Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Thu. Nov. 25, 2021 3:09 pm
by RogerWilco486
Happy Thanksgiving!
I just had a new Eljen mound system installed and I'm wondering if anyone has some advice on what to expect in regards to getting grass to grow before winter completely sets in. They just finished it yesterday and it was seeded with Oley Valley Feed's own premium blend and covered with shredded straw, but I'm not convinced a typical northeast grass blend will take hold so late in the year. I should have asked for a picture of the bag so I could see what's in it...
I watered it first thing this morning to at least get some moisture in the soil, but I'm wondering if I should track down some Winter Rye to toss on there too... unless it's too late for that as well.
Am I going to have to accept I likely won't get any kind of grass to come up so late and keep an eye out for erosion all winter/spring?
Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? I'm in Boyertown PA, just outside Pottstown...
Thanks!
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Fri. Dec. 17, 2021 6:22 pm
by Coniglio
Hi Rogerwilco,I just saw your post about grasseed.Is the grass growing?
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Fri. Dec. 17, 2021 6:26 pm
by RogerWilco486
Nope, not a single blade of grass yet--neither the "blend" or the winter rye I put down shortly after my post.
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Fri. Dec. 17, 2021 8:24 pm
by freetown fred
R, usually takes a couple seasons to see any kind of growth. Don't panic YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Might be Santa will give ya a sprout or two!!
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Fri. Dec. 17, 2021 8:56 pm
by anthony7812
Try to find someone to hydro seed spray for ya. Watched a wellpad embankment get sprayed maybe a month ago and it’s as green as a fairway.
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Fri. Dec. 17, 2021 10:29 pm
by McGiever
Why hadn’t the contractor planted the grass upon completion??
Contractor would of known what was needed.
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Sat. Dec. 18, 2021 6:47 am
by freetown fred
R, I'm curious to see some pix of what ya got there. This old farmer's never even heard of an Eljen mound system---please enlighten me!!
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Sat. Dec. 18, 2021 7:28 am
by coaledsweat
It's sort of an above grade system.
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Sat. Dec. 18, 2021 8:25 am
by freetown fred
Hmmmmm, thanx C.
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Why hadn’t the contractor planted the grass upon completion??
Contractor would of known what was needed.
They did. They put down the "premium blend" they got from a local feed supply. But they also warned me it was likely to remain dormant until spring. So my theory behind adding the winter rye (the cereal, not ryegrass) is because that is supposed to come up as long as it's above freezing and grow throughout the winter. It dies off the following summer once the days stay above 70 which is perfect because it will let the new grass take over then.
It's been two weeks to the day since I put the winter rye down, hopefully I start seeing some germination soon. I've got a pretty small lot and this new mountain took over most of my back yard. With an active Alaskan Malamute pup who loves to dig and destroy, dealing with the mud has been a real challenge.
Here's a picture of the mound right after they finished...half of it is wedged behind my detached garage. My ground perc'd slow due to a high water table combined with Boyertown clay so the size of the mound turned out to be double that you'd see on houses far larger than my little 3 bedroom cape. I ended up with 48 of those black Elgen modules divided into 8 laterals. There's over 100 tons of some special bar sand in there that apparently gets barged in from NJ. The pump is a massive 80lb high-head Zoeller sitting in a new 1000 gallon dosing tank that was tied in after my existing dual-chamber septic tank. I'm fortunate they were able to design all this this to fit back there...
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Sat. Dec. 18, 2021 9:14 am
by fig
I can’t magnify the pic for some reason. Is that straw over the seed? A late farmer friend of mine would always cover grass seed with straw when he would put it down. It always came up good.
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
I can’t magnify the pic for some reason. Is that straw over the seed? A late farmer friend of mine would always cover grass seed with straw when he would put it down. It always came up good.
Yep, they blew shredded straw over everything--although much of it is gone now from several very windy days we've had since then. Hopefully what remains is enough to still help...
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Sat. Dec. 18, 2021 9:24 am
by McGiever
Yeah, just like yours there is new install down the street from here. To soon to be occupied as home is new construction. Over night before grass seed was planted the deer climbed all through it but no mud.
Oh boy can just imagine having a large pup and a mud mountain to deal with!! LOL
Anyways that lot was very tight for mound to fit also but luckily the timing of the mound planting down the street was excellent as a good catch of grass was soon started.
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...
Posted: Sat. Dec. 18, 2021 9:39 am
by freetown fred
Hell yes R--now that's a mound--funny how Mother Nature don't quite meet up to our scheduling!!!
Re: Just had new elevated septic mound installed, need grass seed advice...