Had lot work done. How do i grow great grass now?

[Stringer]

Hi this lot was a complete jungle a little while ago. had trees taken out, trimmed, de-rooted, fill dirt, graded etc. whats the best and cheapest way to grow great grass now? im in central florida. im just a complete newb and have no idea what my next step would be. i just want a great lawn, inexpensively. i dont have a tractor or anything. whats my best course of action? thanks for looking.

 

[Ezlivn]

Dude you spent all this time and energy and $$$ to get this land looking this good and now you want to go cheap?

 

[hawkeye08]

You either have to have/rent the tools and equipment needed or hire someone that does. Neither is especially cheap, but alot depends on your skills and whether you want to continue keeping it up or hire someone.

Cheapest, throw some grass seed out, rake it in, water and fertilize it.

 

[beenthere]

No tractor? How are you going to cut the "great grass" once it it becomes great?

Surely, there has been a better plan in place.

For a great lawn, look to a landscaper local to come in and getRdun.
Your grasses are much different in FL than WI. But the work to get it is prolly similar.

 

[Stringer]

what would it take to make it look good? yes i plan on having it done by hire. just dont know what needs to be done or who to call. and yes i like cheap. i know in alot of situations there is a cheap way and an expensive way and they produce same results. not always, but would be nice if it doesnt cost a fortune. what cost am i loooking at here? 1.11 acres.

 

[Stringer]

and yeah im not buying a tractor for an acre. more like a riding mower,

 

[LarryD]

Call a couple of local hydro-seeding companies for pricing. They would probably be done in less than an hour.

 

[bp fick]

Cheap? Go to Farm Store or Nursery/Lawn/Home store and buy 2, 50lb bags of quality seed. Your choice. Rye, Taller fescues, Bluegrass, etc. What is best for you and for your climate. Seed investment <$200.

Put down 100 lbs of good fertilizer. Even pasture fertilizer is better than nothing. <$75.

Spread with $40 whirl type, walk behind fertilizer spreader. You'll either have that tool or will be needing one anyhow. Run a water filled roller over it, if you wish, to force ground contact of seed. Not necessary, but it helps.

Cover with 10-14 bales of good clean straw. $4 each or <$100.

You will have a spectacular lawn in no time. If you live north of the Mason Dixon, your time has just about run out for this year.

Your lawn, in a year, with proper care, will be indistinquishable from either hydro seeding or even sod. Remember, sod is merely grass grown from seed as well.

Less than $500 for the entire deal. YMMV. Done this upteen times with great success.

 

[twarr1]

I don't normally suggest hiring jobs out if you can do it yourself, but I think in this case it would be beneficial to consult a local landscape company. At the bare minimum get a recommendation. There are dozens of different kinds of grass. You need to really define what you want. Some things to think about;

1. Will you irrigate if necessary?
2. How important is appearance? Different textures, shades.
3. How much maintenance are you comfortable with? Some grasses are plant-it-and-forget-it, some require intense maintenance.

Most sods, at least here in the South, are actually grown from plugs or sprigs, not seed. That is because the newer "improved" hybrids are sterile.

Lastly, I personally consider a roller a necessity for good seeding results.

Good luck with your lot, post progress pictures if you can!

 

[scgargoyle]

In most of FL, people grow a St Augustine grass. The cheap way is to get plugs, and water them and take care of them until they spread together and form a lawn. The expensive way is sod. At this time of year, you might want to consider seeding it with something (winter rye) to keep the soil in place for the winter, then get going on plugs in the spring. St Augustine goes dormant in the winter.