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tjain_seattle

Help me save my yard

tjain_seattle
10 years ago

I moved in this home last summer when I think the yard was in a better state. Now as spring is coming the yard looks horrendous.
Even though I have a gardener who charges me an arm and a leg, I dont think he has been taking good care of the yard.

I am a newbie and I will need to take over and make it look better. There are mutiple issues and I think the solutions are simple but I want to get help from the experts on what are the right things to do. I will do multiple postings on this thread to explain the different issue

Comments (10)

  • tjain_seattle
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    No Grass in this area at all. This area used to have grass and now its all brown and muddy? What do I need to do?

    Get some mulch, top-soil and then some SOD or seed and water extensively?

  • tjain_seattle
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I have multiple areas like this where I have what I think is moss growing. Should I just get some moss remover and spray it here or?

  • tjain_seattle
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    This area is just barren and there are multiple spots like this. What can I do to make healthy grass grow here again?

  • tjain_seattle
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here, there are a lot of small stones in this grass less area, probably making it hard for the grass to grow. There are multiple spots like this. Should I clear the stones and put some mulch over here and then seeds or SOD

  • tjain_seattle
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    This one is dead brown grass and can be seen throughout the yard...is it just a matter of new seeds and fertilizing or there is something else?

  • tjain_seattle
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    and last but probably the most problematic area....

    the tree roots are coming out of the ground and probably fighting for water with the grass.

    I can get the tree root pruned but that may shock the tree. Can I just add topsoil and mulch and try to grow the grass or do something else?

  • tjain_seattle
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    No responses? Sorry I am being impatient

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    10 years ago

    I am not a lawn person, so I can't help, though as a general rule, the quality of your soil makes a great difference to how any plant will grow, including grass. You might want to get a soil test done - the closest land-grant university or your state cooperative extension may have facilities where you can get soil tests done. Photo 4 looks like what happens when you have burrowing animals like moles. They push soil out of their tunnels and over time it flattens out.

    I'd suggest you either ask these questions over on the lawn forum, http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/lawns/

    or the organic lawn care forum, linked below, which would be my preference since many lawn care products add to non-point source pollution and may not be healthy for kids and pets.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Lawn Care

  • sylviaIvy
    10 years ago

    We've had a pretty hard winter here in Idaho. My lawn looks pretty similar to yours, but I'm not worried. Grass dies off for winter then grows back in spring. The gravel spots are likely frost heaves...or I suppose they could be ground diggers. The moss...well, you do live on the "mossy side" of Washington and I suspect that your mossy areas are either on the north or east side; under trees or otherwise don't get a lot of sun. I say have a little patience, broadcast some seed and let nature take it's course. Dig up a weed when you see one.

    My preference is for a more natural lawn, overly manicured lawns make me cringe...all that water on something you generally don't eat seems wasteful to me.

  • gardenper
    10 years ago

    You say it looked good in the fall. It's entirely possible those grasses just went dormant for the winter. They should be starting up soon again, if that's the case.

    The moss issue: I've heard that is a problem in Seattle area, which I assume you may be in from your name. In other words, while you may be able to fix it with some proper additions to your soil or drainage methods, it's common. You can get something to remove the moss for now, but it would probably return, so you'll need to address the conditions about why moss is growing there.

    The bare spots with little rocks: Maybe someone tried to cover up a mossy area! That looks unnatural but yes you can clean up that kind of spot.

    The tree root: You may affect the tree if you cover it with dirt. I would say to incorporate it into your landscaping ideas. Maybe 1 or 2 roots is OK to cover up but if there are more, don't cover all of them up.

    At the same time, it could mean that your yard has bad soil erosion, so you would want to find a solution to that if you can.

    The patches of brown grass could be fungus growing there and affecting those patches. If that's the case, there are solutions for helping it at your local hardware store.

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