What grass seed?

[hornadylnl]

I need to plant about a half acre of grass. My house is in a woods and the main part of the yard is about a 50-60' u shape around my house. I'm guessing it only gets 4-6 hours of direct sunlight. How much seed should I need for a half acre using an overseeder and where should I get it? I'm going to rent one of these to get the yard ready. ATI Corporation - Preseeder® Landscaping Tiller. They also have a seeder attachment for a 3 pt hitch so I'll probably go ahead and rent it while I'm at it. TIA

 

[Andre46996]

Growing grass in the woods is HARD!!!!!

If you can swing the cash get it Hydro-seeded, it will grow better and then next year just overseed and fertilize.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Turf Type Tall Fescue blend is probably your best bet. Low fertility and water requirements, stays greener during drought periods. Also grows in full sun to partial shade. The normal rate is 7lbs/1000 sg ft but we usually go up to 10 lbs/1000. Your local co-op is probably your best bet. I used to sell it to some of the member co-ops and if it still the same(which I am pretty sure it is) it is hard to beat for your use. Four 50 lb bags should be about right. Don't forget a starter fertilizer. I"m sure they have that as well.

 

[hornadylnl]

Turf Type Tall Fescue blend is probably your best bet. Low fertility and water requirements, stays greener during drought periods. Also grows in full sun to partial shade. The normal rate is 7lbs/1000 sg ft but we usually go up to 10 lbs/1000. Your local co-op is probably your best bet. I used to sell it to some of the member co-ops and if it still the same(which I am pretty sure it is) it is hard to beat for your use. Four 50 lb bags should be about right. Don't forget a starter fertilizer. I"m sure they have that as well.

Can I mix a starter fertilizer in with the seed in the seeder or do I need to put it on after? I'm putting in an irrigation system as well. I already have some of the heads in but my edging isn't getting done until the end of May. I'll finish burying the lines and put in the valve box then. Until then, I'm just going to run the sprinkler lines temporarily above ground.

Do you recommend to stay away from Rural King seed if I can't get it at the coop? Thanks

 

[hooky]

Hostas and ferns are your friends.

My brother had a heckuva time getting his yard to start in the heavy shade and he did it in the spring too. He finally ended up planting rye with a mix of creeping fescue and bluegrass. The rye was only to keep the weeds down while the grass took hold. He did the grass seed around 7lbs/1000 ft2. I can't help you with the rye though. He just bought a couple of bags and used a wheat drill. The first go around was straight grass in early April and he ended up tearing it all up and doing the rye/fescue/bluegrass in mid May. Rain just worked out darn near perfect for him though.

Good luck.

 

[hornadylnl]

Right now, I don't have a single tree within 50' of the house. I plan on planting some small ornamental shade trees in the future though.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

I don't know the Rural King seed but I can tell you to AVOID anything with Kentucky 31 Tall fescue. I see a lot of blends on the market today that contain Ky31 and it is crap. It is ditch seed. Way too clumpy for a yard. You can mix the starter fertilizer with the seed but I don't suggest it as the rates will be hard to match up. Depending on the prill size of the fertilizer you may need to open up the spreader too much for the fert compared to the seed. The fertilizer also tends to spread further with a rotary type spreader than the grass seed so coverage is not consistent.

 

[hornadylnl]

I'll probably be using a seeder like this. John Deere Ag - New Equipment Features for TR10 Series Overseeders

 

[Wheezy50]

LAWNS in the SHADE


There's a lot of helpful info on the Purdue Agronomy website. This might help with some tips. I'm a little outta the loop on specific cultivars, names, etc. but the fine-leaf fescues are generally good grasses. They look alot like Kentucky BG, but require less imputs and sun. Even the "turf type" tall fescues look coarse and patchy to me. 4-6 hrs per day of sun is on the low end, but i would think it can be done.

Also be careful not to over water. Lawns surrounded by trees dont get the airflow, light, etc to dry things out. Soggy conditions lead to disease, fungus, mold, etc. The irrigation will be beneficial (especially if this summer is as dry as last) but be careful not to over-do it.

 

[Leadeye]

Your house sounds like mine. I tried various seedings last year without much luck because of the dry summer, what came up died for the most part. I am sticking with blended fescue as it seems to be the lowest maintainence. Probably have a mutt lawn when all done but at least I won't be slogging in clay mud around the house.

 

[VUPDblue]

When you are shopping for seed, be sure to read the label. Some brands contain as much as 10-20% non-seed material. The things to look for are Other Crop Seed, Noxious Weed Seed and Filler or Other.
I have seen brands on the market that contain up to 10% Other Crop Seed and Noxious Weed Seed. If your CoOp carries CISCO's line of Executurf seed, you can't go wrong with that. Their 9Shade or Premium Shade mixes would suit you well. 9Shade is less expensive than the Premium Shade, which is fairly spendy....

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Cisco's "Executurf" is branded seed and you pay for the packaging and marketing. You won't find it at the Co-op. It is fine seed no doubt, but better priced seed is available. You are right on the nail about filler etc. in grass seeds on the Big Box store shelves. So many of them include "water retention", Special Coating" etc etc. That is just another way of selling you less grass seed and charging you more money. I have gone through Semi loads of seed in my time and have NEVER used or sold any seed with "special coating"

 

[VUPDblue]

Yes, the Executurf stuff can be spendy, but if you know what you are looking for then you can get very similar blends from CISCO without the E-Turf branding (like the 9Shade blend I mentioned). Whatever one you choose, please check the label....

 

[GARANDGUY]

We used good ol Kentucky 31 fescue and it worked great with some fertilizer.

 

[Goosepond Monster]

I'll second the tall fescue suggestion. I have a bag in my garage that is a great brand, but the name escapes me at the moment.

 

[Mr. Habib]

I have some areas that I want to reseed this fall. I have heard that using a mix with an annual, like rye, is a good idea for bare areas. Is this really a good idea, or just more marketing hype to get me to pay more for less actual grass seed?

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Annual rye can be used as a nurse crop. This is a fast growing coarse grass that provides protection for the emerging seedlings of the desired species. Being an annual, it will not remain in the turf in the following years.

 

[Mr. Habib]

Thanks. That's what I had been told, but only by the people trying to sell the seed.

 

[hornadylnl]

This weather keeps up, to hell with grass. I'll be planting rice.

 

[Goosepond Monster]

Here is the website for the seed I bought. It is a little pricey, but it is excellent grass seed.

EarthCarpet