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kcsummer

my last shot at getting my lawn back

KCSummer
9 years ago

THIS IS LONG - I APOLOGIZE but I hope you won't be deterred from reading. Once upon a time I had a very nice green lawn, it wasn't perfect but it was thick and nice. Then, stuff happened and the house next door was occupied by a series of renters who grew successively worse about yard work/lawn care. I sprayed for weeds or just pulled them out myself in my yard but the neighbors let theirs go - it would grow to several feet tall before they'd cut it - anyway their lawn became infested with this thick ugly horrible stuff that is green but there the semblance to grass stops.

I am the kind of person who gets a lot of pleasure out of my hard work landscaping and cutting grass - when I get thru a shower, a glass of iced tea and a nice view but for years now I alternately curse or cry because I"m forced to look down and see its not grass but the same weed taking over here. For a while I couldn't figure what it was, I sprayed it with triple strenght round-up and double dose of spreader sticker and it was happy and healthy as can be.

After investigating I finally have it narrowed down to SEDGE, an innocuous enough sounding name that is deceiving I have found that it has underground runners - hence its invasion into my yard. I used to tell my kids it came from over there and they blew me off but you could see it advance and whatever scraggles of grass that survived were smothered with this hatefuly stuff. It has definitely soured relationships with neighbors who are all young apparently healthy people that would die before pulling a huge weed begging to be pulled. Five of them and 1 of me at Age 65 - one person said well you should take care of their lawn then - and I might have when I was younger but it ain't happening.

Anyway I have been planning my assault on this stuff now that I know what it is. But you see the ground now out back is 95 percent dirt period. Because I pulled their stuff out - I tried seed this fall but it wouldn't take off I think my green thumb is now cursed. I have found this sstuff called SEDGE HAMMER PLUS that's specifically for it It is for post emergent use mainly. So I have this collision of purposes here coming up I want new grass to germinate and grow, the old stuff to die - but always before IF I get grass growing before it has a chance to thicken it is swallowed within a week or two by this hateful sedge.

I have looked into seeding in winter on top of or under snowabout February - they say soil contact is essential so I blew away all the dead leaves and now have a nice mud patch that would make a good hog wallow probably except that's not what I'm wanting of course but it could be a backup plan. OR ELSE CEMENT THE WHO BACK YARD AND PAINT IT GREEN. i WAS reading the Sedge Package and it said it could be tilled in pre-emergent, tilled or worked in but it must be thoroughly covered but not overcovered. sounds easy but I bet its not because how do you know where you missed? Anyway what should I do?

Should I work the Sedge Hammer in as soon as ground thaws - hope it prevents it from coming up and then plant my grass seed in spring - If the sedge killer didn't get it all it spreads voraciously. If I have tender grass coming up and I spray the sedge killer again will that kill lthe tender grass too? I'm not sure which way to go but I'm trying to use this time to develop my last ditch effort to get my once beautiful lawn back.

I cry everytime I go outside and my dogs track mud in so I'm grouchy a lot because the outside comes inside and I have to deal with that too (the dogs) HELP ME FIGURE THIS OUT PLEASE --- I once had a nice man who had a lawn service seed my lawn for free after aeration - it didn't survive either but I"ve got water bills for 5 years to show for my struggle. If I could ever get it thick and green again and took intense care I think I could keep THEIR CRAP at bay but as it is now I'm doomed and actually, much as I love my garden, if this doesn't work I'm moving which may sound drastic but not for the amount of heartbreak.

One of my main joys in life is my garden and lawn and try as I might I haven't been able to get it back. I'm an older lady can't I just enjoy my garden and dogs and squirrels and birds. I know I sound WHINEY and pathetuc but I'm really sick of people telling me "well just get over having a lawn - no sweat problem solved." NO ITS NOT, why should I be deprived and this is my last home where I'll have a lawn I WANT IT BACK and it shouldn't be too much too ask, I'm getting anxious again just thinking about it. ADVICE PLEASE. There is something wrong with this world when the person who wants something nice is seen as the problem and the weedy lazy person is just bopping thru life.

I've been accused of being too picky (my son says what do you care what it is as long as its green - if you've ever seen how tough and ugly sedge is I disagree) but I'm actually very easy to please I just want my grass back and I see all kinds of people who have it and now I sound like a petulant child so I'm regressing I guess to childhood. HELP! PLEASE. If it works I will throw a party (once its thickened up) and have a nice summer memory - good food, GRASS and a few nice people . My dogs are small so they aren't a threat to anyone so all will be well! IF i've lived here 20 years and made it into my own paradise but I can't continue to say here if I'm so unhappy REMEMBERING HOW IT USED TO BE (SEE THE PICTURE)

Comments (15)

  • maplerbirch
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've not had a huge problem with sedge and haven't really seen it so thick any where that it killed off huge patches of grass. We've dealt with Creeping Charlie moving in and killing grass on a grand scale.

    I would go ahead with a dormant seeding, even using annual ryegrass for a sure and healthy ground cover while you continue your battle against the weeds. Then in the Fall when you're happy with the weed control add a permanent grass.

    You must NOT attempt to use a pre-emergent, unless it is one of the new expensive ones that doesn't kill grass seed.
    I would also be careful of tilling the ground unless it is for the purpose of physically removing the underground pips or nuts of the nutsedge. By the time you get that all done your new grass may be burning up in the heat of Summer and the weeds will be going crazy.

  • beckyinrichmond
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How about installing sod?

  • BoatDrinksq5
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yeah I have had some really bad patches of sedge in the past - seemed very seasonal and my KBG/No-mix lawn always tolerated it even if it approached 80% levels at times.

    I would pull it.... and the nutlets would grow back...but generally it would get stunted and keep pulling... by fall (sedge still there, but slows growth at tiems) and grass would recover with light fertilizing.

    By spring it was fine! Then again back in summer :)

    Now I just keep a bottle of Ortho Sedge (or Tenacity) for just that purpose. But with my new yard - it is sedge free.(i kill my neighbors for fun sometimes).

    Sedge hammer goes bad quickly once mixed...do small batches or large scale killing. Fertilize and water heavily the week or two before to get it growing (for better kill %)

    This post was edited by BoatDrinksQ5 on Fri, Dec 19, 14 at 12:01

  • danielj_2009
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Have you tried talking to the property owner next door about their
    lawn care? or as a last resort how about complaining to the town? In my town they would get fined for leaving their lawn like that. At least for high grass.

  • BoatDrinksq5
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yeah most towns have a 6" or 8" rule.

    Weeds vs grass - that won't go anywhere in most parts.

    Depending on yard size you could always give the neighbors yard a once over with the SedgeHammer when you mix up a batch(talk to them first). Or just do a little overspray on border.

  • KCSummer
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I guess I should have explained better. The neighborhood has gone seriously downhill since the housing collapse. I had equity once but now owe twice what its worth. Anyway we are the stepchildren of the city, crime is going up and the residents don't take an interest, for the most part. The whole thing has turned into a nightmare really but to make a long story short I can expect no help from the city, been there and done that. The neighbor's yard is huge and this sedge has had years to get well entrenched - if that doesn't get me then the crabgrass will. I used to hoe like crazy this stuff out but then the crabgrass moved into the bare ground, its amazing how that stuff can move a foot or so a night in expanding. Anyway on account of the financial thing I have very little funds to work with and so sodding is out of the question. My neighbors are very unpleasant people so no I don't talk to them. I wish I could move my house and my garden somewhere else, its a simple house but I've done tons of work in landscaping and added a nice big covered patio. If I move I'll never be able to afford another place - it will be to an apartment with a postage stamp deck and I live for summer and my garden. You know if it wasn't for the mud thing I'd almost so OKAY I give up - I don't care what grows here as long as its ground cover so I can quit with the mud tracking in the house. Its really, I guess, a no-win situation. I could get rid of my dogs that would solve the mud problem but I was brought up in a different age/mentality I guess where the person who was screwing up was the one who had to change, now I find myself constantly lowering my standards - and why should I have to lose my dogs, not fair to them for sure. I have puzzled over this and all it does is depress me. The way it is my garden is where I spend most of my time and as long as I don't have to go out into the neighborhood I love it there with my birds and squirrels and flowers and stuff, but the outside keeps working its way in. My children, lke I said, are frustrated with me because grass is not high on their list. It's like they take good care of their cars so how would they like it if their car was always muddy even though they just cleaned it - that might get thru to them better. But the city and my kids and the neighbors have come to an agreement - I'm the problem. Because I want a nice garden. I'm getting depressed thinking of it. As for the tilling, I really didn't mean tilling, I think it just said work it into the ground so that what's down there but not emerged gets exposed to the chemicals. i will try to found more information or find someone in the business who knows, it all gets confused in my mind. I did put down annual grass in the spring and it took over fast but died about July and then I was back to the bare ground. The problem in the fall is that I have lots of trees and about the time its time to do the seeding the leaves start falling and smother any new growth or make it so I can't water. I can't rake the leaves away because the grass seed would go with it. I have spent a fortune on water and seed and I have the ugliest yard to show for it. Maybe I will just put the sedge down I think it said a month before you put down seed and see what happens and if it doesn't work then I either need to adapt / or move. I did try out front putting down some ground cover which survived but it would be very expensive and take years. I dunno. I dunno but thanks for your suggestions I will read again later when I'm not so discouraged. All I want for Christmas is to know I will have my lawn back in spring.

  • KCSummer
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My pretty flowers are such a comfort and a blessing and I have pretty trees. My birch tree has gotten really big and has the nice bark - the birds will miss me if I leave.

  • KCSummer
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Is it spring yet?

  • beckyinrichmond
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Plant the annual rye this spring. It will likely die again in July, but at least will give you coverage until then. Plant your permanent grass in mid to late August or early September, depending on where you are (when the summer heat breaks). Kill the weeds first (glysophate will give you a blank slate; selective weedkillers often need certain amounts of time before you can plant seed so read instructions). Keep the seed moist until it germinates by watering lightly several times a day. As it grows gradually cut back on frequency and increase the amount of water so you end up with one inch of water once a week. When the leaves fall on your new grass, mow them into the lawn. Mowed leaves are good organic matter for your soil. You should get a soil test this spring so that you can add amendments (for example, lime if needed) during the year so the soil will be in good shape for the permanent grass planting. Keep a towel by the door so you can clean the dog's feet until you get grass going. Do you have sufficient sun for grass? In the shady spots where grass struggles, you might consider mulch instead of grass.

  • maplerbirch
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Leaving bare soil will always be a bad idea and digging the nutlets out of the ground would be your most complete solution with Sedgehammer as the mop up campaign.
    Sod will not stop nutsedge from continuing to grow.
    The way it sounds annual ryegrass may be your best option for Spring and Summer while eliminating the weed issues before perennial renovation in the Fall.

  • beckyinrichmond
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Also, when you are establishing grass this spring and in late summer/early fall, you should walk the dogs instead of letting them out into the yard.

  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dogs get a bad rap. Everybody's seen photos of my lawn, yes?

    We have two dogs. Since ours play well with others and people trust us with their animals, the actual number of dogs, accounting for visitors, has been as high as five for periods of two weeks. Yes, that was a zoo. A fun zoo, but a zoo.

    Dog spots--zero. A good organic base will help combat any doggy damage and turn that into nice, moderated, slow nitrogen sources for the lawn. Poo disappears in one to two days, eaten by beetles.

    Very rarely, we get a small burned spot or two if the weather is extremely dry. Other than that, nothing.

    Running dogs can cause wear marks. But again, organic methods will tend to counter that.

  • beckyinrichmond
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    While grass is sprouting and just forming roots, you should stay off the grass as much as possible and that includes dogs. Once the grass is established, then the dogs can come back. For some reason she had had trouble getting grass to grow in addition to having it killed by sedge. If the dogs are running around on a newly seeded lawn, that could be part of the problem.

  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Again, dogs get a bad rap. :-)

    Ours ran around on the seed bed and caused no issues, but they are rather small dogs. Even you very gently walking on it is OK, but of course one should never slide or slip. That will tear young, weak roots.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You've said a lot but not a lot of what you said is helpful with the basics. Please let me guide you through some questions.

    Where do you live?
    What kind of grass did you plant?
    How often do you water and for how long?
    How high/low do you mow?
    When were the last two times you fertilized and what did you use?

    If you can answer those questions I think we can help you adjust and get your lawn back. Otherwise, how do you feel about putting down several inches of mulch? That will keep the mud away and dogs love it.