I just have a solid dirt backyard, how can i grow grass?
Mу backyard consists οf nothing bυt hard dirt, nοt even weeds seem tο want tο grow back thеrе.
Hοw сουld i grow ѕοmе grass, i hаνе never hаd a back yard before… аnd i dont want tο υѕе sod.
Dο i јυѕt sprinkle ѕοmе seeds οr dο i hаνе tο till everything, add gοοd soil etc?
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You can till it if you want or you can just throw the seed on, but choose a seed that works with your soil and area.
Check here on what to do, hope you don’t have a dog? The ground will be wet until the seed gets going.
http://www.gardeningmasterclass.co.uk/h02-02-65-03.html
I would rent a rototiller
Your best bet will be seed and a fertilizer/weed killer. Grass is pretty hardy, and can grow almost everywhere. Although you may have better luck with plugs, they are less expensive than sod but have better results than seed. WATER, WATER, WATER! Good luck!
I actually just got down planting another patch of grass in my backyard of the same condition. What I did was loosen the dirt on top (I bought a small hand-held rotatiller-$24.99@ Lowe’s.) and sprinkle grass seed lightly on top. I topped that with a light fertilizer and watered it really well. You have to keep the grass seed moist while it is growing. I suggest watering at least twice a day. And plant the grass in small sections at a time. My grass has been growing very fast in the other sections that I did this too where nothing else has grown before. If the soil is very poor you could purchase a couple bags of topsoil. It is only like $1.50/bag, so not very expensive. You could also try laying hay down on top of the grass seed to keep the moisture in. It is imperative that you do not let the grass seed dry out while it is trying to root itself. Oh, if the yard is shaded you should buy the grass seed for shady areas.
Good luck!
I think first you need to till the soil up and if you cant get a tiller then get a hoe, and get to work, what you are doing this for is to allow the the grass seed to get a good root system established, which is very important. It is much easier if you can find a rototiller, if you can’t borrow one, see if you can rent one from a rental store, some lumber yards also rent them. The I would work into the soil some good peat moss and fertilizer, then scatter the seed around, if your area is in full sun all day then I suggest that you find a seed that does well in that type of environment if not then look for something that works well in shade. When you go to look for seed check with the lawn and garden specialists to find out what grows best in your climate, I prefer a fescue, but I don’t know where you live.
Anyway, once the seed is scattered I would set a sprinkler on it and make sure the seed is watered for at least 20 minutes, be sure that everywhere gets plenty of water, you may have to move the sprinkler from time to time, it just depends on how big your area is. You need to water every day for at least that long. I recommend in the evenings.
make sure you don’t walk or allow pets on the area you have seeded.
After a week or two you will see little sprouts coming up, you still need to stay off of it and don’t mow it until it is about 6-7inches tall, this is because it needs to get a good root system and waiting allows it to do that. Once you have mowed the first time, I recommend scattering more seed and filling in the thin areas. You will still need to continue to water throughout the summer, once it is established, you probably won’t need to water as much, just as long as the soil isn’t dusty.
Well, if your dirt is so hard that not even weeds will grow, I advise that you don’t waste your time and money on grass seeds; for they need good dirt to grow well.
This may require some hard work. I have seen and experienced similar problems before: the yard is so unbelievably packed in, bland, and malnutritious, that it has become a “baron wasteland.” What would be best to ensure a healthy lawn for a long future is to either get a machine that grinds dirt for you (I’m not speaking of one of those big bulldozers; simply a hand-held electric garden plow will do), or get out some gloves, shovels, and possibly some helpers, and start breaking up that hard lawn. When doing this, think about also adding some fertilizer to the soil, so that your grass will grow in easier and quicker. After this has been done, your lawn will hopefully be ready for plants. Be warned, however, that if you go ahead and rotate your dirt, but fail to plant immediately afterwards, your lawn risks being infested with weeds.
If you wish to learn more information from a garden expert, follow this link, where you can send an email to the Scotts company. A professional will reply to the message within 48 hours (usually a lot sooner):
https://www.scotts.com/smg/contactus/contactUs.jsp?navId=page900108&parentId=page900134
If you wish to learn more information in general about lawn & garden, explore these two Scotts sites:
http://www.scotts.com/smg/
http://scottsmiraclegro.com/
Good Luck!