It has now been about three weeks since we put down the first round of grass seed in our backyard. Three very long, very hot weeks. We were fully aware going into this that we were going to be fighting an uphill battle trying to grow grass from seed in July, but with a September annual fall party deadline looming before us, we felt we didn't really have a choice.
Things we have learned to date, in no particular order:
- No matter how diligently one checks the weather forecast beforehand, if seed is sown, there will be a monsoon-like rainfall within 48 hours. Also, there will be record-breaking heat.
- The only way to ensure that it will not rain, is to decide not to turn on the sprinkler because it's supposed to rain.
- Even the most waterlogged yard dries out incredibly fast when the heat index is 103.
- The most efficient watering pattern for our backyard is comprised of 7 different sprinkler positions and one small area we have to spray separately (this has been perfected from the 9 original positions used the first weekend).
- Weeds will continue to grow, even thrive, even when grass will not grow.
In fairness, we have made some significant progress despite the unfortunate timing. Each subsequent seeding (we've been throwing down additional seed weekly) has greatly improved the overall condition of our "lawn." In fact, we have some areas that are doing really well!
The challenging areas are those areas that are graded to move the water away from the house (see lesson #1 above). It has been a painfully slow process to get even a little bit of grass to stick here, let alone enough to hold the seed in place during a heavier rainfall (on the plus side, the grading/drainage upgrades are working perfectly!). It doesn't help matters that these are the same areas that also get hit with direct sunlight all day long, making them the hottest, driest parts of the yard as well.
This weekend my dad (who is our grass seed supplier and the expert advice-giver when it comes to seed) assured us that after August 10, the weather typically cools down slightly and it should be more favorable for grass-growing. I really hope that's the case this year, because we have a lot of grass to grow before September 17!
Labels: yard projects
