Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum banner

Any lawn experts

2K views 25 replies 8 participants last post by  Kingcarpenter1 
#1 ·
Hey Guys,

I am having issues with the grass in my front yard. Back grows really well but the front not much. Not sure if it’s a watering issue or soil compaction.

I installed sprinklers last year and the front and back are on different zones. Both get fertilized the same and get seeded every spring.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Front


Back
 
See less See more
2
#4 ·
Plant St. Augustine. It will self heal and you'll never need to seed again. Just a patch will spread through your yard and cause that other grass to go obsolete. It's beautiful as well.

It's very aggressive.

Mike.
_______________
[emoji631] [emoji631]
 
#8 ·
Check what you have for soil front and back.

Those nice green spots on your front lawn is what I'm used to seeing if a dog pooped in the snow over winter. If that's what it is, you're light on nitrogen and potassium in the adjacent area.

The line of green I see really seems to point out you probably have a soil issue. pH, drainage, something. It can be as simple as only a little top soil in some areas, and more in others.

Does that happen during dry spells or wet spells, or it doesn't seem to matter?

Besides grubs Griz mentioned, if you have too much thatch, you can get things like pill bugs.
 
#9 ·
A thin layer of compost no more than a half inch in the fall. Make sure to get a manure based compost not bio solid. Guaranteed it will do much better. Don’t use topsoil. Soil could be a little thin in that area & compost will add needed nutrients & loosen the compacted soil. It’s not a spot that a dog uses is it? Switch to an organic fertilizer as chemicals will burn
 
#10 ·
If it’s grubs blades should pull up real easy (root damage). There is also a fungus called brown patch. Best way to check water put shallow tuna fish cans in that area & let cycle until it has 1 inch of water. A deep watering establishes roots a shallow watering only keeps roots on top not deep enough leading to weak grass
 
#13 · (Edited)
May be best to start with the basics to see what you have, and take it from there.

Grab a round pointed spade and stick it in at various places, and lever it forward so you can see the top 4-6 inches of soil. You'll be able to feel if you have compaction , and you'll be able to see any layers.

Since this was installed, you may have a compacted layer under the installed grass. If a previous lawn was killed off before install, you may have a layer of old dead roots. Either if those would interfere with your new grass growth, and if you have both it's a major barrier to new grass growth.

A plug aerator is the answer for either of those problems. If you have a soil with a lot of clay, top dressing in the fall like king carpenter mentioned and plug aerating works really well.
 
#14 ·
I don’t think aerating is necessary. Organic compost will amend the soil & loosen it. Don’t use bio solid make sure it is organic manure based & go to a reputable supplier not box store. Soil may be more compacted in front, trucks parked during build, deliveries etc. compost will greatly improve. Try to pull on runners if they break away easy could be grubs. Don’t forget tuna can test on water. I think your soil is just more compacted there & will improve with compost. Maybe do it fall & spring. Compost will have a little odor to it but will fade in a couple days
 
#16 ·
You said soil was same front & back. If you brought soil in or not it’s probably compacted there from parking. I wouldn’t expect immediate results but it will get better. All the rain your getting don’t help. Send some of it to south Tx. as it’s been in the 100s & 105 forecast today
 
#18 ·
If you stuck a shovel in and you find you have compaction, absolutely aerate it now so it has some time to recover. With a really short growing season like you have, you don't want to be fighting a bunch of weeds in the spring.

Any kind of aeration now would be fine, even poking a bunch of holes with a spading fork if it needs it.
 
#22 ·
Wait until fall to add compost as you want it to be cool. Make sure you get manure based compost not topsoil as it will bring in weed seeds. Half an inch at the most. You definitely have compaction if Equiptment & material was there. As Hdavis mentioned a pitchfork poking holes around will help but I wouldn’t do more than that. The compost will take care of it but have patience. Lawn more is your best defense against weeds as your grass looks strong & will choke them out. For now you can cut some 4”x4” plugs from the back & put in bad spots stomp them to get contact w/ground & they will fill in. I don’t think it’s that bad unless your shooting for the blue ribbon yard of the month. Joking but just give it some time & use organic fertilizer. Also pre emergents are a waste of money as well. Find a good organic based nursery & always look for the oldest person there for advise
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top