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1/1/2013 9:19:14 AM

Anybody have dog issues with their yards? I'm thinking of just scrapping mine this year because of my dog.

He's not destroying my yard, but its small, and the few things he's done are going to be hard to overcome without just re-sodding/seeding the whole thing...and I don't know if I'm up for that this year.

Basically, he's dug a few holes (which we've now gotten him to stop doing) and there's also a circular route that he runs around a small picket fence I have in the middle of the yard that is now completely run down and muddy.

He's got big paws and will end up being an 80 or 90 lb dog, so I don't know if it's worth it to re-do my yard every year if this is going to keep happening. Kind of frustrating...because I've had an immaculate yard the last few years.



And the rest of my yard is great (shrubbery, flowers, garden, patio, etc)...so it will be kind of weird to have everything else look so nice and just let the yard go to shit. I need to come up with a plan...

[Edited on January 2, 2013 at 9:30 AM. Reason : .]

1/2/2013 9:29:31 AM

Anyone had Zenith Zoysia sod laid down? How much did it run you?

1/2/2013 3:50:22 PM

i think it'll be about twice what fescue will cost

2/2/2013 2:57:08 PM

That's fine, I'd rather have it. Just curious what people may of paid for it.

2/8/2013 12:53:09 PM

Quote :

".so it will be kind of weird to have everything else look so nice and just let the yard go to shit. I need to come up with a plan... "

I would take a look at geotextile fabrics (jute, coir, plastics, etc). I'm not sure if it will work exactly like you want, but it could be worth a try if it's really bothering you. Basically the fabric protects the grass while it is establishing itself and then hopefully helps to reinforce it once its grown. I could see it not working at all if your dog gets hung up in the fabric or chews it up, etc. Just make sure you use a LOT of landscape staples and trench in the edges (and staple them too!)

quick google search: http://www.usfabricsinc.com/geotextileapplications/back-yards-damaged-dogs
there are a lot of manufacturers of this type stuff though, and a lot of them are natural fibers that will eventually degrade and you will have never know they were there.


The other question you need to ask is if the damaged area is wetter than the rest of the yard for any reason. It could be more of a drainage issue + dog issue, and getting the area to drain better, and then re-establishing grass might be the best answer.

2/8/2013 2:33:50 PM

I had to mow my grass this weekend. about half is dormat and half is still growing like it's spring.

oh, and my dogs are KILLING my backyard right at my house

I never had this problem with my older dog at other places. I'm thinking it's the type/quality of grass/mix. The dogs generally pee in different areas, so it's not getting overwhelmed, but grass is now dying where each of them go. I want to train them to use a little wooded area (no more landmines!), but my older dog just looks confused every time I take her in there, and the younger dog (boy) refuses to go where there is no grass. That, and it's always dark when I'm home (and cold) so training them to go in the woods hasn't really happened consistently... guess I'll wait for the spring and longer days to try to train them. I'm thinking about digging up some grass and areas recently peed on and throwing that in the wooded area so the younger dog will have a familiar scent there.

I've been giving them 2 grass pills a day... not really working

[Edited on February 11, 2013 at 9:47 AM. Reason : .]

2/11/2013 9:44:06 AM

^^ Thanks. That looks like it could work out great.

It's definitely not a drainage issue. My yard is even and drains really well. The problem was that my dog grew into his large size during the winter...when my lawn is dormant and easier to damage.

^ That sucks. We trained my dog as a pup to pee in the straw. I thought that was going to be my only yard/dog problem .

On the offchance that I completely scrap my yard and re-sod...what is the "strongest/toughest" grass out there that would withstand a lot of wear and tear? I currently have centipede.

2/11/2013 11:21:11 AM

Bermuda.

stands up to dog urine.

it spreads and fills in bare areas on its own.

It's what they put on athletic fields to withstand heavy traffic.

downside is that if you have flower beds, you'll have to be really diligent to keep it from spreading into them and/or neighbors' yards.

2/11/2013 9:37:15 PM

Okay - I'm back to realizing how poor I am and think I'm just gonna do Zoysia plugs. Does anyone have a really easy way to install them?

2/20/2013 8:35:17 AM

^^I've thought about going to bermuda. my left-side neighbor has bermuda and in season, it's the best looking yard. I just hate brown grass with green weeds in the off-season. I think I'm going to seed a fescue mix again this spring (yeh, I know, not the best seeding time), but I have to get something down for the summer, because I think all I have in the backyard is rye (I'm doubting the fescue in that mix made it from when I seeded this past fall).

If I do switch to bermuda in a few years, can I just seed over the fescue? (thinking about doing this after my current grass has established... the reason I don't want to spend texa$ on bermuda now, is that it will likely wash off due to low grass coverage now and the bad top soil (which is really subsoil) that I currently have. I figure if I can get fescue established, it will start to loosen up the soil and provide some stability for future seeding).

2/20/2013 10:25:33 AM

^Lots of people dye theirs green during the winter

2/21/2013 6:54:24 AM

[no]

haha

2/21/2013 9:31:13 AM

Quote :

" I just hate brown grass with green weeds in the off-season"

Can't you just overseed with ryegrass?

2/21/2013 11:22:19 AM

yeh, but that's just mo' money on top of expensive bermuda.

2/25/2013 9:08:33 PM

So I put down my first round of pre-emergent (Scott's, with fertilizer I'm pretty sure) last weekend.

How long should I wait to do a second application?

Also I already have some weeds growing. What weed kill stuff have you guys used that actually works?

3/8/2013 11:01:36 AM

I go to Lowes and get whatever product has Atrazine in it. One of those bottles you hook up to your hose and spray the whole yard. I actually need to do that this weekend.

3/8/2013 11:11:12 AM

That's killed on first application for you? When I've used that stuff before (not sure if it was the Altrazine) I had to do two applications.

3/8/2013 11:51:32 AM

Depends on the severity of the weeds. First time I did it took two applications. But my weeds aren't as "rampant" as they use to be, so it normally just takes one "spray" at about this time of the year.

Either way...it works without killing my grass. So imma keep doing it.

3/8/2013 12:04:50 PM

does that kill broadleaf weeds? those fuckers are starting to take over my front yard.

3/8/2013 12:44:23 PM

Quote :

"So I put down my first round of pre-emergent (Scott's, with fertilizer I'm pretty sure) last weekend. How long should I wait to do a second application?"

Anyone have an opinion on this?

3/11/2013 11:20:33 AM

I did mine yestrday^…it was 62 with rain today...perfect timing....the next round goes down in 6 weeks (after 5/6th mowing)

3/12/2013 5:23:32 PM

Got 20yds of mulch coming tomorrow and 50 bails of straw on Friday. My back is going to be shot on Sunday but the yard will look good.

My fescue is finally taking a turn for the better this year. I started with no grass 3 years ago and slowly but surely the yard is getting thicker. I think a big part is finally giving up on doing the yard federalization and letting a pro handle it. I just wasn't having good luck myself.

3/12/2013 6:06:40 PM

^it can be a challenge...soil tests are.essential

3/12/2013 8:48:54 PM

My yard looks like shit, every year I say I'm gonna do something about it and never do. If I wanted to put down warm season grass on my own, what kind should I go for (my budget is limited) and when should I lay it down? Do I need fertilizer or weed control along with it? Do I need to aerate?

I did a simple soil ph test kit on my own last year and its pretty neutral across the board from what I remember.

I'm a total yard novice, but I really want to know more and do it myself before hiring someone else to do it

3/13/2013 6:15:03 PM

so yard people, when's going to be the best time for a spring fescue seeding? I realize the best time is fall, but I'd prefer to get something down this spring since my backyard is shot. I have fescue elsewhere so I wasn't going to mix seeds (and it's cheap).... unless there is a better alternative. I really need to train my dogs to not go in the grass. Shit is dying all over the place.

3/13/2013 9:22:38 PM

My dad told me not to seed in the Spring. I was like fuck it, I can make it work. I can water it stupidly in the summer.

Shit didn't work. I question how much of that grass made it to the fall. It might have been zero.

3/13/2013 9:40:23 PM

^ I did the exact same thing. Yard looked like Afghanistan by late July.

3/13/2013 10:17:39 PM

Meh, other yards out here (new neighborhood) have been coming up year-round.

3/13/2013 10:48:35 PM

It'll come up in the spring no doubt. The question is whether or not it will make it through the summer. Maybe in a shaded area???

If you must though:

Quote :

"Alternately the second choice is to plant in spring when spring temperatures have reached 60 ° and are rising in the spring."

http://www.fescue.com/info/whentoplant.html

FYI

Quote :

"For those that are considering spring seeding, some considerations need to be made before proceeding. Because spring seeding carries additional risk far beyond fall seeding, NCSU recommendations have not previously included provisions for spring seeding. Spring-established tall fescue is more susceptible to drought, heat, fungal diseases, and weed encroachment. With normal summer weather patterns, spring seeding is not likely to result in a year-long stand of healthy tall fescue. As a result, those who elect to seed tall fescue in the spring should also plan and budget for additional seeding this fall."

http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/ats/news/2008/SpringSeeding/

Lastly do some poking around here for more info: http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/

3/14/2013 8:22:51 AM

Quote :

"My dad told me not to seed in the Spring. I was like fuck it, I can make it work. I can water it stupidly in the summer. Shit didn't work. I question how much of that grass made it to the fall. It might have been zero."

I have also been down this path and wasted time, money and water.

Learned the hard way, but i'll only seed fescue in the fall now.

if you want a warm season grass, then yeah.. seed in the spring.

3/14/2013 11:39:50 AM

here is my grass right now



The difference compost makes ^ my neighbor did her yard the same time as I did last Sept.



Can you tell where my property line is?



You can really see the difference in the neighbor's yards...my yellowish spot is the result of a mole...Cats just took care of him recently!

3/18/2013 6:20:42 AM

Quote :

"The difference compost makes ^ my neighbor did her yard the same time as I did last Sept."

Couldn't you just say the difference fertilization makes? Isn't compost just a natural form of fertilizer?

3/18/2013 10:34:59 AM

^^You need to make a striping kit for your mower. The grass looks amazing and could really pop with a striping kit instead of just seeing wheel marks.

3/18/2013 10:48:09 AM

anyone own or tried this mower:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/203068788?productId=203068788&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=203068788&ci_kw=%7bkeyword%7d&kwd=%7bkeyword%7d&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-203068788&ci_gpa=pla#.UUdOaHyG0Q4

I have .5 acres, and want something other than the standard 21 or 22 inch decks, but don't really need a ZTR or riding mower.

This one's like a bigger push mower, but it's got a 30" cut, so i am intrigued.

3/18/2013 1:28:12 PM

panthersny what type of grass is that?

3/18/2013 1:53:27 PM

^ Safe money is on Fescue

3/18/2013 2:05:01 PM

^^^ That's some serious skrilla for a push mower

3/18/2013 2:12:44 PM

the grass is as follows:

39.2% Coronado tall fescue
24.5% avenger tall fescue
19% stellar gl perennial rye
9.7% creeping red fescue
4.9% Kentucky blue grass


(I am a bit particular is what I use....I worked with the local agri folks at the VT Extension office - I like being in the country!)

Compost and 'fertilizer' means 2 distinct things to me....compost actually provides nutrients and amends the soil for a longer result and better soil...retains water better.

Fertilizer add a boost of nutrients in the short term, but doesn't imrove the soil quality in the long term....

my take on it

3/18/2013 3:18:47 PM

^^


definitely.

but, as far as i can tell, there's nothing larger than 22" that isn't a walk behind or riding mower which gets into the $1500+ range.

This thing is pretty much a walk-behind that's made to look like a typical push mower.

I suspect, i'll probably say fuck it and get a lawn service to take care of it this year. about to start a new job, and i suspect looong hours.

3/18/2013 10:17:12 PM

^I've looked at that mower a few times, seen them on CL for around $800 used. Exmark has the same model, and it does look like a nice stepping stone between a 22" and a real walk-behind.

That being said, you can find some 38" or 40" commercial walk behinds on CL and they would likely last much longer and cut nicer.

3/19/2013 8:19:41 AM

Quote :

"39.2% Coronado tall fescue 24.5% avenger tall fescue 19% stellar gl perennial rye 9.7% creeping red fescue 4.9% Kentucky blue grass"

Why so much Rye mixed in with the Fescue? I understand Kentucky Blue is normally mixed in, just never heard of Rye in the mix...I've only heard of it being used in the winter on top of warm season grasses.

Quote :

"Compost and 'fertilizer' means 2 distinct things to me....compost actually provides nutrients and amends the soil for a longer result and better soil...retains water better. "

Gotcha. What kind of compost would you recommend to amend soil? Since my Raleigh,NC soil is mostly clay I am always interested in improving the quality of it.

3/20/2013 2:06:56 PM

^That mix has perennial rye blended in which means it lives more than one season.

Normally, annual rye would be overseeded on a warm season grass in the fall to keep a yard green all year.

Quote :

" Blends (several varieties of one type) and mixtures (combination of different types) offer better disease resistance and a uniform lawn"

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/ContentView?pn=Grass_Seed&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053

3/20/2013 3:38:04 PM

Don't buy any power equipment from the Big Box stores if you can help it. If you want a Toro mower check at Clay's Power Equip in Raleigh or Triad Equip in Wake Forest.

If something happens you will get better support from the local store, there is no support from Home Depot or Lowes. I wasted $300 at Home Depot on an Echo Backpack blower... just because I had a gift card.

And always makes sure you use 93 octane.

3/20/2013 5:05:24 PM

actually, if you buy a john deere from lowe's, you'll get warranty coverage from your local deere dealer. the dealer's techs actually come in and setup the mowers for lowe's. after you buy one, lowe's takes your information and submits it for warranty with deere. the deere dealer will call you up and let you know that if you have any issues you should call them.

and 93 octane has nothing to do with a damn thing. just find ethanol-free gasoline, no matter what the octane rating is. 93 is not necessarily e-free.

3/20/2013 9:37:49 PM

The perenial rye is for the colder season...a mix of fescues for the multiple environments in the yard.

I have full sun, full shade, moist, perfect, and dry, plus oak trees throughout (acrons do a number on the soil quality). I plan to try a bermuda this may to give an assist to the front yard which is south facing and takes a beating wrt moisture

As for what to amend your soil with I would recommend a good biosolid if you can find a local producer of it.

I am hesitant to use cow/horse manure in lawn soil as you can introduce many weeds if the compost isnt made right.

Start with a soil sample to determine your soil type and how acidic it may be....you may need a mix of lime, calcium, peat moss, and compost. Local agricultral extension can usually do it and provide results plus recommended treatments within a few weeks.

3/20/2013 11:43:01 PM

^^of course ethanol free is the best, but last time I looked there was only one place here in Raleigh. There used to be a station off Gleenwood but it no longer exists.

3/21/2013 12:18:36 PM

the point is, 93 won't help anything unless the small engine specifically requires higher octane to prevent pre-detonation. it's not a higher quality fuel. it's not cleaner or anything. it's wasted money.

[Edited on March 21, 2013 at 4:48 PM. Reason : ds]

3/21/2013 4:46:53 PM

Anything with putting lime down now (think I did fertilizer + pre-emergent 2-3 weeks ago). I normally do it earlier in the winter but forgot

3/25/2013 3:51:54 PM

Fuck it...I think I'm going to just go ahead and re-sod with Bermuda. I need to go home and measure my lawn and see if I can get it done with just one pallet. I might be able to get out of this whole thing under $500....which will be completely worth it if Bermuda can stand up to my dog. Crossing fingers.

Question if I do decided to re-sod...

How do I get rid of my current grass? Do I need to kill it and then tear it out? Should I rent a tiller or can I use my sturdy iron rake...like this one:



I might only have about 500sq ft of yard...so although it would be a pain in the ass...I think it would only be a weekend project.

3/25/2013 4:43:03 PM