# Grass seed



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

My dog yard is a mud pit. Pre winter I would like to lay down a bunch of grass seed so it is ready to grow first thing in the spring.

My question is...will my pup think this is food? I have feeling she might. If I try and buy straight seed with no fertilizer and so on, would it cause any issues if she ate some?

I am trying to wait until that last moment I can get seed down and then the ground freezes/has snow on it for the winter so it won't be as much of an issue.

Anyone tried seeding a yard a young dog/pup lives in?


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> My dog yard is a mud pit. Pre winter I would like to lay down a bunch of grass seed so it is ready to grow first thing in the spring.
> 
> My question is...will my pup think this is food? I have feeling she might. If I try and buy straight seed with no fertilizer and so on, would it cause any issues if she ate some?
> 
> ...


 
LOL, as we don't get much snow, however freezes; of which been becoming the norm the last few years....I throw down the annual rye grass this time of year and it grows pretty quick, nothing great for new lawn as it doesn't have strong roots, just simple to get going and grows in cold weather. I do it because I DON'T WANT a mud pit and works perfectly year after year, but my neighbors always shake their head when its January and I am mowing my back lawn! No issues with pups ever getting sick as I am laying it down they are chasing it and trying to eat it. Nevertheless, they haven't gotten sick, I have green grass in the dog yard and NO MUD!


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

*
*​Not sure grass will come in if you seed now it may just rot I'm no​ grass expert I did grow a little pot when​ I was a kid and thats not how we did it


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Jody Butler said:


> Nevertheless, they haven't gotten sick, I have green grass in the dog yard and NO MUD!


Way to brag Jody!

I will settle for less mud, I don't care if it is only weeds that grow, as long as they are green.

Thanks for letting me know the dogs lived through it.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Mike Scheiber said:


> *
> *​Not sure grass will come in if you seed now it may just rot I'm no​ grass expert I did grow a little pot when​ I was a kid and thats not how we did it


I think it does work. Just goes dormant and come spring when there lots of moisture and the sun emeges again it starts to grow.

Like Jody said, the issue will be that it will be weak. Perhaps no match for a skidding, jumping, running malinois and her rubber boot wearing owner. I am hoping I won't have to resod because it has gotten so bad.


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> Way to brag Jody!
> 
> I will settle for less mud, I don't care if it is only weeds that grow, as long as they are green.
> 
> Thanks for letting me know the dogs lived through it.


 
Seed won't be a problem, fertilzer can cause all kinds of issues if not put down right. From poisoning to really mess up the pads!

I wouldn't waste the money in throwing down seed now if you will have snow most of the winter. Maybe some rye can get you some grass quick, if not wait inthe spring when snow is gone and throw it down, it will help filling in quick along with building better soil, but in the heat it dies out pretty good. It's like 10.00 for 25lbs that can go along way, and I just throw it around, no need to prep, this stuff works for what I want, little effort, cheap price and good results.


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## Christopher Smith (Jun 20, 2008)

Most grass seed has a mold inhibitor on it. I don't know if it's harmful to dogs.


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Christopher Smith said:


> Most grass seed has a mold inhibitor on it. I don't know if it's harmful to dogs.


 
I have no clue either, never really looked into it, but for the last 5 yrs been doing the same thing and nobody keeled over....yet! Knock on wood...


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

None of my dogs have ever eaten the grass seed. But, once it starts coming in, I have to move them and let the grass grow.....they tend to tear it up in spots and then I have to plant all over.....ugh


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## Angie Stark (Jul 10, 2009)

My previously beautiful, yet very small, yard has become an embarrasment since we got a second dog and they zoom back n forth and spin out on it. Im at my wits end with it...I have tried 3 times to seed it, even before it got this bad but nothing can stand up to the 75 and 95 lb beasts rough housing on it. Im probably going to resort to pulling it all out and tamping down rock. Im waiting until next year in hopes of some great discovery that can help me keep the lawn. LOL


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

How big is your yard? Have you considered laying turf?


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## Angie Stark (Jul 10, 2009)

I have gotten quotes and it's like $3K, some quotes were even more. So that wont work for me especially considering Id have to go with high end turf due to the wear and I still dont even know if it's hold up to these dogs.


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## Brian McConnell (Feb 6, 2010)

most grass seed will last over winter but you will only get a 50% germination rate , why not wait for spring and get a seed mixture with a lot of perennial rye grass seed in it the rye grass germinates fast and covers for the good grass, (blue gras , fescue ect.) Rye grass seeed is cheaper and comes up faster and is a good option for new lawns.
Brian


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## Jesus Alvarez (Feb 6, 2009)

Angie Stark said:


> My previously beautiful, yet very small, yard has become an embarrasment since we got a second dog and they zoom back n forth and spin out on it. Im at my wits end with it...I have tried 3 times to seed it, even before it got this bad but nothing can stand up to the 75 and 95 lb beasts rough housing on it. Im probably going to resort to pulling it all out and tamping down rock. Im waiting until next year in hopes of some great discovery that can help me keep the lawn. LOL


If you live in the south then you should try Tifton 9 Bahia grass seed. We use it in our horses grazing paddocks. Grows super fast, comes in full and very nice. Holds up really well with the 1200-1500 lbs horses tearing it up and running around in it. 

We get our seed from Hancock Seed Company. They have all kinds of different seed for all kinds of applications.


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

I have sympathy for you Jennifer. But no solution 

My yard is .25 acre fenced. It's nothing but mud and sand in the winter because it costs too much to water it all summer. 

The only problem I have with it is, the dog tracks mud in my kitchen when it rains.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Brian McConnell said:


> most grass seed will last over winter but you will only get a 50% germination rate , why not wait for spring and get a seed mixture with a lot of perennial rye grass seed in it the rye grass germinates fast and covers for the good grass, (blue gras , fescue ect.) Rye grass seeed is cheaper and comes up faster and is a good option for new lawns.
> Brian


I am going to seed this fall AND next spring. I will look into rye grass for my area. This is my last ditch effort before I have to spend the bucks and buy topsoil and sod.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Mike Scheiber said:


> Not sure grass will come in if you seed now it may just rot I'm no grass expert I did grow a little pot when I was a kid and thats not how we did it


Wow Schreiber, I didn't peg you for the "pot" growing type. So how did ya do it? :-\"


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

When the dogs tore up the yard in my old house I just bought a few bales of straw and tossed it in the muddy areas they ran. Worked great!
Seeding now in this area is a looser. A weeks worth of warm days and the seed germinates. It's to young to survive without steady watering and that's not possible when it freezes again. The freeze also will kill the very young seedlings.
The freeze/thaw cycle in the Midwest can be a pia for a lot of gardening.
Not to mention the birds are all flocking now and a seeded lawn would just be a buffet for them.


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## Rochele Smit (Feb 3, 2010)

I'm so glad to hear that I am not the only one with this same problem! Grass is no match for the dogs here either. We reseeded 5 times this summer, and it seemed that as soon as it grew, it got trampled and tore up within a week or two! I am also at my wits end! Anyone know what the 'toughest' type of grass out there is?


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## Terry Berns (Jun 17, 2010)

Germination of grass seed during this time of year is less than 30% if you are in any Northern states. Unless you can lime and fertilize now, seed in the Spring and keep the dogs off it for several months, you will continue to have a mud mess. I have been through this for years with my dog yard. 

This year, I finally bit the bullet and pulled up all the remaining grass and topsoil, laid down landscape fabric and filled my dog yard with pea stone. My dogs play hard and the stone does get piled up in corners but it's easy to rake back and/or just add more as needed. It's easy to find the poops and the urine just goes through. Now and then I add some lime to neutralize any urine odors but other than that it's really, really easy and looks much better than patchy grass and mud.


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## lynn oliver (May 30, 2010)

Fake grass must be the way forward!


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

Rochele Smit said:


> I'm so glad to hear that I am not the only one with this same problem! Grass is no match for the dogs here either. We reseeded 5 times this summer, and it seemed that as soon as it grew, it got trampled and tore up within a week or two! I am also at my wits end! Anyone know what the 'toughest' type of grass out there is?


Astro-turf.

Rye mixes seem to survive pretty well. I put that in my yard in NY (the stuff they sprayed down sucked and it never took good root so I went over it with some mix I bought at Lowes or somewhere)

I know you're in CO too, we didn't get enough rain to sustain mine down here, even my front yard looked like hell (and with $150 water bills trying to help it survive). I just ended up giving in; let the sandy muddy mess take over.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

I would do the ryegrass mixture stuff in the spring. Birds tend to treat it like birdseed if you put it down now. I got a mixture that has supposed to be good for dry and high traffic areas and put it down in spring and it takes pretty well. If you can section your dogyard off to let areas recover for a bit it helps also.


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## Tamara Champagne (Jan 20, 2009)

I hate to be a nay-sayer with the whole grass thing...but REALLY??? You are never gonna keep a nice grass yard. I try year after year, and have spent more money than I care to discuss on grass seed, fertilizer, watering etc. 

I keep the dogs off after we seed, and give the seeds a chance to grow. After the first cut, I do let the dogs on for some limited grass access...and usually within a few hours they have it all tore up and bald again.

I just want to scream anytime they are out there (which is almost never) cause I can see all the grass flying 

I'm not sure what the solution is to grass other than 1) live with the mud pit 2) keep the dogs off the grass in a separate doggy area 3) get rid of your grass.

I have built a doggy area in the yard now, and my grass survives a tad longer...but they manage to sneak out there when I'm not looking every now and then regardless. Grass sucks. Period.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Not sure if you really mean "anything that's kinda green," but coarse fescue, a perennial weed grass that's often considered a pest, I think, sure is hardy. :lol:





eta:

http://www.american-lawns.com/grasses/k31.html


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Well whadayaknow!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXLj02exrr0&feature=related Ha! This lady obviously has no experience with larger dogs. Is there anything NOT covered by some self appointed expert, somewhere on a YouTube video?????!!!!!


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## Angie Stark (Jul 10, 2009)

susan tuck said:


> Well whadayaknow!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXLj02exrr0&feature=related Ha! This lady obviously has no experience with larger dogs. Is there anything NOT covered by some self appointed expert, somewhere on a YouTube video?????!!!!!


I wish my only problem was the urine spots. My dogs do wind sprints on the grass and it's basically all gone now


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## Ashley Campbell (Jun 21, 2009)

You saying you don't want a yard that looks like mine? You can achieve this look in 1 easy step - don't water the damn thing all summer because your water bill was exceeding $150/month.


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## Angie Stark (Jul 10, 2009)

mine isnt quite there yet, but well on its way


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