Northern Michigan spring lawn care - 2nd season

16 years ago

I live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and seeded a lawn for the first time at our newly built home last summer. Since our lawn ranges from mostly sunny to mostly shaded, I seeded with a KBG and FF ratio of 60/40 (recommended by this forum). By Fall, our lawn was very thick and many assumed we must have sodded to get a lawn that thick so quickly. It was beautiful.

Now the lawn is facing it's first spring. The lawn is now totally snow and moisture free and slowly beginning to green. My questions are:

1. What should be done this first spring to prepare for the summer? Re-seeding, weed and feed, etc.?

2. We're planning on adding another section of lawn that will be in shade 90% of the time. What combination and brand of seed should be used?

Thank you.

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Comments (6)

wxman81
16 years ago
I think you might have a hard time establishing a lawn where there is 90% shade. Have you considered using a low growing ground cover, or maybe making planting beds for shade loving plants like hostas, etc?

If you were absolute on having grass there, you could try seeding a fine fescue and seeing if it works, but I think it'll end up dying or being really thin and you will ultimately end up being disappointed. Even shade tolerant grass needs a few hours of sunlight a day.
auteck
16 years ago
X2, wxman81.
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jarvinen
Original Author
16 years ago
Actually, 90% shade may have been an overstatement. It does get an hour or two of early morning sun. And throughout the day it gets intermittent sunshine here and there through the trees. But it would have to be very shade tolerant.
bestlawn
16 years ago
Jarvinen, I remember a post from you from last year but cannot find it. I wanted to look back to be reminded of my/our suggestions to you. I remember addressing you but cannot recall what it was about or what was stated. Are you sure I/we suggested mixing bluegrass with fine fescue? It's something I never suggest because the mix doesn't make sense to me. Normally, I recommend bluegrass in the sunny areas and then transition fine fescue in the shady areas. Does that sound familiar?

You want fine fescue in the new area. For the existing lawn, fertilize in between early and mid May. You'll likely get some weeds, for which you can use weed-b-gon or whatever your choice. A weed hound works great if you prefer not using herbicides.
jarvinen
Original Author
16 years ago
I remember you offering advice, but I also cannot find the thread. Someone advised mixing them and over the years the KBG would take over in the sunny areas and the FF would take the shade. Maybe they advised that based on the fact that our lawn is never totally in the shade or sun. It all transitions during the day (except for the area I'm about to seed... it only gets some mornging sun).

Are there any specific fine fescue types that you would recommend that might work better than others for our region?
billhill
16 years ago
Bonny Dunes is a Fine Fescue blend of Creeping red, Hard, and Chewings Fescue. I believe that Summit Seed and/or Seedland.com may have it. That should work well in your sunlight challenged areas. Bill Hill

Here is a link that might be useful: Seedland.com

Northern Michigan spring lawn care - 2nd season

Comments (6)

wxman81

auteck

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Northern Michigan spring lawn care - 2nd season

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wxman81

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