lawn restoration

[slacker77]

Right now my front lawn is all brown with a few weeds.I really would like to get it going this year,but I don't know jack about where to begin(besides cutting and watering).Any help?

[Drachen]

Weed and Feed (Very soon, it is already a little late), do that again in about 3 or 4 months. Also, get some Nematodes. I haven't used them yet, but my parents said last year that they used them and it made a huge difference in their yard (and it was already really nice. They are little worms that come on a sponge like thing that you spray onto your lawn and they eat all sorts of bad things, and spread the nutrients around so that your grass can take better advantage of it. Here is a website to explain them.

http://soils.usda.gov/SQI/concepts/soil_biology/nematodes.html

Only drawback is they live in the first inch or inch and a half of soil and they need a slightly moist environment to survive, so you will probably have to water 2-3 times a week, and in the summer you will just be SOL, but hopefully by that time, your lawn has taken on a better rooting system and is much healthier and better able to weather that hot sun.

[leemajors]

check soil pH. dried molasses makes excellent organic fertilizer as well, and will deter fire ants. your lawn is brown because it's likely dormant. keep it cut low until temps start to get high - this will discourage weeds and encourage root growth. when it gets hotter keep it higher to avoid burning the grass.

[leemajors]

Weed and Feed (Very soon, it is already a little late), do that again in about 3 or 4 months. Also, get some Nematodes. I haven't used them yet, but my parents said last year that they used them and it made a huge difference in their yard (and it was already really nice. They are little worms that come on a sponge like thing that you spray onto your lawn and they eat all sorts of bad things, and spread the nutrients around so that your grass can take better advantage of it. Here is a website to explain them.

http://soils.usda.gov/SQI/concepts/soil_biology/nematodes.html

Only drawback is they live in the first inch or inch and a half of soil and they need a slightly moist environment to survive, so you will probably have to water 2-3 times a week, and in the summer you will just be SOL, but hopefully by that time, your lawn has taken on a better rooting system and is much healthier and better able to weather that hot sun.

If you have any trees, weed and feed is a bad idea.

[Dr. Gonzo]

My backyard is all dirt because of my dogs. Would it be a good idea to try and throw some grass seeds around or should I just let it be dirt?

[Drachen]

its dirt. that is all. If you want grass, use your dogs as fertilizer. That is the only way it is going to happen.

[Dr. Gonzo]

That's what I figured. Those bastards run around like crazy and killed all the weeds that were out there.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

At least SA won't be having water restrictions this summer. I'm just guessing that won't happen due to all the rain, and alllll that snowfall :lmao, that you guys have been having.

[CosmicCowboy]

Right now my front lawn is all brown with a few weeds.I really would like to get it going this year,but I don't know jack about where to begin(besides cutting and watering).Any help?

You can spray the weeds now with roundup and it won't hurt the grass since it's dormant. Then, get a truck load of compost and spread it about 1" thick on top of your grass and water it in. Your grass will be super thick and green and the compost will help it retain water during dry spells.

[thispego]

dillo dirt, homey


or scalp it and re-sod

[Drachen]

At least SA won't be having water restrictions this summer. I'm just guessing that won't happen due to all the rain, and alllll that snowfall :lmao, that you guys have been having.

Yeah, we will have water restrictions, this is San Antonio. We just may not get to stage 3 this year, that is all.

[slacker77]

So could I do the whole weed and feed thing and apply some compost?Prob a dumb question,but like i said,I don't know jack about lawncare.

[CosmicCowboy]

So could I do the whole weed and feed thing and apply some compost?Prob a dumb question,but like i said,I don't know jack about lawncare. It probably wouldn't hurt to do the weed and feed, but you would probably be OK with just the compost. Healthy grass will choke out any weeds.

[TDMVPDPOY]

sprinkle some salt onto it...

[leemajors]

If you don't want to bring in a truckload of compost, compost tea is also a good thing to spray on the yard. Pretty much all the benefits concentrated, and if you have a non-chain nursery nearby they should sell it by the gallon.

[Drachen]

If you don't want to bring in a truckload of compost, compost tea is also a good thing to spray on the yard. Pretty much all the benefits concentrated, and if you have a non-chain nursery nearby they should sell it by the gallon.

Never heard of this... does this work? I mean, have you tried it? This would be freakin great especially because there are about 5 nurseries on Bandera between eckhert and 1604 (and I live right near Bandera and Eckhert). I will pick some up.

[xellos88330]

Till the shit outta the yard then resod that is what I am going to do.

[CosmicCowboy]

Regular compost is cheaper than the tea per square foot and has more benefits than just the fertilizer aspect. It really helps the grass roots retain moisture.

[Drachen]

Regular compost is cheaper than the tea per square foot and has more benefits than just the fertilizer aspect. It really helps the grass roots retain moisture.

I have always wondered about doing this. So, essentially, I just get a whole bunch of compost, drop it on top of my grass and water the sucker until I see green (or in the case now, brown)?

[PM5K]

I think Drachen got it right. There's no reason to make this overly complicated, especially for someone that doesn't know much about the subject.

Buy a bag of weed and weed and a handheld spreader, follow the instructions on the label.

What I'll typically do is pull the weeds by hand because weed and feed won't kill all types of weeds and I can pull them faster than it can kill them, but that depends on how many you have. After that I cut it and edge it because it's grown (although not much) over the winter. Also, once I know the cold weather has passed I'll basically begin to flood my lawn for a week or so, basically watering it for an hour every other day, for a week, week and a half.

I'm not saying you should do that, just that that's what I do to get the grass going, watering it a lot like that really jump starts its growth.

[CosmicCowboy]

I have always wondered about doing this. So, essentially, I just get a whole bunch of compost, drop it on top of my grass and water the sucker until I see green (or in the case now, brown)?

Just spread it about an inch thick and water it just to settle it. As the grass starts to grow it will grow through the compost and it will settle down around the roots. I haven't done it in a couple of years, but when I was doing it every year the grass was really thick, green, and spongy and I only had to water every other week when my neighbors were watering twice a week. I need to do another layer this year. I've got huge oak trees that suck up a lot of dirt/nutrient from the grass.

[leemajors]

Never heard of this... does this work? I mean, have you tried it? This would be freakin great especially because there are about 5 nurseries on Bandera between eckhert and 1604 (and I live right near Bandera and Eckhert). I will pick some up.

There is usually a tap on the bottom of the big composters they use - they just drain off the liquid.

[CuckingFunt]

Right now my front lawn is all brown with a few weeds.I really would like to get it going this year,but I don't know jack about where to begin(besides cutting and watering).Any help?

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/1426/6502041diamondhardmachi.jpg

[leemajors]

Just spread it about an inch thick and water it just to settle it. As the grass starts to grow it will grow through the compost and it will settle down around the roots. I haven't done it in a couple of years, but when I was doing it every year the grass was really thick, green, and spongy and I only had to water every other week when my neighbors were watering twice a week. I need to do another layer this year. I've got huge oak trees that suck up a lot of dirt/nutrient from the grass.

I got a half acre yard, no truck. :lol

[FuzzyLumpkins]

If you have dogs seed bermuda. Its drought resistant and its fairly hardy. However between the piss and the tracks they will run it probably won't make much of a difference. You can always hardscape it.

[SequSpur]

good topsoil and fertilizer and water.

easy.

[PM5K]

He doesn't need topsoil, he needs compost, compost tea, or weed and feed.

As for which: I don't think it would ever be wise to do a compost every single season, it's just too much work and even if it is better than weed and feed or a compost tea, it's just not necessary to do yearly.

With Weed and Feed all you need is a spreader. With compost tea all you need is a sprayer like this:

http://img.tradeindia.com/fp/0/266/966.jpg

Like I said, no reason to over complicate things. Use one of the two easier options and do a compost once every few years if you'd like (I never have in about six years).

[Mark in Austin]

What type of grass do you have? If it is dormant, following some of the above advice works well. If is is dead St Augustine - I'd start over. The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin has been studying native turfgrass mixes for the past several years. (A mix of several native species that look the same.)

They compared them to bermuda and buffalograss and found that the natives:

established from seed faster
took less water
grew more slowly (don't have to mow as much)
are denser so they are more resistant to weeds, no weed & feed required.

imo it would only take a little compost every other year or so once established, no other fertilizing is needed.

both species in their low-diversity mix are available commercially. I've seen the test plots and sat down in the stuff. It is amazing!

[leemajors]

What type of grass do you have? If it is dormant, following some of the above advice works well. If is is dead St Augustine - I'd start over. The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin has been studying native turfgrass mixes for the past several years. (A mix of several native species that look the same.)

They compared them to bermuda and buffalograss and found that the natives:

established from seed faster
took less water
grew more slowly (don't have to mow as much)
are denser so they are more resistant to weeds, no weed & feed required.

imo it would only take a little compost every other year or so once established, no other fertilizing is needed.

both species in their low-diversity mix are available commercially. I've seen the test plots and sat down in the stuff. It is amazing!

What are they called? I have a few bare spots I from last summer I wouldn't mind trying some out in for kicks. As an aside, I have been using this Terra Tonic on my grass recently, and cut my fertilizer use drastically (not sure about availability outside of Austin though):

http://www.ladybugbrand.com/amendments.htm#amend-1

It's made by the Natural Gardener Nursery.

[Wild Cobra]

dried molasses makes excellent organic fertilizer as well, and will deter fire ants.
Really?

I would have never though that. Know of any links by chance that support it?

[Wild Cobra]

Till the shit outta the yard then resod that is what I am going to do.
No, No, No...

It's till shit into the yard...

[leemajors]

Really?

I would have never though that. Know of any links by chance that support it?

I couldn't find any hard scientific studies about it, but here is a link:

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/organic/garden/view_question/id/2156/

The dirt doctor guy is on a show on PBS around here called Hill Country Gardener. Dried molasses is also a good feed supplement for livestock. Last time I used it on my yard, I didn't have a single ant bed for about 9 months. Ants typically don't like healthy soil, and the molasses enriches the soil and growth of helpful microorganisms.

[Wild Cobra]

I couldn't find any hard scientific studies about it, but here is a link:

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/organic/garden/view_question/id/2156/

The dirt doctor guy is on a show on PBS around here called Hill Country Gardener. Dried molasses is also a good feed supplement for livestock. Last time I used it on my yard, I didn't have a single ant bed for about 9 months. Ants typically don't like healthy soil, and the molasses enriches the soil and growth of helpful microorganisms.
Thanx.

I may just try some.

[Mark in Austin]

What are they called? I have a few bare spots I from last summer I wouldn't mind trying some out in for kicks. As an aside, I have been using this Terra Tonic on my grass recently, and cut my fertilizer use drastically (not sure about availability outside of Austin though):

http://www.ladybugbrand.com/amendments.htm#amend-1

It's made by the Natural Gardener Nursery.

Here's the link:

LBJWFC Native Lawns (http://www.wildflower.org/nativelawns/)

[leemajors]

Here's the link:

LBJWFC Native Lawns (http://www.wildflower.org/nativelawns/)

Thanks Mark!