New Lawn for new house - looking for input and advice

[fishdrivel]

Lots of advice here.
Much of the advice is location specific.
You are not going to grow grass in the Mojave by any of these methods.
Similarly, growing grass in Florida is different than Virginia, and different again in Canada!

 

[JethroB]

If the area doesn’t get adequate sunlight you will likely be disappointed in whatever you do. My attempts with ‘shade tolerant’ varieties hasn’t been good. An expensive lesson with sod once.

 

[LD1]

Turn it all into limestone driveway/parking.

Accidently spill 1lb of grass seed.

You will have 1497% germination rate and it will all be green in 6 months

 

[ovrszd]

You like a lifeless, monoculture, desert of grass? Rabbits gotta eat man.

No worries there. My wife plants plenty of flowers for the Rabbits. She's not a "killer" but she'd sure like to kill off a few rabbits each Summer. When I tell her "rabbits gotta eat" I get the look. You know the one.

 

[Surshot]

I planted a yard 3 times before, I finally got off my wallet and bought real grass seed. The $300 a bag seed. It came up in two weeks and we have a 10 acre “yard.” Wife, I only want a couple of acres…..famous last words.
I have found for “yard” work, a cutter head disk set, landscape rake, a chainlink fence gate drag, pretty much gets you there. I use a sporting clays cart altered for fencing and spraying with a 75 pound pull spreader works well.
My House 18” disk set is a real heavy frame, disk set. 3rd pass is down to the axles in very hard clay.
Here Tifton #9 is a very good pasture grass and makes a decent yard. Just make sure you put in a grass for your zone that is draught tolerant if you do not have irrigation.

 

[ovrszd]

I planted a yard 3 times before, I finally got off my wallet and bought real grass seed. The $300 a bag seed. It came up in two weeks and we have a 10 acre “yard.” Wife, I only want a couple of acres…..famous last words.
I have found for “yard” work, a cutter head disk set, landscape rake, a chainlink fence gate drag, pretty much gets you there. I use a sporting clays cart altered for fencing and spraying with a 75 pound pull spreader works well.
My House 18” disk set is a real heavy frame, disk set. 3rd pass is down to the axles in very hard clay.
Here Tifton #9 is a very good pasture grass and makes a decent yard. Just make sure you put in a grass for your zone that is draught tolerant if you do not have irrigation.

I built a harrow drag using a cattle panel. Piece of steel pipe fastened across the front to pull from. 3 old truck tires fastened on top of it for weight.

 

[fishdrivel]

If the area doesn’t get adequate sunlight you will likely be disappointed in whatever you do. My attempts with ‘shade tolerant’ varieties hasn’t been good. An expensive lesson with sod once.

Shade in the southeast can be very shady!
Here in Georgia I have been seeing a lot of sod go down that is not suited for the conditions.
Also seeing sod go down without any prep - same as North Carolina.
People tend to look at Licensed Landscape Contractors the same as gardeners. What do they expect to happen?

I remember knocking on a clients door in NC and a gentleman answered. I introduced myself and he turned and yelled to wife, "Edith, your yard boy's here!" I left without further adieu.....

Retired now, I still remember how much fun it was trying to educate people who are not listening!

 

[kenmbz]

I only use fertilizer for specific plants and of course garden/crops.
On a hill and try not to have runoff to pollute the local waterways.
A soil sample will allow you to focus rather than just dump stuff.

Good luck with the lawn, gravel in soil can be a pain.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

No worries there. My wife plants plenty of flowers for the Rabbits. She's not a "killer" but she'd sure like to kill off a few rabbits each Summer. When I tell her "rabbits gotta eat" I get the look. You know the one.

 

[Torvy]

^funny. My wife, years ago, bought me a .177 1100 fps Crossman to handle the rabbits in her garden.

The garden could be considered bait for rabbit hunting.