Green Me Now

UPDATE: Low-maintenance Lawn Retrofit

The GreenRetros low-maintenance lawn project is showing signs of progress.

The seed, sown a little more than two weeks ago (see “Lawn Retrofit Eyes Low Maintenance”), has appeared, much of it about an inch high now. It’s a bit disconcerting to see the fine young blades among the weeds that are still hanging tough after the severe cut that started this project.

Here’s a recap: We’ve planted 1,000 square feet of what was a poor lawn with Pearl’s Premium Ultra Low Maintenance lawn seed. The project has cost $171 for the seed and other materials, plus the rental of a core aerator (the physical toll on the aerator operator’s body is not part of this calculation). We have followed as closely as possible the planting instructions of Jackson Madnick, inventor of the seed: Give the lawn a severe cut to stress existing vegetation; rake; add lime; aerate; add soil conditioner; add organic compost; seed; rake into soil; and roll. Then, water.

Madnick advises two seed densities: use one 5-pound bag per 1,000 square feet for normal density, or 7 to 8 pounds (a bag and a half) for a thicker lawn and fewer weeds.

We planted at normal density, using the seed formulated for sunny areas. However, in a follow-up conversation with Madnick, he recommended the greater seed density based on the lawn we wanted, and because of the quantity of existing weeds.

We got another 5-pound bag of seed. But this time I got the version for shady areas. I had noticed during planting that the area in full sun in the summer gets afternoon shade in the fall.

Finally, Madnick recommends watering every day for 30 days. We have two weeks to go.