Sprinkler system installed today... Questions about seed, watering times and watering amounts...

[akshatp]

So, we finally got around to getting our abysmal yard redone. We moved in to a new construction house 2 years ago, and the builder didnt do a very good job with grading the land, and didnt seed the property very good either. The whole yard was rampant with weeds, crabgrass, etc and was littered with clay and all sorts of stones/rocks.

So after 2 summers of looking at the enormous amounts of weeds and all sorts of grass growing, we hired a landscaping company to come in, remove the weeds and stones/rocks (and 2 inches of soil/clay off the top) and re-grade the property. They did that last week.

Today the irrigation company came and installed a RainBird sprinkler system.. 7 zones, 41 heads.

The landscapers are going to come with 80 cu. yds of fresh topsoil which they will use to blanket the entire yard and grade it evenly, and then seed and cover with hay.

Questions:
1. What kind of seed is best for thick, green grass? (We are in NJ)
2. When is the best times to water the lawn? How many minutes should I set the system for?
3. Should we "over-water" the lawn in the beginning to help the seeds germinate?

What else should I be doing over the course of the next 6 months to ensure a good lawn next spring?

Thanks for your replies in advance.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Lawn area?

Most grass required at least 2" of topsoil, but 4" or more is better.

7 zone @ 41 heads -- What pressure do you have from the street? How many gallon/minute is the sprinkler head rating?

What type of seed are you putting down? Hydro seeding or dry seeding?

1. I?m not sure what type of grass is best for your area, but your landscaper should be able to provide you with the answers, other wise check online for growing zone & soil condition (most grass seeds should do well with store bought top soil) or call the local garden centers. Scotts/Kentucky Blue mix should do well in most condition.

2. Best to water lawn just before sun rise or just before sun set, but it really doesn?t matter much what time of the day you set it for except for higher water lost during windy or sunny (hot) time of the day. Should ask the landscaper for amount of time to set pending the top soil condition (seeds require more frequent watering at shorter time interval than grass because the seed is at the first 1/4?-1/2? of the soil).

3. Over water lawn on the first few watering might help with germination, but it might erodes the top soil and create trenches in your lawn. I would go with the landscaper recommendation.

 

[Eos]

1) My lawn was sodded last December.
2) It was not watered for 4 months until the irrigation system was reactivated.
3) I have spent all summer trying to fine tune everything. Correct head adjustment, length of stream, length of cycle.

I have 100% Kentucky Bluegrass and it is very, VERY thick. We have cut our lawn at the highest mower setting all summer as directed by many websites citing long grass holds the water longer and prevents weeds from grabbing a foothold. We are almost completely weed free.

Not all areas can grow bluegrass though. Look for a website recommending grass for your zone.

I live in a very dry climate and water right before sunup. We have a super sandy soil that drains slowly, but not as slow as clay would.

Your length of cycle depends on soil and type of head. I run my rotary heads for much longer than the stationary heads.

It won't matter much as every lawn is going to be different, but you can start with 20 minutes once a day on rotary heads and 10 minutes once a day on the stationary ones. If you have a swamp in any of the zones, cut back for that zone. You will likely spend a lot of time fine tuning the heads. In the hottest days of summer we ran the sprinklers twice a day to keep the soil wet. Although, most people recommend only watering every other day for longer times but again, our soil is sandy and when we didn't water twice a day in the heat, some parts turned brown very quickly. We think the topsoil that was laid down blew away before the sod was installed.

I believe there is something unique about new sod that requires a more active watering schedule. Also, fall is the best time to lay fresh sod or plant new grass.

I love my grass more than I ever thought I would. 3000 square feet in the back alone.
I will post some pics tomorrow.

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: NoShangriLa
Lawn area?

Most grass required at least 2" of topsoil, but 4" or more is better.

7 zone @ 41 heads -- What pressure do you have from the street? How many gallon/minute is the sprinkler head rating?

What type of seed are you putting down? Hydro seeding or dry seeding?

1. I?m not sure what type of grass is best for your area, but your landscaper should be able to provide you with the answers, other wise check online for growing zone & soil condition (most grass seeds should do well with store bought top soil) or call the local garden centers. Scotts/Kentucky Blue mix should do well in most condition.

2. Best to water lawn just before sun rise or just before sun set, but it really doesn?t matter much what time of the day you set it for except for higher water lost during windy or sunny (hot) time of the day. Should ask the landscaper for amount of time to set pending the top soil condition (seeds require more frequent watering at shorter time interval than grass because the seed is at the first 1/4?-1/2? of the soil).

3. Over water lawn on the first few watering might help with germination, but it might erodes the top soil and create trenches in your lawn. I would go with the landscaper recommendation.

Lawn area - 13,000 sq ft.

Pressure, etc - Not sure, but the irrigation company measured it and deemed it appropriate that the pressure was adequate for 6 heads per zone.. The system can handle up to 13 zones.

The sprinkler heads are all RainBird 5000 full circle rotors, not sure of the specs.

The amoung of top soil they bring should give at least 2" of cover. I was told by various landscaping estimates that it would suffice. You think I need more? I can always order another truckload... The cost of soil is small relaztive to the rest of the bill.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Your length of cycle depends on soil and type of head. I run my rotary heads for much longer than the stationary heads.

It depends on water pressure, gallon per minute rating, soil coverage area, soil condition, and temperature/humidity.

Although, most people recommend only watering every other day for longer times but again, our soil is sandy and when we didn't water twice a day in the heat, some parts turned brown very quickly. We think the topsoil that was laid down blew away before the sod was installed.

Check soil by pushing a small stiff rod (chop stick) into the ground or use a moisture meter at various area to check water moisture & soil condition (clay, sandy or top soil).

Clean or repair sprinkler head if needed. Maker sure the area have good sweeping coverage from the sprinkler, and readjust coverage as needed with compensation for wind.

Adjust the control to give longer water time for zone in question.

Water every other day is better at water saving, and promote the grass to grow longer/deeper roots.

 

[richardycc]

isn't it kinda late to tell your landscaper what kind of grass seed you want? for cold area like NJ, I think thats zone 5, you probably only have 3-4 kind of grass to pick from, kentucky blue, fescue, turf-type tall fescue, or ryegrass. goto seedland.com to read about them. Since you have a sprinkler system, and want soft grass, you should check out kentucky blue, but they are higher maintenance (need more water or turn brown in hot summer) than fescue or ryegrass. there are big diff between top rated kentucky bluegrass like midnight, bedazzled and the cheap 'ken blue,' do your research, dude. I reseeded my lawn with a mixture of turf type tall fescue + 10% middle of the line kbg.

you need to set your sprinkler system to run however long it takes to fill up a tunafish sized can, usually 1/2hr or so, for every 2-3 days. do a search on sprinkler and tunafish in google if you want all the details.

you will need to keep the lawn moist after seeding for the next 7-21days until the seeds germinate, maybe 2-3x a day for 1/2hr each time.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Originally posted by: akshatp

Originally posted by: NoShangriLa
Lawn area?

Most grass required at least 2" of topsoil, but 4" or more is better.

7 zone @ 41 heads -- What pressure do you have from the street? How many gallon/minute is the sprinkler head rating?

What type of seed are you putting down? Hydro seeding or dry seeding?

1. I?m not sure what type of grass is best for your area, but your landscaper should be able to provide you with the answers, other wise check online for growing zone & soil condition (most grass seeds should do well with store bought top soil) or call the local garden centers. Scotts/Kentucky Blue mix should do well in most condition.

2. Best to water lawn just before sun rise or just before sun set, but it really doesn?t matter much what time of the day you set it for except for higher water lost during windy or sunny (hot) time of the day. Should ask the landscaper for amount of time to set pending the top soil condition (seeds require more frequent watering at shorter time interval than grass because the seed is at the first 1/4?-1/2? of the soil).

3. Over water lawn on the first few watering might help with germination, but it might erodes the top soil and create trenches in your lawn. I would go with the landscaper recommendation.

Lawn area - 13,000 sq ft.

Pressure, etc - Not sure, but the irrigation company measured it and deemed it appropriate that the pressure was adequate for 6 heads per zone.. The system can handle up to 13 zones.

The sprinkler heads are all RainBird 5000 full circle rotors, not sure of the specs.

The amoung of top soil they bring should give at least 2" of cover. I was told by various landscaping estimates that it would suffice. You think I need more? I can always order another truckload... The cost of soil is small relaztive to the rest of the bill.

2" is sufficient, but the more the better (prevent thin spots), and most top soil is better at water holding & draining than clay/sandy soil.

Is there any corner that require 90, or 180 degrees coverage (could also get adjustable nozzles). Cross over coverage is best, because water coverage is more even thus save water & prevent brown spots.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Originally posted by: richardycc
isn't it kinda late to tell your landscaper what kind of grass seed you want? for cold area like NJ, I think thats zone 5, you probably only have 3-4 kind of grass to pick from, kentucky blue, fescue, turf-type tall fescue, or ryegrass. goto seedland.com to read about them. Since you have a sprinkler system, and want soft grass, you should check out kentucky blue, but they are higher maintenance (need more water or turn brown in hot summer) than fescue or ryegrass. there are big diff between top rated kentucky bluegrass like midnight, bedazzled and the cheap 'ken blue,' do your research, dude. I reseeded my lawn with a mixture of turf type tall fescue + 10% middle of the line kbg.

you need to set your sprinkler system to run however long it takes to fill up a tunafish sized can, usually 1/2hr or so, for every 2-3 days. do a search on sprinkler and tunafish in google if you want all the details.

you will need to keep the lawn moist after seeding for the next 7-21days until the seeds germinate, maybe 2-3x a day for 1/2hr each time.

Tunafish sized can for every 2-3 days or roughly 2-2 1/2" per week is little higher than the 1" per week standard suggestions.

 

[akshatp]

Up for day crew input

 

[KK]

pretty much what everyone else here is saying, some type of fescue, kentucky blue grass type would probably be best for your climate. keep the ground moist by watering frequently couple times a day. Not alot at a time, just enough to keep it moist. Once you get it established, water less frequently but heavier, that way the roots will go down further in search of water to prevent the grass from dying in drought conditions. Go over to gardenweb.com into their lawn forums, you'll get some good tips by reading thru some of their threads.

 

[akshatp]

Thanks for all of the advice and links to external sites guys... Ill go peruse some of those forums and post back here (or maybe register there) with any more questions...

 

[Eos]

Here are some pics of my lawn:

lawn #1

lawn #2

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: eos
Here are some pics of my lawn:

lawn #1

lawn #2

VERY NICE!!!! I want my lawn to grow up and be just like yours!

BTW, I have all rotary heads so I will run each zone for an equal amount of time... Finding out what amount is the tricky part lol

 

[Eos]

Just remember that took all summer to get to this point. Only in the last month is it all thick and all green. There were persistent brown spots a lot of the time.