[jyl]

We have about 2 months of the year when it is hot (sometimes 95+) and dry, and all the grass goes brown. It is a moderate PITA to water by hand then, especially as we're often gone on vacation for a couple weeks during which time all the potted plants die. Its not worth it to pay for a sprinker install, but I can do it myself for a few hundred bucks including drip lines to the potted and hanging plants, which is sort of worth it. I admit, hardly anyone has a sprinkler system here.

OK, don't cut sod by hand. Can I skip the sod cutting entirely and simply rototill the sod to pieces? Or does that invite errant grass and weeds later?