"Country" Grass improvement

[TimC]

My yard currently consists of 3 acres of what I call "Country" grass. Basically it is a mixture of various grasses, weeds, etc that are green and I mow them. When I moved in 3 years ago, the grass was thicker with fewer bare spots and it has deteriorated each year since. All I have ever done is mowed it and let mother nature take care of the watering. I don't have any grazing animals, but I do have 2 dogs that do what dogs do on the grass.

I am looking for a cost-effective (less than a few hundred $$$) method of improving the grass. I don't care about a lush green lawn, but a few less bare spots and a little thicker vegitation would be nice. My soil is largely clay, slightly sandy in some spots. Most of the bare spots are of the clay variety. Anyone have any suggestions? I'd conscider only improving the ~1 acre around the house if a more labor or $$ intensive solution was necessary.

Thanks
Tim

 

[Egon]

Get a PH test and lime accordingly. Overseed with grass of your choice and rake well. Add some fertilizer. Mow it at least 4 inches high. Have patience and await results.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto on the soil test. You can get them at a local ag extension office.. OR for about 5$ at many farm stores.. either the send in kind.. or the ones that you mix up in the little vials and look at a color chart .. The home ones are not as accurate.. but are close enough.

Amend your soil as needed.. perhaps then drag the area.. overseed, and drag again.. water if needed... keep up on the mowing. Most weeds are 'cured' by a few years of judicious mowing.

overseed and drag in as needed on a year to year base. Spot seed and rake the bare areas.

( peletized lime is easy to spread.. but more expensive than dusty hi-cal powdered lime... but dusty hi-cal lime is cheap.... don't breathe it or get in your eyes!~!! ).. you can also go get crushed limerock from a quarry.. probably a few bucks for a pickup truck load ( 18$ / ton ).. and shovel that out.

not as good as peleted lime.. but WAY cheaper..

soundguy

 

[RobJ]

All I have ever done is mowed it and let mother nature take care of the watering.

But this is still important. You can get the soil just right, fertilize, and nothing will grow without water. Few years back we added a flower bed up at the weekend place. I told my wife to hold off a week until I put in a sprinkler system. Nothing would live if I didn't. We are on a sandy/clay hill, hardly anything sticks. I've limed, top soiled, etc. The pics below I think are from 2005. The year before we went through rain, no rain. My yard died and came back at least 3 times. In 2007 we had decent rain but I still watered the plants, some are under the eaves a bit. In the pics you can see the spray line of water/no water. I can hold good common Bermuda with the water. Junk everywhere else and I spray the weeds a couple times a year.

First pic back in 2005, just after the sprinkler system.
Second pics 10/2007. You can see the part I maintain, fertilize, and water around the house. Even thought this year we got some water.
Third pic, again 10/2007, you can see where the water will puddle and collect, nice green grass there.

Good Luck,
Rob

 

[4720 OWNER]

Offer local cow to come over and get fed red clover seeds. Seeds go thru and plant and compost themselves.

Looks awful sandy, compost, compost, and then a little more compost. Rabbit is nice. Year old chicken bedding and manure (lots of nitrogen when fresh).

Had a section of field like this and it would barely support sand burrs. Added about 2' Yes, feet of compost and now it comes up very lush as a pasture. Mostly cow, but some horse and sheep. Where the chicken manure went the Sudan grass grew to about 8 feet tall!! Now even the gophers like to hang out in this field. Gives the dog something to do in her spare time.

Now you have to figure out how much to add balanced on how much time cutting the grass. Do not pick up the clippings unless have to.

 

[thatguy]

I remember reading that sometimes the bare spot soil is just bad soil that will never get better no matter how much you amend it.. So you need to dig it out and replace it with fresh topsoil

Brian

 

[wushaw]

I would use whatever native seed/grass that is used in your area after you do your soil testing so it has a better chance of surviving.

 

[RobJ]

I remember reading that sometimes the bare spot soil is just bad soil that will never get better no matter how much you amend it.. So you need to dig it out and replace it with fresh topsoil

Brian

I have one of those, just in front of that tree. I've plowed, BBed dirt out, seeded, fertilized...Nothing. Not even weeds.

First pic 2007, second pic 2004

 

[TimC]

Thanks for the advise so far. I'll definitely get the soil test and go from there. My biggest problem with watering is that it'd be quite a chore to water all three acres, or even 1 right around the house. I can always hope that this drought we're having breaks this spring.

 

[Tig]

My yard is part of what we call the Greely desert. We have sandy clay and less rain than the "valley" which begins three miles north. It will not support much life without care. I aerate, mow (at least 4") and fertilize lightly with agricultural fertilizer (cheap). At 150lbs/acre the cost is about $70. 2-3 times in spring 18-18-18, same rate in fall but the fertilizer is something like 6 27 27 (not sure).
Not a very scientific approach but it seems to work with minimal labour and cost.
Soil test sounds like a good idea.