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About Long Island Gardener
Expertise
How to grow the Perfect Lawn? If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I have intelligent answers on grass selection, fertilizers, soil care, weed control, and lawnmowers. Although I have degrees in related fields, a person's real gardening skills are learned from trial and error. More important, I am strict about not using chemicals in the garden. Organic gardening is not just earth friendly and healthier for you, your children and your pets. It's less expensive and easier. You read that right. Less expensive and easier.
Experience
Homeowner for 15 years, 30 years of gardening for personal pleasure, college credits in horticulture and botany, volunteer docent at the local botanical gardens, and a whole library of gardening and landscaping books at home some 100 years old.
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You are here: Experts > Style > Landscaping > Lawns > Help!
Expert: Long Island Gardener - 9/5/2008
Question
HI Neighbor,
I live on the North Shore of Lawnguy Land too. I bought a home two years ago and the front lawn was never cared for. Within months of our purchase I had to replace the main sewer line which left a 6’x11’ “scar” running through the property, down toward the curb.
I took the opportunity to turn the soil (by hand-I needed the exercise) to remove the remaining grass, growth and weeds. I had top soil delivered and spread a new 1.5 inch layer, evenly over the entire front lawn.
I used a “meadow grass” seed that my wife purchased on-line. The meadow grass was a short fescue that was not supposed to be cut more than twice a season and was good for a shade/sun lawn.
I would guess that 70% of my lawn is very shady as it has 2 Chinese Maple’s with the root system fairly exposed. The remaining 30% gets a lot of sun (and sand, leaves, and foot traffic).
The meadow grass never really took, only in some spots. The old growth that I thought I removed came back along with the old grass and weeds. As I look up and down my block every house has fine trimmed lawns, my home looks like nobody lives there.
I want to rectify the situation. Do I need to start all over and turn the soil again? What seeds should I use? How should I start? I’m at a loss of what to do. I don’t want to bring in an expensive lawn care outfit but I’m embarrassed. I’m told now is the time to address this (early September). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Answer
Let me see if I understand you first.
The Lawn was in bad shape, probably was not a Lawn, when you took possession. You first had to dig up part of the yard for the sewer line, and then you figured it was a good time to work on a new Lawn project.
Am I right so far?
At this point, you hand turned (lots of work, lots of sweat, I hope at least the weather was cool) the ENTIRE YARD. Is that right? You actually hand dug the ENTIRE YARD? (Nobel prize for Physical Labor but I just want to make sure this is correct.)
Finally, you ordered from a local landscaper something he called 'topsoil', probably you took a rake and spread it out over the entire front yard, 1 1/2 inches deep. And you seeded with something you recall as 'Meadow Grass' perhaps aka 'Meadow Fescue', Festuca pratensis Huds, aka Festuca elatior L pro partem. And now it's just not working.
Based on these assumptions, we will proceed... BUT please correct any of these details as they could throw off the answer here in the wrong direction, so confirm when you can.
We have a lot to cover. I'll try to condense as best I can.
Assuming you took your best shot at growing a Lawn of F pratensis, there are some pro's and cons about this Grass. In one word, this is a tough Grass. At Purdue University, they call F pratensis 'good grazing Grass', 'valuable for pasture', a 'loosely tufted perennial short-lived Bunchgrass'. They also say it is sometimes 'adapted to cool climates as a Cool Season Turfgrass' which 'thrives in deep rich Soil, but also grows well on Calcareous or Sandy Soils provided they are moist.' Here's Purdue's F pratensis page:
www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Festuca_pratensis.html
Now for the source of your impression it should be mown 2x a year: Purdue reports F pratensis 'should be cut when beginning to flower. In wet years, it may furnish a second cutting.'
This 'cut' is what you would do if you were going to use it to feed your horses.
Not in the Lawn.
You can solve this easily. Buy yourself a horse, and you're in business.
Or you can resort to a new Lawn, which will require a great deal of sweat and tears. Not easy, but here's what you should do.
First, and foremost, and I am feeling like a broken record here but to say it again you must get your Soil tested. Cornell University has Cooperative Extension services all over the place, and we actually have a unit here on Long Island. The service has cut back a lot but they still do that basic and wonderful Soil Test, which will tell you all about your Soil. Now that you have added a layer of mystery Topsoil, you REALLY need to find out what is and is not there.
Next, pick out a ground cover for under those Trees. It's got to be done. Don't try the impossible. You already tried that. Grass will never out-compete Tree roots. The Trees make sure of it. It's like you, trying to win a race with the LIRR at a crossing knowing you're going to tie and hoping you will win, it won't happen. Drive through Old Brookville, Lloyd Harbor, Mill Neck, Old Westbury, Lattingtown this weekend and find an under-the-Maple-Trees groundcover that you are happy with. Then order it from Bluestone Perennials on the internet:
www.bluestoneperennials.com
or pick it up at Hicks Nursery on Rte 25/Jericho Turnpike.
Look into getting your Trees thinned. That's an easy job and a professional Tree person (did you know that was Matt Lauer's last job before he got the call from WNBC? Maybe you'll be talking to the next Matt Lauer) can do a nice job. Your yard needs all the Sun it can get.
While you're waiting for your Soil Test results, two things:
1. Pick out a Grass.
2. Start building your Soil up.
You pretty much have 2 choices when it comes to Shade Loving Grass. You can go for 'Supina', the costly, fairly new fancy Shade-enduring designer Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis). Or you can go for Fescue (Fescue arundinacea).
Your wife by the way picked out a good genus. But the species was not the best. I assume you will be watering this Grass, so drought should not be a problem. But you do need a Grass that will take a lot of footsteps. And Bluegrass HATES to be walked on. So we'll focus on Fescue.
Michigan State University lists the best Cool Season Grass choices for your situation:
www.lib.msu.edu/tic/mtc2002/108.pdf
Fineleaf and Tall Fescues will put up with dry shade, but only Tall Fescue will put up with Compacted Soil, which yours as this point almost certainly is, and feet.
200 Soil scientists attended the First International Conference on Turfgrass Management and Science for Sport Fields in Athens, Greece, in 2003, where a report was delivered titled, 'Effect of Simulated Traffic on some Turf Quality Parameters in Construction Systems of Soccer Pitches.' Basically, they were planning on building a Soccer Field in Northeast Italy, and someone decided to do a little research to find out what Grass would work best on the field. If your house experiences traffic that's like a soccer field, it will be good to know that a blend of F arundinacea and P pratensis scored highest; solo P pratensis came in last place. Best of all, they point out, 'Even under severe wear, much of the turf recovered during the Summer.'
You can buy great Seed, including Shade-loving Supina, at Seedland.com:
www.seedland.com
Now let's talk about your Soil. For future reference, 'Topsoil' can be anything the cat dragged in. It comes with dormant Weed Seeds just waiting for a lucky customer with a garden hose and a nice hot day EVEN IF IT IS LABELLED 'Weed Free'. NEVER buy 'Topsoil'.
If you have DIRT, you have EVERYTHING YOU NEED to create a great Soil profile.
Especially here on Long Island, where we have Clay all over the place.
Compost, Humus, aged Manure are terrific. Grass clippings, terrific. Dead leaves and brush, terrific. No more Topsoil. Amend, amend, amend.
Once you have a solid profile of your soil, you're ready for corrections, if needed. This is where your patience pays off. You don't have to buy anything you don't need. Peatmoss, Lime, organics, a whole potential shopping list suddenly becomes 1 or 2 items. Sand SHOULD NOT be on your list because added to Clay you end up with hardpan. Don't even think about it, sir.
Remove the mess that's growing all over your front yard. Don't till again; it's bad for Soil structure and makes enemies of all your local Earthworms. Some landscapers announce this is the time to RoundUp the entire Lawn. Don't do that. Do this right.
If needed, rake all dead material up, even out the Soil, and rent yourself a slitseeder. You should seed in two directions with your new Seed.
For the next 3 weeks, water diligently, probably 3 or 4 times a day, 5 to 10 minutes at a time. Keep the Soil moist. Watch for signs the Grass has germinated.
Once you see sprouts, slow down irrigation to once a day, 15 mins at a time. Later you can slow down even more, watering every OTHER day for 20 mins each section.
Don't use any Nitrogen fertilizer at this point. Your Lawn has been through enough. You don't want to boost blade growth without a strong root system to back it up. That's what will happen with N. It's Fall; time to slow down and chill out. Save the N for Spring, and when you finally get to that, pick up a bag or two of Milorganite, a slow release sludge product that is not going to overwhelm your Lawn. Grass on Speed is not a pretty sight.
OK, it's curtain time. Any question?
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