How much sun does the area get? If it's in shade in the afternoon (time of most intense heat), then your plan might work.

I think the answer is how much time you want to spend. I would think watering would need to kept up with, but also several light doses of fertilizer throughout the month (would it lead to a healthy long-term lawn? No, but if it's at least green and growing thick then Mom will just have to worry about grass stains vs. mud stains.)

However - if it's a mudpit when wet - will the grass really take hold at all? Is it too compacted? Perhaps you can turn the area into a horseshoe pit or bocce' ball play area?
Or heavily mulch it and set up the serving tables there - more foot traffic around the edges, but less kids playing in pure dirt.

Back to the Rye question - I would plant now - if it's too hot to survive more than 2-3 weeks, why would it even last longer than 1-2 weeks? What makes it, makes it, and if it fails, you've given yourself a cushion of a week or so to come up with plans B, C, D & E.

Please let us know what you end up going with and how it turns out.

--Gags

The area is on the south side of the house and partially shaded by 2 very large trees in the neighbors property. Before the container sat there, it had some straggly bermuda and centipede, but there was enough shade that neither thrived. I think if I just rough up the top layer of soil, the seed would take hold.

The soil is a red clay, so everything is a bit compacted. The fescue in the backyard is doing fine though in the same soil. It is just that bare dirt + water = mud.

It might be a good place to set up the big ole bbq for our pig, but it would be in site of the neighbors, so we would probably get some extra uninvited guests!

The area is sloped enough that it wouldn't make a good horseshoe pit - and close enough to my house that I wouldn't want kids tossing horseshoes anyway!

Well... what you need is some sort of grassy looking warm season annual that loves HOT weather... something that will sprout fast and really only live through the summer...

I am in a similar dilemma....

The local feed and seed store recommended Brown millet... What they said is that you seed it right now, and then keep it cut -- It looks more or less like grass for the summer.... It also only has a 60-90 day growing season -- right through the hottest part of the summer... then it dies out all on its own... just in time for Fall grass planting season...

I decided to try it out...

Spread seed about 1 weeks ago, and my yard is a soft green carpet 1" tall.... Thick and healthy and lush and green and soft... Color is apple green -- kinda like Centipede.

I have no idea what it will look like in a month... probably kinda like what Wheat looks like if you keep it mowed...... but right now -- it is Beautiful!

So.. If this sounds like a good idea...

Talk with your local Country type feed and seed store... buy a 50 lb bag of millet and plant it out about 2-weeks before your guests arrive. Set it out with starter fertilizer.. just like you would for grass...

Keep it watered -- and it should grow up into a beautiful lawn looking carpet of green that will keep the kids from turning solid Orange when they run around.... It should be lush and beauiful and look like a real lawn for Wedding time... and you are totally off the hook....

The stuff I bought was pretty cheap -- like $25.00 for a 50 lb sack -- so not a big cash outlay.

Or... you could drop $200.00 on sod...

Thanks

John

Well, apparently I did something to anger the gods because I've had a ton of hot, dry weather. It has been 90+ just about every day with little rain. The area that gets a little more shade has some spotty germination, but I'm not having much luck keeping it consistently moist. It seems like 10 minutes after I stop watering, the surface is already drying out!

Oh well, 3 weeks to go and it isn't looking good. If we can get a little break from the heat, I might make it. Otherwise, mulch - here I come.

What did you plant out?
Did you ever do a soil test or amend that particular dirt at all?

If you did the Millet thing -- once you see green stubble, hit it with Miracle grow from a hose end sprayer....

If you did Rye -- Maybe you will get lucky and it will live in the heat (Hasn't been my luck, though)...

If you did Fescue -- It doesn't grow much at temps >90.... You may not see much germination till September.. or it may just grow up about 1", then turn brown and die... Water deep and frequently and hope for the best.

If you got our Acidy red clay dirt -- maybe spread some Calcitic lime out at 2-5 lbs/1,000 sq-ft...

Either way, keep watering!

Thanks

John

I ended up going with the rye because it was cheap and available. This is small area, so buying millet in 50 lb bags was a little overkill.

The rye that has come up is green and holding its own. The problem is keeping the area moist enough to get decent germination. It is 97 again today and the water seems to evaporate as fast as I can put it out. I'm afraid I'm going to end up with a $100 water bill to grow $5 grass.

Have you thought about using a soaker hose to reduce evaporation?

Just an update for anyone else who might try this....

The rye was pretty much a failure. This June set the raleigh record for most days above 90 degrees. We had below average rainfall. I got some spotty germination in the shadier areas, but basically it was just too hot and too dry.

We ended up just tossing some mulch down and using the area for the grill and bbq. Since we had so little rain, there was no problem with mud etc. We put the big grill on the far back end of the side "lawn" so it kept kids from running through.