Is there a budget way to resod our yard?

[LoveBWVVBR]

**UPDATE** Well, I still have no clue what we're going to do about the yard. Our chemical spraying people came out to take a look at it and told us that we really needed to resod. The best that they could do would be to spray it with Roundup if we needed that! Yikes. Anyways, they gave us a referral to a landscaping company specializing in resodding. That company quoted us 2K to resod our yard Yeah, not happening. DH and I really can't do this ourselves. It's a pretty big job all told. At this point, I think we're going to mow the weeks. It looks really awful, but I'm not paying 2K for new grass when we have other priorities with the new house (like a new roof). Dang, it really does look bad, though. We've considered the idea of doing sod plugs, but both of us think that the invasive Bermuda grass will just take over the St. Augustine plugs. UGH, I guess that we'll be the people with the nasty yard until we hit the lotto, LOL!



We closed on our dream home last week. It was bank-owned and had sat vacant for nearly a year before we bought it. Anyways, I just don't think that the lawn can possibly be saved. There is no grass left...just weeds! It's probably been longer than a year since the lawn was cared for. I've concluded that it needs to be ripped out and resodded. Is there a budget way to do this? It's not a huge yard, but still, we can't afford to spend thousands to do this. We'll be mowing those weeds if it costs that much to replace the yard We live in coastal FL so sod seems like the only way to go. Nobody here ever uses grass seed that I've seen anyways.

 

[AvenueBee]

Have you thought about checking out Angie's List? I've used the site before to learn which contractors/landscapers are better value than others. Maybe you could at least find someone who does a good job but is willing to cut a deal n this economy.

Good luck, and congrats on getting your dream home!

 

[kirstenb1]

Here in Virginia, I have friends who've deliberately killed their whole lawn, so they could start over. Instead of sod, they had topsoil trucked in, then re-seeded.

Maybe you can ask a landscaping company if this is an option? I know you said no one seeds, but maybe just no one wants to wait?

 

[angelmav]

Didnt Jim Carey go the budget rout in Fun with Dick and Jane?

Reseeding is cheap, just not quick. I would think you could seed over the areas that cant be saved, but you will have to be patient with it while it takes.

 

[Swimalie]

When we moved in to our house in VA the yard was in horrible shape. The previous owners didn't care for it and the developers put down the cheapest seed as possible. We contracted with a lawn company to make it look pretty and within a few months we had a lush green lawn. The cost, the first year was about $400 and included over seeding to get in a seed that is specifically made for our area. Now we only pay $280 a year and they do it all for us. All year long we have green lawn and low maintenance (except it grows so fast that we have to mow more than once a week). Try a local lawn care company. I'd recommend staying away from the national ones like True Green since they don't necessarily have seed just for your area. Good luck and enjoy that yard.

 

[Purseval]

Ask a landscaper doing any sodding if they will give you a deal on leftovers from jobs. It may take longer but eventually everything will blend in together.

 

[JDUCKY]

Let me know if you find a great solution. I'd LOVE to replace the Floratam (St. Augustine) in my backyard with some zoysia but that would be quite $$ I'm sure.


But, killing off the weeds, maybe doing some core aeration and power seeding (not sure if that's needed with St. Augustine but in the Mid-South where I'm from, that was best for reseeding a rye/fescue mix) along with covering the seeds properly and watering the heck out of it for a while until it reaches mowing height is definitely the budget way, just not the quickest.

 

[dawson5]

They will be digging up our backyard next week, replacing the leech field on our septic system. Hubby has talked with people about this, we need to get the grass and sprinkler system fixed afterwards. He was told not to bother with the hydroseed and to use turf, about the same cost if you do it yourself. I found that we can buy direct from the sod farm and do it ourselves. It looks to be pretty easy to do, just time consuming and heavy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKIbADlzQu4

 

[bettymae1121]

We bought our sod directly from the nursery and put it in ourselves. It's not difficult, just a lot of work.

 

[bas71873]

When we moved in to our house in VA the yard was in horrible shape. The previous owners didn't care for it and the developers put down the cheapest seed as possible. We contracted with a lawn company to make it look pretty and within a few months we had a lush green lawn. The cost, the first year was about $400 and included over seeding to get in a seed that is specifically made for our area. Now we only pay $280 a year and they do it all for us. All year long we have green lawn and low maintenance (except it grows so fast that we have to mow more than once a week). Try a local lawn care company. I'd recommend staying away from the national ones like True Green since they don't necessarily have seed just for your area. Good luck and enjoy that yard.

DITTO! We moved into a foreclosure last June (2009) that sat neglected for over a year and our yard was one big 'ole weed too. I use Virginia Green and have been VERY pleased. I've been using them for almost a year now (just the front yard cause my back yard is HUGE and I wanted to be sure they did the job right before sinking a ton of money in the back) and have a nice green yard (thanks to the recent rains). I am doing the fall aeration & seeding this year too and that's running me $182. I pay about $47 every other month for the weed treatment and whatever else they do

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

DITTO! We moved into a foreclosure last June (2009) that sat neglected for over a year and our yard was one big 'ole weed too. I use Virginia Green and have been VERY pleased. I've been using them for almost a year now (just the front yard cause my back yard is HUGE and I wanted to be sure they did the job right before sinking a ton of money in the back) and have a nice green yard (thanks to the recent rains). I am doing the fall aeration & seeding this year too and that's running me $182. I pay about $47 every other month for the weed treatment and whatever else they do

So basically you just pay for a chemical service and your lawn comes back? I am not sure if this is possible with ours as we live in FL and we should have St. Augustine grass. I cannot find one blade of St. Augustine on that "lawn" and I've looked all around. Either this is some other kind of grass that didn't take and was also neglected, or else the St. Augustine was somehow killed off by the weeks Either way, I'm not so sure that a chemical service could somehow restore the yard. I will call around and ask a few before I commit the $$ to having the yard resodded, though. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised!

 

[Swimalie]

So basically you just pay for a chemical service and your lawn comes back? I am not sure if this is possible with ours as we live in FL and we should have St. Augustine grass. I cannot find one blade of St. Augustine on that "lawn" and I've looked all around. Either this is some other kind of grass that didn't take and was also neglected, or else the St. Augustine was somehow killed off by the weeks Either way, I'm not so sure that a chemical service could somehow restore the yard. I will call around and ask a few before I commit the $$ to having the yard resodded, though. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised!

If you find a company like ours, the seed they have will be good for the area that you live in and will choke out any weeds and bad stuff. It has taken some time but our yard is now 99.99% grass and the rare weed that pops up disappears fast (either we pull it or they take care of it).

 

[mamaLori05]

cheapest way....bring in some topsoil and seed it yourself. It's a lot of work, but it is the cheapest way.

Second cheapest way...go to the nursery and buy your own sod and plant it yourself. Again a lot of work, but cheaper than hiring someone to do it.

 

[SandrA9810]

If it's a thin blade, it's possible it was Bermuda Grass. It's another southern/heat tolerant grass used in Florida. You're really looking at the wrong time of year for planting grass. It's too hot now, and the cold is going to kill it off.

I would suggest cutting the lawn down to like an inch to make it seem green. Then late sept/oct spread rye grass seeds all over the lawn, you can use a basic weed killer about a week before (just not one that sterilizes the soil). It's a Florida winter grass (summer grass for northern states), it takes quickly and makes the lawn look really pretty. Then late Feb, plant St Augustine grass plugs in the lawn. As the rye grass dies off from the heat, the St Augustine will take over and grow like crazy. Or you can use Bermuda grass seeds if you like the thin blade.

Just remember, a weed killer for one type of grass will kill off the other kind. St Augustine is a thick blade grass, so weed killers for it will kill off any thin blade grass/weed. Bermuda weed killer will kill off St Augustine grass.

Both can grow very well in Florida, even with the tight water restrictions. And it's very possible to let it grow without using a sprinkler system. You just have to be on top of things, to keep the lawn healthy. You can keep the grass a bit shorter in the cooler months, but let it grow out 3" or more in the summer so you don't burn the roots during the dry times. St Augustine is actually a weed from Africa, so if it can grow there, it can grow in Florida without heavy watering. And keeping it very thick and lush will keep the weeds from taking root.

I worked at Home Depot in early spring a few years back. I was going to classes all over Orlando at different places, including Scotts testing site north of Orlando. I would ask if there's any garden specialists at your local HD, which means they've taken extra classes and tests to know more than just the average employee. My store had a lady that did Horticulture for Disney years ago, and at the time worked at Universal horticulture. She had an answer for just about anything you could ask her.

 

[arminnie]

So basically you just pay for a chemical service and your lawn comes back? I am not sure if this is possible with ours as we live in FL and we should have St. Augustine grass.

I'm pretty sure that St. Augustine has to be sod. You can't grow it from seed.

I bought a house in Dallas years ago in the winter. I think they had seeded it with rye - which totally died in the summer heat. I really could not afford sod. I bought several quares of sod and separated it into small sections (couple of inches?) I placed this about 10 inches apart. This was a long time ago so I can't remember the exact details. St. Augustine spreads pretty easily and by the end of the summer I had a full growth of St. Augustine.

It took some labor, but it was very economical.

 

[SandrA9810]

You can now buy sod plugs. Depending on how far apart you want to place them will determine how much you have to buy, and how long it'll take to get a full lawn.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

If it's a thin blade, it's possible it was Bermuda Grass. It's another southern/heat tolerant grass used in Florida. You're really looking at the wrong time of year for planting grass. It's too hot now, and the cold is going to kill it off.

I would suggest cutting the lawn down to like an inch to make it seem green. Then late sept/oct spread rye grass seeds all over the lawn, you can use a basic weed killer about a week before (just not one that sterilizes the soil). It's a Florida winter grass (summer grass for northern states), it takes quickly and makes the lawn look really pretty. Then late Feb, plant St Augustine grass plugs in the lawn. As the rye grass dies off from the heat, the St Augustine will take over and grow like crazy. Or you can use Bermuda grass seeds if you like the thin blade.

Just remember, a weed killer for one type of grass will kill off the other kind. St Augustine is a thick blade grass, so weed killers for it will kill off any thin blade grass/weed. Bermuda weed killer will kill off St Augustine grass.

Both can grow very well in Florida, even with the tight water restrictions. And it's very possible to let it grow without using a sprinkler system. You just have to be on top of things, to keep the lawn healthy. You can keep the grass a bit shorter in the cooler months, but let it grow out 3" or more in the summer so you don't burn the roots during the dry times. St Augustine is actually a weed from Africa, so if it can grow there, it can grow in Florida without heavy watering. And keeping it very thick and lush will keep the weeds from taking root.

I worked at Home Depot in early spring a few years back. I was going to classes all over Orlando at different places, including Scotts testing site north of Orlando. I would ask if there's any garden specialists at your local HD, which means they've taken extra classes and tests to know more than just the average employee. My store had a lady that did Horticulture for Disney years ago, and at the time worked at Universal horticulture. She had an answer for just about anything you could ask her.

Interesting info, thank you! I hope that this isn't the wrong time of year to plant grass because we actually need to do this. We bought in the "incorporated" section of town, and we will get fined if our yard looks "blighted" It's no joke, either. There is a town employee who drives around looking for such things. I guess that I could have a yard service mow the weeds, but it will still look blighted I think?? I have no idea what "blighted" means to the town, but if the carpets of green on either side of my house are any indication, mine is blighted

FWIW, DH doesn't think that the "grass" on the yard is actually grass. He thinks that it's weeds. I'm curious about the idea of sod plugs. I think that I could do that myself and that I could afford it...just not sure that the town will be OK with it while it fills in.

 

[arminnie]

...just not sure that the town will be OK with it while it fills in.

Who ever knows for sure about town regulation enforcement - but this is really no different that tearing up the yard entirely or having new dirt put in with seeds. Especially since it's a foreclosure the town should be happy that a new owner is there to improve things.

It will be very obvious that you are doing something to renovate the yard. Honestly it doesn't take long before St. Augustine sends out long sprigs. So it doesn't look bad for a long long time. I did mine in the summer in Dallas one year when it was over 100 (I think it often got over 105) for a whole month.

I think it's great that they now sell plugs. If I were doing it today I might till (you can rent a tiller) the whole yard and then use a bulb planter tool to put the plugs in. The big box stores like where Sandra worked really do have good advice on the best way to do this.

After Katrina in New Orleans most yards were totally destroyed after being underwater for so long. Many people did landscaping (at least of the front yard) before they even started on the house. It was a message that "I'm going back".

I'm not a big gardener or yard person, but I think a neatly manicured front lawn sends a big message. When I see a house where the grass is uncut or the leaves are a foot high I tend to subconciously think the inside of the house is probably not well maintained.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

When I see a house where the grass is uncut or the leaves are a foot high I tend to subconciously think the inside of the house is probably not well maintained.

And in the case of our new house, you'd be correct Hey, at least between DH and the pool cleaners, the pool is clear and the bumper crop of tadpoles that were living in it are gone Yeah, it was THAT kind of foreclosure pool

 

[Debbie7452]

I'm pretty sure that St. Augustine has to be sod. You can't grow it from seed.

I bought a house in Dallas years ago in the winter. I think they had seeded it with rye - which totally died in the summer heat. I really could not afford sod. I bought several quares of sod and separated it into small sections (couple of inches?) I placed this about 10 inches apart. This was a long time ago so I can't remember the exact details. St. Augustine spreads pretty easily and by the end of the summer I had a full growth of St. Augustine.

It took some labor, but it was very economical.

I think the poster is right. Two years ago we bought a home on 2 acres. Barely a scrap of St. Augustine, even near the house. I think the original owners weren't "lawn" people. My DH is totally a lawn guy (somewhat obsessed) but we were in dire financial straights with two mortgages at that time. We bought a pickup load of sod squares, as cheap and healthy looking as we could find (maybe $150-200) and scatterred them all around. Some took off better than others because we had a drought that first summer. Now we have almost a solid beautiful lawn. If you had more rain or watered better than us it would take less time. Of course our squares were really FAR apart. We have a big yard!

If you are planning a sprinkler system put it in before the re-sod, you can do this yourself also...it's not that hard either.