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mikicichb

First year home owner

Bryan Mikicich
9 years ago

Hi all,
1st thing, thanks. I've been a lurker here for years, growing in a containers and Aerogardens in my apartment. I've found this site very helpful. Last July I closed on my first home (duplex) with a beautiful rear lawn and small, odd-shaped front that is populated with a single fruit-bearing flowering tree.

When I moved in, I did four things;
1. Hired Trugreen for the year. They informed me I have neutral pH, good drainage, adequate top soil, and KB-Fine Fescue-Rye mix.
2. Hired the neighbor's lawn maintenance crew. (Their lawn looks terrific, too)
3. Planted two 4ft square raised bed gardens.
4. Ran water from backyard spigot to the gardens.

This year things are going to change a bit;
1. No trugreen.
2. Purchased a manual mower with the highest trim height I could find.
3. Planting 2-3 more 4ft square gardens.

Hopefully, that's enough background and now I can move onto the question portion.

I have three distinct areas (microclimates?) In the yard right now.
1. Fence line. This area receives the most dog traffic and has been slightly tore up this spring. The grass here is noticeably less green than the rest of the yard. However, last summer the grass in this area was the darkest and fullest in the entire yard. Possibly a different type of grass or proportion than the rest of the yard. Medium-full sun.
2. Deck stairs. This was the first area ravaged by the canine. Extremely high traffic & compacted soil. I transplated the sod removed from my raised gardens here last summer for repair. Full sun.
3.side yard. Shady, sloped, and trafficed whenever the dog wants to look at the street. It is 80% dirt now, considering reseeding or planting alternate ground cover.

I am utilizing liquid organic fertilizer on the garden when watering (fertigation) and will be starting to compost this year. Any recommendations on remedies for the three areas listed anove would be appreciated. I already try to minimize the dog's time on the lawn afte4 rain and in spring/fall.
Thanks!

Comments (5)

  • dchall_san_antonio
    9 years ago

    3. You would be fighting a losing battle on the side where the dog has already worn away 80% of the grass. I have a similar strip. We're just piling leaves in there for him to walk on and to keep the weeds down. Any mulch will do although anything but pure bark mulch is better than bark mulch. Most mulches will help feed the soil, but bark mulch has no nutrients in it.

    2. We created a landing made of flagstone at the bottom of our back stairs. That give us and the dog a place to hit the ground when coming down the steps. Then we can stand there or take off in a new direction. We have never had a path develop coming off that landing...until this new puppy. He has created a path to the side (same side as #3 above). It's not bad. He has to live there, not us. Eventually he'll stop tearing up the yard and we can go back and do our gardening again.

    1. It could be there was some fescue in the fence area last year and the dog tore it up. Fescue does not spread to fill weak spots like Kentucky bluegrass does. It will probably look good again in a few weeks as the KBG fills in where it can. If/when the KBG does not fill in completely this summer due to the partial shade, then next fall (August) you should seed in some more fescue. Get into that habit every fall for the shady areas.

    I've never seen a liquid fertilizer of any kind that can apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Grass needs nutrition by the pound, not the fraction of an ounce. If you want to continue with organics, look into the local cost of alfalfa pellets (rabbit chow). The application rate is 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. As with your liquid organics, you can apply it any time of year.

  • Bryan Mikicich
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks!
    3. Yes, grass does not seem to be the answer. Although, I did look it over today and the grass has sprouted up a bit (probably a 5 day interval of warm weather). There has been plenty of moss. I have considered adding another gate between the fence & deck posts. Or maybe some Turfstone with a shade loving ground cover. It is a very steep slope, so i am concerned the mulch would all accumulate along the fence.

    2. I am hesitant to place stone down there, as the dog tends to launch from the deck to the grass instead of using the three stairs.

    1. Straight tall fescue seed? I may just replant some of the sod I remove from the new garden this summer.

    I believe alfalfa is (3-1-2) and liquid soluble blood meal is (12-0-0). I use the blood meal in my containers and garden. My potted bamboo (Gigantochloa atroviolacea) loved the soil to be misted with a dilution of bone meal, superthrive, hydrated lime, & blood meal. I understand that the alfalfa has more benefit with the trace nutrients than blood meal, but my concern is what effect the neighborhood rabbit will have. Any advice on the corn gluten meal as a weed suppressant?
    Thanks

    Here is a link that might be useful: Turfstone

  • Bryan Mikicich
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Photo of the dog afflicted area. I can't rotate it...

  • chaoticut
    9 years ago

    I have a similar problem with my fence line and dog activity.

    Have you thought about maybe something other than grass there? Mulch, pebbles, etc.?

  • Bryan Mikicich
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm going to see how it turns out this summer, since we moved in last July. My neighbors have mulch, but the wife hates it. Functionally, I think a deep strip of sand would be great. Ugly, but it sure would tire the dog out; running up and down all day & night. I still don't have an overall plan for the yard, but I know I need to account for this high traffic area into it somehow. I don't want to make it inaccessible since the neighbors on that side all have dogs, hence the heavy traffic.