lawn help - please read for details?

Question

we moved into our house and discovered that the dirt is mostly rock- I cannot plant anything - on top of this our grass is patchy and gross and our yard is covered in dandelions.

This summer we will be removing all of the rocky soil from our yard and putting in good fill dirt. We are then going to reseed the lawn.
I would like to know what kind of grass seed I should look for-
what will give me a nice green and lush yard, as well as deter any dandelion or other obnoxious weeds from growing - it does not have to prevent them 100 % but as much help squeezing them out as I can get would be great. I have blueberry bushes and an apple tree in my yard so I dont want to have to use chemicals to keep the weeds out or keep the grass healthy. What grass seed should I be looking for??

Sorry guys! I thought to put where I was and flaked out and forgot- I am in western Washington- in the specific area I am in , the weather is pretty moderate- I think we are an 8 or 9

Answer 1

If you are in a warm season area, usual grasses are bermuda, st. augustine or zoysia. These grasses go dormant in cool weather and turn brown.

If you are in a cool season area, usual grasses are bluegrass, bentgrass, fescue, ryegrass. These grasses normally go dorment in hot summer weather.

This is a pretty good reference site for you to look at;
http://www.american-lawns.com/grasses/grasses.html

Answer 2

You didn't say where you live so suggesting a turf grass is difficult. There are warm and cool season grasses. Talk to your local nurserymen and especially the Cooperative Extension agent for your county. They know what grows best in your area and are part of your state university's staff in agriculture and horticulture. They know their stuff and are there to help you. It's probably the easiest to call information for the telephone number.......it would be listed as X(state) university Cooperative Extension Service.......it may also be listed in the phone book under your county and agriculture in the blue pages.

You are right, it's the soil that determines the lawns success. So as much as you can do to get the soil right will go far in the lawns success. I worry a bit about the fill soil, if is is too different from the subsoil, the top will not drain well. Different surface tensions....even if the subsoil were sand.......silly physics.

The fill must be chemical free, that is no soil sterilents, oil, etc. Good clean stuff. Too much manure is also a killer.....manure has salts which kills plants. OK assuming the soil is great, you'll need to put in a starter fertilizer before either seeding or sodding.

New seed varieties come out every few years and it's the Extension Service that has access to the latest tests for your area on what works and what doesn't.

Answer 3

what state are you in, this plays a huge part in the type of grass you put down.

Regards