Lawn advice
 

doink!

Craigslist's free section would be a good place to look for dirt, especially if you have a truck to haul it or a friend that will do it for beer and pizza.
I don't have much experience with lawns, but I would suppose that it comes down to how long you are willing to wait for your lawn to look "filled in."

Micah

Mike, get topsoil from BD White, I think it's mix #69. Just order the cubic feet you need You can just drop it, spread it, roll it and fine grade it then lay the sod. Marathon IIe is what I like.

B D WHITE TOPSOIL CO 310-370-5511
19205 Prairie Ave
Torrance, CA 90503

Oh and spread out some 16-16-16 or 20-20-20 prior to laying the sod.

Just my .02.

I went through this last spring. There is a great older thread here on PP that had tons of info, it was very helpful for me... I'll see if I can find it.

FWIW, my understanding is that a good layer of topsoil is what makes the difference between a healthy, thick lawn and one that dies off or turns to weeds in a few years. Most places say 4"-6" of good topsoil. It's also very helpful if you can get recommendations for good clean topsoil, as above.

I had 2 weeks off last spring, so I put down grass seed. I don't have a sprinkler so I had to water it 2-3 times a day to keep it moist. It turned out nicely, but it was slow going. Easily a month before I could walk on it. Sod is great because it is so fast. Looks great right away, but again, make sure you have a good layer of topsoil so it stays healthy.

Hydroseed is a good "in between" option. Cheaper than sod, but still very fast. I'll be going that route this spring.

I use Ringer's Lawn Restore on my lawn and it's an organic fertilizer that keeps the roots healthy to resist weeds and drought. I swear by the stuff, it's the "Swepco" of lawn products!

I don't think the amount of area you have makes seeding worth the wait. If it were a huge space, seeding would save you some serious money. But for the space you've got, I'd use a good quality sod for the instant gratification.

And +1 on the topsoil....makes all the difference.

Nice concrete work by the way. Looks good.

From those pictures I don't see a need for more topsoil. We installed sod in our backyard that when done was ~ 1/2 inch lower than our pavers. Now, 3 years later, it's the same height and extra water from rain or watering ends up on the pavers. I'd prefer that the grass stay slightly lower than the hardscape you walk on.

Thanks, I wish I could afford to get it all done at one time...

Good place for nice topsoil is a cemetary. You can usually call around and get dirt from them for free if not a good price. Otherwise try Craigslist.

Good tip!

Is it considered uncouth to show up with a shovel & a pickup truck and just help yourself? ;)

Compact that dirt as much as possible - uneven grass results without, seemingly out of nowhere.

My only regret when I redid mine as you have -

Locals use water filled rollers, but I imagine the gas powered compacter works well too (?)

I really regret not using a compacting device - all the work of old crap grass removal, and the lawn (lain sod) turned lumpy a few months later.

Spread 1-2 inches of Peat Moss over your yard. Incorporate the following...
Phosphorus - 2lbs / 1000 sq ft.
Sulfur - 5-10 lbs / 1000 sq ft.
Gypsum - 50 lbs / 1000 sq ft.

Rototill to a depth of 6", Rake smooth and roll with a lawn roller.

Your finished grade should be about 1" below sidewalk.