I have been quite unsuccessful trying to get my lawn to look decent since I bought the house nearly
4 years ago. I dont have money for a landscaper. Below are links to pictures that I took.

The first pic shows these clover-like things growing in patches.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn1.jpg

This next one shows leafy type growth for a big part of the lawn
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn2.jpg

This is a picture of the entire lawn. It is very wavy and unlevel.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn3.jpg



For a short term fix. is there a way to get rid of those growths described above so that they are
gone forever and replace with grass?

Is it just better to rip it all up and start new? As I said, i cannot afford landscaping services
right now but if I have to hire one guy to rip it up and level it, what would that cost on Long
Island, NY? Once it is leveled, I could probably seed it myself or get a friend to help me.

I am looking for constructive answers please. Do not reply that if I want something done, I have to
pay a pro to do it. That isnt true. I installed hi hats, re-wired my house with new power and light
switches, remodeled most of my bathroom and did plenty of other things without paying a pro. I am
pretty good at doing things. I just dont have a green thumb. Thanks.

Tony

In Tony
wrote:

I have been quite unsuccessful trying to get my lawn to look decent
since I bought the house nearly 4 years ago. I dont have money for a
landscaper.

Unless you want to do landscaping, you don't hire a landscaper.

If you don't want to invest the time and labor to fix your lawn
yourself, there are probably dozens of lawn services in your phone book
who will be glad to work on your lawn for a nominal fee.


--
Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN

I dont mind doing the landscaping, whatever it takes. I just want to be able to do it right without
too many mistakes. That is why I am asking those out there who dont mind sharing their knowledge. I
am a compuer consultant and have written tons of posts on how to fix computer problems at no charge.
That is how online communities work.

Tony


On 28 Jun 2008 16:40:02 GMT, Bert Hyman wrote:

In Tony
wrote:

I have been quite unsuccessful trying to get my lawn to look decent
since I bought the house nearly 4 years ago. I dont have money for a
landscaper.

Unless you want to do landscaping, you don't hire a landscaper.

If you don't want to invest the time and labor to fix your lawn
yourself, there are probably dozens of lawn services in your phone book
who will be glad to work on your lawn for a nominal fee.

Thanks for the tip George. I will try it and let you know how it turns out. If anyone has any other
suggestions, feel free to chime in.

Tony



On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:25:11 +0200 (CEST), George Orwell wrote:

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:20:41 -0400, Tony wrote:

For a short term fix. is there a way to get rid of those growths described
above so that they are
gone forever and replace with grass?

Try applying some Scotts Turf Builder with Plus 2 Weed Control. It's
available dry in a bag or in a bottle you attach to a hose. I've used the
kind you attach to the hose. Be sure to read the directions. It will
solve a lot of your problems.

In article ,
Tony wrote:

I have been quite unsuccessful trying to get my lawn to look decent since I
bought the house nearly

When I look at those photos, I don't see lawn. I see clover, and bunch
of weeds that have been mowed. I also see a base that looks more like
pit-run gravel than turf or loam.

I'd kill it with weed killer, then pull up the top layer and haul it
out. Then bring in about 5 inches of good topsoil. Put down sod in
the front, and see the rest. Water it good. Or take the opportunity
to put in sprinklers.

Big project. Probably take a month or more. Take some time to come
up with an overall landscaping plan. You may be able to put in some
kind of scene in front with timbers and wood chips that makes your
house look like a million bucks, and cut down on the amount of lawn
that you have to take care of.

-john-

--
================================================== ====================
John A. Weeks III 612-720-2854
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ====================

Tony wrote:

I have been quite unsuccessful trying to get my lawn to look decent
since I bought the house nearly 4 years ago. I dont have money for a
landscaper. Below are links to pictures that I took.

The first pic shows these clover-like things growing in patches.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn1.jpg

That looks like white clover to me. Lots of people plant it on purpose.
Lots of other people hate it. If you don't like it, spray it with an
herbicide that lists clover on the label.

This next one shows leafy type growth for a big part of the lawn
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn2.jpg

I don't recoginize this one, but it will probably be controlled by a wide
spectrum broadleaf weed killer. Take a sample to a real nursery and ask
for help. Buy the weed killer there, even though it costs a dollar more,
as thanks for the help.

This is a picture of the entire lawn. It is very wavy and unlevel.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn3.jpg

I don't see any waviness, but it might be hidden by the shadows.

If you're talking about uneven grass, sharpen your lawnmower blade, and
mow it twice in different directions. You'll get a pattern like a baseball
diamond.

If the soil is uneven, you'll have to make some decisions. You can fill in
the low spots with sand or topsoil, but don't put on more than 1/2" at a
time or you'll kill the grass. Once the grass has grown through, you can
put on another 1/2". If its *really* uneven, you'll have lower the high
spots. I hope you like shoveling :-)

For a short term fix. is there a way to get rid of those growths
described above so that they are gone forever and replace with grass?

In general, the best thing you can do is fertilize and water regularly.
The grass will tend to crowd out most weeds. Thick grass will keep the sun
off the soil so weed seeds won't germinate.

Use weed killers as needed, but don't overuse them. I like to put them
only on the weeds using a hand-held sprayer. The chemicals will go
farther, and less will make it into streams.

Is it just better to rip it all up and start new? As I said, i cannot
afford landscaping services right now but if I have to hire one guy to
rip it up and level it, what would that cost on Long Island, NY? Once
it is leveled, I could probably seed it myself or get a friend to help
me.

Starting over from scratch is almost always more work than any other
method.

Your yard looks pretty good to me. Grass doesn't like shade, so trimming
the trees might help.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

In article ,
Tony wrote:
I have been quite unsuccessful trying to get my lawn to look decent since I
bought the house nearly
4 years ago. I dont have money for a landscaper. Below are links to pictures
that I took.

The first pic shows these clover-like things growing in patches.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn1.jpg

This next one shows leafy type growth for a big part of the lawn
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn2.jpg

If you don't mind cheating a bit, there's an easy way to deal with those
two problems. They key is to note that (1) the unwanted plants are
plants that it is conceivable someone would actually grow on
purpose--they look oK, (2) they have pretty much taken over the spots
where they are growing, and (3) those spots seem to be near boundaries
where it would not be surprising to purposefully have something that
wasn't just more lawn.

So, what you do is stop mowing those sections. Mow right up to them,
and put a nice sharp edge around them. Maybe even put in some
decorative barrier between them and the lawn. If anyone asks, you claim
you planted those sections on purpose.

Result: you've turned what was one lawn with two bad weed infestations
into one slightly smaller lawn with two lovely garden patches (and
you've reduce the amount of lawn you have to mow).

--
--Tim Smith

"Tony" wrote in message
...
I have been quite unsuccessful trying to get my lawn to look decent since
I bought the house nearly

I would NOT tear it up and start over. Use some weed killer, 2-4-D,
sometimes known as weed-b-gone. The most cost effective way is to buy the
concentrate and a plastic pump sprayer rather than the pre-mixed,
ready-to-use squirt bottles. Then you can spot treat only where necessary.
Probably need to hit the clover more than once. The clover will also come
back next year since it is flowering right now and going to seed so you'll
have to do it again in a few months or next year.

That will take care of the clover and what looks like plantain. The Turfs
with weed killer would probably get on your hostas (near picture 2) if
you're not careful and kill them so probably best to stay away from that.

Note that things will turn an ugly brown when the weeds die, but that's part
of the process.

Looks like you need some basic fertilizer to get things to fill in also. Any
basic fertilizer will do, especially if you are on a budget. No need for
brand name stuff like Scotts.

To level things out a bit, you can topdress with compost. Just a little at a
time so you don't smother things. The trick is to use something fluffy that
falls between the blades of grass. Regular topsoil/loam is a bit too heavy
for this. Don't use straight peat moss either. Might take a few applications
a few weeks apart in spot areas depending upon how deep the depression is.

These are pretty simple low cost steps.

-al sung
Rapid Realm Technology, Inc.
Hopkinton, MA
(Zone 6a)

In article , wrote:
I have been quite unsuccessful trying to get my lawn to look decent since I
bought the house nearly
4 years ago. I dont have money for a landscaper. Below are links to pictures
that I took.

The first pic shows these clover-like things growing in patches.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn1.jpg

This next one shows leafy type growth for a big part of the lawn
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn2.jpg

This is a picture of the entire lawn. It is very wavy and unlevel.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/e...1783/lawn3.jpg



For a short term fix. is there a way to get rid of those growths described
above so that they are
gone forever and replace with grass?

Is it just better to rip it all up and start new? As I said, i cannot afford
landscaping services
right now but if I have to hire one guy to rip it up and level it, what would
that cost on Long
Island, NY? Once it is leveled, I could probably seed it myself or get a
friend to help me.

I am looking for constructive answers please. Do not reply that if I want
something done, I have to
pay a pro to do it. That isnt true. I installed hi hats, re-wired my house with
new power and light
switches, remodeled most of my bathroom and did plenty of other things without
paying a pro. I am
pretty good at doing things. I just dont have a green thumb. Thanks.

Tony

I don't think my lawn looks that bad. Under trees its difficult. I tried planting on some
heavily laiden wood chip earth, but seems the PH is too high were some stumps were.
I don't bother with fertilizers so I don't have to mow the lawn as often, but ending up doing it for
the tall spots and the large backyard. I'm thinking fertilizer and weed killers. is that a problem ?

I hate so called Lawn companies that spray and kill earth worms. Can't have a good healthy lawn with out
earth worms. In out old neighbor hood the whole thing was almost completely rid of earth worms
after Chemlawn.

greg