New home, newly sodded lawn.. HELP??

[MTAYLORFFP]

I moved into a new home in september, and the sod was laid late aug, early sept.. It was still hot, and im not sure how much the grass got watered.. It was slightly dormant due to being on the pallet for unknown amt of time, so im not sure how well it will look... It doesnt look dead, just dormant.. however being new, and with a fair amt of traffic having been on it, its pretty thin in alot of spots, compaired to my neighbors that was sodded after mine, with thicker,better looking sod... What is anyones recomendation on spreading sand on the entire yard, for leveling and filling in shoe prints,etc.. I want to thicken the yard, and feel that thickening the base is the start. Ive seen red sand spread throughout a new sod yard once before.. I need opinions.. AND I have a slight drainage problem in my back yard that I will be taking care of in the spring with a french drain system... which I know is stunting the growth because of moss growing on the dirt... opinions and suggestions please!!!!

[dcgreenspro]

what kind of grass, i am figuring on bermuda. was any soil test done prior to sodding? if no, i would get one done to see what the fertilty looks like and that way you can make adjustments for next year.

[MTAYLORFFP]

yes it is bermuda.. im guessing no soil test... matter of a fact 100% sure no test..

[ed2hess]

Since it is bermuda you will be fine....fill/level with a good top soil in the spring and use some compost. Then start into you fertilize program.

[MTAYLORFFP]

so top soil, no sand? any particular mix? and how thick to thicken the yard? how long do you think it will take to grow through?

[Duekster]

If it was a track builder god knows what kind of garbage the buried under your sod.

I would add about 1" of high quality compost. It will not green up for a few months. Your neighbor may of had winter grass over seeded on his Bermuda. Builders like to do that.

[MTAYLORFFP]

would adding extra bermuda seed help thicken the grass any?

[dcgreenspro]

it's a waste..just topdress the lawn and get the fertility right and the bermuda will creep over a lot faster than the seed will germinate. Plus the added expense will be tremendous. if the asthetics are the main thing, then sod it when it gets warm.

[hmartin]

My simple suggestions are to wait until early to mid May and fertilize your lawn with a bag of 13-13-13 for every quarter acre of lawn you have, mow it regularly, water when needed, and throw some sand into those low spots when the grass really starts to grow. The bermuda will take the sand fast and it will be smooth. Bermuda loves water, fertilzer, and frequent mowings.

If you want to spend lots of time making you lawn perfect, there are many of other things you may want to consider.

[Team-Green L&L]

yes it is bermuda.. im guessing no soil test... matter of a fact 100% sure no test..

Here in Ohio, it is state law (maybe even EPA law) for the builders to do soil test to check for mercury and other dangerous minerals. Drees Homes was just sued for not doing soil testing. Your builder probably has it on file.

[hmartin]

Here in Ohio, it is state law (maybe even EPA law) for the builders to do soil test to check for mercury and other dangerous minerals. Drees Homes was just sued for not doing soil testing. Your builder probably has it on file.

Things are a lot different in the South. No chance of a builder having a soil test, especially one that is going to tell him the soil fertility.

[Duekster]

would adding extra bermuda seed help thicken the grass any?

I would pull a soil test. See what they say is needed to amend the soil.

Likely you have all kinds of trash in your yard, covered with sand for the final grade. In other words you have very different types of soil drainage all over the yard because of a poor mix ( layering) of sand, native soil, and construction debris.


Bermuda is dormant right now.

I would cut it short, I would aerate it, I would add about 1/2 of high quality compost / topsoil mix. I would add where ever the soil test from your local county Ag extension office said you needed.

If you wanted to add some Bermuda seed on top you can but keep a few things in mind.

1. Only common types of Bermuda come from seed. Many types of Bermuda seeds are sterile. You may wind up with a blend of Bermuda grasses.

2. Bermuda Seed Germinates when the soil temps are above 80 F. Some where around May? And you have to water it 3 to 4 times aday.

[mbricker]

How rough is the lawn? If you pushed your mower around it, would the mower bump up and down? You mentioned footprints--are there ruts and ditches, like a tractor or loader left a track that wasn't filled before the sod was thrown down?

Here in NW Ark the majority of the sod is being laid very poorly these days: the loader pushes up a ridge in the topsoil as he drops the pallet, backs out, spins around and lumbers across the lawn to the truck for another pallet. Neither the wheel ruts nor the ridges are leveled before the sod goes over them. Sod goes over water meters, lumber scraps, and flattened 2-liter soda bottles. The crews are untrained Hispanics. They don't care, the landscape contractor doesn't care, the builder doesn't care. The Bermuda greens up, looks good, but every time you mow, the mower drops into these holes and goes over humps leaving scalp marks.

Since Bermuda is great about growing up through anything you put on top of it, you can add topsoil right on top of the grass, whether it is dormant like this time of year, or growing in the spring. I would recommend you scalp the dormant brown growth down to an inch high or so first, and bag the clippings. You need fairly absorbent topsoil (a lot of organic content) for best results, not real gummy high-clay dirt. Rake it out smooth over the dips and holes, the grass will start showing through 3" of topsoil by June or July. You can seed the bare spots with Annual Rye to hide them if you want.

If you just have a hole or 2 to fill, you can get a few bags of topsoil at a garden center. But if the whole lawn needs repair, you will be amazed at how much topsoil you will need. Consider a 4000 Sq. Ft. lawn with just a 1" average depth of topsoil spread on it: that is over 12 cubic yards, which is nearly a dump truck load. You might consider doing part of the lawn this year, part next year, etc.

If you decide to do a large area of the lawn, and will be scalping it first, wait another 30 days or so. Winter is not over yet, and the dead brown growth from last year insulates the root system from cold temperatures. Memphis is not so far south that you can't get winter kill on Bermuda.

By the way, is there an irrigation system? It would pay to locate all the sprinkler heads and control boxes before doing anything else. If the sod was not done well, chances are the irrigation wasn't either. I have found sprinkler heads buried 6" below the surface and had to raise them up before adding the topsoil.

If this all sounds like a lot of work to correct what should have been done right in the first place, well, that is exactly correct. You could always do what a lot of my customers have done: Ignore the flaws in the lawn, have it mowed by a professional, and when there are scalp marks after every mowing, blame the lawn man instead of the flaws in the lawn.

[Duekster]

How rough is the lawn? If you pushed your mower around it, would the mower bump up and down? You mentioned footprints--are there ruts and ditches, like a tractor or loader left a track that wasn't filled before the sod was thrown down?

Here in NW Ark the majority of the sod is being laid very poorly these days: the loader pushes up a ridge in the topsoil as he drops the pallet, backs out, spins around and lumbers across the lawn to the truck for another pallet. Neither the wheel ruts nor the ridges are leveled before the sod goes over them. Sod goes over water meters, lumber scraps, and flattened 2-liter soda bottles. The crews are untrained Hispanics. They don't care, the landscape contractor doesn't care, the builder doesn't care. The Bermuda greens up, looks good, but every time you mow, the mower drops into these holes and goes over humps leaving scalp marks.

Since Bermuda is great about growing up through anything you put on top of it, you can add topsoil right on top of the grass, whether it is dormant like this time of year, or growing in the spring. I would recommend you scalp the dormant brown growth down to an inch high or so first, and bag the clippings. You need fairly absorbent topsoil (a lot of organic content) for best results, not real gummy high-clay dirt. Rake it out smooth over the dips and holes, the grass will start showing through 3" of topsoil by June or July. You can seed the bare spots with Annual Rye to hide them if you want.

If you just have a hole or 2 to fill, you can get a few bags of topsoil at a garden center. But if the whole lawn needs repair, you will be amazed at how much topsoil you will need. Consider a 4000 Sq. Ft. lawn with just a 1" average depth of topsoil spread on it: that is over 12 cubic yards, which is nearly a dump truck load. You might consider doing part of the lawn this year, part next year, etc.

If you decide to do a large area of the lawn, and will be scalping it first, wait another 30 days or so. Winter is not over yet, and the dead brown growth from last year insulates the root system from cold temperatures. Memphis is not so far south that you can't get winter kill on Bermuda.

By the way, is there an irrigation system? It would pay to locate all the sprinkler heads and control boxes before doing anything else. If the sod was not done well, chances are the irrigation wasn't either. I have found sprinkler heads buried 6" below the surface and had to raise them up before adding the topsoil.

If this all sounds like a lot of work to correct what should have been done right in the first place, well, that is exactly correct. You could always do what a lot of my customers have done: Ignore the flaws in the lawn, have it mowed by a professional, and when there are scalp marks after every mowing, blame the lawn man instead of the flaws in the lawn.

I agree with most of what you say, but adding 3" at once is not a good idea. I again say 1/2" but I did neglect to say do it several times. Aerate and top dress once to twice per year for about 2 years maybe 3.

[mbricker]

Bermuda will grow through more than 3" of topsoil in just a couple of months after spring green-up. It will also grow in laterally to cover a bare area. No need to make filling a deep hole a multi-step process.

[Duekster]

Bermuda will grow through more than 3" of topsoil in just a couple of months after spring green-up. It will also grow in laterally to cover a bare area. No need to make filling a deep hole a multi-step process.

A hole, sure, top dressing do it more slowly.

[MTAYLORFFP]

How rough is the lawn? If you pushed your mower around it, would the mower bump up and down? You mentioned footprints--are there ruts and ditches, like a tractor or loader left a track that wasn't filled before the sod was thrown down?

Here in NW Ark the majority of the sod is being laid very poorly these days: the loader pushes up a ridge in the topsoil as he drops the pallet, backs out, spins around and lumbers across the lawn to the truck for another pallet. Neither the wheel ruts nor the ridges are leveled before the sod goes over them. Sod goes over water meters, lumber scraps, and flattened 2-liter soda bottles. The crews are untrained Hispanics. They don't care, the landscape contractor doesn't care, the builder doesn't care. The Bermuda greens up, looks good, but every time you mow, the mower drops into these holes and goes over humps leaving scalp marks.

Since Bermuda is great about growing up through anything you put on top of it, you can add topsoil right on top of the grass, whether it is dormant like this time of year, or growing in the spring. I would recommend you scalp the dormant brown growth down to an inch high or so first, and bag the clippings. You need fairly absorbent topsoil (a lot of organic content) for best results, not real gummy high-clay dirt. Rake it out smooth over the dips and holes, the grass will start showing through 3" of topsoil by June or July. You can seed the bare spots with Annual Rye to hide them if you want.

If you just have a hole or 2 to fill, you can get a few bags of topsoil at a garden center. But if the whole lawn needs repair, you will be amazed at how much topsoil you will need. Consider a 4000 Sq. Ft. lawn with just a 1" average depth of topsoil spread on it: that is over 12 cubic yards, which is nearly a dump truck load. You might consider doing part of the lawn this year, part next year, etc.

If you decide to do a large area of the lawn, and will be scalping it first, wait another 30 days or so. Winter is not over yet, and the dead brown growth from last year insulates the root system from cold temperatures. Memphis is not so far south that you can't get winter kill on Bermuda.

By the way, is there an irrigation system? It would pay to locate all the sprinkler heads and control boxes before doing anything else. If the sod was not done well, chances are the irrigation wasn't either. I have found sprinkler heads buried 6" below the surface and had to raise them up before adding the topsoil.

If this all sounds like a lot of work to correct what should have been done right in the first place, well, that is exactly correct. You could always do what a lot of my customers have done: Ignore the flaws in the lawn, have it mowed by a professional, and when there are scalp marks after every mowing, blame the lawn man instead of the flaws in the lawn.

The lawn is pretty rough, I mowed it 2 times prior to fall, and it was rough.. The "holes" are mostly from shoe prints.. Ive decided I'm gonna top dress 1/2 to 3/4 inch this year, then again next spring. My lawn spray guy and I had like an hour long converstation about this and decieded on it.. ALong with prints, I have "low spots" I guess where the gound has sank in some.. I did fix the drainage problem in the back with a french drain (MAJOR PITA)... I do realize I have alot of work ahead of me, I made a list.. But cant start til it thaws out a little and warms up..
And no, no irrigation system.. Thanks for the tips!

[Duekster]

The lawn is pretty rough, I mowed it 2 times prior to fall, and it was rough.. The "holes" are mostly from shoe prints.. Ive decided I'm gonna top dress 1/2 to 3/4 inch this year, then again next spring. My lawn spray guy and I had like an hour long converstation about this and decieded on it.. ALong with prints, I have "low spots" I guess where the gound has sank in some.. I did fix the drainage problem in the back with a french drain (MAJOR PITA)... I do realize I have alot of work ahead of me, I made a list.. But cant start til it thaws out a little and warms up..
And no, no irrigation system.. Thanks for the tips!

I would aerate too.

[ThreeWide]

You MUST aerate before topdressing.

Also, it is not suggested to scalp the lawn until your threat of the last freeze of the year passes. I won't go into the many reasons, but it is just not in the best interest of your lawn.

The best time to scalp, aerate and topdress is after the turf has moved well into greenup stage. After topdressing, apply a 19-19-19. Then 2 weeks later apply 46-0-0. Then again two weeks later apply 21-0-0. This may sound excessive, but your Bermuda will be totally rocking in no time. I sell this type of program to customers who want the turf boosted in the late Spring/early Summer. It works well.

And be prepared to mow quite a bit.

[Duekster]

You MUST aerate before topdressing.

Also, it is not suggested to scalp the lawn until your threat of the last freeze of the year passes. I won't go into the many reasons, but it is just not in the best interest of your lawn.

The best time to scalp, aerate and topdress is after the turf has moved well into greenup stage. After topdressing, apply a 19-19-19. Then 2 weeks later apply 46-0-0. Then again two weeks later apply 21-0-0. This may sound excessive, but your Bermuda will be totally rocking in no time. I sell this type of program to customers who want the turf boosted in the late Spring/early Summer. It works well.

And be prepared to mow quite a bit.

Good advice however, I would do a soil test rather than just hit a 1-1-1 type product.

How many pounds of nitrogen are you talking about per 1000?

[MTAYLORFFP]

i appreciate all the replys! Im definately planning on aerating prior to the topdress.... around mid march...

[Furness & Sons L&L]

I loaded my bermuda lawn up with somwhere in the neighborhood of 3-5 ponds every year. We would apply fert every 5 weeks during the growing season. I couldnt keep up with the grass. Weather i fed the lawn or not it still grew like crazy, the only diffrence was when we fed the lawn it was very green and healthy. You will have to apply alot of fert to keep the bermuda lawn happy. I only had dandelions/weeds the first year,(the year i bought the house), the lawn was all weeds maybe a 20%-80% ratio of lawn to weeds. One treatment and it was reversed. The only down side to bermuda is the short season it has, once the temperature drops the lawn goes dormant and looks like crap! Last to green up first to go dormant! Thast how it is here in New Mexico. good luck.

[Duekster]

I loaded my bermuda lawn up with somwhere in the neighborhood of 3-5 ponds every year. We would apply fert every 5 weeks during the growing season. I couldnt keep up with the grass. Weather i fed the lawn or not it still grew like crazy, the only diffrence was when we fed the lawn it was very green and healthy. You will have to apply alot of fert to keep the bermuda lawn happy. I only had dandelions/weeds the first year,(the year i bought the house), the lawn was all weeds maybe a 20%-80% ratio of lawn to weeds. One treatment and it was reversed. The only down side to bermuda is the short season it has, once the temperature drops the lawn goes dormant and looks like crap! Last to green up first to go dormant! Thast how it is here in New Mexico. good luck.

Yearly dose of 3 to 5 pounds of Nitrogen per 1000 SF is corrrect. You should feed 1 pound of nitrogen 3 to 5 times per year as you said.

Still need a soil test and recommendation from a lab to let you know the other soil requirements and amendments.

[Accu-cut Lawn Care]

i appreciate all the replys! Im definately planning on aerating prior to the topdress.... around mid march...

You have gotten a lot of bad advice within this thread...So, I'll try to clear things up for you. First off, there is no need to topdress or aerate yet. With the work that is going on in your backyard, it'll behoove you to just go ahead and wait until all of that is done. When it comes to new sod that is dormant, you shouldn't aerate it until the root systems have had at least 6-12 months to establish themselves really well. What you need to do is fill in the obvious holes that are mower hazards with sand(playground sand works well). Fertilize and water regularly and see how your lawn cycles through. Next year, you will know where all the trouble spots are...and you can formulate a plan of attack like that. You might need to bring the grade up in low spots...you might need to replace some sod that hasn't grown back after your drains go in.

[Turfdoctor1]

You have gotten a lot of bad advice within this thread...So, I'll try to clear things up for you. First off, there is no need to topdress or aerate yet. With the work that is going on in your backyard, it'll behoove you to just go ahead and wait until all of that is done. When it comes to new sod that is dormant, you shouldn't aerate it until the root systems have had at least 6-12 months to establish themselves really well. What you need to do is fill in the obvious holes that are mower hazards with sand(playground sand works well). Fertilize and water regularly and see how your lawn cycles through. Next year, you will know where all the trouble spots are...and you can formulate a plan of attack like that. You might need to bring the grade up in low spots...you might need to replace some sod that hasn't grown back after your drains go in.


i'm going to have to agree with accu-cut. Patience, patience.

If the sod is as thin as you say it is, you may end up having to replace it anyway. Why do all of this work, only to find out that you have winter kill on your Bermuda from the terrible winter.

And, i hope that this sod established some roots last fall. If not, and you had your guy spray a pre-emergent, you may be in big trouble.

[MTAYLORFFP]

i'm going to have to agree with accu-cut. Patience, patience.

If the sod is as thin as you say it is, you may end up having to replace it anyway. Why do all of this work, only to find out that you have winter kill on your Bermuda from the terrible winter.

And, i hope that this sod established some roots last fall. If not, and you had your guy spray a pre-emergent, you may be in big trouble.

I'm sure the roots established pretty good... I did some flower bed work this week and found out the grass has taken hold pretty good... On the other hand, if this yard doesnt start to look good by early-mid summer, I plan on it being the builders a**.... However some areas are starting to green up a little. I spoke with my lawn fert guy again and he said not to aerate/topdress til the grass has green up decently and actually started growing. A question I have is after they apply fert, could i apply something like 13-13-13 30 days after they do it?

[hmartin]

I'm sure the roots established pretty good... I did some flower bed work this week and found out the grass has taken hold pretty good... On the other hand, if this yard doesnt start to look good by early-mid summer, I plan on it being the builders a**.... However some areas are starting to green up a little. I spoke with my lawn fert guy again and he said not to aerate/topdress til the grass has green up decently and actually started growing. A question I have is after they apply fert, could i apply something like 13-13-13 30 days after they do it?

How often is your fertilzer guy coming? If you are willing to mow, you can fertilize once a month to get your lawn to thicken up and fill in the bare spots. Bermuda loves fertilizer and we have far less disease problems in this area when compared to other parts of the country

You will need to mow twice a week.

[MTAYLORFFP]

The lawn guys are coming about 6-8 weeks apart. Its a 7 application program during the year. 3-4 of those are spray fert/weed apps I believe. This is from their website
Warm Season Grass

1. Early Spring: Pre-emergent herbicide / Broadleaf herbicides.*
2. Spring: Granular fertilization / Post-emergent herbicide.*
3. Late Spring: Pre-emergent herbicide / Post-emergent herbicide.*
4. Summer: Granular fertilization / Post-emergent herbicide.*
5. Late summer: Granular fertilization or Primo Growth Regulator.
6. Fall: Pre-emergent herbicide / Broadleaf herbicides.*
7. Winter: Lime / Post-emergent herbicide

I actually just received the 2nd tx, but no granular yet.. My first tx was in early feb. If I fert once every 30-40 days myself, at least til the grass thickened up, would this be ok? Im willing to mow for the thick grass.. If so which fert, 13-13-13? OR pure ammonium nitrate with lots of water?

[hmartin]

You should not need to do any fertilization yourself, if you bought a full service plan.

In the plan described, you are getting fertilzer in step 2, step 4 and step 5. If that is correct, you could fertilize between step 2 and step 4.

What size lawn do you have? Do you know how to calculate a fertilzer application?

[ThreeWide]

It is never a good idea for a homeowner to supplement a professional's program. Only the pro knows exactly what was applied. So if you need additional fertilizer to jumpstart the Bermuda, either have him do it or give you specific instructions.

It all depends on what type of N source he uses. My earlier post still applies with regards to fertilizing. Applying a soluble N every 2 weeks will have your Bermuda looking great in a short amount of time.

I apologize for earlier suggesting aeration/topdressing. Did not read close enough to realize this was actually new sod. Topdressing new sod is normally not a good idea, as it has no established root system.

[MTAYLORFFP]

You should not need to do any fertilization yourself, if you bought a full service plan.

In the plan described, you are getting fertilzer in step 2, step 4 and step 5. If that is correct, you could fertilize between step 2 and step 4.

What size lawn do you have? Do you know how to calculate a fertilzer application?

I want to say its 7000 sq ft..

[MTAYLORFFP]

Here are some pics of the yard... as you can tell is greening up some but notice the flat appearance..75777

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75779

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75781

[hmartin]

What time of day did you take those pictures? I see a lot of shade. It will be about May before you need fertilizer. If the lawn company you hired is respectable, you ought to be happy by mid-Summer. Don't count on that sod being smooth for a while...

[hmartin]

I'll probably get slammed for metioning this, but you could attach a small piece of cloth or a cotton ball to a stick and carefully touch a Roundup solution to those tall green weeds. It is cheap and simple and wouldn't take 30 minutes.

[MTAYLORFFP]

They were taken early evening, like 6pm.. The weeds are actually wilting out as we speak,after the 2nd spray. Even today you can see the grass starting to sprout and green up slightly, even the neighbors arent yet!

[Duekster]

That lawn is not rooted.

Back of to the pre-E.

None the less.

I can fix it.

[Duekster]

Here are some pics of the yard... as you can tell is greening up some but notice the flat appearance..75777

75778

75779

75780

75781

I could fix this pretty cheap if you lived in Dallas. :weightlifter:

[MTAYLORFFP]

What can be done to fix it? I had a conversation with the fiancee last night, and I almost have come to the conclusion I'm gonna call the builder and tell him fix it... None of the other yards in the neighborhood, nor any he has build looks as crappy as mine.. The fiancee swears its going to be his responsibility to get it right, not mine! I told her good luck!

[Duekster]

Unless the lawn is 100% dead it will come back. It could be dead completely for several reasons. You should be able to tell if it is live or dead.

I would not worry too much until it gets warmer. All Bermuda lawns are brown right now except gulf area.

My lawn is just now starting to green up in Dallas and many others I have inspected the last two weeks.

Soil temperatures above 65°F are required for significant growth of rhizomes, roots and stolons. Optimum soil temperature for root growth is around 80°F.

I would hit this lawn with a starter fertilizer. I would water it a minimum of weekly right now. I would give the lawn about 1/2 Inch of water.

Soil types also influence fertilizer needs. Sandy soils require light but frequent applications of nitrogen because of low nitrogen retention. Sandy soils are also typically low in other nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium and these nutrients must also be provided through fertilization. Soil tests are required to determine phosphorus, potassium, calcium and other nutrient deficiencies. Potassium is particularly important because of its contribution to root growth, environmental stress tolerance (heat, cold and drought) and wear tolerance. Potassium has also been found to reduce susceptibility of bermudagrass to leaf spot diseases.


Once it begins to green up. It maybe doing that now below all that brown stuff. Knock off some of that brown stuff and look for signs of greening. If so I would water it 3 times per day applying about .35 inches of water each time.

You can set out Tuna cans and measure the run time of your sprinkers required to give you .25 inches. Then use the correct amount of water.

Once the lawn is pretty green and over grown. About 2 weeks later and once it is warmer.

You can cut back the water a few days so you can walk in the yard. Pull back on a few corners. If it does not want to come up then it is rooting. Don't pull up the whole thing, just enough to look for roots under the sod.

You can mow it if it is dry enough but use the highest setting. You will need to mow several times a few days apart lowering the mower each time. Do not try and mow it down all in one shot.

After about one month after appling the starter fertilizer I would hit it with about 1.5 pounds per 1000 SF of slow release N and any thing else the soil test suggest as far as the P & K goes. ( But only if the lawn is green at this time)

Mow every 3 to 4 days, by now your mower is set to the lowest level. After you have mowed for about 5 weeks it should be some time in May.

I would then areate and put on about 1/2" of fully decomposed compost from a reputable supplier. I would water it for two days, then get a roller and roll the lawn.

If you don't want to mow but once a week set your mower to 2 inches after all the above is said and done.