Sure, you will see some grass in that short period of time, but that will be the annual ryegrass sprouting first. The rest of it is Kentucky Bluegrass, and Creeping Red Fescue which takes much longer to germinate, and if you stop watering after the rye looks good then the other two seeds will dry out and die. In my opinion all these patch products are a huge waste of money and time. You are basically paying for cheap mulch, and a mix of grasses that are generally mediocre cultivars. I find that the seeding rates are not ideal with patch products as well.

Whoa! Where do you live?

What is the guaranteed analysis on the label of the lawn repair mix? It must have some rye grass in it because that is the only grass that will germinate that quickly. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, then you're probably okay with that although it might also have significant weed seeds in it, too.

Do you know what kind of grass you have? Some types of turf will fill in for you.

Are you interested in fixing the entire yard in the fall. Fall is a much better time to repair or renovate because the summer weeds will by dying.

In the mean time you might be able to tune up your maintenance.

2. Water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means at least an hour in every zone, all at once. Infrequently means monthly during the cool months and no more than weekly during the hottest part of summer. If your grass looks dry before the month/week is up, water longer next time. Deep watering grows deep, drought resistant roots. Infrequent watering allows the top layer of soil to dry completely which kills off many shallow rooted weeds.

3. Mulch mow at the highest setting on your mower. Most grasses are the most dense when mowed tall. Bermuda, centipede, and bent grasses are the most dense when mowed at the lowest setting on your mower. Dense grass shades out weeds and uses less water when tall. Dense grass feeds the deep roots you're developing in 1 above.

4. Fertilize regularly. I fertilize 4 times per year using organic fertilizer. Which fertilizer you use is much less important than numbers 1 and 2 above.
   

Picked up a bottle? Whiskey? Usually we don't hit the bottle until after the crabgrass takes over ;-)

Thanks, this is probably the last time I buy this, but I had to start somewhere.

You mentioned the three seeds included, and that had me puzzled. On the front the package states 40% seeds, then has an Asterisk. But on the side of the jar it states the three seeds you mentioned, but only has an asterisk beside the Creeping Red Fescue.

I don't know how else to interpret what this asterisk means, aside from I thought it meant only Creeping was included in this mix?

I also thought it a bit strange how the package states Seed, Fertilizer, Mulch 1-4-1.

But then it says contains 40% seeds. This doesn't add up to the ratio mentioned above.

The 40% is the mass of the seed. The other 60% is the mass of the mulch and the fertilizer. The 1-4-1 is the ratio of the Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium (N-P-K) in the fertilizer. I don't know what the asterisk means, it has to refer to something, look for the fine print.

@ Dchall

I tried to identify my grass recently, but I simply gave up after it seemed I couldn't match anything well with all those diagrams of grasses. I also read that most lawns are made up of at least three different kinds of grasses anyhow.
I did read recently to not cut grass too short, and this could be a reason as to why I killed so much of my grass last year. My neighbour is very proud of their GOLF-COURSE lawn, and I guess I was trying too hard to KEEP UP WITH THE JONESE's in order so they didn't feel I was devaluing the price of their property with my piss-poor maintanence.
I read it's best to fertilize etc. in the fall around here, but that means I'll have to spend so much of this year staring at really terrible lawn. So I was hoping for some quick fixes.
All this stuff is relatively new to me, as I spent most my life living in the country, and we didn't have grass problems like this I see in the city.
Anyhow, as for the fertilizer, I donÂt know. Seems strange to see such a low nitrogen mix, with an excessive phosphorous? I have seen some 16-0-4 mixtures, and that actually puzzles me as well, as I know plants canÂt grow without phosphorus. Oddly enough, part of the advertisement gimmick I saw states " Phosphate-free for a healthy environment". I donÂt know, that seems like it might be aimed at those who donÂt know any better?

I tried checking the small print for that asterisk thing, nothing at all is explained.

For seedlings, phosphorus is probably the most important component as P is essentially for root growth, so most starter fertilizer will have P levels higher than N, but you're right, usually the nitrogen level is higher than one quarter of the P. Scotts starter is 20-27-5. I have some Lesco that is 18-24-12. You can have phosphate free fertilizer, it's not a gimmick, P can come in a few forms. Again, this product is a waste of money in my opinion. Upon looking at the website, it says one kg. covers 2500 sq. ft. So in that one kg. container, there is about one pound of seed. This wouldn't even be enough to cover 1000 sq. ft., even if it was all KBG, unless it was an overseeding. Also it looks like the fertilizer is 4-10-4. That 1-4-1 is on the label, but I can't see it well enough to know what that number is for. Since you already put it down, you might as well just keep watering it daily for the next month and see what happens.

That 2500 sq. ft is pretty bullsh*t if you ask me. I think that's a little more than 23 sq. m. after reading the box. I ran out well before that, and even then it looked like I really was not making it concentrated enough. I am in-experienced so perhaps I should keep quiet and wait to see if I was sprinkling it too concentrated.

Anyhow, 24 hours are now gone, so that means I could possibly see it growing in 4 days from now (according to the add). Somehow, I am not counting on it though.

I did buy a new hose sprinkler and will keep watering it every day.

Yes, you will probably see it growning, but that will only be the annual rye. That grass will only last one season as it is an annual. It's only purpose is to prevent erosion, and give some color to the bare area quickly. The creeping red fescue will take one and a half to three weeks to germinate, and the KBG will take two to three weeks (I'm betting on three).

I am a bit confused as to why annual rye only lasts one season. Is it because the cold kills it?

Actually the opposite, it dies off in the late spring, early summer in most cases. It is an annual, it's genetics dictate that it lasts only one season like wheat, barely, sugar, oats, etc. It has some purpose, it's quick germination helps prevent erosion, and gives quick color to bare spots. If you seed a KBG yard in the late summer you might want to add annual rye if you have a lot of slopes and hills. The rye will be up in a week, preventing erosion until the KBG germinates and comes in much later. Then next year the annual rye will die leaving you with all KBG. In the south it is often used to overseed bermuda or other warm season grasses that go dormant in the fall/winter. Once it warms up down there the annual rye dies off as the warm season grass comes out of dormancy.

Hmm, well that does seem weird. If the grass dies out so quick, it makes you wonder how on earth it reproduces even to just exist. Perhaps this is only cultivated in extreme cold areas to manufacture the seeds? I never looked much into that.

The term "Annual" with respect to plants has a very specific meaning...

"Annuals" die out every year -- They live on by producing a whole bunch of seeds that spread and grow new plants the following year....

Common examples are Tomatoes, Peppers, beans, Zinnias, etc...

If you want something that doesn't die out each year -- you seek out "Perennials" .. and they live on and on for several years.... like an Oak tree or an Azalea or say Fescue grass....

The advantage of Annuals is that you don't have to worry about them coming back if you don't want them -- just cut them off before they seed... and once their season is over, they just die... Once again -- think of Tomatoes... Pick all the fruit and in the fall they die.... No more Tomato bushes to worry about.

Thanks

John