Front Lawn Renovation

[rbljack]

Ok, so a few years back we had rain and decent weather, and my Bermuda lawn looked pretty good (about an 8 on a 10 scale). It hit its best the year I dethatched it and laid in about 10 bags of miracle grow potting soil raked in and over seeded. Last few years have been incredibly dry, and my yard suffered because we don't have automatic irrigation. Add to that, we were on water restriction last year for only one day a week.

With a weather outlook this week showing 80-90's for the highs, and 60's for the low, I decided it was time to work our yard.

I watered heavy on Saturday evening, and sunday went over it 3 times with my aerator which worked great. From there, I laid starter fertilizer, and then laid my half my seed and another 8 bags of Miracle grow potting soil spread thinly over the yard using a landscape rake. I was considering getting sand, but due to my last minute decision to do this (while there is a lull in the lawn cutting), all I could get at wally world was the potting soil. I then went back over it with another layer of seed and lightly raked the surface again.

Watered the seed, and now its a waiting game. The seed i used is a Penington Brand of bermuda seed called "Saraha".

Hopefully this will improve the quality of my lawn so the "local Lawn care guy" has a decent lawn this year....LOL.

Any thing I should have done differently? I may aerate again in the fall and level the yard with sand, or should that wail till next spring for that?

[RigglePLC]

What was the purpose of the potting soil--was it to bury the seed? Why the aeration? Was it heavy soil--or was it compacted by foot traffic? Won't the starter fert stimulate the Bermuda already present? So it covers over the seed? (I guess, it that case, it wouldn't matter.)I don't do Bermuda--so--lots of questions.

Clearly the best and most needed thing for this lawn is water--and lots of it.

Are you convinced that the seeded Bermuda Sahara is the same color and quality as your original Bermuda sod? If it takes--if it looks the same as the old grass--how will you tell if it "took"?
Are you cutting with rotary or low with a reel?

[agrostis]

I want to know what height you mow at? What kind of mower you use and what kind of bermuda is there now? What kind of soil is this? Do you fertilize? Is this in the west? Picture's would be a big help. Riggle's right, that inconsistent water is a major problem, but bermuda is the best bet for water restricted area's.

[rbljack]

yep, its a common bemuda lawn and we are in west texas. I mow with a rotary mower, and realize that a reel mower would be better, but I haven't gotten to that point yet. I aerated because it hasn't been done in years, and the ground is hard. By aerating, it allowed me to get the compaction knocked down a little, and the soil was used as a top dressing to help with seed to soil contact along with leveling the low spots. I hope to get a few pictures and post them soon. With two years of bad drought, the lawn was getting thinner and thinner, and it was time to thicken it back up. Idid fertilize three times last year with the appropriate amounts, but we werent able to water as much as it needed last year due to he restrictions.

I will be watering as much as possible from now through june, but here in west texas, if we don't get any rain, we will be on water restrictions again. Hopefully this seed will take and get established this year if we can get the rainfall. We need it BAD.

I don't know how well the saraha will blend with the original Bermuda, but it should match up fairly closely. Ill be happy to have a weed free, non patchy lawn that is at least somewhat green. Everything is turning brown here, you just cant imagine what only 2 inches of rainfall in 4 months can do. Dry DRY DRY...it sucks. My lawn cutting is suffering too.

I have in the past cut the lawn around 1 inch, and when it starts to hit the 100 degree plus mark, cut a bit higher through summer.

I would like to purchase a reel mower this year for our small yard, and was looking on craigslist a bit last night actually. we will see.

[agrostis]

The key here is that you have common bermuda, you really need to mow at 1-1/2". Hybrid bermuda is able to take a lower HOC, but not common, this isn't just my opinion either.

http://www.google.com/search?q=commo...I7GPCK_enUS320

Mowing at 1-1/2" would take care of your thinning problem, help choke out weed's and cut back on water requirement's, you'll just have greener grass. You won't have to do any overseeding, the Sahara you have been using is only a few step's removed from straight common, you won't have any color mis-match's.

Bermuda like's nitrogen, give it 1/2 Lb. of N per 1000 sq. ft. per month, May through Sept. Water the fertilizer in with .25" of water. Mow when the grass is totally dry and keep your blade's sharp. Good luck.

[maynardGkeynes]

When you say the original lawn is "common Bermuda," do you mean it was from seed? Or was it sod?

[rbljack]

Originally Posted by maynardGkeynes

When you say the original lawn is "common Bermuda," do you mean it was from seed? Or was it sod?

it was here when I moved in, and am pretty sure its just common Bermuda because it doesn't have the finer blades like some of the other hybrids I've seen. Just guessing though.

I agree with the nitrogen and water routine. That's why I picked this month to do the renovation. I have to get it done while the weather is in the 80's and 90's, not 102! Second reason is that may is typically a month where we get a bit more rain. (its actually rained twice this week, and we doubled our rainfall for the year because of it (from 2 inches for Jan-Apr, to maybe 4 inches now).

Lastly, the community will kick in water restrictions as the drought conditions continue, so again, may is a month where I can at least keep the seed bed moist without getting in trouble for watering.

Its been tough here in west texas for the last 2 years, and this year is starting off the same. Severe drought conditions, and the mowing business is suffering. My customers keep calling and delaying the next mowing.

Thanks for the inputs, and Ill try to get some pictures posted with progress as it occurs.

[maynardGkeynes]

What I wonder is why it thinned out in the first place. That stuff spreads voraciously by rhizomes if it is adequately fert and irrigated. Figuring out why it thinned out seems like job #1, not the overseed. Otherwise, you may soon have the same problem. Sounds like it may have been simple drought stress, given your irrigation restrictions. It may be that Bermuda is not a good choice in your area. It will survive, but it may not look too good when it gets dry out where you are.