So we just bought a new house in December. The yard is 1/2 acre. The backyard is large or at least it is to me. There are two small sections that are separated by fences. These areas are where I would like to start first.
How would I go about removing all the weeds and then getting a good grass down? I think the best grass for this zone is Fescue. Any help is appreciated.
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Gamecock81
- Newly Registered
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- Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:00 am
- Location: Nashville, TN
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Gamecock81
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:00 am
- Location: Nashville, TN
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Yeah, unfortunately. Not so many of us gardeners are big into lawns. Scott/ HelpfulGardener himself was a lawn care pro, but doesn't seem to stop by very often these days.
Off hand for a yard that big if you really want it in lawn and it is mostly weeds, it is probably easiest just to till it all up and start fresh. You can rent a rototiller fairly inexpensively. You would need to till it once. Then let it it for 2-3 weeks for the weed seeds you brought up to sprout. Then lay down compost/ composted manure/ whatever soil amendments you want and till again. This will probably be a lot easier to do if you can take down the fence between the two sections.
If I had that much space, I would put a lot of it in to veggie gardens/ flower/ herb gardens, shrubbery etc, and just put a bit of lawn in. Also think about things like water feature (e.g. pond/ fountain etc), patio/deck if you don't have it etc.
Off hand for a yard that big if you really want it in lawn and it is mostly weeds, it is probably easiest just to till it all up and start fresh. You can rent a rototiller fairly inexpensively. You would need to till it once. Then let it it for 2-3 weeks for the weed seeds you brought up to sprout. Then lay down compost/ composted manure/ whatever soil amendments you want and till again. This will probably be a lot easier to do if you can take down the fence between the two sections.
If I had that much space, I would put a lot of it in to veggie gardens/ flower/ herb gardens, shrubbery etc, and just put a bit of lawn in. Also think about things like water feature (e.g. pond/ fountain etc), patio/deck if you don't have it etc.
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greenstubbs
- Senior Member
- Posts: 274
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:41 pm
- Location: Far Upper Alabama
I don't stop by in this section much either, but I can relate to your problem. I'm in a rental and the backyard was mostly weeds with very little grass. They just never H2O'ed and where I am it will kill lawns quick. For the weeds, I got a 1 galoon pump tank and a bottle of Ortho's "weed be gone" and started by hitting each weed, unless you like digging each weed and want to spend the time doing it, fine but it will take away time for other things. To strong a mix will kill surrounding grass. Next, If you can get your hands on some good topsoil, get some and a big bag of seed.
Just start throwing seed all over the yard like your feeding chickens, aka 'overseed" the more seed you put down the busher the lawn will come up, then do the same with the dirt. You don't need alot, just a light layer like 1/16". Do not fertilize anything yet! Keep it damp for about a week or 2 untill you start seeing new grass coming up then H2O as needed. After 1 month fertilize with a good turf builder without any weedkiller in it! Your new grass isn't strong enough to handle a weedkilling fertilizer yet.
This is a really slow process and may take you 2-5 years to get a really healthy looking lawn, remember Rome wasn't built in a day but if you start next week on this, by Memorial Day you will have a much better looking lawn. Good Luck
Just start throwing seed all over the yard like your feeding chickens, aka 'overseed" the more seed you put down the busher the lawn will come up, then do the same with the dirt. You don't need alot, just a light layer like 1/16". Do not fertilize anything yet! Keep it damp for about a week or 2 untill you start seeing new grass coming up then H2O as needed. After 1 month fertilize with a good turf builder without any weedkiller in it! Your new grass isn't strong enough to handle a weedkilling fertilizer yet.
This is a really slow process and may take you 2-5 years to get a really healthy looking lawn, remember Rome wasn't built in a day but if you start next week on this, by Memorial Day you will have a much better looking lawn. Good Luck