Hi,

We got a new home with the yard of all heavy clay and need to cover it with
grass. I don't have any experience in seeding a lawn so some questions may
be dumb - bear with me.

The total size of the yard is about 9000 SF, with most of it is on the back.
Front yard is farely small (1000+ something). Gentally rolled in the back.
it has been rough graded by the house builder. I know I need to rototillI
and rake it to make it smooth and put down a few inches of topsoil and seed
it. But I need to decide what kind of grass to use.

We are in Inland Northwest, zone 5. Summer months (June - Sept) are usually
pretty dry with little rain. Thus the city has water ordinance to restrict
irragation water use during summer, and summer water rate is double the rest
of the year. The city has projected 75% rate hike in the next few years. We
are not looking into build an exhibit lawn. Just want an average one that
covers the lot. We are looking for the grass that requires less watering in
summer yet not too crappy. With no big trees, the entire yard is full sun.

We have talked to some local people and being told that grasses other than
bluegrass, fine fescue, talll fescue, ryegrass are not suitable for this
locality. We will probably go for bluegrass or tall fescue but now are
leaning toward the latter. We did some research and found that tall fescue
is more drought tolerant than all others but Kentucky 31 tall fescue because
it is very clumpy and many people are unhappy with it. We should go for
"turf type" fall fescue. We also learned that fescue does not coexist well
with others so it should be all fescue.

We looked around in the stores and found that probably only one fits the
bill. It is called Master Turf turf type fescue. It is mix of 3 different
varieties of TTT fescue (30% each) plus 10% bluegrass. We don't expect this
thing look as nice as bluegrass or fine fescue. But does it look very bad?
Is the TTT fecuse better than the regular K31 and acceptable as an average
looking lawn? Any experience? Does TTT fescue require more or less mowing,
compared with bluegrass?

TIA

I live in zone 5, northwest of Chicago. I've been trying to get TTT
fescue to grow here for years and am just now giving up and going back
to bluegrass.

Mostly because the TTT fescue doesnt seem to handle cold weather/
winter/snow very well. All the varieties that I've used, that are
sold in this area, seem to be susceptable to pink snow mold so come
spring time and the snow melts, there's this pinkish brownish lawn
exposed by the retreating snow. If there's no mold, then the fescue is
brown and half dead and it either sprouts real slow, late in the
spring, or requires a reseeding to restore the lawn.

This year I reseeded with bluegrass.

dicko

On Mon, 9 May 2005 16:55:51 -0700, "Ken" wrote:

Hi,

We got a new home with the yard of all heavy clay and need to cover it with
grass. I don't have any experience in seeding a lawn so some questions may
be dumb - bear with me.

The total size of the yard is about 9000 SF, with most of it is on the back.
Front yard is farely small (1000+ something). Gentally rolled in the back.
it has been rough graded by the house builder. I know I need to rototillI
and rake it to make it smooth and put down a few inches of topsoil and seed
it. But I need to decide what kind of grass to use.

We are in Inland Northwest, zone 5. Summer months (June - Sept) are usually
pretty dry with little rain. Thus the city has water ordinance to restrict
irragation water use during summer, and summer water rate is double the rest
of the year. The city has projected 75% rate hike in the next few years. We
are not looking into build an exhibit lawn. Just want an average one that
covers the lot. We are looking for the grass that requires less watering in
summer yet not too crappy. With no big trees, the entire yard is full sun.

We have talked to some local people and being told that grasses other than
bluegrass, fine fescue, talll fescue, ryegrass are not suitable for this
locality. We will probably go for bluegrass or tall fescue but now are
leaning toward the latter. We did some research and found that tall fescue
is more drought tolerant than all others but Kentucky 31 tall fescue because
it is very clumpy and many people are unhappy with it. We should go for
"turf type" fall fescue. We also learned that fescue does not coexist well
with others so it should be all fescue.

We looked around in the stores and found that probably only one fits the
bill. It is called Master Turf turf type fescue. It is mix of 3 different
varieties of TTT fescue (30% each) plus 10% bluegrass. We don't expect this
thing look as nice as bluegrass or fine fescue. But does it look very bad?
Is the TTT fecuse better than the regular K31 and acceptable as an average
looking lawn? Any experience? Does TTT fescue require more or less mowing,
compared with bluegrass?

TIA

Ken wrote:
Hi,

We got a new home with the yard of all heavy clay and need to cover
it with grass. I don't have any experience in seeding a lawn so
some questions may be dumb - bear with me.

Contact your local county extension agent.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5