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Cheap lawn seed
- Thread starter Buckeye
- Start date
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
The fine fescues (turf types) cost more but do make a great looking lawn. Lots of people around here use regular field type fescues (such as KY31) for lawns, and it does work well. I think 31 looks just as good if you mow every week, but I think the turf types look better if you go 10 days or more between mowings.
You can generally buy KY 31 fescue seed relatively cheap at a feed store and it works in sun or semi shade. For more shady spots, Creeping Red Fescue will thrive and can also be bought at most feed stores. Creeping Red is a very fine grass, and KY 31 is a wider blade. You could also mix the two in semi shade.
Some folks like Bluegrass for a lawn, but it tends to brown out faster than fescue in the hot dry summer. I wouldn't really want it myself, but I have seen some bluegrass yards that people give a lot of attention to which look very nice in the summer.
I have a turf type in my yard (Falcon) and like it. I would suggest checking prices at a farm store that sells seeds. You may find that it won't cost a great deal more to get what you would like best.
You can generally buy KY 31 fescue seed relatively cheap at a feed store and it works in sun or semi shade. For more shady spots, Creeping Red Fescue will thrive and can also be bought at most feed stores. Creeping Red is a very fine grass, and KY 31 is a wider blade. You could also mix the two in semi shade.
Some folks like Bluegrass for a lawn, but it tends to brown out faster than fescue in the hot dry summer. I wouldn't really want it myself, but I have seen some bluegrass yards that people give a lot of attention to which look very nice in the summer.
I have a turf type in my yard (Falcon) and like it. I would suggest checking prices at a farm store that sells seeds. You may find that it won't cost a great deal more to get what you would like best.
Nebraskaz71
Active Member
schultz tall fescue from menards, cheapest i've found that grows great, only prob is it tends to have clover seed in it that you gotta get rid of eventually
Is it possible to plant without using straw to cover the seed
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
It is possible but the straw helps to keep the soil from eroding while the grass is starting to grow, and it helps to hold moisture. It would be less important on flatter ground but still helps some. If you have the ground prepared well, have good fertility get good moisture, and cover and pack the seed well, you should be fine without straw on flat ground.
Cool season grasses like fescue do best when planted early fall and have good moisture. You can have a lawn by winter. If you plant in the summer, get ready to water a lot and have slow growth until the season changes. You can do it, but its a lot harder to do.
Thanks for the info
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Straw is cheap, don't try without straw, it helps grass start X10! It's purpose is to preserve moisture for a better stand. Better yet, a thin sprinkling of mushroom soil on top of the seed. Whatever cover you use should be thin enough that the soil still peeks through at spots. The best time to plant is spring and fall. The worst time is middle of summer.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
I planted fescue last fall and it looked great until about a month ago when we started getting temps in the high 90''s and low 100's. I've had .4 inches of rain in the last 6 weeks or so, that isn't helping. I originally wanted buffalo grass but chose not to. Right now I'm wishing I had stayed with that choice.
Sounds like Kansas is back on track for normal summer temp/rain pattern which is hot/dry...the only year in recent history we weren't on that pattern was the summer of 2015 when we got record rainfall and mild temps but now the Stars have all aligned and we are back to our beloved weeks between small rain chances summer...
catscratch
Well-Known Member
Yep, back to normal. We had 5yrs of drought broken last summer with regular rains most of the summer. We are currently several inches behind on the yr when you look at the 10yr average. My summer plots and clover is crispy and crunchy!
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Right there with you on the crunchy plot deal...
Tap
Well-Known Member
3-4 acre lawn? I'd be putting at least half of it in clover. Clover looks nice, takes a lot less mowing time over the course of the summer, and draws in wildlife that you can watch from the house. I converted some of my lawn to clover several years ago and I'm not sorry. I have critters in it every day.
And if you really want it to be grass, why not do a crop of red clover and then follow it up in a couple years with lawn grass? The clover will build-up the nitrogen level in the soil for the grass.
And if you really want it to be grass, why not do a crop of red clover and then follow it up in a couple years with lawn grass? The clover will build-up the nitrogen level in the soil for the grass.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
This what my fescue looks like right now... and what my buffalo grass looks like. Different regions and growing zones make a huge difference but if I have to replant it won't be in fescue.
The clover I planted in the yard looked good in the spring but it's brown now too.
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The clover I planted in the yard looked good in the spring but it's brown now too.
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Looks a little crunchy hope you get some rain soonThis what my fescue looks like right now... and what my buffalo grass looks like. Different regions and growing zones make a huge difference but if I have to replant it won't be in fescue.
The clover I planted in the yard looked good in the spring but it's brown now too.
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catscratch
Well-Known Member
I do too but I think the yard is past help. I think it's toast.
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Tap
Well-Known Member
I guess that's life in Kansas. 150 years ago, those planes were growing deep rooted native grasses that weren't much effected by dry spells.
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Yeah I say your right
