Morph,

Looking good. Though I have to admit wanting to sneak into your lawn and pull those weeds before they get deeply rooted. (I guess that makes me a lawn wacko).

:>)

What kind of grass is that your neighbor has directly behind you? Looks like bent from here. Welll it looks like your off to a good start.

What kind of grass is that your neighbor has directly behind you?

Crap. ;-) It's a rather ill-cared for mix of bluegrass, fescue, and rye. Depending on where you look, any one of the three could be dominant.

sneak into your lawn and pull those weeds

I started to name them. Unfortunately, I ran out of names in my copy of 60,000 Names for Baby.

The crabgrass I'm ignoring--it only lasts another month. The other stuff I've pulled as I can, but I am trying to minimize how much traipsing around I do. Once a day, one trip, tops.

Morph,
Leave the weed alone. Let those little seedlings and sprouts develope. Who cares abot the weeds right now, you need to nurture those little guys. The weeds are spread out, maybe 10-20 per sqare foot, right? well think of all those hundreds of elite KBG sprouts per sqare foot. they are the ones to survive. Once the KBG reaches 4 inches or so, cut it, and 75% of those weeds die along with that initial cutting. Once you have mature grass, you can kill the rest with weed b gone and then use a pre emergent

Don't harm the little fellas, they will pay you back for your patience.

Having never renovated before, I have a question regarding those photos. Are those photos typical for someone a month into a new KBG renovation? I ask because, as I posted elsewhere, I am helping a neighbor with a KBG renovation this week.

For those who have been where he is before:
1) If he leaves things the way they are, will it all fill in nicely over the rest of the fall and spring without any further overseeding?
2) Or will he have to overseed some more to get the coverage that he needs heading into the winter?

I guess my big question is ---- Are his results great, good, or somewhat disappointing?

If they are good, and if you say that it will fill in thanks to the rhizomes next spring, then I am an even bigger fan of KBG than previously. As someone whose rye/fescue/KBG lawn never fills in bare spots, I am really envious. My lawn looks very nice, but the spreading is not there, and it is frustrating.

I guess my big question is ---- Are his results great, good, or somewhat disappointing?

Variable. On the northern face, great. Out front, fair. On the southern face, poor to fair.

However, it's still growing in--and as temperatures drop, still sprouting. By September 22, poor should be fair, fair should be good, great should be perfect.

Next spring it'll stitch together. On the north side, that's already starting.

Morph, it's all coming along nicely!!! It's amazing what a few extra days/weeks will do.

Question for you, are you still watering 2-3 times per day, so the "extra" seeds you are using for patching are getting enough water? I seeded on Sept 1st, and we're getting 90's this week (incredibly unseasonal), so I'm concerned that I'll need to patch the areas in my lawn that get a lot of sun.

Rutgers1,

Morph's results are typical for a renovation. My front lawn looked the same way two years ago when I did it.

It will knit together over time.

As I was told by someone two years ago here on this forum, "your lawn will look very good after a full year. But after two years, it will look fantastic." That turned out to be true.

In my opinion, a full renovation is scary if you've never done it before... but worth it in the long run.

The new yard will be almost 100 percent elite KBG (assuming that is what he is using) rather than a mix of poorer performing grasses and whatever little elite KBG was able to germinate in the existing lawn.

Just tell your friend to hang in there.

Morph -

You topdressed???? How did you manage to do that without hurting the little guys?

Looking good....I'm waiting to see my first little guy (only Day 3).

Rob

I should add that I think Morph might need to throw down a bit of seed in the bigger bare spots. But overall, I think his project is looking good.

I topdressed. Carefully. I wore flat shoes, and dusted the stuff into the area instead of raking it. Being very careful not to step on any sprouting grass, just the established stuff. Three days, 24 bales of peat moss, and a whole lot of effort. Not to mention an aching back and shoulders. Then I watered it to settle the mass.

Thanks, Turf! I did put down more seed under the topdress in the bare areas--about 0.5 pounds per thousand in the minimally bare, up to 1.5 in the rather bare (which does have sprout, just not a vast amount). 3 per K where it didn't come up much at all.

The new yard will be almost 100 percent elite KBG (assuming that is what he is using)

Yep. I upgraded from a poorer mix of fescue, rye, and Abbey KBG to Midnight II, Moonlight, and Bedazzled.

Question for you, are you still watering 2-3 times per day, so the "extra" seeds you are using for patching are getting enough water?

Yes, but I'll discontinue that as soon as I can--around September 22 or so, earlier if possible.

The updates really help folks see things. Looks like you're getting there. Persistence pays!

As for the question of needing to re-seed, I'd say most years if you get a decent result the grass comes in good enough that there is a need to re-seed only small spots, if at all.

I think I did some pics on one of Morpheusa's earlier post about my seeding last year.

But, mother nature, skill and luck kind of make it like fishing. Sometimes you get what you want and sometimes you have to keep trying.

Looks good !

i'm so friggen nervous about my low water availability. all this effort... it better not go downhill or I am gonna have a conniption fit!

Morpheus  Inquiring minds want to know ! HowÂs it going ? Labor day overseeding and mulching working good for you ? North American lawn growers are anxious for news of your July roundup and renovate. WeÂre all rooting for you. Sunday pictures forthcoming ? Bill Hill

WeÂre all rooting for you. Sunday pictures forthcoming ?

One more bad pun like that and I'll leaf.

The front is weedy but coming in nicely, the northern face and part of the back look like a golf course, and the extreme west is starting to develop.

I'll post pictures tomorrow!