Question
QUESTION: Hi there,

I planted a tri-mix of blue grass and perennial ryegrasses in the remaining 2/3rds of my 2-acre lot after having the area tilled/graded professionally the week of September (I planted the grass on 9/4, visible blade growth was noticeable 6 days later). I set up 9 or 10 sprinklers throughout the 2/3rds of an acre and they all run for 10-15 minutes 3 times per day (on automatic timers). Over the past few days, we've received 2-3" of rain in WNY (with more expected from the remnants of Ike) and there are quite a few puddles in the area where I planted. In fact, I'd say 1/6th of the total area is puddled up right now. The areas not flooded, the new lawn is growing vigorously, blade length is probably doubling every day or two. In the flooded areas, little to no growth (lack of O2 because of the rain).

So, my question is, do you have any recommendations on a cool season grass that might tolerate some of the "wetter" spots of my backyard? I'd like to avoid having to bring in more fill if at all possible (because it's in my backyard and I don't want the rest of my newly-planted lawn torn up). I also mixed in Houndog6 Turf-Type tall fescue as I had about 75 lbs. left over because I planted tall fescue exclusively in my front and side yards. Additionally, with September progressing rapidly, what is the latest date for over seeding those puddled areas, assuming that they will dry out eventually this Fall?

I planted a portion of my lawn in July, and it came in beautifully because of the cooler than normal temps and the excessive rain WNY had during July and August (in excess of 12" of rain total for those 2 months!!). I had puddling issues in July and August too, but eventually all areas grew in on their own once they dried out a bit in late August. I didn't have to overseed much except where I had serious seed wash-outs from heavy downpours. I would have waited until now to plant everything but the weather was just too ideal this summer so I jumped the gun and it paid off.

I also had soil tests (Niagara County) for all areas of my lot where I planted new grass and have followed your advice based on your answers to previous questions. Your suggestions helped tremendously and I owe you thanks for the success that I've had seeding my own lawn thus far. I went with Tall Fescue throughout most of my yard based on your recommendations, and it is thriving.

Thanks in advance for any insight you might be able to provide for my "flooded" new seed bed!



- Chris

ANSWER: Even with all that water, sir, your Soil should be doing a better job at drainage.  You get a LOT of water in the Spring with the massive (by Long Island standards) snow melt.  I hate to say it, but your property should first have been graded to make sure all this surface water drains efficiently.  Your Niagara County Soil and Water Conservation District gives taxpayers technical advice about your Soil and Water.  Both of which are causing you a lot of trouble:

www.niagaraswcd.com/About%20Us.htm

Note one of their areas of expertise: Drainage Assistance.  716-434-4949.

Soil texture (the amount of Sand, Silt and Clay in your Soil) determines how well your Soil drains as well as how well it holds nutrients.  Landscapers check drainage with a 'percolation test'.  You dig a hole 2 ft deep x 2 ft wide, fill it with Water, and let it drain out completely; repeat; then re-fill the same hole with more water and let time HOW LONG it takes for ALL the Water to drain out completely. You're in GREAT shape if it's all gone 12 hours later, or sooner.  12 to 24 hours, you need a Grass that is NOT sensitive to moisture for that much time.  LONGER than that calls for serious, outside special drainage or a Water-loving groundcover.

My guess is that you'll have to solve this by burying underground those special drainage pipes -- the kind that you see constructed of perforated plastic.  Be careful that you slope them down properly to keep any Soil from clogging them up.

As for switching to a moisture-tolerant turfgrass, the problem here is that you only need this feature intermittently; the rest of the time, it needs to be cold-tolerant or drought-tolerant, not to mention possibly traffic-tolerant (although I assume NOT shade-tolerant).

Raise the Soil texture to solve this short term, then re-seed in the Spring when your new fixed Grass has more time to grow a strong root system.  Remember that high levels of Organic Matter and Humus encourage Earthworm populations; concentrated Fertilizer and other chemicals will decrease them.  Earthworms will improve Soil texture very effectively, but it will take months.  I would give serious thought to those subsurface drainage pipes.  Ask your tax-funded Niagara County officials for a detailed local approach.  Thanks for writing.

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ah, yes, I left out the details of my area - I live smack in the middle of Niagara county (in Pendleton) where it is very flat and we have nothing but solid clay under that 16-18" layer of topsoil. Soil and perc tests were mandatory when I built my house in the Fall last year (for a septic system), and of course the perc tests failed, so my septic system required a fairly large sand filter bed, which explains why my front yard drains so well. The areas immediately around my house were all graded professionally by a landscaper, so that the soil slopes away from the house in all directions. The grade levels off and becomes flat about 150' behind my house, and remains flat, at its original grade, about 300' back from that point, which is where I planted the new tri-mix of grass. However, I made the idiotic assumption that the 18" layer of would be able to handle the water once grass started coming in and broke up that soil a bit - my next door neighbor planted his lawn at this same time last year, and although he had trouble getting some low spots to grow in (similar to my situation right now), he did not order in additional fill or install drainage ,and he appears to be in good shape right now (all his grass is in). My backyard was used for farming soybeans and corn for the past 30-50 years (maybe longer), so the soil has always been tilled/worked up annually and kept in good shape with organic fertilizers (manure).

So it sounds like I'm fairly hosed regarding the drainage issues. I feared that this could be a problem, but thought new grass would help the situation, but I guess it won't help if it can't grow in the first place. I have extra topsoil that I will plan on using to raise the soil a bit in a a couple of the larger low-spots where drainage is surely and issue, as a temporary fix. I'm sure you're right on about the drainage being a major issue that will need to be fixed, I was hoping that a new lawn would help with the drainage issue and that I could add additional drainage later on (such as perforated pipes, dry wells, french drains etc.). I really appreciate your response, and will contact the county - at least I can make use of my tax dollars for a change. Thanks again.

Answer
Thanks for all those details... Wish I could help you with them.

One detail about your property's previous life as a farm that you may not be aware of: all that annual tilling predisposes your Soil and Lawn to a Grubs problem, and perhaps others that are yet to be identified by science.

Grubs by the textbook should never become a problem.  But we know that some homeowners find their plots taken over by them.

Seems that Grubs populations are held in check by various natural forces like Grub predators (of which there are many), Grub-eating Nematodes and special Fungi.  Rototilling destroys the predators, Nematodes and Fungi practically overnight.  They take years to recover; annual tilling makes sure that will never happen.  This becomes the foundation for a Grubs explosion.

Today, there are HUNDREDS of Soil Science and Agricultural journals documenting some of the most esoteric studies you can imagine.  But we are learning a lot about Soil.  Browse thru some of these 'dirty magazines' some time; many post abstracts online.  All kinds of treatments for Lawn diseases and pests are being generated by this research.  Too bad I can't say the same for your drainage problem.

Good luck.  Keep me posted.

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER