NEED HELP!! - Lawn Renovation

[lamblawnscaping]

This lawn is in need of some serious help. The customer wants a quality lawn. I was hoping I could get suggestions from some of you that have done jobs similar to this. This guy had a sprinkler system installed last fall so irrigation will not be a problem. It will be a little shady though when there are leaves on the trees.

I am thinking that I will need to bring in a bunch of top soil to make the ground level and cover up exposed roots, so I guess the sprinkler heads will have to be raised. What would you all do. I need to get a proposal together within the next couple of days. Thanks in advance for your input.

Chris Lamb
Lamb Lawnscaping

[lamblawnscaping]

Heres another pic.

[MuskTurfKing]

EEK!

Talk about bare, have fun on that, sorry about this post that contributes nothing at all.

Hank

[lamblawnscaping]

Heres one more, last one.

[PrimeGreen Lawn]

Looks really compact! I probably would add about 4 inches of topsoil and sod. Dosen't look like a lot of property as far as square footage. I've been charging about $1.10 to 1.25 per square foot.

Scott

[creative concepts]

I would definetly add topsoil and speak to a tree specialist about opening the canopy to allow more light to penetrate to the ground. It looks like it will be a tough job without getting more sunlight. Best of luck.

Chris
Creative Concepts Landscape Design & Management

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Your on you own buddy, there's a reason no grass is growing.

PH levels

Too much shade

No sun light

Compaction

Looks like there is some run off problems

Trim up the trees.
Raising Irr. heads is easy
Bring in soil
Etc...
Etc...

Now keep in mind this is a high maintenance lawn, it will need seeding every year. Shade grass is hard to keep.

Jaguar Fecue
Perannial Rye
A dence shade grass

Suggestion; do not this this by the sq/ft

This is a materials plus man hours job.

PH test

Aerate

Spread top soil

Find a hydro seeder in your area

After that your on your own.

My ballpark around $1300 (does not inclued tree trimming)

[lamblawnscaping]

Why hydro seed LGF ?

How much topsoil would you be bringing in for 1300?

If the trees are going to be opened up why shade seed?

Took a soil sample today, should have results back in a couple weeks.

I was thinking lesco's shade mix - chewings fescue, creeping red fescue, etc.

Haven't heard of shade-mix sod, have any of you?

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Originally posted by lamblawnscaping
Why hydro seed LGF ?

How much topsoil would you be bringing in for 1300?

If the trees are going to be opened up why shade seed?

Took a soil sample today, should have results back in a couple weeks.

I was thinking lesco's shade mix - chewings fescue, creeping red fescue, etc.

Haven't heard of shade-mix sod, have any of you?

1) faster results, and no raking of straw or not using a mulch to cover seed. very costly both ways Hydro seed ing will be the less costing in the long run.

2) atleast 13 yrds, just a ruff guesstamte.

3) you are giving more sun light, grass needs direct sun light to grow. You are not taking all the tress down.

4) done ( Lime to specs )

5) Mix your own seed

6) unless they grow it in the shade. I doubt that lol.

[lamblawnscaping]

Heres a little more info the areas that are mostly bare total about 7000 square feet.

I was thinking top soil at about 3 inches. That comes out to about 65 yards of topsoil. Right?

What would you all pay for 65 yards of topsoil?

[LAWNGODFATHER]

About $650 to $700 for top soil

100 pounds of seed $200

$30 starter fert

$30 for 2nd app of starter fert

Straw $25 (still recommend the hydro seed)

Now we are talking got a size.

$4925

[KirbysLawn]

Well, looks like you got a job ahead of you there. I think Mike has summed this up will, I would test the soil to see just how bad it really is, remove any small trees that are not needed somore light will get to the lawn.

[65hoss]

This has been said before, but aerate. Aerate before you add topsoil. This will help to break the hard pan. I use a lesco transition blend turf type tall fescue. It would work well in that area. I've had good results in very shaded areas with it.

[lamblawnscaping]

Thank you all for the responses, they have been very helpful.

65hoss, I like the transition blend much more than the shade mix. It is much more durable, I am glad to hear that you have had good results with it in shade. I think that is the way I will go. I have decided to mulch about 1500 sq ft of area that just wont get light, so that brings the area to be seeded down to around 5500.

Here is what I plan on doing. First of all, round up all vegitation, and wait for soil test results. In a couple weeks make swiss cheese of the dirt that is currently there. Add lime as needed. Spread topsoil (about 50 yards), and grade smooth. Rake in seed at about 10 lbs per K. Apply some 18-24-12 and spread straw. Water and hopefully watch the grass grow.

Materials:

Round Up = $40
Soil Test = $25
Lime 6 bags = $40
3 " PVC pipe - 4" capped sections to protect sprinkler heads = $60
Soil = $1000
Seed = $110
Fert = $26

Equipment:

Aerator = $60
Bobcat $125 + gas + travel time = $200

Labor:

40 man hours x $35 per hour = $1400
Apply Round Up, locate & cover sprinkler heads, aerate, apply lime, spread soil, grade soil, roll soil, spread seed, rake seed, roll seed, spread straw.

Total:

$2961 + 10% fudge factor ($296) = $3257

Sound right to you all?

[LAWNGODFATHER]

I put 20% for the fudge cause you didn't mark up your materials and supplies.

$3553

[lamblawnscaping]

Actually materials are marked up LGF, just didn't think it was appropriate to say how much. Not just LCO's on here.

[lamblawnscaping]

I did forget that the volleyball court edges will need to be raised, how about pressure treated 2"x6"s. Aren't the rounded ones called quarterboard or something like that?

[PAPS]

1. (50) yards of topsoil needed to cover 5500 sq. ft at 3'' thick.
= $2250.00

2. (10) yards of Mulch 2'' thick to cover 1500 sq. ft = $350.00

3. (1) extra laborer rate for the day = $280.00

4. Seed (60 lbs) = $180.00

5. Hay (12 bales) = $145.00

6. Start Fertilizer = $75.00

Rough Total : $3280.00 give or take

[lawnstudent]

Don't just dump that top soil onto the existing soil. You will create a significant transition between the existing soil and the new top soil. This will create drainage problems. Instead, rototill or disk that top soil into the existing soil. Good luck.

[lamblawnscaping]

Lawnstudent,

I was hoping that doing a very, very good job of aerating would help the new soil and the old soil mix. I really don't want to rototill because there are many shallow roots and also a sprinkler system. I am not sure I know what you mean by disc the soil. Are you referring to using a verticutter to mix the soils, I think might would be a good idea, and it could be done after spreading the seed. As far as drainage problems are you talking about the new soil sliding off the old?

Thanks for the advice.

[lawnstudent]

lamblawnscaping


>>As far as drainage problems are you talking about the new soil sliding off the old? <<

No, I am talking about applying a top soil that is, potentially, radiacally different in texture and structure from the existing top soil. If that were true, then water will tend to collect in the new top soil before it can leach down through the old top soil. This 3" layer of new top soil must become saturated before water will move into the old top soil and this saturation could damage or kill the roots of your new grass. Here in Illinois we have a common problem where the topsoil is removed by the bulder. The home owner comes along and places sod on top of the exposed horizon B clay subsoil. Water sits in the top soil of the sod and the roots rot. This is because of the difference in soil types between the sod's soil and the subsoil the sod sits on.

Aerating will not fix this. If you can not till because of the roots and sprinklers (can you aerate with these conditions?) then you may be better off simply top dressing the site with organinc matter like mushroom compost or some other locally available compost.

Or aerate and top dress with a top soil that matches the local top soil. Hope this helps!