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 Post subject: New Home/Yard Advice
PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 8:30 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2003 8:24 am
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Location: Red Oak, TX
We are moving into our new home this weekend and of course we have nothing bud mud and wet sand for a yard.

What's the best way to go for quickly getting in grass? We are getting a quote on Bermuda sod. We've sunk most of our available cash in the house, so sod may not be an option. If we seed what should we seed so that the grass will continue to grow through the winter?

Thanks in advance.


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PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 1:11 pm 
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No landscape came with the house? Did your general contractor forget something?

For those of you in this same position or soon to be, it is usually much easier to finish the house off completely at first and pay for it over 30 years rather than to leave things out and have to pay cash for them as you're moving in.

At this point you need to pick up where you left off only you're the general contractor now. Unless you are certain the property has been properly graded, you need to hire a finish grader to give you a gorgeous bed to plant sod or plants in and on. He will establish the proper grade for the entire lot so that water drains properly away from all the buildings and does not pool up anywhere. When he's finished, your question will be answered.

Also at this point, if you have had lots of rain, it should be easy to see whether the lot is properly graded. If the water pools up anywhere, it needs to be graded. If water from anywhere flows even a few inches toward any building, it needs to be graded. If the bottom of the sill of the house is less than 4 inches above the soil, it needs to be graded.

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 9:02 pm 
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I should have been more specific. The yard has been graded. All I need to do is decide which kind of grass to put in. Is there a grass that will grow in the winter? Or should I just spend the money and put in sod?


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2003 4:05 pm 
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Sorry I jumped to conclusions. I read too many posts from people who it never occurred to them to have the contractor finish the house AND yard.

Grading is done, that's great! If the grass is in any shade, you can eventually get St Augustine to remain green all year long by following my standard suggestions. My next door neighbor is my only example, but her lawn never ceases to amaze me. She does virtually nothing to it and it looks surprisingly good. When I say nothing, she has not watered in 4 years. This winter may be different because she's started to mow it. And she mows it a little short for my taste.

St Augustine goes in as sod. Seeds don't grow. A pallet costs a little over $100, so that's considerably more than any other grass seed. But nothing will remain green all year except St Aug in the shade.

My standard suggestions are, in order of importance:

1. Water deeply and infrequently. This means no more often than once a week and for at least an hour at a time. If Mother Nature gives you an hour's worth of rain one week, then skip it. If she only gives you a half inch, you chip in another half inch. What you're doing with this is developing deep roots. Deep roots resist drought. Also many weeds will develop shallow roots and will die between waterings as the ground dries up.

2. Mow as high as your mower will go. Then weld or glue the adjuster so the neighbor kid can't reset it when you go on vacation next summer. Tall grass will shade out weeds and weed seeds. Tall grass also develops longer, drought resistant roots.

3. Fertilize with something two or three times per year. Around here we use organic fertilizers. You can use commercial brands but I use corn meal and alfalfa pellets. The application rate is 10-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. You can get these materials in 50-pound bags at feed stores for about $6.50. The bags are marked, "feed."

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