/100087059


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

This is how mine looked during the my Reno. 
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=200560#p200560


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

If it were me I would go over the area a bit more with the aerator. Also probably go over the area again with the mower on the lowest setting before seed down. Overall though I think your almost there with the seed bed.


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

I think we are ready for seed down tomorrow!

Over the past week, I tried scalping the lawn two more times. Between the two passes, I got more exposed dirt than I had before.

I then spent the week leveling out some low areas making sure the irrigation was set and today Today I dragged some more and then ran over everything with the dethatcher tines scraping the ground.

Tomorrow's the big day. Plan for spreading seed and soil moist, spreading starter+mesotrione, and rolling. Since I'm not putting down peat moss, do you think they will be benefit of scraping the dethatcher tines on the ground after seed down to try and get some soil cover?


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

I think that seed bed has come a long way. I would skip the de thatcher after seeding but would roll the area after the seed goes down to get good seed/soil contact.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I like the idea of running the tines after seeds and then rolling. The more you get those seeds into the soil, the best outcome for KBG.


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## Liquidstone (Mar 31, 2021)

Seed bed looks great. Did you throw down seed today?


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Successful seed down day yesterday! Things took their time but fortunately didn't hit any big roadblocks along the way

I watered the grass overnight and put down 2.25lb/M of Bewitched. I have overseeded with PRG in the past and could see the dramatic difference in seed size between the two. I have a tow spreader but ended up using a hand spreader and a push spreader to make sure I knew I was getting even coverage.

Followed that up by putting down Scotts starter + mesotrione at bag rate, which ended up being 0.9lb/M of N and P.

I decided to run the dethatcher tines over everything. I think it was a good decision. Probably could have gotten away with skipping this step but I figured there was no down side to getting the ground as torn up as possible.

Finished by rolling everything. The HD lawn roller rental makes things a breeze - can attach to my rider and was able to roll everything in about 40 minutes.

It felt good to be done! Now the praying begins. :lol:

In terms of watering, my plan is to run each zone 5-10 minutes 5x a day. Later this week we've got some days in the low 90s but I'm hoping that's enough.

I am leaving out of town in 2 days (3 days after seed down) so hopefully I'll get a good idea of the watering needs before I go. We return 12 days after seed down - hope we have lots of green babies by then!

Pics from this morning:


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Congrats on the seed down! Glad you decided to get away for a few days (fewer times the neighbors will get to see you outside at 5am shining a flashlight across the lawn).


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Well, we got back from home from vacation and I would say the results so far are....concerning?

We're at 12 days after seed down and there seems to be very little germination. Do you think it's from not enough water? I've been running the sprinklers 5 times a day (9am, 1130am, 2pm, 430pm, 7pm) for 5-10 minutes per zone but highs have been in the 90s and we've gotten zero rain.

One zone has small puddles but none of the others do. My plan will be to increase watering times by 50% and see where that gets us.

I've only got 5lbs of Bewitched left. Are we already at a point that I should be trying to get more seed? Hopefully not but just wanted to keep my bases covered.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Some areas do look very thin. Throw more seeds in those. If you can, increase the frequency of watering instead of duration. It should remain moist between watering.


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Sounds good. I might buy some more seed now anyway in anticipation. With the second round of seed, what's the best way to achieve seed/soil contact? I'm assuming rolling it is not a good idea with grass already starting to germinate.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

There is not much you could do. Just drop the seeds and hope the water will push it in.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Dropping the seeds on top of what's there will still give you good germination.

With only 5lb seeds left I'd buy more if you can.


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## Tassoty (Oct 2, 2020)

We had some very hot days, mid to high 90s in the last two weeks. I think it is from the hot weather. If you have very good germimation around the sprinkler heads it could be the water. I seeded last saturday and still waiting. I am working from home so I water as needed 2-3 min per zone but it never dries between watering. I even used Hydretain. Hopfully getting some better days unger 90s will help. You can always drop some extra seeds...just in case.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

After you drop additional seed, you could sling some peat moss, for better seed to soil contact, without disturbing the soil.


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Day 14 after seed down.

Well, after the initial shock after returning home and mentally calculating the cost of 20k of sod in the spring, I think we have a game plan and are moving in the right direction. Every day there is more green, although still behind where I was expecting.

I changed watering to occur every hour, 2-5 minutes each zone.
I used my remaining seed to drop an additional 2lb/M in my small areas in front. Originally I dropped 2.25lb/M
I figured I had to make a quick decision about additional seed and figured I wouldn't regret getting more of it. Purchased an additional 50lb bag of Bewitched which should be here by the end of the week. If things are still sluggish I plan to put down 1.5-2lb/M of additional seed on the rest of the lawn.

I thought the most painful part of a reno was the prep, but now I'm thinking it's the waiting!


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

coloradograss said:


> I thought the most painful part of a reno was the prep, but now I'm thinking it's the waiting!


Such different types of pain though! I am 1 day post seed down and I've already been out a dozen or more times inspecting for adequate sprinkler coverage.

Your property looks like it has a lot more mature trees than my or many of the other members' bewitched renos. If you check out my 2020 reno journal, on the first page I posted progression pics for several different areas. Areas 5 & 6 are on the east side of my house and only got morning sun. At. day 15 they looked super sparse (not much further ahead than where you are now) compared to my areas that get full sun. You will even see that I put an additional sprinkler out there sometime during the first 2 weeks because I was concerned. They turned out just fine. You will continue to get germination and things will turn out just fine. It is definitely a game of patience with KBG.


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## Liquidstone (Mar 31, 2021)

jskierko said:


> coloradograss said:
> 
> 
> > I thought the most painful part of a reno was the prep, but now I'm thinking it's the waiting!
> ...


Words of wisdom from a vet!


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

jskierko said:


> coloradograss said:
> 
> 
> > I thought the most painful part of a reno was the prep, but now I'm thinking it's the waiting!
> ...


I'm gonna print this out and post it on my fridge to help me cope after seed down.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

I am in a similar waiting game.. it's easy to second guess. Your prep was good, just stay the course, and in a few weeks you will be wondering why you worried.

And if there are still problems you can drop 100 lbs of prg and have a lawn in 2 weeks.


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Great perspective! @jskierko I looked back on your reno and you're right, things certainly were slow on yours in the areas with more shade. Looks like all I have to do now is wait! By the end of this week I'll decide on whether or not to add additional seed.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Around 3 years ago, I seeded very late on a shady mini reno (Late September or early October), due to a deck project, and it still came in OK. Patience really is a virtue. It took a couple of years to fill in properly, with some Rust damage (my Bewitched got hit badly), so some overseeding with Mazama/ Beyond helped (yes, the overseed took). This year, it really thickened up. Good luck!


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Day 21 after seed down (DAG 14)

Every day seems to be a bit better. It's clear that areas with significant shade are struggling compared with other areas. There are still areas with no germination but I think overall we're moving in the right direction.

I got my extra Bewitched and dropped more seed in the bare areas. With our average first frost 10/6, any more seeding will need to be in the Spring.

Per the renovation guide, plan to start dropping 0.25lb/M of N weekly via granular AMS.

Here are my standard pics. One thing that is interesting (seen best in the 3rd picture) is that some germination appears to be linear. I am confident those are where I dragged the dethatcher tines after I had seed down. Getting that seed under the soil was big, wish I had made a few extra passes.











I am seeing some weed pressure, which I am trying to hand pull. Here's a common one, any insight on what this is?



Lastly, picked up this manual reel mower for $40! I'll be nervous about my zero turn for a while so I'll use this for the first 3-4 mows I imagine.


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## Tassoty (Oct 2, 2020)

To be honest I always thought that 2-3 pounds per 1000 isn't enoug for quick establishment. I am on my third reno and I always used 4-5 pounds. Even on my backyard last year beside the 4-5 kbg I had some extra prg as well. 
On my first reno 5 years ago I had so many weeds-spurge (forgot the tenacity at seeding) that I needed to pull them using hair comb in order to leave some room for the grass to establish.


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## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Not sure what that weed is and good thinking on the manual reel. Gotta be gentle on those new babies!

Hopefully the nitrogen apps help get everything moving too


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Day 28

Things are continuing to slowly come in. I've applied two spoon feeding applications with AMS. Haven't mowed yet. My best areas have eastern and southern sun exposure. Under some bigger trees there is no germination.

In addition to spoon feeding this week, I came across KBG pregermination and am gonna try giving it a shot on the areas with no germination. Shout out to @gm560 for the helpful thread and documentation.

On Friday night I put 3lbs of Bewitched seed in two pillow cases and have been soaking them, exchanging the water every 12 hours. Plan to put this seed down with a mix of peat and possibly milorganite this Thursday.

I figure this'll be my last seed down attempt this season. After that we'll just fertilze and see how she fills in.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

It's starting to come along… hopefully the pregermination will help you get the trouble spots..


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

You are getting there.  KBG can really test your patience. Do you have any zoomed in pictures of the thin spots? Even if there is a little germination in those places, you will be shocked how quickly it will fill in come spring.


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Here are some of the thinnest spots. I guess no germination is too strong of a word. I see a little there but my assumption is that more seed will help at this point.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

How's it looking, now? You should have a few more grass babies.


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Day 35

Things are continuing to fill in - slowly but surely. I put down the pregerminated seed on day 32 and I believe I saw a few babies (last picture) this morning.

The backyard (pics 2 and 5) appears to be the best. Smaller areas with inconsistent sun are lagging.

I gave most of the yard its first mow at 1.5in with the manual reel mower. Continued with the spoon feeding of AMS and put down propi at 1oz/M and tenacity at 0.4oz/acre. Lots of weeds popping up so hopefully this helps.

I think I've done what I can! Plan for the next month is weekly spoon feedings and mowing.


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Day 42

Couldn't wait to put down tenacity this week given the weed pressure I was seeing - so satisfying to see them turning white a few days later.

I've changed to daily watering and will probably switch to every other day in a week. Got on the zero turn mower for the first time since seed down. Mowed at 1.75in, which I plan to keep for the rest of the year to help with tillering/spreading.

I can't explain the areas with virtually no germination (last picture) - my best guess is lower water along with shade. We'll see how things look in the spring and decide whether a spring seeding may be needed.


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Things are definitely looking better! Everything will continue to spread. If you have areas that continue to give you trouble and you are concerned it's too much shade, it's always an option to extend out some mulch beds to cut down on bare areas.


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Any updates? Things filling in with continued spoon feeding?


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

jskierko said:


> Any updates? Things filling in with continued spoon feeding?


I have been waiting patiently too…


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Day 56

I figured I'd give it two weeks between updates to give things time to fill in. I've switched to watering every other day, weekly 0.35N/M of AMS, and mowing at 1.75 inches every 3-4 days.

The way my property is, I have a large front and back section that make up approximately 16500 sq ft. I then have 3500 sq ft broken into 7 sections right in from of the house that surround 7 large elms.

The two larger areas appears to be coming along. Definitely still bare spots but I think it will fill in over time.







The areas around the elms, especially the grass within 30 ft of the trees, have really struggled to germinate. All the prep was the same, so I have to think it's the shade.







I'm not sure how much more to hope for from these sections. These elms only get leaves in later May so there will likely be more sun exposure in the spring. I'm processing through the following options:
1. Reseed Bewitched in the spring 
2. Reseed PRG in the spring for quicker establishment
3. Transplant plugs in the spring
4. Give it N and reassess in the fall

For the amount of area that is still slow, plugs seem like a long shot, but who knows how things will look in the spring.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

The trees roots might be stealing moisture from the soil too. It is a small area and with shade in the summer, try the spring reseed with bewitched.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

The main yard will certainly fill in next year. Just keep up with nitrogen in the spring and it will be a full lawn in no time.

You might need to re seed the areas under the tree but like you say see where you are at next year.


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Those areas in the front will continue to creep up towards the trees with the few good growing weeks you have. I definitely found that to be the case with my reno last year. It will not fill in all the way this season, but keep on feeding. You will undoubtedly have some sections that you will need some seed on in the spring, but I think it'd be a fun project to take once of those 7 sections up front and just do a plug area and watch it spread over the season next year. Back looks great though! It's come a long way.


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## coloradograss (May 3, 2020)

Getting ready to wind down for the year. Weather has been unseasonably warm - grass is still growing but I anticipate will stop in the next couple of weeks.

It's been interesting looking back on my first reno season - lots of lessons. I bit off a lot (more than I could chew?) but am still glad that I did. Conclusions so far:

The bad:
- Germination was overall poorer than anticipated, especially under/near trees. Germination was around 75% of the lawn. Not surprisingly, poor germination is something you can't overcome quickly, even with best practices.
- I rolled the lawn, but if I could do it over I would have spent more time doing this. One area next to the street was run over by a tire about 5 days after seed down, and while initially quite angry about it, that area has complete germination, while areas around it are more sparse

The good: 
- The seed that has germinated looks great. Dark green, distinctly better than neighbors
- I've already seen KBG spread with lots of N this fall and rotary mowing regularly at 1.75in
- Despite initial weed pressure, things have significantly quieted down on that front.

The plan:
- Spring seeding of Bewitched right around the front of the house (about 3000sq ft). Areas that are bare I will plan to rake, seed with starter, peat, roll, and water. Planning for april

There's still hope!


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## Tassoty (Oct 2, 2020)

:thumbup: Backyard is looking great. 20K isn't small reno, as long as we do not have dry winter some of these areas will fill in.


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