grass in backyard questions
We have a typical-sized backyard for an attached townhouse in Brooklyn. Our house is on the South side of the street. We want grass. A few questions: 1) sod or seed? 2) what type of grass should we get? 3) our yard was previously completely full of weeds that could reach shoulder-high. We pulled them out at the end of last Summer / Fall, and now through the winter it’s been bare soil with a few small patches of weeds. Any magic tricks to keep the weeds at bay? There’s a very large tree in our rear neighbor’s yard that provides a lot of shade, so the back half of the yard is almost always shaded, and the half closer to the house gets partial light. Thanks!
ps158
in Garden 8 years and 3 months ago
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16 replies
ejcarroll | 1 year and 3 months ago
My “money no object” neighbor had artificial turf installed in his brownstone house yard some years ago no doubt as had young kids that would be tough on a natural grass yard. I was skeptical but it still looks great even after regular heavy use by his kids.
bedfly | 1 year and 3 months ago
When it comes to installing a natural, native grass lawn, the decision between seed or sod will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Both options have their own advantages and disadvantages:
Seed: Planting grass seed is generally less expensive than sod, and it allows you to choose from a variety of native grasses that are well-suited to your area. However, it does take longer for grass seed to establish and mature, and it requires consistent watering and maintenance during the establishment period.
Sod: Installing sod allows for an immediate lawn, it can also be more expensive than seed and it is not as customizable as seed. But it establishes quickly and requires less maintenance during the establishment period.
As for the type of grass you should get, it’s best to research the types of grass that are native to your region and to consult with a local nursery or landscape professional. Some examples of native grasses in North America include:
Little Bluestem
Indian Grass
Blue Grama
Side-oats Grama
Switchgrass
Buffalo Grass
These are just a few examples, de pending on your area, there might be more options that are adapted to your specific climate and weather conditions.
bedfly | 1 year and 3 months ago
When it comes to installing a natural, native grass lawn, the decision between seed or sod will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Both options have their own advantages and disadvantages:
Seed: Planting grass seed is generally less expensive than sod, and it allows you to choose from a variety of native grasses that are well-suited to your area. However, it does take longer for grass seed to establish and mature, and it requires consistent watering and maintenance during the establishment period.
Sod: Installing sod allows for an immediate lawn, it can also be more expensive than seed and it is not as customizable as seed. But it establishes quickly and requires less maintenance during the establishment period.
As for the type of grass you should get, it’s best to research the types of grass that are native to your region and to consult with a local nursery or landscape professional. Some examples of native grasses in North America include:
Little Bluestem
Indian Grass
Blue Grama
Side-oats Grama
Switchgrass
Buffalo Grass
These are just a few examples, de pending on your area, there might be more options that are adapted to your specific climate and weather conditions.
bklyngirl | 8 years and 2 months ago
As an owner who also likes grass but cannot grow it because of 2 tremendous shade trees in 2 surrounding yards, I can only say good luck. We have seeded, sodded, babied, ripped out, put in new soil, drainage etc. Unless you can find miracle grass you will have patchy grass that is not useful for lying in or walking across. As for weeds, they suck any nutrients out of the soil and that is why they take hold and… well.. grow like weeds. Maybe you should consider plans B. – pavers or bluestones or plan C. fake grass because I think unless you get the Gardeners from Augusta you are going to be doing more work that enjoying your yard.
neweco | 8 years and 3 months ago
Artificial Turf gets my vote!
NeoGrec | 8 years and 3 months ago
Watering the backyard from late Spring through mid Fall effectively doubles our water bill. Bear in mind our yard is about 65 ft deep and heavily planted. We have two soaker hose circuits; each one goes on every other day for 90 minutes in the early morning. Not sure what kind of artificial turf our neighbors used but there are more and more options available. They wash it down regularly with a garden hose to keep it clean.
Lurker | 8 years and 3 months ago
I went through this last year and have had some success with drought and shade tolerant grass from Lowes and Depot, not using any fertilizer. We stripped what was there?weeds, grass, bulbs, plants?screened out a large amount of rocks (though rocks rae good for allowing water to flow), leveled it, then sprinkled seed that takes like a week or so to germinate. The issue is once the process starts with a seed you can’t miss a watering before it germinates or it dies. So half the grass lived and half died after I missed watering for a day when I was out of town. The advice of putting in a comprehensive sprinkler system is smart. Then I tried quick-grow grass, which is softer and meant to be temporary. It worked a charm, but it died off during the heat wave of last summer, however it at least kept moisture levels in the soil and dust down, which was a problem mid-summer–the soil bakes and blows away and water evaporates off in minutes. Then I reseeded at end of season with regular fescue/kentucky blue grass mix and it rooted perfectly and has lasted through the winter. There’s a couple thin areas which I’ll hit with seed early spring but the key was: lots of water, early and often. At high summer I watered for 10 minutes at least 3 times a day. After the grass grows and has rooted it’s much more forgiving, but those first several weeks you have to baby it, especially in the heat of summer, and keep your seeds wet. Birds are a hassle too. The nice thing is, with a postage stamp yard you can actually pull any weeds as they grow and really prevent their spread. I have almost no weeds at all.
ps158 | 8 years and 3 months ago
Thanks all for your great input. NeoGrec – Do you know what kind of artificial turf? August – Someone had suggested clover to us. Seems a good option. livingthedream – How much more do you think the auto sprinkler adds to your water bill in the summer? I like the sprinkler idea since it could potentially also keep the 3 stray cats that love our backyard away.
livingthedreamingreenpoint | 8 years and 3 months ago
Sod or seed will both work, but whatever you decide make sure to put in an automatic sprinkler system. We tried and failed with sod and seed, then my husband put in a sprinkler system himself for around $100-$200\. The timer allows you to control how many times a day and for how long it gets watered. Viola – perfect grass.