Grass having a tough time on my lawn.

[cdaigle430]

I have a fairly new lawn in my back yard where I took out a 30 foot in ground pool and filled it in with 2 and 1 gravel and added about 4 to 5 inches of organic loam.


on the edge is about a 20 degree slope also about 5 inches of loam. First two years the grass I planted come out nice and dense but now its dying out and being replaced by dandelions and crab grass despite using weed killer. I also fertilize it every spring.

I think dandelions are a good indication of whats going on, one is lack of calcium (had it tested and calcium is fine) or soil being too acidic (was not too bad when tested). The other indication is my soil is too compact and that is where Im leaning as the cause. I used my GC2410 to bring in the 20, 18 yard trucks of gravel and sand and to spread the loam - I noticed it compacted the soil quite a bit and the loam was like concrete.

So my question is, is there an implement I can use on my tractor or rent to fix the compact issue and help the grass grow better?

 

[Rock Crawler]

Can you borrow a plug aerator from a buddy and pull it with a light weight garden tractor or ATV? I use a plug aerator with 4 concrete blocks on it to get around 3-4" plugs. I would expect that doing this, and treating with something similar to Gordons Trimec Lawn Weed Killer ($10 for a quart) would wipe out the broad leaf junk and after a few weeks allow you to seed and get refreshed turf growth.

Gordons Trimec Lawn Weed Killer 1 Quart - 7916

Agri-Fab 4 in. Plug Aerator-45-518 - The Home Depot

 

[duffer]

I agree with what Rock Crawler said as a first option.

Second option (if you can't get a plugger) would be to get a 5' wide disk/plow and go over that area 2-3 times to bust up the top 2-3". Then re-seed, add 16-24-12 (starter fertilizer) and water it 2-4 times a day. If you haen't had a soil test on that particular area in the last year, I'd suggest to do another one.

 

[cdaigle430]

Thanks for the reply-
I think I am going to go with the Yard Tuff 48 inch model at tractor supply but that sounds like the best next step.

 

[cdaigle430]

Just bought a 40 inch aerator, will put two or three cynder blocks on it for weight. I will also use it thee next time I mow-hoping for better results.

 

[CalG]

Capping that gravel fill with clay would have been a good thing for grass growing. It would keep the moisture up where the grass needs it, and not just drain through. The 4-5 inches of loam would still be required to grow anything ;-)

My two cents from struggling with grass in stony, shady Vermont.

 

[fruitcakesa]

Capping that gravel fill with clay would have been a good thing for grass growing. It would keep the moisture up where the grass needs it, and not just drain through. The 4-5 inches of loam would still be required to grow anything ;-)

My two cents from struggling with grass in stony, shady Vermont.

The funny thing in Vermont is, at times in the past, the forests were almost completely clearcut for various reasons, one of which was to farm.
I discovered after clearing my home site of all the pines that covered the area, native grasses returned with no help from me. It was just waiting for some sun and moisture
And that grass is almost indestructible. I have snowplowed areas up and torn off whole sections of grass and it continues to regenerate. Pretty hardy stuff.

 

[Sonny580]

I am afraid you will find an aerator a waste of time as you need to deep rip the area and start over.---will save a lot of money/time/headaches in the long run. Truck tracks will never freeze out! --- Saw many of them in farm fields made by semis (90,000 pounds or more) The guys have to deep rip 18 to 36 inches to get them out.----just an idea to ponder!

 

[dragoneggs]

My first thought when reading the title was my hair having a tough time growing on my head! :laughing:

Seriously though, I think at least one issue that has been mentioned is that you have too good of drainage and the roots of the grass are probably not taking properly. 4 to 5in of topsoil is the bare minimum for a grass that you want to retain moisture during the drier months. I shoot for 6in. I think because you have the quick draining gravel under the topsoil instead of a less porous material, you really need more like a foot of dirt. Doesn't have to all be prime topsoil but something that will hold more moisture.

 

[ovrszd]

[/B]

The funny thing in Vermont is, at times in the past, the forests were almost completely clearcut for various reasons, one of which was to farm.
I discovered after clearing my home site of all the pines that covered the area, native grasses returned with no help from me. It was just waiting for some sun and moisture
And that grass is almost indestructible. I have snowplowed areas up and torn off whole sections of grass and it continues to regenerate. Pretty hardy stuff.

Here in Missouri that is Bluestem grass in large and small varieties. 10 years ago I cleared a spot in my timber of Cedar trees, 100ft x 150ft. Today it's absolutely covered with Bluestem. I did nothing other than clear the land.