Yard/landscaping folks, please step inside...

[BigBear]

This is my current lawn:











First two are front, last two are back. I'm currently in the middle of a lot of projects so I know it's rough. It was a solid dirt patch when I moved in a year or so ago. I'm trying to get a nice grass growing but I am NOT a greenthumb.

How can I get this yard to grow grass? I've did the aerotor thing, threw down TONS of seed, etc... I have neglected it the past coupld months though as I'm working on other things, but it's time to start focusing on this.

Any help is appreciated.

My first though it to roto-till the whole thing, weed it, then throw down seed, cover with hay, and keep it watered...

[9mmJ]

Two of my neighbors tried the seed and hay thing. Neither worked worth a shit and they ended up putting in sod.


I would till, amend the soil and make sure the irrigation is system is 100% the way I want it. Then put in sod

[Wulf202]

Throwing down seed is a waste it needs to be planted. You need to rough up that back yard foot path and stay off it. Unless it's a dog pacing that's causing that. Then it's hopeless unless you keep the dog off of it.

Keeping grass under that pine is also going to be a serious battle I'd suggest a mulch bed there. Roses love to grow under pines. You need to bag mow weekly like clockwork for atleast a year. If I had to guess I'd say the yard has been exclusively mulched bi weekly or less and under watered.

You can till or heavily aerate then put down. Seed and stomp it into the ground

If you don't have a sprinkler system now is the perfect time. Also get some good fertilizer on the front yard and a thaching rake.

[Grant H.]

Throwing down seed is a waste it needs to be planted. You need to rough up that back yard foot path and stay off it. Unless it's a dog pacing that's causing that. Then it's hopeless unless you keep the dog off of it.

Keeping grass under that pine is also going to be a serious battle I'd suggest a mulch bed there. Roses love to grow under pines. You need to bag mow weekly like clockwork for atleast a year. If I had to guess I'd say the yard has been exclusively mulched bi weekly or less and under watered.

You can till or heavily aerate then put down. Seed and stomp it into the ground

If you don't have a sprinkler system now is the perfect time. Also get some good fertilizer on the front yard and a thaching rake.

What do you recommend as a "good fertilizer"?

[Wulf202]

What do you recommend as a "good fertilizer"?

depends on the soil and what you're trying to grow. Alot of factors go into that I generally avoid Scott's brand though. I find going down to a nursery that's local gets the best feedback for that area without having to do soil testing.

What are you trying to fix?

[SouthPaw]

You aren't going for the desert theme? You are already 75% there, don't stop now!

Wulf can get you pointed in the right direction.

[Monky]

Yeah that shit needs tilled badly. Under the pine go with mulch or rock... My neighbor tried futilely to get crap to grow under his. Planted a nice bed of stuff... Then it all just died... Not sure lack of sun? Pine needles? Sap?


I'd say till it. Manure, then till it in again.

Sent by a free-range electronic weasel, with no sense of personal space.

[rondog]

I'm damn sure no expert. But after dealing with my lawn for years I'm of the opinion that tilling is a great idea, but remove all the damn rocks you find. Add whatever amendment is recommended (manure, peat moss, etc.), and till that in again, the de-rock again. I'd want to rake it out smooth and level, fertilize, and then put down sod. Gotta have a solid sprinkler system first of course.

This is only my opinion, not experienced advice! Our yard has good grass because it was sodded and I fertilize, but it's rough and lumpy as hell, which tells me it wasn't tilled, de-rocked and raked. It's a bitch to mow because it's so lumpy, and the above is my pipedream about how I'd like to fix it. Typical Richmond American mass-production house/yard. Get it done and SELL IT!

[Irving]

Trees are excellent at making sure that nothing grows around them but themselves. The acidity of the needles kills other plants.

[jhood001]

The acidity of the needles kills other plants.

I believe it is more of a resistance issue for growing things than acidity being built up in the soil. Pine needles are firm and un-moving when they're layered on the ground and growing things dislike that kind of resistance. And the canopy of what is typically a low branching tree is also a huge factor. I imagine a person could trim a pine up to four feet, collect every needle that ever fell, soak them in water for a week and pour it over the area beneath the tree and grass would still grow just fine so long as it wasn't obstructed by layered needles on the ground. It would make for an interesting experiment.

My father regularly tills pine needles into his garden beds and he has some pretty incredible grow results.

I'm going to cover my potatoes exclusively with dried pine needles this year and see what happens.

http://www.gardenmyths.com/pine-needles-acidify-soil/