My backyard needs help.....?

Question

Our new home is beautiful on the inside but my backyard is horrible. 3 giant trees that we cant have removed due to regulations. yellow grass (only) toward the back of yard and the rest is just dirt. plus we have a 6mos old lab. how can i fix this? if i plant grass seeds, how soon will it grow? and do i have to water the grounds everyday, if i plant the grass seeds?

Answer 1

The grass you plant is going to depend up the area where you live. If you live in the south, St. Augustine grass will work, but it is only good in the south and if you don't live in the far south I wouldn't recommend it. It's a harsh grass.

For most other situations, I'd recommend getting a shade variety of kentucky bluegrass or fescue. Your dog will tear up the yard but there is not much you can do about that. As far as taking care of the pee/urine from your dog, spread some pelletized gypsum over the yard and that should help take care of the dog pee spots. The idea that the one person has about using rye and kentucky blue grass sounds good, but make sure you get the annual rygrass and not the perennial ryegrass. If you get perennial, you'll have a problem on your hands because it won't freeze out. Spring is actually a really great time to plant grass seed summer is the worst time to plant grass seed. Spring, fall, and winter are the best times to plant grass seed. Winter is good even though most may not think so because the thawing and freezing of the ground helps work the seeds into the ground. So you can look crazy and sow your grass seeds right on the snow and have the grass coming up looking great. You don't need to water everyday. When the grass is young just make sure the ground is always moist, NOT wet or bone dry. The grass needs a little moisture to grow. Too much water and your seeds and grass roots will rot. Too little water and your grass will wilt and die. Even though it is a shady area the ground may tend to get dry pretty quick, especially during summer. Tree roots really soak up a lot of water.

And the longer you can keep the dog off the grass to let it gain root the better. It will need about 6 months to gain roots. Another option might be to go to a landscaping place and see about having a shade variety of sod put on your yard. It will only take about a month for the sod to root and get in place. Although sod will be more expensive.

And to help the grass grow, you can prune the trees back to allow more light it. They said you couldn't cut the trees down, but they never said anything about giving them a really good pruning to let more light through so your grass can grow.

Answer 2

You should probably limit the places in the yard your dog can go, but male dogs usually aren't as much of a problem as females.
You can plant ivy or pacysandra at the base of the trees, and maybe put in some raised beds along the sides of the yard.
If you put in grass seed, you will need to keep it damp, so that might mean watering every day, even after it sprouts. At this time of year, seed should germinate in about a week - 10 days.
You might consider sod if you want grass.

You might also consider a patio or deck, which would take up some of the bare area,
Check out the Better Homes and Gardens website for ideas

Answer 3

For the grass plant rye for fast growing & Kentucky Blue at the same time. The Rye will freeze out & the Kentucky Blue will come in strong next spring. If you want it to grow fast I would water it in the mornings for the first 6 or 7 days & then 1 time a week as needed except in the dry mouths you may have to water more regularly. As for your old turning yellow I would have to ask if it is from shade, lack of water, or grubs. With grubs you should be able to pull out patches.

For the trees you should be able to cut them if you can prove they are a danger but the stumps are a big job to get rid of. You can also prune the trees to make them thinner & less shade.

Answer 4

My solemn twin avatar has a point about the dog. A lawn is going to need complete isolation for about six months if you plant now. The soil needs to be tilled, raked smooth, seeded, topping applied and rolled. Or, you can buy sod. But dog droppings and urine are death to most sodded lawns.

If you are patient, you can buy Bermuda or zoysia lawn plugs. These types of lawns will eventually fill in the bare areas and will grow virtually anywhere, even in shade. They resist dog leavings well if they are watered and fertilized.

The huge trees need not be a problem. If they provide a lot of shade, stick to part-sun to all-shade type of bushes and flowers. Try container gardening or raised beds. I would definitely spend the dollars needed to isolate the dog to a large run away from your plants, though. Labs are particularly destructive, especially if they are left alone and get bored.

Answer 5

Don't plant grass seeds until it is about 80-85 degrees continuosly. They will take root in about 2-3 weeks. You may want to plant St. Augustine grass because it will be able to grow in the shade of the trees. Make sure you go to the Home Depot/ Loew's, find the oldest guy in the department and he will be able to walk you though the process. Good Luck.

Answer 6

as long as you have a dog, don't bother... I speak from experience