My lawn

[HereWeGoAgain]

Ok. So, I have this lawn until the end of January next year. If it was mine then I would get rid of the lawn. The prior tenants did not take care of the lawn. The owner of this property did not take care of the lawn. More importantly, I left a home that was right up against golf course and I haven't had to deal with weeds in a good while. This lawn appears to have been overtaken by weeds. In fact, I have not seen anything like it. I already have weeds growing in this yard. I just pulled one that was about 10 inches. Everybody's yard has brown grass. Although, I drove around and actually saw some kind of painted grass. Who does that?

My yard has a lot of green and it isn't grass. I am torn between attempting to do this myself or hiring TruGreen or other lawn care service. Anyone have experience with TruGreen or battled and won something of this nature?

It's unlikely you'll ever get a perfect lawn in a years time.
And why bother when the crappy land lord is the only winner?
Throw some weed and feed on it and water it and the grass will eventually take over but I wouldnt put anymore effort into it than that.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Weed and Feed.

Hook it up to your hose, and spray the yard.

DO NOT spray any flowers

Weed and Feed, just like me, considers flowers weeds.

If the weeds come back in 2 weeks, spray it again

Need to re-seed too though.

That would depend on her location. In the south you dont use grass seed since we use saint augustine grass.

 

[defcon4]

That would depend on her location. In the south you dont use grass seed since we use saint augustine grass.

Zoysia for shaded area and bahaia is also popular for larger properties.

 

[Iceweasel]

I think lawns signal both busy and unimaginative. They use up too much water. Depending on where you live, you are limited to how much water you can use during the summer. It is like a war with the natural landscape.

We rented this place from out of state and it was sight unseen. I need the time to figure out the area. The landlord is in his seventies and has, apparently, been relying on some unreliable people. The handyman they hired was a drunk.......like that. In his case or for anyone that is planning on aging in place a rock garden may not be a bad investment. I think people need to look at what they are capable of doing now and then add 30-40-50 years and ask if they are still going to be able to do the same things.

I'm not a lawn guru and won't water it. I have a lawn but it goes brown in the summer. I have a cordless electric that makes mowing it a breeze when it's in its' full glory.

But a handyman doesn't normally do lawns, sounds like he should have hired lawn maintenance or was relying on the previous tenant.

They were relying on the previous tenant for the yard work. There is a lot going on with this house. The handyman would have repaired the gutter. It's just the foundation that is at stake. I am at war in my head of how much I am willing to do and how much I refuse out of principle. I understand they feel burned by the prior tenants but that is the risk you take with rentals. It's becoming apparent that these folks have never invested in the house and have no intention of investing in this property. They are going to ride it out until it falls down.

I'm a contractor and have been to many of those homes. My advice is to bail as soon as you find a better arrangement. Many rentals are owned by people that can't stand to put any money into the place and it will always be a game of dealing with something screwed up.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

That would depend on her location. In the south you dont use grass seed since we use saint augustine grass.

Zoysia for shaded area and bahaia is also popular for larger properties.

Zoysia doesnt do well here in Houston.
And Bahaia is used for cattle. About the only thing you'll see around here is Saint Augustine.

 

[saveliberty]

Ok. So, I have this lawn until the end of January next year. If it was mine then I would get rid of the lawn. The prior tenants did not take care of the lawn. The owner of this property did not take care of the lawn. More importantly, I left a home that was right up against golf course and I haven't had to deal with weeds in a good while. This lawn appears to have been overtaken by weeds. In fact, I have not seen anything like it. I already have weeds growing in this yard. I just pulled one that was about 10 inches. Everybody's yard has brown grass. Although, I drove around and actually saw some kind of painted grass. Who does that?

My yard has a lot of green and it isn't grass. I am torn between attempting to do this myself or hiring TruGreen or other lawn care service. Anyone have experience with TruGreen or battled and won something of this nature?

For Northern fescue/Kentucky blue type grasses you could start over. Roundup (two week formula) the whole thing then after two weeks rototiller up the yard and level out. Then use a rye/fescue/Kentucky blue mix. The rye is the only grass you get in the first year, but the others take over in year two. A granular 12-12-12 fertilizer is inexpensive and good after the grass has come up for about two weeks (4 weeks from seeding). Hit the fertilizer in late Spring and mid Summer, then mid Fall. When you water soak it so the water goes deep.

 

[Disir]

I think lawns signal both busy and unimaginative. They use up too much water. Depending on where you live, you are limited to how much water you can use during the summer. It is like a war with the natural landscape.

We rented this place from out of state and it was sight unseen. I need the time to figure out the area. The landlord is in his seventies and has, apparently, been relying on some unreliable people. The handyman they hired was a drunk.......like that. In his case or for anyone that is planning on aging in place a rock garden may not be a bad investment. I think people need to look at what they are capable of doing now and then add 30-40-50 years and ask if they are still going to be able to do the same things.

I'm not a lawn guru and won't water it. I have a lawn but it goes brown in the summer. I have a cordless electric that makes mowing it a breeze when it's in its' full glory.

But a handyman doesn't normally do lawns, sounds like he should have hired lawn maintenance or was relying on the previous tenant.

They were relying on the previous tenant for the yard work. There is a lot going on with this house. The handyman would have repaired the gutter. It's just the foundation that is at stake. I am at war in my head of how much I am willing to do and how much I refuse out of principle. I understand they feel burned by the prior tenants but that is the risk you take with rentals. It's becoming apparent that these folks have never invested in the house and have no intention of investing in this property. They are going to ride it out until it falls down.

I'm a contractor and have been to many of those homes. My advice is to bail as soon as you find a better arrangement. Many rentals are owned by people that can't stand to put any money into the place and it will always be a game of dealing with something screwed up.

When this lease is up we are out of here.

 

[Ringel05]

 

[The Great Goose]

Ok.as So, I have this lawn until the end of January next year. If it was mine then I would get rid of the lawn. The prior tenants did not take care of the lawn. The owner of this property did not take care of the lawn. More importantly, I left a home that was right up against golf course and I haven't had to deal with weeds in a good while. This lawn appears to have been overtaken by weeds. In fact, I have not seen anything like it. I already have weeds growing in this yard. I just pulled one that was about 10 inches. Everybody's yard has brown grass. Although, I drove around and actually saw some kind of painted grass. Who does that?

My yard has a lot of green and it isn't grass. I am torn between attempting to do this myself or hiring TruGreen or other lawn care service. Anyone have experience with TruGreen or battled and won something of this nature?

Theres poisons you spray on that only kill "broad leafed species". That is they don't kill grass species. Then you must mow every week.

no joke. You will see a reasonable lawn in no time. Unless it gets no water.

 

[The Great Goose]

Weed and Feed.

Hook it up to your hose, and spray the yard.

DO NOT spray any flowers

Weed and Feed, just like me, considers flowers weeds.

If the weeds come back in 2 weeks, spray it again

Need to re-seed too though.

And regular mowing because grass likes that but weeds dont.

 

[Dekster]

When this lease is up we are out of here.

You have to choose between seeding and weed killing. You cannot treat the yard for weeds and then seed for a fair length depending on the chemical because it keeps the grass seed from germinating.

 

[FuzzyCat]

Mow it high (3-4") and mow it often. That keeps the weeds from reseeding and allows the grass to spread their roots. If you use chemicals...just remember, that stuff leaches into our water supplies! Farm & yard chemicals are the 2 main reasons for the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico!

 

[The Great Goose]

Mow it high (3-4") and mow it often. That keeps the weeds from reseeding and allows the grass to spread their roots. If you use chemicals...just remember, that stuff leaches into our water supplies! Farm & yard chemicals are the 2 main reasons for the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico!

Correct except for high. Mow Iow.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Why in the world do people spray poison (especially Roundup) on their yard and then let their kids/pets play on it? Not to mention that poison has to go someplace - like into our water table.

Just mow the stuff.

BTW, don't ever poison dandelions. I just read that they're the first food for bees every year and poisoning the flowers also poisons the bees.

We have a very few bees and I just hate knowing that people around us are probably poisoning their yards and therefore poisoning the bees, butterflies and birds.

 

[Dekster]

I live next to the forest. If I mowed my yard at 3-4 inches, it would be filled with snakes. High grass also promotes disease depending on what you have in your turf and your climate. I have seen people lose the better part of their grass due to brown patch outbreaks that way.

Dandelions are edible and are part of foodie salads quite regularly.

There is nothing wrong with spraying roundup instead of weedeating every week.

 

[mamooth]

Glysophate and 2,4-D both have short soil half lives. They biodegrade in soil fairly quickly. They do not biodegrade well in water. The key is moderation. Don't apply it before it rains, and don't slather the stuff in such vast quantities that it runs off into the watershed. You know, like lawn care companies tend to do. Instead of soaking the whole lawn, spot treat for weeds.