Pacific Northwest Lawn Issues

[BobOB]

Our home is in a wooded area near Tacoma Washington. We have about 6,000 sq ft of grass on our property and have been having problems keeping a full lawn. As with most properties here, we have a lot of moss on the grass which I'll try to control with the liquid Dawn soap and water formula. The lawn was hydro seeded two years ago and started failing last year. I put about 100 lbs of granulated lime after aerating the lawn. The following month I applied triple 16 fertilizer and the lawn started to improve, but started dying out before fall.

I removed the dead turf and prepared the ground for another hydroseed application, but the flake that I originally hired never showed up after one month. I finally had to hand seed. So far, I have some grass production but half the ground looks like its dying out again.

I do have quite a few large fir trees in the area, but the ground gets a fair amount of sunlight. I'm ready to try a different lawn seed and am looking for recommendations from the forum to see what they recommend.

[rainbowgardener]

Don't have 6000 square feet of lawn?!

Personally, I would turn some of that into something more useful, herbs, berries, fruit trees.

I was thinking woods/ orchards until I looked it up and realized 6000 sq ft isn't really as much as it sounds like, not much more than 1 tenth acre (.13). My property is .3 acre, but true to what I am saying less than 1000 sq ft of it is lawn.

[BobOB]

Don't have 6000 square feet of lawn?!

Personally, I would turn some of that into something more useful, herbs, berries, fruit trees.

I was thinking woods/ orchards until I looked it up and realized 6000 sq ft isn't really as much as it sounds like, not much more than 1 tenth acre (.13). My property is .3 acre, but true to what I am saying less than 1000 sq ft of it is lawn.

I actually want enough grass for our little dogs to play on. We have so many trees around the parameter of our property already. There are close to 120 very tall trees surrounding the property and on the adjacent green belt. Fruit trees have been a problem. More than likely I'll be planting some of the shaded area with some shade tolerant shrubs.

[shadylane]

Kentucky bluegrass may have been in your grass mix the first time. It goes dormant during the hot summer. It shows the appearance of dry brown patches like it is dead. Once the cool days resumes it goes back to green. Bluegrass does not like shade or infertile or poorly drained land.
Homeowners typically use this variety mix. Bluegrass does not fight off weeds very well at the beginning being sparse.

You mentioned mold problems on your lawn. Fylking is a alternative for bluegrass variety, it is resistant to rust and striped smut, and needing less care than Merion.

Merion is a good seed variety, but has several disadvantages due to striped smut fungus and rust. It is not cheap and requires a good deal of potash.

I would not recommend Zoysia grass either. Sow it in plugs for your area. It takes 40 forevers to cover a large area. And one cant hardly walk on it with a steady foot, it's that thick and dense. No need for mowing. It too turns dry dark brown giving the appearance of being dead. And takes late spring to early summer to turn green after the winter season.

For shady lawn areas for your upper northwest state, you may want to look into a seed mixture of Pennlawn or various a fine leaved fescue variety. Not the tall fescues which are coarse in growth and must be heavily seeded.

Bentgrasses are susceptible to many diseases. They become of some good use on shady lawns.

Sow a variety mixture of grass seed, when one type takes one full season to get a foot hold, others in the mix help to achieve that success. Such seeds you should look for in a mix can include Redtop, it's a temporary, and Ryegrass, it's popular and helps new lawns get a quick strong start.

You may want to keep an eye out for the disease resistance varieties for your area in grass seed mix. Followed by annuals, which again help out the main grass seed you want to see most.

That is all I have to share, hope this helps with insight of what you will want to do come the spring...

[BobOB]

Kentucky bluegrass may have been in your grass mix the first time. It goes dormant during the hot summer. It shows the appearance of dry brown patches like it is dead. Once the cool days resumes it goes back to green. Bluegrass does not like shade or infertile or poorly drained land.
Homeowners typically use this variety mix. Bluegrass does not fight off weeds very well at the beginning being sparse.

You mentioned mold problems on your lawn. Fylking is a alternative for bluegrass variety, it is resistant to rust and striped smut, and needing less care than Merion.

Merion is a good seed variety, but has several disadvantages due to striped smut fungus and rust. It is not cheap and requires a good deal of potash.

I would not recommend Zoysia grass either. Sow it in plugs for your area. It takes 40 forevers to cover a large area. And one cant hardly walk on it with a steady foot, it's that thick and dense. No need for mowing. It too turns dry dark brown giving the appearance of being dead. And takes late spring to early summer to turn green after the winter season.

For shady lawn areas for your upper northwest state, you may want to look into a seed mixture of Pennlawn or various a fine leaved fescue variety. Not the tall fescues which are coarse in growth and must be heavily seeded.

Bentgrasses are susceptible to many diseases. They become of some good use on shady lawns.

Sow a variety mixture of grass seed, when one type takes one full season to get a foot hold, others in the mix help to achieve that success. Such seeds you should look for in a mix can include Redtop, it's a temporary, and Ryegrass, it's popular and helps new lawns get a quick strong start.

You may want to keep an eye out for the disease resistance varieties for your area in grass seed mix. Followed by annuals, which again help out the main grass seed you want to see most.

That is all I have to share, hope this helps with insight of what you will want to do come the spring...

I stopped by Home Depot today and noticed several name brand grass seed that specifically identified the seed as Pacific Northwest blend. In the past I've had some luck with seed with this label but wasted money on the coated seed that claims it holds water better.

Also, If I'm re-seeding, should I cover the new seed with a thin layer of dirt or fine straw?

Thanks for your advice. I'll be doing some more homework based on your comments.

[shadylane]

I stopped by Home Depot today and noticed several name brand grass seed that specifically identified the seed as Pacific Northwest blend. In the past I've had some luck with seed with this label but wasted money on the coated seed that claims it holds water better.

Some grass seed have a water soluble acid coating that inhibits germination, Bluegrass seed is one of those. One can soak them in a container of water or cheesecloth bag for 12-24 hours. Then rinse the seeds under fresh water, spread them on newspaper and let them dry in a shaded area for a couple of hours. Probably in a good place away from unexpected wind. They then are ready to sow, that is IF you want to go that way. Seeds that have been presoaked should germinate in 1-2 weeks.

After sowing, use a rake and gently work your area so that the seeds are barely covered with soil. Some step lightly over the area or use a roller. Some gardeners use straw or scatter dry peat moss. Important to remember is to water well every evening until the grass seeds have become established.