Any lawn pro's with some advice?

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bighammer

bighammer

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I'm wanting to do some grooming on my lawn for a couple reasons. It's so rough / uneven from the years of mole hills, etc., with no real maintenance except for the usual mowing. It's pretty uneven with low spots and humps and bumps and the occasional tree roots near the surface that I have to go pretty slow with my riding mower.

I don't want the hassle or expense of tilling and reseeding the entire lawn, although I know this would be the best option...

What I was wondering is if it would be practical to bring in some sort of fill to be used as a leveler, then drag something around with my garden tractor to fill in the low spots. I would do this over the top of the existing lawn. Then seed over everything and hope for the best.

So can this work? What to use as the leveler, plain dirt? Reason I ask is I recall long ago that some people use a mixture with sand (?) I believe. What say you?

Thanks

Mark
 
I am interested in knowing if there is something that can be done other than tilling. I had the same problem but I just finished tilling mine all up and re-seeding last week.

I know for burrowing critters the best fix has been pool chlorine.....if you find a rodent hole then get a tube as far down as you can get it ....pour some pool chlorine powder in there and then pour water down and then cover the hole. The chlorine gases will permanently terminate anything trying to make an apartment out of your lawn....its effective too.
 
Here is an old pic of mine (sorry there's not more grass in the picture) lol

I fertilize when needed and pick weeds...and water when its dry...that's all :glasses7:

 
Oh...and if you have to pee in your yard...be sure to go in different spots lol...right Rani?! LOL
 
RaniDart70 said:
I am interested in knowing if there is something that can be done other than tilling. I had the same problem but I just finished tilling mine all up and re-seeding last week.

I know for burrowing critters the best fix has been pool chlorine.....if you find a rodent hole then get a tube as far down as you can get it ....pour some pool chlorine powder in there and then pour water down and then cover the hole. The chlorine gases will permanently terminate anything trying to make an apartment out of your lawn....its effective too.
Click to expand...

And probably kill anything else that grows in that spot including grass lol
 
66340SEDAN said:
Here is an old pic of mine (sorry there's not more grass in the picture) lol

I fertilize when needed and pick weeds...and water when its dry...that's all :glasses7:
Click to expand...

wow that is some nice grass.....make one want to lay in it and do grass angels
 

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RaniDart70 said:
wow that is some nice grass.....make one want to lay in it and do grass angels
Click to expand...

I do that very thing......and guess what...no dogs...so no dog crap...makes it even better....nothing better than laying in green grass :glasses7:

I love mowing the lawn too...even though its work, I have one of the greenest yards around :glasses7:
 
I am the lawn master. I will share with al of you my secret.

Here it is.

Wait for it.

If it's green, let it grow.
 
Hahaha Lawn Master. Pretty good "secret" there. I wish I could do that.

Even though I live in the country, I want my lawn area around my house to look good. Keith, yours looks great by the way. My grass is usually green, but the terrain is not flat or smooth.

I'm definately gonna try Rani's idea to get rid of moles. But no ideas so far on how to smooth things out?
 
If it's hilly and bumpy just rent a lawn roller with an aerator attachment. After that's done, reseed the lawn and keep it wet for about a week. Should come up nice.

Roll it out right after spring when there's lots of water in the ground. Should even it out after a few rolls. I roll every year....frost loves to heave up the ground.

Riddler
 
A nice sand-topsoil mix works really well for filling low spots. Go to your local contractor rental store and rent a small asphalt roller and roll the crap out of it then rent an aerator. Seed the areas with new soil and rake in then spread some 12-12-12 fertilizer over the entire lawn.
The lawn rollers you fill with water work but they don't even come close if your lawn is really bad. The great big concrete work the best but are a ***** to move.
 
What Riddler said for uneven spots, a lawn roller to pull behind yer tractor. An aerator and dethatcher will help with healthy lawns as well.
 
the results of the roller will depend on the texture of the soil, moisture in it, and the weight of the roller. a "real" roller will require at least a small tractor. this will also cause more compaction, so the aeriator can be more important. it will also give the seed a way to get into the soil. germination will depend on temp., moisture, and the seed being covered.

the aeriator won't hurt anything, how much it helps depends on soil type and compaction; and a dethatcher can help if that's a problem.

putting down good topsoil in the low spots, and barely cover the seed? and water will fix the low spots easily.

if you are dealing with a "cool season" grass the spring is great time for seeding.

if using a herbicide, be careful as that can damage or kill the seedling.

the member with that great lawn, for that results the pro way to do is : soil test to determine the pH of the soil, so the plant can utilize the fertilizer you apply. lime and fertilize according to the test. a pre and post emerge weed control program. mowing that particular grass the correct height at the correct time of year. and of course being able to irrigate when it needs it.

your local ag county agent can give advice/ literature that addresses the growing conditions and grass varieties specific to your area, and its free. ( the soil test generally costs $ 10-20 but worth the $..

hope this helps a little. ag degree in previous life. I still work part time on golf course ( for parts $$ ???) or

like RRR Rob says, just let it grow and mow! that's what I do. my lawn used to be part of the pasture.
 
I can't grow a full lawn, too many trees in my yard....
 
Time to mow ?
 

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that's how we USED to find our cars, BUT the dopeheads have run the back roads looking for FREE high priced scrap from some poor old senile farmer.

sad! and then when scrap got high, the boneyard owner that was about retirement age. HE crushed everything!!! you can't blame him ,,,, but sad!!

O K I regress, nothing to do with growing a lawn!! LOL

some grasses are very shade tolerant but the tree has feeder roots at the surface and they take water and food from the grass. no good solution.
 
Use a plug aerator. The kind that digs up plugs and not the one with the spikes. Use it in the spring when the soil is moist and mellow. Over seed it and apply a starter fertilizer. I would fill holes and big low spots and seed them also. If you aerate in the spring and fall and over seed within a couple years your lawn will look great.
 
on golf courses, greens are aeriated with generally one of three ways. the plug is removed and fertilized, the plugs are drug till they somewhat fill the holes, then sand applied ( unlike the lawn, the green in mostly a sand mixture). or it will be done with solid pike. there even is a machine that shoots a high presuure column of water that makes holes about the size of a pencil!

remember if you seed into a plug hole, it will generally be too deep for the seedling to emerge, so pay attention to that.

yes quality of sod will vary by soil type, water it gets, shade,..... but with correct pH, ferlizer, eliminating weeds, compaction, reseeding or overseeding, anyone can have a pretty nice lawn. like anything, just takes work and $$$ !!?? LOL
 
So, any of you gurus got tips to get rid of nightcrawlers? They are overrunning my yard, and making it very un-grandkid friendly. My first and only turns 11 months in a week, and will soon be walking, and spring is nearly upon us.I think Id be willing to spend some project money on it. I got a second one on the way, who will be walking, maybe as early as late next summer.
BTW, those little critters were accidentally released about 400 ft north of me in the 80s and are working their way south. Over the past 3 decades they are now nearly 800 ft south of me.Everybodys got these lumpy,crappy,golf-ball infested lawns.After a heavy rain it doesnt take long for my lawn to turn red....from the feasting Robins.
I would be so happy to be rid of them.
Sorry to barge in on your thread.
 
66340SEDAN said:
Here is an old pic of mine (sorry there's not more grass in the picture) lol

I fertilize when needed and pick weeds...and water when its dry...that's all :glasses7:

Click to expand...

u need more driveway if u want more cbodys lol
 
Badsport you cracked me up.I got no time for fishing. Im 62, and on a mission to finish my house, before old man time catches me, and I become physically impaired.
Ill make you a helluva deal though on all the worms youd like to come and harvest.Bring your friends, and maybe a couple of bathtubs.
 
use a sandy soil and drag it with an old chain link gate or fence to fill in low spots,Joe
 
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