Quote :

"I seeded about 3 acres of zoysia last May/June. Not one freaking blade of grass came up. Not sure what I did wrong. I got soil samples and had the local extension office tell me how much lime and stuff I needed. I fertilized according to http://www.turffiles.com, and watered every day. I have a yard full of weeds now. I have at least 4 50lb bags of grass seed left that I think i am going to sell and try something different."

I rarely hear many success stories with seeded zoysia. Plus, isn't one of the only seeded varieties zenith zoysia? I think that kind has serious thatching issues but I could be thinking of another cultivar (empire, maybe?)

The thing about zoysia is that you really have to research the shit out of it because there's so many different kinds and some do better than others in certain climates.

[Edited on April 5, 2012 at 10:32 PM. Reason : Aaa]

[Edited on April 5, 2012 at 10:34 PM. Reason : Aa]

4/5/2012 10:29:38 PM

what's the best way to clear a lot of small trees (<4" diameter) and crap understory? Probably at least 1/2 acre.

4/9/2012 12:01:23 AM

If it's that large of an area, I'd think cutting them down would not be an attractive option. Being left with a ton of little stumps would be a pain in the butt to deal with. You might be able to use a skid steer loader or a front-end-loader/backhoe and push them over, trying to pull the root balls up during the process. Then you could use that loader to push it around into a burn pile or otherwise dispose of it.

You might have to bush-hog the little undergrowth stuff after you take the trees out if you want it truly clear.

4/9/2012 1:27:37 PM

yeh, all the stumps are the issue. I figured a skid steer could work; just never used one.

4/9/2012 1:44:28 PM

get a skid steer or backhoe with a 4 in 1 bucket. Just grab the trees and pull them up.

4/9/2012 10:08:00 PM

^^most of them are really easy to operate these days. only Bobcat makes the ones that you have to operate the bucket with your feet. All the others have joystick controls; right hand controls the bucket and left hand controls motion.

Call up H&E off Jones Sausage. I deal with Phil Blalock. PM if you want his phone number. They will surely rent you one for a weekend. In 2008, they were roughly $350/Day, $900/wk. Once you get the hang of it, you can probably do it in a weekend. They will even deliver it for a nominal fee. ($75-$100 each way)

If everything you want to get rid of is small (<6"), you can also rent a chipper and chip up the trees/brush you take out. I doubt H&E has any chippers though, you would probably need to call Hertz on Capital Blvd. That way, you don't have to worry about hauling it off. IIRC, there is a statewide ban on burning permits.

4/10/2012 2:03:47 AM

^Thanks; I'll give them a shout when the time comes. I'm hoping I can get my contractor to clear most of the lot; however, I'm don't want to pay them additional money to do so (unless it's cheaper; though this would likely be considered extra work/an upgrade... which I have to pay a premium for). I don't know what clearing they'll be doing, but I'm hopeful that they'll clear most everything, or if not, clear enough so that if I request more, they'll just do it. 1/2 ac is my estimated worst case scenario, now that I've looked a little closer. The contractor has been clearing other lots to provide a good sized yard; though they are leaving large portions of some lots wooded (bigger lots with a creek in the back though). Based on how my lot looks, it would make sense for most of it to be cleared.

[Edited on April 10, 2012 at 10:17 AM. Reason : .]

4/10/2012 10:17:04 AM

Any good advice for getting rid of Ivy?

4/13/2012 6:33:03 PM

almost my entire front yard was covered in english ivy when i bought my house. several applications of roundup & it was gone. for a couple of years there would be the occasional sprout but we'd just spray it & they're all gone now. that was the easy part.

the hard/bad part is that the ground is 95% roots (ivy & pine tree) & almost nothing will grow there. we've done everything short of digging all of it out & replacing alllll the dirt. we gave up & put down pinestraw.

4/13/2012 6:50:15 PM

Man that sucks. I don't know why anyone plants ivy.

4/13/2012 8:04:37 PM

Has anyone put down fertilizer at this point in Spring before...or are you planning to? The only reason I'm considering it is I need to put down some more pre-emergent, but the only stuff I have comes with fertilizer.

4/18/2012 8:48:13 AM

where are you located? it is too late for pre-emergent here in Raleigh

4/18/2012 9:46:48 AM

OK so just put down some more weed kill then huh?

I've already put down one round 5ish weeks ago...

4/18/2012 11:18:18 AM

Go and get you some Weed-B-Gone from Lowes and some Mark it Blue and spot treat before it gets too warm. I did this last week after my Pre-Em I put out in February didn't work.

[Edited on April 18, 2012 at 2:47 PM. Reason : this warm winter made pre-em ineffective]

4/18/2012 2:26:17 PM

Quote :

"where are you located? it is too late for pre-emergent here in Raleigh"

shit. procrastination's a bitch.

4/18/2012 2:37:54 PM

Quote :

"I rarely hear many success stories with seeded zoysia."

My neighbor was just over admiring my lawn. His looks like shit. Said he tried some seeded zoysia last year and it wasn't working out. Blamed it on the fact that he got too much sun...

4/18/2012 7:09:55 PM

Quote :

"Go and get you some Weed-B-Gone from Lowes and some Mark it Blue and spot treat before it gets too warm."

Just a money saving tip, if you're around Raleigh, go to Agri Supply in Garner and get Trimec lawn weed killer. It's WAY cheaper than what you can get at Lowe's or HD. I had so much chickweed and other fast spreading weeds thanks to the warm winter, I thought my lawn was done-zo. But at agri supply I was able to get more than enough Trimec plus an el-cheapo 4 gal. backpack sprayer for less than I could've gotten just the weed killer at Lowe's.

This (and the rest of the yard) was >35% weeds a little over a month ago, now there's not a weed in sight... unless you count the 1yr old birthday boy who is growing like a weed

4/26/2012 9:29:43 AM

Just as an update, I put some of this down a couple weeks ago on some small bare spots in the lawn:



And the grass is starting to grow in nicely. I'd say its about 2-3 weeks from completely filling in the spots.

4/26/2012 10:16:28 AM

I'm looking to get some zoysia. Anyone have a recommendation on type? I'd like something that stays green as long as possible and is okay in shade.

7/18/2012 11:24:51 AM

Does anyone have experiences with El Toro?

7/18/2012 1:55:15 PM

^^SuperSod has an outlet at the Farmer's Market here in Raleigh. I spoke to them when I was considering Zoysia and they seemed pretty nice and knowledgeable.

They offer 2 types of Zoysia (Emerald and Zenith). I think Zenith is their most shade tolerant. You can get some good info by starting here and navigating accordingly:

http://www.supersod.com/sod/zoysia-sod.html

7/18/2012 2:02:13 PM

Yeah I came across that, for some reason I got the impression Zenith requires a bit of maintenance.

7/18/2012 2:39:19 PM

I posted this in the lounge thread, but figured I'd try here as well:

Quote :

"In a month or so, I'll be moving into my new house and I'll be starting my lawn. It's about 1 ac with a decent slope across the lot and two drainage ditches at the front of the lot. Unfortunately, I'll be starting off with primarily subsoils, as the contractor is mass grading and not bringing good topsoil back in He's also putting down contractor grade KY-32 Fescue. Some neighbors' yards are doing ok so far, though some aren't (which could be related to how much they care), though most do have a good amount of weeds/invasives. He's also throwing down millet seed for initial soil stablization. What should be my plan of action and schedule? Bringing in topsoil isn't feasible right now and I can get large quantities of KY-32 from my contractor at cost for spot treatment/future seeding. I figure I'll use the free county soil testing to see what I've got on site. I know aerating is a must, and I will likely need some fertilizer since the good soil will be gone. While I won't (or likely won't) have much thatch in the yard, but would it be a good idea to run a dethatcher just to catch any debris/thatch/remaining straw? Thanks. Also, if you have recommendations on lawn equipment (mower, weed eater, dethatcher, aerator, etc.) or products (fertilizer, seed if the contractor's KY-32 isn't a good option, week killer, etc.) I'd appreciate your input. "

7/18/2012 3:44:42 PM

there is also a new shade tolerant bermuda FYI

7/19/2012 8:35:00 PM

I tried laying sod down..

fuck that shit. i'll hire some one

7/21/2012 11:20:03 AM

Does anyone know where I can buy rubber landscape mulch in bulk? I'm tired of buying a dump truck load of mulch every year. Need something that will last.

8/10/2012 9:13:08 PM

^I'd like to know as well... it's enticing to use... need to see some up close though (only seen pictures). I'm guessing you like it enough?

8/10/2012 9:14:48 PM

My eye doctor has had it down for a few years now and it has not faded. I think I would come out a lot cheaper using this vs. buying regular mulch every year. I also think it would be less prone to weeds than regular mulch.

8/10/2012 9:46:03 PM

yeh, fading should be minimal and you'd probably never need to replace it (unless you're in the house for a long time). The two concerns are look for residential (just from pictures it looks bad, IMO), and potential leaching of chemicals affecting nearby plants (don't think water table pollution is an issue).

8/10/2012 9:48:51 PM

I just need something that will cut down on the weeds and grass. It seems like the triple shredded mulch I put down in spring promotes weed growth. It decomposes so fast that the weeds grow on top of my landscape fabric that's under the mulch.

If I can't find the rubber mulch then I am switching over to lava rock or river rock.

8/10/2012 9:59:51 PM

My yard has been nuked by this summer in Nova. 25 days above 95 degrees and 6-9" rain deficiet. I have 25 cubic yards Livingston blend compost coming in 3 weeks and tilling up the whole backyard to start over

8/10/2012 10:23:19 PM

that sucks :/

Crazy thing is that I've had the opposite in SC this summer. Hottest July in a long time, yet we got 7" of rain at the house so I haven't been able to mow stuff fast enough. I only manually watered 3x since it greened up in the spring and that was to water in fertilizer.

I doubt I'll get this lucky again next year.

8/11/2012 7:44:45 AM

Anyone have a recommendation to get rid of bag worms? Last year they almost decimated my juniper and this year they are eating my knock-out roses back to the stems. The funny thing is, the roses and the juniper are in an alternating pattern in the bed.

Last summer, I cut all the bags off the shrubs and raked all the mulch out of the bed and replaced it, per some instructions I found on the internet. I need something that works a little quicker and more efficiently. Please help.

8/21/2012 2:23:59 PM

there are several insecticides you can use (I can't name any brand specifically because I'm licensed and the stuff I use ain't the same as you) BUT the trick is to get them BEFORE they get in their sacks. Some of the systemic stuff is effective as well.

8/27/2012 8:48:14 PM

So who has planted Fescue yet?

NCSU advises waiting until daytime temps hit 75 and are dropping, which doesn't seem to have happened yet.

Please it rains every freaking time I want to cut my grass before aerating/seeding so I'm being forced to wait

10/2/2012 10:10:27 AM

we have. we hired a guy to aerate the yard ~3 weeks ago and seeded. have had great success so far. we've also done weed & feed and lyme.

10/2/2012 10:26:01 AM

same here - its been almost two weeks and i have kept plenty of water on the yard. Looks the best it has in the last 3 years.

10/2/2012 12:09:58 PM

^^^

yeah, but you gotta balance that with how much growing time you have before first frost.

I wouldn't wait any longer, personally.

10/3/2012 12:38:21 PM

I aerated and put down fescue about three weeks ago.

10/3/2012 12:55:00 PM

if you're overseeding fescue it really is time to get it done. we (company) started about 4 weeks ago and will finish this week. the weather right now has been perfect for a change, last year was horrible. here's a pic of my new plugger, it puts down up to 1200psi on the back

10/3/2012 9:24:43 PM

I haven't done anything to the yard yet and won't until the last 2 weeks of october... hopefully it stays just warm enough. it's just some contractor's fescue mix though (and some fertilizer, and maybe lime)

[Edited on October 4, 2012 at 2:35 PM. Reason : .]

10/4/2012 2:29:38 PM

Anyone have thoughts about whether you should water grass immediately after cutting it? Just re-seeded whole yard 3 weeks ago and cut it for the first time today. It would seem like giving grass some water right after cutting would help it recover.

10/7/2012 5:11:27 PM

Finished the first mowing yesterday. Pretty tired.

10/7/2012 7:45:56 PM

So my efforts to seed my backyard appear to have failed. I might have 5% coverage, and that's spotty.

Is it absolutely necessary to lay mulch/straw on a new lawn (seed + dirt only)? I did a test area without, and the seed did pretty well, so I didn't straw the back... guess I should have.

It's also just tilled up subsoil with only about the top 2" loose... I'm guessing I'm going to have to go the topsoil route. Hopefully I can do this in the spring (fescue).

11/1/2012 9:57:52 AM

I rented a plugger and probably made 3 passes over my backyard. I don't have a before picture but there were a lot of bare spots and you can tell thats mostly new grass. I planted this around Sept 20 and watered everyday until I went out of town Sept 28 for 10 days. I think those 10 days were pretty wet as well. I did use straw over the bare spots. When I got back this is what it looked like. The key I've found is to water everyday for the first few weeks. You can't let the seed dry out.



[Edited on November 1, 2012 at 10:51 AM. Reason : .]

11/1/2012 10:50:21 AM

Well, I attempted to aerate, but the sub soil was so hard and the top layers were so fine that it didn't do much, hence thinking I may have to bring in top soil (like 250 cubic yards ).

looking good though. I think one mistake I made was doing too much at one time, such that I couldn't keep up the watering. I don't have the best water pressure and I'm not home during the day. I'd water when I got home but could only water about 10-15% of the yard each evening before it got too late.

Any recommendations for a lawn care company? I'd like to start the spring with some real-deal weed control and have a steep hill redone (it's all weeds and I'd like it to be tilled and seeded).

[Edited on November 1, 2012 at 12:50 PM. Reason : .]

11/1/2012 12:44:09 PM

These guys aerated for me last year and did good work.

http://capitalcitygroundskeeping.com/

NC State grad/student too.

11/1/2012 1:18:28 PM

^thanks; sent them a message.

11/1/2012 2:07:49 PM

Anyone have advice/luck with seeding vs plugging zoiza or Bermuda in nc? Have tried fescue in my yard twice with great luck in the fall/spring but disasterous results in the summer even with regular watering.

Thinking about either seeding or plugging a summer grass in the spring.

12/9/2012 8:42:01 PM

^Sod is going to give you the best chance of success. And if you do sod, don't skimp when it comes to soil prep. Till and work in top soil/compost.

I've got bermuda in the front yard, bahia in the side yards, and weeds + bare areas in the back yard from the previous owners. I'm planning on spending the money to sod most of the back yard next Spring. I got quotes last year from SuperSod at the farmers' market. Anybody have recommendations for sod suppliers?

12/10/2012 11:16:47 AM