One of the wonderful features of our old block is the mature street trees that cool the neighborhood by at least ten degrees on hot summer days.
One of the downsides of all the shade is the delicate process involved in getting the lawn to grow. In the past two years, we've removed a flower bed and ornamental tree which obstructed views up and down the block, redone the front lawn twice, and tried to get a full, lush lawn.
Still, we have bare spots. I've made making them green a personal quest. Like generations before me, it's been a typically determined, partially obsessive, south city lawn care struggle.
Last weekend, we repaired the ground and planted a "playground" variety seed. Today, an army of bright green seedlings is rising from the barespots. They are in that needle-thin, vulnerable phase.
The question is, will they survive the pending summer onslaught of trampling kids feet, and tossed down bicycles? The odds are not good...
4 comments:
ever hear of fertilizer and water?
I like the last post.
Some think anonymous posts are rude.
I say, bring on the rude, unmoderated comments!
Re. the question, water yes, fertilizer, yes, yes!!
This time, the grass seeds have risen in about five days, and the bare spots are actually starting to fill in!
In the back yard, we have a "borrow-from" soil store next to our mulch boxes. Sometimes I will bury the dog poop in the dirt pile.
We used soil from this "borrow-from" pile to cover the new grass seed. Maybe we have found the perfect solution?
I feel your pain. We have one sunny spot where the zoysia grows thick and lush, but the rest of the yard is shady and has its share of bare patches. Last year I tried filling in the patches with sod, and the results were not great. This year, I'm trying Scotts Patch Master (a mix of seed, fertilizer and mulch) - sun and shade mix, which seems to be working nicely. I applied the Patch Master roughly two weeks ago and have been watering it frequently - it's started filling in and I'm happy with the results so far.
Puppy pooh is not useable for fertilizer. It's a bad thing to leave lying around or bury indiscriminately because it is protein-based, the reason dogs like to eat it. It's not appropriate for composting because it can take a year or longer to break down. It's toxic to lawns and plant life in general, affects roots and therefore worse than dog urine, and not at all good for humans either. Wherever you leave or bury puppy pooh, you are permitting some very nasty stuff- such as unhelpful worms- to migrate from the feces to soil, where it does not die but waits to infest a human or animal. Because it is protein-based, it also attracts rodents and insects.
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