Advice for new lawn that's sick in patches

Hi all, We put in a small lawn (9×25) in May. It was lawn sod and initially seemed to be doing okay. Now there are quite a few dry or dead patches and some actual holes. I think the main problem is cats. There are quite a few feral cats in the neighborhood and our immediate neighbor feeds them, so they pass through the yard frequently and leave gifts.” (I’ve asked her not to stop feeding them. She refuses.) I know we eventually have to put up some kind of motion-activated sprinkler to deter cat activity — we need to extend the water for our garden hose out through our boilerroom/vestibule to the yard first. However, in the meantime I wonder is there any kind of lawn fertilizer, or food we can put down to encourage new growth? I’ve also tried one of those kits for lawn patches with the seeds, fertilizer etc all in it, to no avail. We water every night. I know it’s supposed to be better to do during in the morning, but we both leave really early for work. If anyone out there has dealt with a similar problem, I would love to hear how you solved it, or dealt with it. Thanks.

est

in About Brooklyn 12 years and 4 months ago

9

Please log in, in order to post replies!

9 replies

Newest Oldest

BobMarvin | 12 years and 4 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5188 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5176 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(3) "802"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(9) "BobMarvin"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(63) "$wp$2y$10$vXcETAGfbklfbxLqBuZOwe9SvZukjLn11bfJ4K5tk7sYEGuWi6OGW"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(9) "bobmarvin"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(17) "marvbej@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(31) "http:///forums/users/bobmarvin/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2006-09-08 23:16:42"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(10) "Bob Marvin"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(802)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(3) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["SPF Manage Forums"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(5) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["SPF Manage Forums"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

” Our yard faces north so it doesn’t get full sun all day, so there might be something there. ” I tried growing a lawn in my north garden for about 35 years. Some summers I had fairly good results, but as the trees grew and I had more and more shade it got worse and most grass was gone by . midsummer. Four years ago I put down cedar mulch over landscape cloth. IMO it looks much better. The stuff lasted a few years and I didn’t have to add a substantial amount until this spring. Gravel would be longer lasting, but you couldn’t comfortably walk barefoot on it.

JoeBushwick | 12 years and 4 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5186 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5189 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(4) "6248"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(11) "JoeBushwick"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BOa5jIrDGE2zbFff.2ZiwWLZLfe7f//"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(11) "joebushwick"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(16) "jec344@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(53) "http://bstoner.wpengine.com/forums/users/joebushwick/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:13:44"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(11) "JoeBushwick"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(6248)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

I planted a lawn from seed in my shady backyard and here are a couple of thoughts. First – the motion sensing sprinkler completely solved my feral cat problem. I bought one on-line for about $40 Second – sod needs lots of water – I’m not sure how you could be watering it enought without a hose, sprinkler and outdoor spigot. Third – the soil in your yard is the most important thing to getting any sort of grass to grow. If you put sod on top of hard, compacted soil there is very little likelyhood that it will survive. Fourth – if you have a shady yard, using sod or seed that is specifically formulated for shade will give you a much better chance of getting a decent lawn Fifth – I don’t obsess over having a perfectly green carpet. It is not a golf course but with some care you should be able to get acceptable patch of grass to grow Last – grass, especially recently planted seed can not take a lot of traffic. If you want a play area for your kids you may need to put down some sort of rubber matts or mulch and leave the grassy area for only occassional walking or sitting.

est | 12 years and 4 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5187 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5190 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "176831"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(3) "est"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BLcG2vDgpmAMzeMqnz4WwXYhaT5/zG0"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(3) "est"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(20) "niamhring1@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(18) "/forums/users/est/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:25:50"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(3) "est"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(176831)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Hi all, Thanks for the responses. I’ve seen cats relieving themselves, or scared them off as they’re finishing. I get up at or before dawn, so often see them out the window. We pick up anywhere from 6 to 10 piles of the stuff a week. And we’ve seen a lot of evidence of digging. I’ll give you that based on the size of some of it, it’s not all cats. A small portion of it is probably raccoons attracted by the food left out for cats. But I’ve only seen one racoon this summer, while the cats are always around. Our yard faces north so it doesn’t get full sun all day, so there might be something there. We were hoping to get a couple of years out the lawn while the kids were still young, but I am starting to think slate or some other solution is necessary. Will talk to a landscaper in the meantime. Thanks again.

JimmyLegs | 12 years and 4 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5188 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5191 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(3) "758"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(9) "JimmyLegs"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BdVgLGmbDmeNAztFpXgbAuw4ox5EQi1"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(14) "jimmy-legs-2-2"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(19) "jimmy@jimmylegs.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(25) "/forums/users/jimmy-legs/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-17 21:38:39"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(10) "Jimmy Legs"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(758)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

as catbk says, cats don’t usually just pop a squat right in the middle of an open lawn, are you seeing actual evidence of this? we have a feral colony and they really prefer to dig in open soil. the only thing you might experience is male cats spraying to mark territory, but this is usually on vertical surfaces like fences.

NeoGrec | 12 years and 4 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5190 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5186 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(4) "1741"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(7) "NeoGrec"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BOvBZSSoDDccMCffw1igzkiT0t5s1D."
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(7) "neogrec"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(21) "rparr@randomhouse.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(36) "http:///forums/users/grandarmyredux/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 13:46:16"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(7) "NeoGrec"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(1741)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

I tried for about 6 years to maintain a lawn: laid sod twice; over-seeded bare patches multiple times; ripped up the sod and started from scratch with seed. All to no avail. Having good sun and drainage are key, key issues. Also the quality of the soil you’re sewing seed in or laying sod on top of. This spring I finally replaced the lawn with bluestone gravel. I love the look and we’re saving on water.

catbk | 12 years and 4 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5187 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5192 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "180043"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(5) "catbk"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(63) "$wp$2y$10$o0hJt6uTwXiWYh1dk7xhJuy08/OnhZvxjmCTBRfyeTxMiTpfYpV6y"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(5) "catbk"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(17) "marsvi0let@me.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(24) "/forums/users/stonergut/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:05:28"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(5) "catbk"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(180043)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Cats aren’t often going to pee in the middle of open space, or poop there either. They’re more apt to go in enclosed spaces or along fence lines, under plants, etc. If you’re not smelling pee, there probably isn’t any. Sod isn’t usually a great solution, and it often fails. In many years, I have only ever seen a single area where it’s succeeded, and that’s a yard with bright sun, part day shade, water and a gardener/maintenance staff. Make sure your grass is fed appropriately, watered appropriately and where it’s faded or made holes, add some seed and/or add soil. You might want to consult a landscaper or a gardener about it. Many Brooklyn back yards just can’t support grass lawns. As far as the cats crossing your yard are concerned, any noisy thing – a fan, a wind chime, or as you mentioned a motion sensitive watering system would work fine.

est | 12 years and 4 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5188 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5193 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "176831"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(3) "est"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BLcG2vDgpmAMzeMqnz4WwXYhaT5/zG0"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(3) "est"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(20) "niamhring1@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(18) "/forums/users/est/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:25:50"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(3) "est"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(176831)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Thanks for your response. I’ve tried cayenne pepper and fox urine spray, and something called Repel on smaller areas in the past with little success. Others have suggested trapping the cats and bringing them to be fixed, but I can’t really get into that since there are so many. But maybe I’ll try the pepper again. I have tried to explain to the neighbor that she’s not just feeding two or three,” which is what she says. If you put out bowls, I’ve seen up to five out there — word gets around.

argylerd | 12 years and 4 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5190 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5194 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "43760"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(8) "argylerd"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(8) "argylerd"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(21) "morrissacks@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 13:34:05"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(8) "argylerd"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(43760)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(0) {
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Try cayenne pepper on the lawn to deter cats.

est | 12 years and 4 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#5193 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5187 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "176831"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(3) "est"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BLcG2vDgpmAMzeMqnz4WwXYhaT5/zG0"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(3) "est"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(20) "niamhring1@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(18) "/forums/users/est/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:25:50"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(3) "est"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(176831)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

My post should say I asked neighbor TO STOP feeding. Multitasking this morning.