Can't grow grass and don't know why?
by
PJ Kelley
Area in back yard that's been seeded numerous times and twice had sod put down. Always goes back to dirt (and mud when it rains). Any suggestions?
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What procedure did you do to plant the seed?
The birds might be eating the seeds! Cover the area aftrer you seed and observe.
I've had this problem too, for years, & had to remedy what I could from the list below. Good luck!
Possibilities:
1. It may be too shaded to get enough sun. (Ours was in one spot.)
2. Depending on where you are, it may be too hot and sunny for that type of grass. There are sooo many kinds!
3. There may be soil elements that are working against you, like:
• too hard packed, like ours, hard clay, (incorporate compost and peat?)
• too sandy, (incorporate compost)
• too acid (like under pine trees)
• chemical leeching, especially if lazy builders buried their trash under a layer of soil in that area.
• too little nutrients in the soil (there are several critical kinds & you need to know what's missing and in what proportions, so use a yet kit. )
• insects in that area eating the roots
• There may be a tree in that vicinity, like our crabapple or the neighbor's river birch, that sucks up every drop of moisture.
• Once everything else is solved, you have to water enough (but not too much) twice a day (unless it rains) until the plants have established strong roots, then cut back and water deeply, a couple of times a week, depending on local conditions and the kind of grass you're growing.
After the first few months, if it's growing well, it's just a matter of maintaining the lawn by feeding and weeding properly, watering as needed, and mowing properly, never cutting off more than one third of the grass blades & keeping the mower blade sharp to cut, not tear them off.
I'm sure this isn't an exhaustive list. Just exhausting, right?
Go to your nearest plant nursery or big box home improvement center and get a soil test kit. Use that, according to pkg directions, to see what's going on with your soil in that spot. Once you have the results, you should talk to a knowledgeable person in your area, show them the results, and ask them where to start. Local experts are the best source of information to solve problems that arise where you are. Every area has unique issues, even from neighborhood to neighborhood!