The two most important things to keep in mind when making suggestions for this project are (a) lazy and (b) cheap. I do not want to spend any more time or money on this than is absolutely necessary. I have plenty of top soil to use. All else will have to come from my slush fund which is limited.
The goal is to keep the mud down - period. Not for a Home & Garden over photo. This part of the yard is used for storing junk and for hiding out when the lovely wife starts swinging her rolling pin.
Size - 800 sq ft. 20 ft on a 5 degree slope x 40 ft.
Soil samples showed pH, P&K are fine. Added nitrogen according to the test a few months ago and watered regularly. Did not see any change.
1/3 gets sun 6-10am and 2-4pm, St Augustine is doing fine
1/3 gets sun 6am-6pm, bad shape, some St Aug, mostly crab grass, dandelions & weeds
1/3 gets sun 6-10am and 2-4pm, under pine trees and has 1/8-1/4 inch of needles with nothing only a few weeds growing.
"Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney" wrote in message news:vO-dnXKmW9a snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com... The two most important things to keep in mind when making suggestions for this project are (a) lazy and (b) cheap. I do not want to spend any more time or money on this than is absolutely necessary. I have plenty of top soil to use. All else will have to come from my slush fund which is limited.
The goal is to keep the mud down - period. Not for a Home & Garden over photo. This part of the yard is used for storing junk and for hiding out when the lovely wife starts swinging her rolling pin.
Size - 800 sq ft. 20 ft on a 5 degree slope x 40 ft.
Soil samples showed pH, P&K are fine. Added nitrogen according to the test a few months ago and watered regularly. Did not see any change.
1/3 gets sun 6-10am and 2-4pm, St Augustine is doing fine
1/3 gets sun 6am-6pm, bad shape, some St Aug, mostly crab grass, dandelions & weeds
1/3 gets sun 6-10am and 2-4pm, under pine trees and has 1/8-1/4 inch of needles with nothing only a few weeds growing.
Any help for a lazy gardener is most appreciated!
PS -- My first thought is to break up the top 1/4-inch with rake, spread some kind of perenniel seed, cover it over with top soil. Mash it down and keep it wet until it comes up. How's that sound?
suggestions for this project are (a) lazy and (b) cheap. I do not want to spend any more time or money on this than is absolutely necessary. I have plenty of top soil to use. All else will have to come from my slush fund which is
over photo. This part of the yard is used for storing junk and for hiding out when the lovely wife starts swinging her rolling pin.
the test a few months ago and watered regularly. Did not see any change.
of needles with nothing only a few weeds growing.
spread some kind of perenniel seed, cover it over with top soil. Mash it down and keep it wet until it comes up. How's that sound?
Thanks, RonNNN. If I throw down fescue, cover it over and keep it watered -- anything else I need to do besides settle down in the easy chair?
On Friday, May 6, 2016 at 8:17:22 PM UTC-4, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote :
in message news:vO-dnXKmW9a snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com...
this project are (a) lazy and (b) cheap. I do not want to spend any more time or money on this than is absolutely necessary. I have plenty of top soil to use. All else will have to come from my slush fund which is limite d.
photo. This part of the yard is used for storing junk and for hiding out w hen the lovely wife starts swinging her rolling pin.
st a few months ago and watered regularly. Did not see any change.
eedles with nothing only a few weeds growing.
some kind of perenniel seed, cover it over with top soil. Mash it down and keep it wet until it comes up. How's that sound?
Assuming the existing topsoil is OK, I would probably just rough up the topsoil and spread seed. Covering it with a fine layer of topsoil would be beneficial, but it's a lot more work and IDK how you can spread topsoil in an even enough, fine layer over the seed. The seed wants to be just covered by ~ 1/4". I've use peat moss for that, thrown it out by hand, it helps keep the seed moist while it germinates. To rough it up, I use a hand type rotary cultivator, you can google for an image.
Apply starter fertilizer and keep it constantly wet. It doesn't have to be watered deeply at this point, just enough to keep the seed and surface constantly wet. That may mean doing it several times a day. I always make sure one time is evening, so it can stay nice and wet over night. As the grass starts to come in, reduce the watering frequency, and gradually switch to watering in deeper, then to few times a week, etc.
As to grass type, since you're in a warmer climate, can't give advice to what kind to use, other than maybe Zoyia, if that's OK. That gets put in with plugs, which could be more or less work depending on how many plugs you use and how long you're willing to wait. A few lawns have it here up north. It's tough, will crowd out everything else, spreads via runners. That's one thing to consider, it will spread into adjacent lawns, beds, etc., which may or may not be a consideration. Biggest problem with it in the north is that it because of temps, it won't green up until mid May and goes tan in Oct.
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