How can I make my lawn pretty in a few weeks?
 

OK, seriously we are pretty set on selling the homestead and my yard is a joke. I've spent the last few days raking and bagging and trimming and ....well you get the idea. Anyway we have a horrid lawn with sparse grass and bare spots. How can I give it a "shot in the arm"? Rye seed to fill? Soil is sandy in areas and dark in others. Is "dark" a proper soil term:)

too much acreage for sod?

I used to own a "garden shop"...but not in your area. I'd suggest visiting such a specialty store. I suspect they will suggest a "starter" fertilizer , lots of water, and some reseeding. Cover the seed with a moisture retaining material...if the weather is warm enough, grass will show in a few weeks.

Ice, yea probably too much considering I have more time than money right now.

Paul, I'm wondering about some ground cover in areas. I already have som clover and it's OK. I really don't want to go nuts on this, just a "clean and quick" improvement to help it sell. I mean the next owner may want to go a totally different direction.

lendaddy, i read an article in sports illustrated once, where they interview three dudes that take of of sports lawns. i seem to remember both baseball and football sods. it was a great article. it was along time ago, but from memory. you have to rake up the thatch, if it is really bad, you need to rent a thatcher and rake up the spoils. this allows water to get into the ground efficiently. then you take the local favorite grass seed. whatever kicksA in your neighborhood. you put the seeds into a cheesecloth sack and soak them in a bucket of water. you change the water daily. the killer part is i dont remember how long you soak them (sorry). then once the seed are germinated, or activated, whatever....you dry them out, put them into your spreader and put them out there. birds dont like them like this, activated ones, and they said you will have grass in 10 days you can play on. maybe do a seed germination search on google. my memory is suspect these days....good luck.

cliff

Put in some sod!! Fertilize with Ringer's and it will look great. Unfortunately, this is the "short-cut" I know of...

Thatching rake and a LOAD of back muscle.

Loosen the top 1/2 inch or so of dirt. Mix in some starter fertilizer and then spread out the grass seed. (Go heavy on the seed if you want it thick in a hurry!) Once you have the seed spread, dust a light coat of soil on top and then use a roller to kinda tamp it down.

When all this is complete, sprinkle some wheat straw over the area. You don't have to blanket it, but it should be loosely covered. This will serve to help the soil retain water since the sun can't beat directly on it. It also keeps a lot of airborne weed seeds from taking root.

Lastly...water, water, water...if you can, two or even 3 times a day.

In a week or so, you should see the sprouts coming up from the soil. In a month, it should look pretty green. Another week or so after that and you can loosely rake the straw away. Be careful not to pull up too much new grass.

Randy

Hey Vash, that got me thinking. I have a buddy that does sports fields all over the country! He has spoken of this pregermination before and infact he wanted me to build him a machine for it. Anyway we'll chalk this up as an idiot moment as I should have thought of this. Thanks.

Wow, Randy sounds like you've done this before.

Like I said, with your timeline, local know-how is important. You won't find that in a box store...I could help you if the place you want to sell was in Oregon's Willamette Valley. In a different climate & soil? Go for local knowledge...it may cost a bit more when you buy seed, fertilizer, etc...but the results may be well worth it.

Ya think? :D

Randy

I agree 110% with PWD40S, I think that is the most economical way to go....

HVLP spray gun.......green dye. They do it here all the time. Of course we don't grow "grass" per se here. It's more like crab grass.

In NJ Rutgers University has a renowned agricultural dept that develops the best seed formulas for different parts of our state.
We have many local extensions that will accept soil samples and, for $8, analyze and recommend changes specific to what you want to grow.

Most of the large lawn companies sponsor such programs and use the info to create a better product.

Here's a start: http://www.msue.msu.edu/portal/

BTW, I obtain best results by prepping bare areas with a roto tiller, using a coated seed (Pennigton) to prevent birds from eating, raking in and covering with a medium layer of straw (not hay). Water as recommended above.

The straw protects from heavy rain, too much sun and birds. For revitalizing a lawn you can rent a core aerator, thatcher and seeder for low bucks at HD or rental places.

Also, many seed mixes contain an annual and perrenial seed. The annual (Fescues?) grows very quickly and protects the perrenial (Rye?) grass as it takes longer to germinate.

Results in a couple weeks?

Ryegrass will take that long just to germinate under ideal conditions.

I'd just skip it and concentrate on getting the house ready for showing. Consult with your selling agent about this...there is a lot more to it than just cleaning.

The grass/landscaping is not going to be a deal breaker.

shave it

Racing stripe or Brazillian?:)

I have my preferences but I like being surprised ;)

Landing strip? :cool: