How do I fix my lawn?

Question

My lawn is really messy... I have weeds, crab grass all over the place. The soil is really hard, it's like rock hard. I have tried to pull all the weeds out, water the soil, and etc... BUT sooner or later the weeds pop up in 2 weeks. =( We have the messiest lawn in our neighborhood. What should I do? Are there any products that'll help my lawn?

Answer 1

Soil which is rock-hard usually is void of any organic matter. When manure and compost are added to clay soils, the beneficial bacteria and fungi that are introduced with their addition will help bind soil particles together and allow water and oxygen to penetrate into the soil. (A good example is when you look under decaying lawn clippings and see the soft soil underneath). An application of gypsum will also help break up compacted soils.

So here's my advice...

1) Spray your entire weeds/lawn with Roundup and wait for 10 days.

2) Apply granular gypsum at recommended rates over the soil.

2) Apply 3 to 4 inches of finished compost (can be purchased in bulk to save money) along with another inch of steer manure over the top of your soil. Apply water to allow nutrients and micro-organisms from the compost/manure to work its way into the soil beneath. Water again for 20 to 30 minutes every two or 3 days.

3) A week to 10 days later, your soil should be soft enough so that it can be roto-tilled. The gypsum, compost and manure should be evenly distributed throughout the entire soil profile to a depth of at least 6 to 8 inches.

4) By doing this, you'll have a solid foundation for being able to plant a beautiful lawn from seed or sod and have a more manageable soil to work with in the future.

I'd be more than happy to provide you further details about how to get your yard properly established.

Hope this helps solve your current problem with your soil.

-Certified Professional Crop Consultant with over 30 years of experience and a Degree in Plant Science

Answer 2

Getting a good lawn is not easy. Most people just have to make do with what they've got, and it really depends on what effort you are prepared to put into it.

If your soil is rock hard, the chances are you have a clay soil. So it is either going to be hard or heavy and sticky, but the chances are it is also prety fertile. That would probably rule out the easiest way to get rid of weeds, which is to dig up the lawn and start again. Re=establishing a lawn is time consuming, and that is why turfing is so popular, provided, of course, you get weed free turf.

So what to do. You don't want to be pulling the weeds up, unless you are going to be seeding again. Weed seeds are much more aggressive than grass seeds, and the chances are unless you reseeded your efforts will be rewarded with yet more weeds, and if you can't tilth your soil., the chances are that your grass seeds will find it hard, unless your happy with poas and meadow grasses that may seed naturally.

Probably the most practical solution is to tackle it on two fronts. The mowing machine, and local advice.

Your mowing machine is the best lawn weeder you have, so use it regulary. Even if you have more weeds than grass it will keep your patch looking something like a lawn. Grass has a basal meristem as opposed to an apexical meristem of most plants, so cutting the top off grass doesn't hurt it, whereas cutting the tops off most other plants renders serious damage.

You will probably have to live with the crab grass. I'm guessing it's what we call couch here, and is characterised by underground rhizhomes, which can regenerate to a whole new spread at a whim. Apart from taking up the entire top soil and dumping it, the only other recourse is herbicide, but that is probably not advisble wholesale on a domestic lawn.

The chances are you have a neighbour who has your type of soil and has had your problems, so finding out how they go about things maybe a worthwhile exercise, you will probably find out what fertilizers to use, which grass seeds, the best suppliers, most effective herbicides, and most will be glad to help, because it does a lot for the community if someone is taking pains over their lawn and garden.

Answer 3

Round Up by Ortho out of Chevron Chemical. Works great, BUT if you have kids and pets keep them away from it for 24 to 48 hours after application. Great for a start over, let it lie until next spring and then reseed or sod it.

Answer 4

pulling out the weeds is great...but put in some grass seed when you do it..and sprinkle a bit of soil so the birds dont get it....therefore the weeds dont have space to grow...overcut too...the grass loves it..but the weeds hate it.

Answer 5

http://ohioline.osu.edu/agf-fact/0402.html