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Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here.
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Posted by Joe on April 7, 2008, 10:03 pm
On Apr 7, 3:16=A0pm, timn...@gmail.com wrote:
> Ok, year #2 in the beautiful newly built house in the NE with the
> crappy lawn. =A0Builder half-assed it and the lawn is sparse with a lot
> of crabgrass. =A0I don't need a "home and garden" lawn but I'd like some
> grass !
Lots of good advice in the posts here, but lets get down to the
basics: 1) Most of the soil in NE is absolutely terrible. 2) Too many
new houses (and likely yours) are built on graded subdivision land
where the already pitiful topsoil is carted away since it interferes
with getting the structure built. 3) Weeds will grow on almost
anything that isn't impermeable rock and that's what you now have.
Given these conditions, you first need to truck in some decent
topsoil, like something from an ancient woodlot that has been
clearcut. Lawn services will siphon off your money for years dumping
chemicals on your sterile surface, and a decade hence you will still
not have a stable topsoil. If the budget is slim, buy topsoil annually
to improve selected areas and let it build up to a nice 6" over time.
Then check prices on sod at the box store and put it down quickly to
protect the precious topsoil. Feed it. weed it, trim it high and
expect to spend three or more years getting it in the shape you want.
It will be an exercise in persistence, so good luck.
Joe
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Posted by TomC on April 8, 2008, 10:16 am
timnels@gmail.com wrote in news:793bb731-b47b-47b2-b427-b4b282adc093
@y21g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:
> Ok, year #2 in the beautiful newly built house in the NE with the
> crappy lawn. Builder half-assed it and the lawn is sparse with a lot
> of crabgrass. I don't need a "home and garden" lawn but I'd like some
> grass !
> Questions:
>
> 1. My thought is to use a slit-seeder rented from home depot since
> previous attempts by just chucking down seed and watering has failed.
> Make sense? Other ideas?
>
> 2. Is now a good time to seed or should I wait 2 weeks or a month?
>
> Thanks for your guidance!
I went throught a similar experience in my new house in south central Pa.
just three years ago . The top soil was basically turned under during the
building process. So, the real problem is lack of fertile soil for the
grass seed to get off to a good start. I had a soil test done at the
local extension office. They recommended the type of grass seed (Kentucky
Bluegrass) for my locale, and they said to use a starter fertilizer when
I seeded, and to follow up with continued use of the starter fertilizer
over the next three years, during the early spring, early summer, and
late fall. Worked out great. Important steps are:
Get the right grass seed for your area;
Use the correct starter fertilizer and apply it when you seed (expensive
step, but if you don't do it the grass seed won't germinate in the poor
soil);
Insure good seed and soil contact; e.g. rake, cultivate, or use a slit
seeder, etc.;
Continue to fertilize poor soil for several years;
Be patient; it will grow and then you can spend a lot of time cutting it
:-)
If you seed in the spring and don't get enough rain to get that instant
lush lawn, don't fret about it over the summer. It will grow in the fall.
Oh yea, about the weeds; I wasn't to concerned with them. For the most
part they are green and will help to keep down erosion untill the lawn is
established, then you can attack the weed problems. But, if weeds do
really bother you and the current lawn isn't worth saving, spray the
whole area with roundup and start over.
Good luck!
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Posted by DanG on April 8, 2008, 9:55 pm
I would get the soil analyzed. I suspect you don't have good top
soil. The site may have been a parking lot, a waste dump, or a
fill site. Find out what your soil requires before spending more
money on chemicals, seed, and water.
--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)
dgriff237@7cox.net
> Ok, year #2 in the beautiful newly built house in the NE with
> the
> crappy lawn. Builder half-assed it and the lawn is sparse with
> a lot
> of crabgrass. I don't need a "home and garden" lawn but I'd
> like some
> grass !
> Questions:
>
> 1. My thought is to use a slit-seeder rented from home depot
> since
> previous attempts by just chucking down seed and watering has
> failed.
> Make sense? Other ideas?
>
> 2. Is now a good time to seed or should I wait 2 weeks or a
> month?
>
> Thanks for your guidance!
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