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Leveling front yard https://www.dirtdoctor.com/efl/dirtDoctor/leveling-front-yard-t11047.html |
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Author: | robsonpat_chng [ Tue May 04, 2010 10:50 am ] |
Post subject: | Leveling front yard |
I have a small front lawn in the South Houston area that has uneven, worn patches in the turf where I turn the mower, PLUS I have 2 bald cypress trees with knees coming up. I'd like to level the uneven ground and would like to know what MATERIAL to use and what TIME OF YEAR would be best to do this. Pat |
Author: | user_48634 [ Wed May 12, 2010 8:46 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Leveling front yard |
The answer is, 'it depends.' If you can answer the following questions I can give you an answer. What kind of grass do you have? How high are you mowing and how often? How often are you watering and for how long? How often are you fertilizing and what are you using? |
Author: | robsonpat_chng [ Wed May 12, 2010 12:48 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Leveling front yard |
Thanks for your questions. St Augustine the "next to highest" setting on my mower.(higher than any of my neighbors) Mow 1 x per week (xcept winter and early spring) Sprinkler system set to water 2 x per week. 2 passes in early am to soak in deeply.Approx 15min per station with 2 passes = 30min. Fertilize Spring and Fall , but forgot to do so this year !! use an organic fertilizer, medina ?? not sure of brand. have been mowing very high for 6 years - have spots of dead grass. might be fungal damage - I plan to get some ag corn meal & some corn meal gluetin or whatever you recomend. have aerated one time w mechanical device. never treated for thatch. I can pull out handfulls of dead grass in the dead grass spots. major issue is still the uneven-ness of the lawn seems like a very bumpy road - not all caused by roots from the cypress. been "trenched" 2 x in 10years- pitch-forked the trench to loosen and filled w partial compost. Have never added soil or sand to lawn. |
Author: | EAnton781 [ Thu May 13, 2010 7:50 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Leveling front yard |
When you pull up handfulls of dead grass what do the roots look like? Black roots can indicate fungus. - Treat w/ corn meal Missing roots indicate grubs. If so, do a visual inspecition by digging up 1sqft and counting the grubs you find - Treat w/ beneficial nematodes |
Author: | user_48634 [ Mon May 17, 2010 9:07 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Leveling front yard |
Now would probably be the best time but you'll have to do some prep work first. Why now? Because the grass is growing as fast as it will grow. By leveling when the grass is growing fast you minimize the chances and severity of smothering. If you have areas where it is deeper than an inch, you should probably pretreat now with sand. I think you can use any kind of sand but there is a good argument to use builders' sand (not playground sand). Playground sand remains loose like pea gravel. Builders' sand should lock in and give you a firmer surface. Here's how you do this.
St Augustine is very easy to smother. What you are doing with the drag is helping to pull the short St Aug blades out from under the sand. Only those blades sticking out from the sand will survive this process. That is why you should pre-fill the deeper areas. The proper amount of weight for a roller is enough so that your foot prints behind it are not showing. It really needs to have some weight. This will not compact your soil. It will help settle it. Settling takes 3 years unless you help it along. That is probably why you have bumpy soil now. It was probably tilled prior to sodding. Tilling is the fastest way to an unsatisfactory lawn. If you buy too many bags of sand, you can return it later. If you buy not enough sand, you will have to stop in the middle and go get more. Be sure you have everything you need before you start. Keep a push broom handy. It can be used to dress the surface of the sand and help bring the St Augustine blades up. |
Author: | robsonpat_chng [ Tue May 18, 2010 10:44 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Leveling front yard |
Thanks so much for all the detail info !!! Sounds like a big project so I'd better eat my wheaties to get ready. really appreciate your response!! Pat Robson |
Author: | user_48634 [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:50 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Leveling front yard |
No prob. We want to see before, during and after pictures |
Author: | robsonpat_chng [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:11 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Leveling front yard |
sorry, didn't take pics before or during. Right now the grass that is showing is very tall andI am about to mow. The sand has settled some and what remains on the surface are the tiny pebbles in the sand. Hope i don't throw too many around in the mowing process. I do have a push mover just in case. I will try to take some pics and post them later. thanks again....................Pat |
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