What would a Pro do...???

[Tony56]

I live in South Carolina...40 miles south of Charlotte, NC

Moved in a new house July '05

Did my fescue yard from scratch Sept. '05...(about 10,000sqft.)

It looked real good summer '06...

Aerated..Reseeded...etc.....fall '06...

Then came the drought of '07...

The only grass I had was on my septic drain lines.....

"Stripes".....so to speak...

Water restrictions....which we are still on...one day a week....

I don't have irrigation...

The rains returned...somewhat.....

And I guess what fescue did not die was dormant...

Some of it came back.....but splotchy....(see attached)

I now have many clumps of fescue....which has washouts around it from the gulley washer rains that we have gotten when it did rain...

It' so bumpy, it is like a riding horse and wagon it when I cut it....

I also have my share of annual rye, spurge, crabgrass, goosegrass and other weeds which I spot treat and pull...

I plan to redo it again....

My question is this.....

Should I haul some dirt in....disc it up...and level out the bad spots....

And leave the "Stripes" which grow vigorouly and are thick and somewhat weed free....

Or.....

Disc up the whole yard and start over....

Thanks in advance....


Tony

[captn]

The weather is certainly getting more extreme. Either way, you're going to have to level that yard via re-grade or dirt.

I would throw down a southern/warm weather blend seed with a smaller ratio of fescue (since it obviously can't take the heat). Try somthing like centipede which requires full sun, but reacts to standard levels of N and P fert like poison. No loss though, with the dry weather, you can't fert anyway. It grows slow too, so less maint.
good luck.

Cap

[BostonBull]

I would regrade/till with some good compost, then seed with some southern grasses that are more adept to the heat, and drought. Water once a week maybe twice depending on heat and dryness. Water deeply and infrequently. This forces the roots to go lower into the soil to search for food, and water. If the roots are deeper naturally when a drought hits you will still have a lawn while your neighbors who water all the time will not.

[Tony56]

Thanks guys.....

Much apprediated....


Tony