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so i had some construction going on last Feb 09 that covered half of my lawn with about an inch of dirt covering my existing grass....
so, i bought about two 25 lb bags of grass and started a new lawn (about 7k sq ft total)............then i bought another 2 bags and added more cause i wasn't satisfied with the lush-ness.......then 2 more to spread through out the spring.....then 2 more bags....etc......
long story short, i've put over 10 (25 lb) bags on my lawn over the past 10 months or so.....and you'd think i'd have a great, lush, green, weedfree lawn.....but it's far from it!
i don't know why!
i have dried out grass, uneven-ness, thinning, patchy areas....and it makes me frustrated.....
If you want a nice yard quickly, go with sod and get some directions on how to care for it as it becomes established.
If you want to grow a lawn from seed, depending on the grass you select and the soil conditions, it may take a year or three to get a lush green lawn. The seed you select needs to be a type of grass that does well in your area. You also have to take care of it for a while or most of it will die.
All dirt is not created equal. If I read your post correctly, the dirt spread over your existing lawn came from construction. If thats the case, you may have dirt, but you don't have topsoil. Topsoil has an organic component that supports the growth of grass, dirt doesn't. At the very least you should be fertilizing instead of planting more seed. I suggest that you have the soil tested before spending money on anything else.
All dirt is not created equal. If I read your post correctly, the dirt spread over your existing lawn came from construction. If thats the case, you may have dirt, but you don't have topsoil. Topsoil has an organic component that supports the growth of grass, dirt doesn't. At the very least you should be fertilizing instead of planting more seed. I suggest that you have the soil tested before spending money on anything else.
thanks,
how do i do that? how much does it cost?
ALSO, i just had an idea......would it help if i spread (lightly) some top soil all over my yard on top? lightly so that it goes in between the grass and with the next rainfall, it'll all seep into the clay and enrich it?
Last edited by Iwillthink4u; 10-27-2009 at 07:32 AM..
County extension agent should be able to do soil test for you. There is probably a minimal charge for sending the soil to a lab for testing. You don't specify an exact location so I can't give you a real good answer on this. If you have a land grant college or agricultural school in your state you can contact them for specifics.
County extension agent should be able to do soil test for you. There is probably a minimal charge for sending the soil to a lab for testing. You don't specify an exact location so I can't give you a real good answer on this. If you have a land grant college or agricultural school in your state you can contact them for specifics.
ALSO, i just had an idea......would it help if i spread (lightly) some top soil all over my yard on top? lightly so that it goes in between the grass and with the next rainfall, it'll all seep into the clay and enrich it?
In this location, chances are you need lime. You should also have the soil test done. Check with your local Agricultural agent, should be listed in the blue pages, to see what they charge if at all. NC does them for free if you pick up one of their kits in person.
You didn't tell us what grass seed you used, but I assume it was a fescue mix. That's a cool season grass that does not perform well in the heat of summer. It's best to sow in the fall. You also need to add some phosphorous fertilizer. The soil tests will confirm this. The roots aren't getting enough nutrients to grow very deep. They dry out quickly rather than pulling moisture from deeper in the soil.
You might also want to think about overseeding with annual rye. It might be very close to too late to sow it now, but it would show you where the soil structure is lacking. When it grows thin would be the areas to treat with a top soil dressing. Also, mulch all your leaves and let them rot on the lawn. Don't rake the grass clippings either. Cut the grass so you never have lines of grass clippings. It may mean cutting it several times at different heights until you get to the desired height. Never cut more than 1/3 of the blades of grass at a time. If you need to cut more than 1/2" or so, you'll need to raise the blades. And get a mulching blade on your mower if you don't have one.
Finally. It could be grubs.
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