New grass in winter

[OneStaple]

Hey All,

I'm about to have work done to replace my 70' long retaining wall (ugh, long story and long time coming).  As part of the process, they'll end up tearing up a decent chunk of the yard both for the wall and moving machinery/supplies through the side-yard.  Given that it's getting quite cold here in Virginia, what's the best path forward for replacing grass so that it'll actually grow?  My understanding has always been to put down seed in late fall or early spring, but I expect the work to be done in early/mid January.

The contractor is on the hook for replacing the grass, but I want to make sure it'll actually work and I'm not left with a mud pit.  Is seed/hay sufficient (this is their preference, not surprisingly)?  Would sod work and/or be better?  Do I just need to wait until spring?

Thanks,
Tyler

[FS7]

New home builders and landscapers commonly put down dormant sod in late fall and through winter. It isn't a problem and in fact is preferable as the snow and spring rains should save you from the annoying watering new sod requires.

Dormant grass seeding is an option as well, though not the best. There are many reasons for this - in theory, if the ground is not frozen, the seed can remain dormant just under the surface, which is prime for growing. The problem is that birds are out in force and very hungry, so even with hay that seed isn't going to last.

Sod is the best option. However, seed can work, but I would not do it unless the ground was tilled, the area seeded liberally, and topsoil or compost added to a depth of an inch on top. This should provide some insulation and minimize seed loss.

[Robert Adams]

What kind of grass. If it's st Augustine (aka crabgrass) it can only be put down as sod as it does not grow from seed. 
       If it's Bermuda there is seed but the good varietys are only available in sod form as the seeds are sterile. 

      Same with many other types of grass. Usually the good variety of grass are only available in sod form. Now if the contractor is going to lay sod make sure it's not the cheap junk. IE common Bermuda or Raleigh St Augustine. 
            Tif 419 is one of the better Bermuda grasses but I have a very hard time getting it to grow.

       Also the area needs to be tilled and fertilized (depending on when its done)before the sod is laid. If not the ground will be compacted and the grass will not grow well.

[fixtureman]

Different parts of the country have different soil conditions so the answer is maybe.

[dg152]

Check out sowing some Rye grass. It's a cool weather grass which stays green all winter but will die in the springtime. That will give you the opportunity to plant either sod or sow the type of grass you really want. I would check with your county extension agent to make sure that Rye grass will still germinate given your type of weather. (Will it be too cold to germinate?)

[Wild Turkey]

Check out sowing some Rye grass.  It's a cool weather grass which stays green all winter but will die in the springtime.  That will give you the opportunity to plant either sod or sow the type of grass you really want.  I would check with your county extension agent to make sure that Rye grass will still germinate given your type of weather.  (Will it be too cold to germinate?)

I was told that annual Rye left a toxin in the soil to keep other grass from sprouting.  Check with someone like the extension agent and see what they know.

I'm looking at a similar problem with a sewer line and I'll plant some winter wheat or "cereal Rye" as a cover crop along with the grass seed.  The cover crop will grow in the winter and tie down the soil and then you mow it in the spring and it will provide cover for the grass seed.

You may need to add nitrogen to make up for what gets used/tied up with the cover crop.

[JosephP]

What part of the Commonwealth are you in?

The Bermuda/St. Augustine suggested are generally not great choices for most of Virginia....

If were a betting man, I'd tell you the contractor is going to throw down a bunch of annual rye and Kentucky 31 fescue.  They are cheap and easy to grow.  I want nothing to do with either of those as they don't make for a nice yard.  Talk to local Extension both about best seed mixes and timing.  I'd probably be inclined to tell the contractor to skip the grass.  It won't cost you that much to do yourself and you'll get what you want rather than the cheapest thing they can throw down to check it off the list...they are excavators and concrete contractors - not turf grass managers, right?  If they do a lot of grass, they may spray it on - which is a whole lot cleaner at the end of the day than straw blowing all over the neighborhood.

Having said that:  I'd wait until you are convinced there isn't another hard freeze for the rest of spring and sow it as early as you can.

[OneStaple]

Hey all,

Thanks for the replies. I'm in Northern Virginia, just outside DC (plant hardiness zone 7a, for what it's worth). I expect multiple freezes/frosts after the work is done and before spring.

The lawn currently has a mix of grass types. Previous owner put zoysia sod in, which I'm not a huge fan of, and that only covers about 1/3 of the yard still (in the front). The back, where most of the grass damage will be, probably has a combo of Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue, among others. A bunch has been mixed bags of seed, such as Scotts, from Home Depot. I know I'm not great with the lawn, but I'm willing to learn/improve.

Given the differing opinions and how location dependent this all seems, it sounds like a good course of action would be to chat with the local extension agent to get info for my area. Where does one find an extension agent?

Thanks,
Tyler

[JosephP]

Find Extension offices here.

[chips ahoy]

I would check with 2Beast,he da man.

Mel