I'd say just till it up, 6-8" deep. If any of it survives, the bermuda will choke it out.

I think the most important pre-installation step is getting the soil loose and ready for sod; not getting rid of the current grass (and that happens anyway as a product of preparing the soil).


[Edited on March 25, 2013 at 4:46 PM. Reason : or maybe it's 3-4" of tilled soil... I can't remember. You need a tiller. A rake will take fo'evah]

3/25/2013 4:44:20 PM

Synapse - before you lime your yard you really need to have your soil tested to figure out how much to add....i know in clay soil it is usually hard to over apply lime, but depending on the grass you are trying to grow it could be an issue.

3/25/2013 10:31:43 PM

The one part of my yard that is still going strong is the rectangular area that I sodded about two years ago with Centipede. Here is a picture of it right after I laid the sod down:



If I sod the rest of the lawn with Bermuda will it:

a) Look really weird to have Bermuda right beside Centipede?; and

b) Will the the Bermuda slowly take over the Centipede?

I'm trying to save some money by not purchasing an extra pallet of Bermuda. One pallet is a little over 500sqft and I think my yard is just a touch over that. But I don't want to pay an extra $225 for a pallet when I'm only going to use 10% of it...then I have to figure out what I'm going to do with all the leftover grass.

I'm okay with the Bermuda taking over the Centipede if that's what's going to actually happen. I just don't want it to look funky all summer.


Also...does this look around 500sqft??

(missing a little bit on the bottom and on the right )



[Edited on March 26, 2013 at 9:11 AM. Reason : .]

3/26/2013 9:04:11 AM

pics are blocked at my work, but the bermuda will eventually take over the centipede... not in a summer, but over a few years it will.

3/26/2013 9:15:25 AM

I've got the sod coming in on Thursday. Renting a tiller tomorrow just to fuck up any of the centiped I have left and loosen the soil.

My question is...

Should I still use top soil? My normal soil is good to begin with, but I know it will only help if I mix in some top soil with it. I also want to use it to kind of "cover up" what's left of my centipede. I'm a little worried that it will raise up the level of grass a little bit and maybe cause some drainage issues.

I see mixed messages when researching online. I used top soild when I put in that centipede sod a couple years ago and that grass worked out great.

4/2/2013 11:12:35 AM

i laid sod a few times for a professional landscaper dude. we had to have every scrap of old grass out of the dirt before we could lay the new sod.

4/2/2013 8:27:47 PM

Bermuda wont take over centipede as easily as you think. I bought a house that the centipede was taking over the bermuda...im guessing because they cut their grass too long before I bought it.

To help the bermuda, cut your yard short (like 1") and at least once a week...fertilize the shit out of it too. Centipede will eventually burn up. Use a high Nitrogen (first number N-P-K, so like 40-0-15 or something if you can find it). Use it like every 5-6 weeks apart

Hell, throw some lime down. Centipede hates lime. It thrives in acidic soil...lime kills it slowly.


Bermuda and centipede actually look good together in a mixed yard, but will probably look weird as a patchwork.

Also, plug bermuda runners into the middle of the centipede patches. The Bermuda will spread and kill off the centipede much quicker


[Edited on April 3, 2013 at 8:27 AM. Reason : aa]

4/3/2013 8:20:46 AM

I've decided to "take out" all of the centipede. What am I worried about is this:

Quote :

" we had to have every scrap of old grass out of the dirt before we could lay the new sod"

Is this necessary? I'm about to till the fuck out of my back yard. I'd say over half of it is dirt and mud from my dog running down my centipede. The rest of it is brown, dormant centipede. If I rip that shit up, is it really necessary for me to make sure I take out all the scraps if I'm going to combine it with topsoil and then lay sod on top of it??

I'm doing most of this by myself, so I'm just trying to avoid unnecessary work. I've got a lot of shit to do this week.

4/3/2013 9:20:53 AM

I would say yes, unfortunately...tear it out.

Centipede spreads by propagation. So you till it up into a million pieces and pour dirt on it, those million pieces are going to root and sprout new runners themselves.

Wait until the centipede greens up and it gets a good bit warmer. Spray the centipede with glyphosate (Round up). Wait a week or two, spray anything thats still green again. Once its 100% dead, then you can till it up

4/3/2013 12:39:29 PM

interesting. I was told bermuda would take over even centipede. guess my boy was incorrect.

4/3/2013 2:46:44 PM

^ I've been told the same.

I pretty much don't have an option since I rented the tiller today and have the sod coming in tomorrow.

I tilled the fuck out of it the first half of the day today and have taken out as much of the long sprouts as I could. There are definitely bits and pieces all over the yard, but I'm not spending the next 4 hours picking them out. I'm about to lay in some top soil, mix it up, and lay the sod tomorrow.

Crossing fingers.

4/3/2013 3:26:23 PM

Quote :

" interesting. I was told bermuda would take over even centipede. guess my boy was incorrect."

I think it depends on how you care for it, honestly.

My house is in the type of neighborhood where no one cares for their lawns. Bought it straight out of college.

The yard was half weeds, unkept, probably hadnt been fertilized, plugged, or seeded in 10 years, etc.

Centipede loves nutrient poor, acidic soil. The less you care for it, the better it looks more often than not. Also, if you have someone that neglects it and you let it get 6-8" high between mows, then centipede is going to win that fight. Bermuda doesnt grow thick when allowed to grow high. When I first moved in, I knew nothing about lawn care and for 2 years or so, my centipede spread...even through bermuda.

Now, if you mow it at the correct height, once a week, and fertilize it at least 1-2 times per season, as I started to do later on, then yeah, bermuda is probably gonna win. Hard to tell in my case, because im actively trying to kill centipede and promote bermuda (High N fert every 4-5 weeks, adding lime, etc)

Bermuda definitely grows faster...so it makes sense it would overtake it. But in order to allow it to grow thick, you have to keep it relatively short and not let it get anke high very often.

[Edited on April 3, 2013 at 8:17 PM. Reason : Aa]

4/3/2013 8:14:04 PM

I need to finally do the first mow of the season. I need to dig out and reset about 30 pavers, pull up a bunch of grass/weeds from the rock parking lot, trim some branches that are going to it the roof as they grow this year, finish the fish cleaning station and put fabric and rock down around it, unclog the sump pump, and start the herb garden back up.

4/3/2013 8:59:36 PM

I'm a nazi with my lawn. Mow and edge it weekly. Hopefully this Bermuda will stick and my dog won't fuck it up. I have a great patio, shrubbery, and garden...my lawn should match.

The yard is tilled and top soil has been mixed in. I should be laying in sod while its raining tomorrow...should be fun.

4/3/2013 11:04:39 PM

first mow? hell, I never stopped mowing

4/4/2013 9:07:04 AM

ha. I just did my first bermuda mow last weekend. Helps to green it up fastern but not if it keeps staying so cold.

[Edited on April 4, 2013 at 10:32 AM. Reason : ]

4/4/2013 10:32:43 AM

^ I assume you mean "common" bermuda (Seeded) and not some sort of hybrid?

Do you scalp yours? I've actually never done it, but considering it this year. The Bermuda Bible actually recommends you take off the wheels on your mower and just drag it to scalp it as close to possible.

It's supposed to prevent the old dormant brown"stems" from showing up when the new growth starts

4/4/2013 1:03:36 PM

front yard was started from sod about 10 years ago from the previous owner. The sides and back are from Sod 2-3 years ago. I don't remember what kind of bermuda we ended up going with. A Tifway hybrid variety maybe.

I didn't scalp it, I had just let it get way too long last year so I was trying to get rid of some of the dormant grass right now.

[Edited on April 4, 2013 at 4:10 PM. Reason : ]

4/4/2013 4:07:37 PM

wdprice I know what you mean....I am already at max height setting for the season and mowing every week is must with my lawn....not that I mind having the lawn my neighbor envy!

4/5/2013 9:05:41 PM

Just got this from Clay's today.

0% for 18 months sold me on this one.

I am excited to see what shape it whips my lawn into.

4/5/2013 9:53:58 PM

Do you guys apply lime regularly? I don't know anyone that does. My soil test from last fall recommended: 55, 75, and 120 lb/1,000 sf for the 3 tests (areas) that I sampled (pHs of 5, 4.6, and 4.6). According to the sources I've read, it is not recommended to apply over 55 lb/1000 sf at once. This would amount to... about 3,300 lb of lime! And that doesn't consider any acidity added by fertilization.

I ask because I am very concerned about my yard (new house/lawn as of August 2012). The contractor (and subsequently, myself too) put down a tall fescue/rye mix last fall; and I just took the chance on a spring seeding as well (primarily because I'm sure the existing rye will die this summer). The results from the fall seeding are mixed - some areas look great, but most is just rye (I've been told the fescue still might be there, but dormant and may come up this spring). The areas with fescue actually present won't stop growing. So far the combined total seeding has been 600 lb (14 lb/1,000 sf), which I know is high, but also due to reseeding areas that never took. I guess I've also under-fertilized according to the soil test results (9 lb 10-10-10/1,000 sf or 400 lb recommended; put out 3 lb/1,000 sf or 150 lb).

I think my biggest problem is keeping the soil moist. I have an acre and can't keep the whole thing watered. It takes about 2- 8 hour days to cover the entire yard so watering during the week is tough since I can't be here to move the sprinkler around. The biggest complicating issue is a lack of water pressure after running multiple sprinklers for a while; so I'm down to using 1 sprinkler directly off the well to ensure I don't run into pressure issues (else, I'm having to wait an hour or so). I have no clue how people who work can start a new lawn watered.

If this spring seeding doesn't work out I guess I'll either hire a professional or just start working in smaller areas each fall.

[Edited on April 7, 2013 at 8:17 PM. Reason : .]

4/7/2013 8:15:56 PM

^ That sucks. I have similar issues, except that I work for myself, so I can better manage staying at the house a little later or getting back earlier to water the grass. That being said, I try not to let it affect my work schedule that much. The main thing is getting up earlier in the morning.

I laid sod last week and it rained the first few days so I've just had to start watering it. This morning I got up a little before 6 am and once it got a little bit of daylight (tough to see where the water is actually hitting the ground when its dark), I went out and set the sprinkler in one spot (I have to move it once like you).

I let it go for about 30 or 40 minutes and then movie it again. After the second time it's 8am and I'm ready to go to the office. I get home around 4:30/5pm and do another round of light watering if it feels dry.

So I guess the key is to get up real early. I don't think I could do it if my fiancee didn't get up at 5:30 am every day...but she does, so I do!

4/8/2013 11:38:37 AM

^^ ever thought about a rain barrel system to help with the watering? If anything it might help with keeping your well's pressure up and maybe cut down on the time watering.

4/9/2013 1:39:12 AM

^I have, but I have 9 downspouts, so the water off of the roof is distributed fairly well, thus I'd either need multiple, or do a cistern system with piping and pumping. I mean, it's not a bad idea, but In order for that to work, I need 1) rain 2) huge cisterns to have an impact on my water schedule (Let's say I put out about 60 gal/30 min/area - that's coming from a flowrate of 2 gpm (typical well yield) for 30 minutes for each area). Thus the typical "rain barrel" you pick up at Lowe's would last for only one small area per rainfall (55 gal drums). In addition to not liking these systems, the use for massive watering is non existent.

4/9/2013 8:56:43 AM

I was thinking more along the lines if you started with smaller areas. As a way to help supplement your well by saving a little water pressure and cutting down on time spent watering.


I know for my mom's flower and veggie beds they have helped. More so because we set it up with a soaker hose format instead of a sprinkle. Made more sense in that case.


Granted a rain barrel helps no one unless it rains..lol

4/10/2013 3:22:13 AM

^LOL, yeh. I think rain barrels are a great idea, but they are really meant for applications like you just described - watering small gardens where water demand isn't all that high. In fact, I may do that some day once I get to my landscaping. But for mass irrigation (yard), without several hundred to thousands of gallons worth of storage, rain barrels don't have enough impact to be worth it at all (like I said in the above post - one may drop 50-100 gal in a ~100-200 sf area in 30 minutes, so even going with smaller areas (a few hundred square feet), may make the rain barrels have a "larger" impact, that in turn would take years to cover an entire yard).

[Edited on April 10, 2013 at 8:33 AM. Reason : .]

4/10/2013 8:32:04 AM

i just bought one of these ...

first time ever using a manual reel mower and i like it.

4/10/2013 2:44:57 PM

I love my reel mower. It's awesome not having to deal with gas, oil, and small engines fucking up.

4/10/2013 3:21:51 PM

that would be nice. I don't have a big yard by any means (.4 acre lot I think? I forget), but big enough and with some terrain that would make that a little difficult. I did just buy the most basic, non-self-propelled push mower that I could with a decent engine. I actually like the exercise vs riding or self-propelled.

4/10/2013 3:36:51 PM

^^^hmm, I wonder if one of those would work for me - I need something to a small flat patch beside the house/porch, a steep hill into a ditch, and the ditches themselves...

4/10/2013 4:45:27 PM

I bought a reel mower and never looked back It's better for the grass and you get a decent workout to boot. Not having to maintain a small engine too is pretty great.

4/10/2013 7:47:09 PM

I went to lowes and bought a bag of the heat tolerant blue mix a couple weeks ago, along with some fertilizer, put it down in the yard two weekends ago to overseed, and lo and behold I've got some new seedlings sprouting up in the empty spots in my yard. Spent about $60 and still have half of my seed and fertilizer left over. Now I just need to attempt to control the crabgrass that ran rampant through my yard last summer

4/10/2013 8:43:16 PM

put down some preen

4/10/2013 10:21:40 PM

I gave the guys that do my lawn a thumbs up the other day when we made awkward eye contact as I was drinking beers on the porch in the middle of the day in the middle of the week.

4/11/2013 2:21:51 PM

is there such a service as lawn irrigation? I need a service to come by daily (with their own water source) and water my acre lot sufficiently to grow some damn grass from seed. So this would obviously be a 3-4 process...

4/11/2013 2:26:15 PM

Sounds like you just need to get a sprinkler system.

4/11/2013 4:52:22 PM

haha yeh, but it would need a complex timer system or at least many separate zones since I don't have the water pressure to run multiple sprinklers.

4/12/2013 8:53:27 AM

So I sodded my lawn last Thursday and it's holding up pretty well. We had two cold days of rain and then about 4 days of sun and me watering the yard. Green is starting to slowly creep over the sod.

First picture is after I tilled up the yard and mixed in some top soil. Second pic is of the yard this morning after a good rain. Third pic is our ridiculous lavendar plant which has tripled in size since we planted it there almost two years ago.

4/12/2013 9:10:18 AM

lookin' good moose. I bet that stuff eats up some water.

4/12/2013 10:50:07 AM

I'm expecting a decent water bill this month.

4/12/2013 11:51:27 AM

Visiting dad for the weekend and did a ton of yard work for him. 5 new trees, new shrubs, flowers, exisiting shit trimmed, wood chopped. I dont mind doing it to help him, but I don't miss this shit one bit. Get me back to my low maintenance condo.

[Edited on April 13, 2013 at 6:06 PM. Reason : E]

4/13/2013 6:06:04 PM

holy shit. people want $75+ for used reel mowers? Please tell me that these people are way overpriced? I see new ones for for $80+ (the 20" scotts is popular... $113 new... $100 on CL )

[Edited on April 15, 2013 at 9:07 AM. Reason : it is not a tree. it is popUlar.]

4/15/2013 9:06:56 AM

I got mine used for like $60 on CL, but they had it priced at $80 I think. It was $120 new I believe and they had only used it a couple times.

I will say that I don't think you should go rock-bottom cheap. Quality matters a bit in these things. And most of them might be self-sharpening...but make sure you get that as well.

^^ Nothing as satisfying as looking at the finished product of a nice lawn/garden. There are times when it is a pain in the ass, but I would be depressed without a yard. Can't substitute walking around barefoot in your own yard checking on your tomatoes/peppers/herbs/etc with a cup of coffee. I think I'd go crazy in a condo.

[Edited on April 15, 2013 at 11:24 AM. Reason : .]

4/15/2013 11:23:08 AM

I'm not sure if this is the right place for it or not but I'm looking to have some work done at my house like adding a brick sidewalk and some other miscl. landscaping stuff that I might not be able to do myself. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good landscaping company for something like this?

4/15/2013 1:41:42 PM

^^. I have Piedmont Park as my back yard and I don't have to mow it. Lol

4/15/2013 1:49:08 PM

Which you share with a ton of people and have to take an elevator to get to.

We obviously have different opinions. But you can't compare a public park to a private backyard.

Yardwork is also a good workout...it could probably help you out a bit.

[Edited on April 15, 2013 at 2:23 PM. Reason : .]

4/15/2013 2:21:55 PM

So it turns out that my water pressure issues were mostly due to my hose. I switched brands (same diameter - 5/8") and have great pressure, even with multiple sprinklers running.

I had (4) 100' Never Kink 5/8" hoses. The pressure at the end of just 1 hose was quite less than at the spigot and when running a sprinkler, after about 30 minutes - 1 hour, there would hardly be any flow out of the sprinkler. Apparently the losses in these hoses is huge, enough so that it basically slows the flow down to where barely anything comes out (just like closing the spigot some). Also, Never Kink is a lie - they do kink like any other hose. The best thing about them was the heavy duty fittings. Other than that, DO NOT PURCHASE NEVER KINK BRAND HOSES.

I forgot what I have now, but the pressure is great and I haven't seen any issues with them.

4/16/2013 11:55:10 AM

Need a recommendation for a deck/porch carpenter.

Watcha got?

4/16/2013 4:38:55 PM

<------ This Guy. And I will hopefully be unemployed soon, so let me know what you are thinking.

My portfolio:

http://www.thewolfweb.com/photo_folder.aspx?user=2905&folder=Deck&filter=

4/16/2013 4:57:51 PM

^^^^ I'm pretty social. Love being around people. And Piedmont is huge. Plenty of room. And the elevator takes 10 seconds maybe.

4/16/2013 9:15:45 PM