Any lawn experts? Suggestions for planting grass in northern KY.

[92saturnsl2]

As the title suggests, I need some help with grass seed choices for my lawn. I can't really call it a lawn, it's two acres in a "subdivision" but honestly I don't really care what grows as long as it's green and resembles grass.

Some portion of it has been tore up from equipment when I built my shop building and hasn't grown back well, other than sporadic weeds. That's what I'm trying to remediate, as well as portions of the fenced in yard with heavy traffic (dogs and kids). I have a few things working against me:

A) poor soil; in some places it's rocky and looks barren of anything that might resemble topsoil
B) With a lot of area to cover, I can only dedicate prep work to certain areas that I care about.

Is there such a thing as a grass seed that I can put down with little or no prep, that can grow well in poor soil? I've had good luck with KY-31 grass seed in areas I care about, closest to the house that I put some time into at least making the soil loose and watering when it's dry (only when getting established). But not sure that's a good candidate for overseeding - just throwing down seed and hope it works. Any suggestions would be welcome.

The climate here (45 miles southwest of Louisville) is such that warm or cool season grass can both thrive, but I just need something green that is hardy and easy to plant as possible.

 

[doitmyself]

Contact your land grant university (univ. of Kentucky) and get great advice based on regional conditions:
https://ukturf.ca.uky.edu/

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www2.ca.uky.edu

I'm gonna bet that turf type tall fescue will fit your needs perfect - low maintenance, low needs, very hardy.

Off topic - I spent many summers near Leitchfield Kentucky on Rough River at my grandparents. You cannot be too far from there. Kentucky is a beautiful state.

 

[atikovi]

Do you plan on mowing it too? 2 acres is a lot of grass to cut.

 

[Kestas]

I have a lot of lawn in the country. I call it a field lawn since I don't water or fertilize, and I only mow it every 3 weeks. It got scarred by tree removing equipment a few years ago and I'm letting nature fill in the bare areas.

 

[Creekside]

I'll add another vote for turf type tall fescue. I think it'll work fine for you. Plus I work for one of the largest fescue suppliers in the country so your purchases are appreciated.

 

[bullwinkle]

Why, Kentucky bluegrass, of course! (Just kidding, tall fescue is the best grass for a big lawn, and it’s pretty drought resistant once it gets well established)

 

[skyactiv]

I know it doesn't answer your question, but Jonathan green grass seed is the best I've used. I got it at an Ace Hardware.

 

[chainblu]

When I lived in NC., Fescue was my go-to seed. It did well in clay.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

No one has mentioned it yet, but you need to aerate your acreage. I like to do it right after a good rain in spring and fall.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Off topic - I spent many summers near Leitchfield Kentucky on Rough River at my grandparents. You cannot be too far from there. Kentucky is a beautiful state.

I'm right in the middle between Louisville and the Rough River area. Leitchfield is about a 35 minute drive, I have buddy I often visit that has a cabin on Rough River. Great hunting property too.

Why, Kentucky bluegrass, of course! (Just kidding, tall fescue is the best grass for a big lawn, and it’s pretty drought resistant once it gets well established)

What I've been using (KY-31) is a tall fescue, so perhaps I'm doing it right. But I've never sowed grass seed before, so I'm not sure if I'm wasting my time just throwing it on bare spots (without raking/tilling), or if there's something better for this type of application (low prep).

Do you plan on mowing it too? 2 acres is a lot of grass to cut.

I mow all of it. Takes 4 hours start to finish using a 2000 Craftsman lawn tractor w/ 50" deck.

I have a lot of lawn in the country. I call it a field lawn since I don't water or fertilize, and I only mow it every 3 weeks. It got scarred by tree removing equipment a few years ago and I'm letting nature fill in the bare areas.

That's been my maintenance plan so far, except for once weekly mowing. Many of the distant neighbors make it their life's mission to have a golf course quality lawn, but that's not what I'm looking for, just some durable green cover that's more than weeds.

 

[Donald]

I would suggest a Barenbrug bag of a grass seed mix. Home Depot sells it but might need to order. It's reasonable priced .

I think a mix is better than any single grass seed variety. Tall fescue is great but does not spread. Kentucky blue grass does spread.

I have no experience with anything other than cool season grasses.

Remember no pre-emergent if your seeding grass.

Water water water.

 

[JHZR2]

I was in a rural king last week, and they had Kentucky bluegrass for $2.98/lb iirc. I bought some, the price seemed so good.

 

[Elkins45]

I had a conversation with someone from the UK College of Agriculture about a decade ago regarding Kentucky 31 fescue. Their comment was how UK hoped nobody would remember that they had a hand in creating it, since it’s aggressively pushing out so many native grasses in the horse farm areas. There’s very little native bluegrass left anywhere these days.

I tend to think of it as an invasive species these days.

 

[atikovi]

I mow all of it. Takes 4 hours start to finish using a 2000 Craftsman lawn tractor w/ 50" deck.

Would be a hard pass for me. I spray Roundup on the quarter acre at my warehouse so I only have to mow it 3 or 4 times a year.

 

[hrv]

I was in a rural king last week, and they had Kentucky bluegrass for $2.98/lb iirc. I bought some, the price seemed so good.

Does not hold up well in the heat of the summer unless you are going to water the heck out of it...

 

[Triple_Se7en]

I hate grass that lays down on it's side when it gets a wee-bit too tall.. Fescue is famous for that. It also shows your work boot impressions when walking on it. It's blades are too thin. No thanks.
Kentucky Blue or the stuff Member Skyactiv gets at Ace Hardware, would be my two choices. If the thread-starter lived in hot Texas, South Florida.....etc and the grass got burnt easily, but Kentucky doesn't qualify for needing a special type of grass for regular maintenance. Dirt soil is key for keeping the same grass for decades- not sandy soil.

 

[PW01]

I live pretty close to you and had my lawn killed and restored. We had the house built and the soil quality is poor, lots of clay and gravel. Ours was power-seeded and broadcast seeded with Pennington Tall Fescue Blend. This is the third year and lawn looks fantastic

 

[Donald]

If you can get hold of one, a seed slitter its a good way to seed a lawn.

 

[Dreadnought]

Try a good, newer variety of Turf Type Tall Fescue. DO NOT use Kentucky 31, very wide blades, clumps, lays over quickly. Make sure you add a starter fertilizer (15-25-10 for an example ration). Aeration is very beneficial when seeding they pray for rain! Good luck.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Try a good, newer variety of Turf Type Tall Fescue. DO NOT use Kentucky 31, very wide blades, clumps, lays over quickly. Make sure you add a starter fertilizer (15-25-10 for an example ration). Aeration is very beneficial when seeding they pray for rain! Good luck.

I'll be on the lookout for a newer variety. KY-31 from what I've read has its benefits. Despite its wider blades, it stays green in the hot summer months with no irrigation despite being a cool season grass. A lot of cool seasons grasses go dormant/brown in the summer here when temps get in the high 80+ temps with no rainfall.

Again, low maintenance and easy to plant/establish is goal #1 where I live.