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My backyard is a real mess. We bought our house a year ago and we're now ready to tackle it. We just had a new fence installed and the workers left the yard in an even worse state than before.
We have TONS of ivy and patchy, weed-covered "grass". I'd like to tear out everything and start fresh with new grass and a perimeter consisting of mulch and simple plants. The yard is approximately 2,500 sq. ft. and we have in-ground sprinklers with many heads (we have well water which I've heard is great because the water is always ice cold).
I'd like to attempt doing this myself (with a helper), but I've never done anything like this before. I know nothing about gardening. I've read some conflicting information. Do I need to rent a sod cutter or a rototiller, or both? Should I use the powered ones, or should I use manual? I know I'll need fertilizer and top soil, but how much of each? What type of grass seed should I use? Do I need to dig trenches for the mulch perimeter, and what tool is used for this? And in what order do these steps get implemented?
As you can see, I'm very confused about the process and don't really know where to begin. I'd really like to get this project going so that we can have a presentable yard for the summer. I know that the fall is the best time to do this, but I've read that there are types of grass that thrive in the heat (Rye, I think), and my yard has a lot of shade from many large trees, and as I said, we have the ice cold well water for constant watering.
Can anyone provide clear step-by-step instructions on what I need to do? I'm in Nassau County, by the way. Thanks!
I can add one thing for you that is MUST do and will cost you nothing (imagine that) but if you don't do it, it could cost you plenty. Call the DIG hotline, the number is in the front pages of the local phone book they throw on your driveway. If not you should call every utility company to "mark out" they will understand. If you hit a water line, or gas line etc. it can be very pricy.
Send out a soil sample and they will tell you what to add.....if you hurry, you can still seed. Sod is nice but expensive and you must water it constantly as it will burn out quickly.
A 2,500 sq. ft yard is going to be a lot of work. If you want to tackle this piece by piece you could get it done in a few weeks or a month. You have to be very careful with ivy removal because a lot of lawns that have ivy also have poison ivy. I've noticed it on several friends and family's lawns.
You also have to realize that it is going to get hot out now and the roots are stronger now for weeds and other plants. The best time to have taken on this task would have been in the early Spring. It's going to be a lot of back breaking work but very rewarding once you get it done. You are going to need several tools, lawn equipment, a wheelbarrow, bags, soil ,etc. You sure you don't want to get a few estimates to see how much it was cost you to get it done?
A 2,500 sq. ft yard is going to be a lot of work. If you want to tackle this piece by piece you could get it done in a few weeks or a month. You have to be very careful with ivy removal because a lot of lawns that have ivy also have poison ivy. I've noticed it on several friends and family's lawns.
You also have to realize that it is going to get hot out now and the roots are stronger now for weeds and other plants. The best time to have taken on this task would have been in the early Spring. It's going to be a lot of back breaking work but very rewarding once you get it done. You are going to need several tools, lawn equipment, a wheelbarrow, bags, soil ,etc. You sure you don't want to get a few estimates to see how much it was cost you to get it done?
We're trying to save money wherever we can. We just had a new fence installed which was very expensive. We had a lot of landscaping and brick work done in the front of our house last summer and I had asked the foreman what it would cost to tear out everything out back. The tear-out alone would be $2K, so the total cost would probably be around $5K or more. I figure doing it myself will probably cost around $1K.
We're trying to save money wherever we can. We just had a new fence installed which was very expensive. We had a lot of landscaping and brick work done in the front of our house last summer and I had asked the foreman what it would cost to tear out everything out back. The tear-out alone would be $2K, so the total cost would probably be around $5K or more. I figure doing it myself will probably cost around $1K.
What you want to do is going to be a lot of work. Your first course of action would be to rip out all of the weeds and ivy. Any chance you could take a pic of your backyard to see what we are dealing with?
What you want to do is going to be a lot of work. Your first course of action would be to rip out all of the weeds and ivy. Any chance you could take a pic of your backyard to see what we are dealing with?
This is the best photo I have at the moment. If you can tell, there is a very wide perimeter of ivy growing around the whole yard. It's even more out of control now than it was in this photo.
Hmm... it looks more like pachysandra to me than ivy. Which would make sense as it is an excellent ground cover for shady areas.
I'd leave it alone right now. Just cut it back to an even border.
Nope. In the very back there is some pachysandra, but everywhere else it's ivy.
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