Question
Hi.  I purchased new construction in a new subdivision here in the NW suburbs of Boston, MA.  Moved in late November, 2005.  The lawn area front/sides/back is very large (1.85 acre lot) with at least 1 acre of lawn area around the house.  The builder laid down the seed on Nov. 1st!!  And they are not responsible for germination of the seed.  The topsoil is terrible IMO.  Looks like a rocky beach.  I've actually raked some portions of the dirt lawn area in an effort to remove as much as the rocks/stones as possible.  Much of the seed washed away.  There are a few Grand Canyon-like run-off channels where the land slopes.  Began watering my dirt lawn as best I could with my lawn sprinkler.  A day-long affair without a sprinkler system.  Some of the grass has come up, but it's truly sparse.  The site foreman says that he'll bring the landscaper back for additional seeding if it doesn't come in decently by May.  I think my question is.....what can I expect for a lawn with the rather rocky soil that it is being sown in?  My neighbor said his lawn soil was much better than mine when they seeded his lawn around last August/September.  He did have a sprinkler system installed in advance, too.  And his lawn is rather lush.  I doubt we'd be able to get the site foreman to have more topsoil spread over our lawn.  We're probably lucky that he'll give us a re-seeding.

Answer
Grass will grow in most soil and it is hardly worth the effort (or money) to put down topsoil on a 1.85 acre lot. You are better off having more emphasiz used on the seed. I would recommend that the seeds are covered with a light layer of straw in the areas where runoff and disappearing seeds appear to be a problem.

You can also consider having the lawn hydroseeded. The seeds are sprayed on the lawn in a liquid gel (green or blue) which keeps moisture and reduce the watering requirement.

Without consistent moisture until the seeds germinate (sprout) the result will always be poor. You can not realistically water twice per day on a lot like this without automatic sprinklers and this would be required for 14-21 days until germination. If you do not water, and it does not rain, then you will loose most of the seeds.

Your options are then to plant in stages and do one area at a time, but hydro seeding is a much better option in my mind.

Even if you have to share the expense of hydroseeding with the landscaper, this may be your best option.

Finally, for best result I recommend spending the efforts and money in early September (as early as possible). Seeds will germinate fast as soil temperatures are warm but air temperatures will soon cool which means less evaporation which is what you need. Cool soils of november or spring are possible, but less ideal. Absolute best time is early september.

Finally, good soil/seed contact is crucial. I recommend renting a landscapers roller (one which attaches to your lawn mower) and then ride around and roll the seeds after seeding. This will also drastically help with good result.

You may want to take the offer to reseed in spring and then hydro seed in fall if the result is still poor. Or you could negotiate with the landscaper to come back in fall instead.

Realistically, seeds need to be kept consistently moist for 2-3 weeks until they sprout. This can be made easier with hydroseeding (due to the gel used) or it can be done in fall where warm soil temperatures and cool air temperatures produce fast germination and good growing conditons. If you hydroseed in early fall (september) you improve your odds. Finally, good soil/seed contact is also required, and covering problem areas with a light layer of straw will further improve your success.

Good luck
Kenneth