SOWING THE SEEDS

Home in Port Charlotte

High of 79

The complete renovation of our lawns took another step Sunday when we spread the new Bahiagrass seeds. My experience of overseeding perenial ryegrass in Arizona a few times is proving valuable here. We must keep the seeds moist but not have standing water, which can move the seed and create bare spots. We have to water light, but frequently, throughout the daylight hours. My honey has taken on the duty of hand watering five times daily. We have to keep this routine up until the seed germinates, which for this seed will take between 2 and 4 weeks. After that we can cut the watering back to 3 times a day until after the first cut. We are doing the property in two sections, about a 60-40 split, because of having to hand water.

The reason we didn't put in an automatic irrigation system is two fold. One, Charlotte County charges $180 for a permit to install a system, even on an existing home. Two, once your 60 day grow-in grace period expires on new plantings, Charlotte County restricts home owners to one day weekly watering using automated systems. Oh you can hand water everyday. Needless to say the time and money involved in installing an automated system is just not worth our while. Especially when you consider that come June, we will get rain nearly everyday throughout the summer.

UPDATE:

Valentines dinner was great company, a great boat ride, a great dolphin show and not so great service and food at Palm Island. Kathy captured the below picture of dolphins chasing our water taxi, using her cell phone. We have to remember to bring the good camera whenever we go out. This was the first time we were actually chased by dolphins and it was fabulous. There were two of them diving and swimming after our wake and along side the boat.

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