Look for a local 4-H Extension Office(maybe connected to a local agricultural school). Those folks can offer some locally targeted advice.

Welllllllll....we waited and suffered through a year or so of dirt due to owner build and way to many other things that had to be finished once we moved in. It's a royal pain and a royal mess but we did it and we did survive with 2 boys and a large dog. Fun? No. Doable. Yes.

Once the snow flew I forgot about living on the worlds largest sandbox until spring. :) We seeded it and it does take a while to grow in so the first year it's still early anyhow.

That said I know it's not prime growing season right now but I'd plant and we live in the north as well - MI. When we finally planted last year it was July and it's fine. It's really filling in this year and I'm glad we didn't wait longer yet just to hit spring. The timing was just what it was. Last house we planted in July as well and it was fine - that time clay soil.

If I were you I wouldn't wait but that's just my opinion. Good luck!

There's no reason not to plant now. Just means you need to water more.

Yep. It's grass. It'll grow if you water it. Don't worry.

This may not be an ideal time to grow grass, but it's absolutely ideal for weeds that love the clay that is turned up from building. Spread seed or put down sod, but get it started so you're not overrun by thistles, curly dock, and all sorts of noxious and obnoxious weeds.

Sod is the most effective solution, although expensive, but the hangup is whether you have local restrictions that will limit watering. Sod and grass seed will need large amounts of water which you may not be able to provide.

I agree you need to cover the soil to thwart the weeds (which can survive with little water), and if we do actually get rain in large quantities, like a nor'easter or hurricane, your dirt bowl will develop huge gullies. Maybe some sort of mulch - local wood chips, salt hay or the like - to hold the soil until fall seeding.

Hydroseeding would provide seed plus mulch but would also need to be watered.

Claire

I'm going to be even later than you, and in MA as well. I'm just not going to deal with most of the landscaping until next year. I'll make sure any slope-y areas that may have run-off and erosion have straw to stabilize the area. But I'm rural and well off the road anyway.

That being said, there are grasses that are meant to be seeded in the autumn. I'll be doing that. In the interim, I remind myself this was originally a field that was tractor-mowed once every July or August -- and I'll make sure the rest of the field gets that treatment again!

(PS, this field is 7-8 acres in size. Sod is right out. I didn't win Lotto this year.)

Spend the money and put in an in ground sprinkler system ( this is the perfect time to do it) and then sod. No one has time for watering anymore and a good in ground system will use water more efficiently.

Anglo, I know this is tough to answer, but can you give a rough estimate of cost for a sprinkler system and sod to cover an acre of land? Is that a $10k project, or more of a $25k project?

I disagree with underground sprinklers being necessary. Yep, establishing grass the first year does take time and effort. But once a lawn is established and healthy, it doesn't need daily watering. Our neighbors have underground sprinklers; we do not. If we have a dry year, our grass goes dormant - like it's suppose to. When it rains, our grass immediately greens up, and looks as good as the neighbors' but they've been mowing twice a week. If one has time to mow that often, one has time to water baby grass.

I would also recommend Hydroseeding. I had a large area put in late summer here in Ohio. I did have to stay on top of watering, but a good hydroseeding cover almost acts like plastic trapping moisture and holding it in. Grass came up really nice.

10k sqft of Zenith Zoysia hydromulch ran us $1200. Already sprouting and should be ready for mowing by week 5.

You might want to ask this question in the real lawn forum rather than a construction forum. I just accidentally saw this link.

All northern grasses should be seeded in the late summer to early fall. ALL OF THEM. Spring is a terrible time to seed, but not the worst. Now is the worst time. Because of your location you'd have better luck in July than now. Fall is best because that gives the new roots time to develop and resist the summer heat. It is also best because crabgrass and the other summer annual weeds are not germinating. If you are going to seed I strongly suggest you visit the lawn forum for advice on how to prepare the soil. Whatever you do, do not rototill or add more topsoil. Any problems with your soil can be fixed from the surface.

Sod will work any day of the year unless there is snow on the ground. It's more expensive but it's an instant lawn.

Starting a new lawn does not take that much more water than maintaining an established lawn. It seems like it, though, because of the timing. New sod or seed should be moistened 3x per day for about 5 minutes just to keep it moist and not soggy. Do that until you get 80% germination; then start backing off on the frequency and watering longer. An established lawn in the more coastal parts of MA should be watered deeply about once every 2 weeks in the 80 degree temps.

For more about amending the soil, starter fertilizing, soil testing, modern organic fertilizers, soil prep, basic maintenance, schedules, and lots more tips, please visit the lawn forum. No matter whether you want the Lawn of the Month every month or just to keep the weeds green, they will help you.

Sod or get a seed mix that is 50% annual rye. Annual rye will come up in 5ish days, and after that the bluegrass and fescues will follow it. It may not be ideal time but you want to start getting something established before weeds or runoff from rains make a mess. And your time will be more ideal than mine, my groundbreaking is scheduled for late Sept with an October foundation/october-november walls, roof etc, inside finished over the winter with a potential Feb move in date. Last year we didn't have rough weather until almost Christmas, but this is WISCONSIN, if anything it is unpredictable. This year I should plan on a September snowfall and below normal temps all winter since we are building :P .