What do I do with this?

8 years ago

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to figure out what I can do with this lawn. The previous homeowner didn't seem to care too much about grass or weeds as you'll see. I gave a lawn service a year to see if they'd have any luck - to no avail. So now I'm here contemplating the nuclear option.

A significant portion of my back yard is either bare or infested with weeds with just a bit of bermuda grass - which is what's growing quite well in my front yard.

At this point, I'm debating simply killing off the half of the back that is weed infested - the half closer to the house - tilling in some topsoil that I'll buy, seed it, and then water like a madman.

My hope is to have a decent lawn by next summer.

What do you think? Is there a more conservative option that I'm unaware of?

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Comments (6)

forsheems
8 years ago
Need to know where you live, city and state. That will determine what and when you need to do.
T Caleb Rutan
Original Author
8 years ago
Sorry I didn't say in the OP. I love outside Raleigh, NC.
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forsheems
8 years ago
Ok, for your area bermuda of tall fescue would both be options. One thing for certain, killing off all the existing bermuda to go with fescue is no easy task. I'm a fescue guy so I'll leave it to the bermuda pros to answer that.

First, do not roto till. It will be nice and smooth for a year or two but will then begin to settle and be really bumpy. For now I would recommend a soil test. Logan Labs is the one most on here use and there are some folks here that can interpret the results and tell you what to do to fix the problem. Right now your time would be best spent determining the cause of the problem and fixing that.
T Caleb Rutan
Original Author
8 years ago
I had a test done last season and remediated per those. I believe the issue is that the homebuilders stripped the topsoil when they built the community. Which is why I was debating filling out with new topsoil.

I see your point about tilling and probably won't now. I'm quite happy with Bermuda as it should fill in great over time and hopefully crowd out weeds.
krnuttle
8 years ago
I have lived about 20 miles east of Raleigh for 7 seasons. I would love to see grass growing in my yard. I have 3/4 acre with about 1/3 acre of lawn. The rest is house, garage, driveway, etc, wild areas, and flower beds. The soil is poor, what topsoil there was was removed by the builder. The rest could not grow crops and was left to trees many years ago.

I have tried fescue. It starts great and by the end of the second season nothing. About 3 years ago several hundred square feet of bermuda was installed. It has nearly disappear. I am running out of ideas, so hope someone will present a solution.
dchall_san_antonio
8 years ago
That yard looks normal for this time of year in your area. Once it awakens it will take off.

What is your watering schedule? How often and for how long do you water in the hottest heat of summer? Do you change that in the winter?

What is your fertilizing schedule?

That clump of grass in the pic with the foot is not bermuda and needs to go. If you already have some RoundUp, you could spot spray that area once it greens up.