Sooo...
Perhaps a little fertilizer, pest management, and good watering practices aren't going to fix your problem
You have a total weed patch...
Or it's died completely, or never existed at all...Seeding, sodding, or reseeding are your best options. Never fear, it's not as bad or expensive as it sounds. I'd like to point out that before you get on the Big Lawn Bandwagon, you should read my piece on lawn alternatives--it's got nothing to do with spray painting grass or astro-turf.
I could write a very lengthy article on this subject, but in the interest of your time and mine I'll give you a link to the best piece of info on Turf In Wyoming there is:
It is well written, easy to understand, and it has good pictures. It covers everything from what type of turf to buy, seeding, sodding, reseeding, application rates for fertilizers, and all kinds of other little tidbits.
My husband and I will be reseeding our whole lawn this year, probably the first or second week of May. We have decided to go this route because our lawn is mostly pasture grass and not all that fun to walk on in bare feet. We have a pretty awesome crop of dandelions, clover, alfalfa, and crabgrass. I personally like to have a little clover in the lawn because it helps it to be a little hardier, especially if you have pets. We will be adding a small amount of clover into our new lawn too.
I'll take lots of pictures of the whole process and let you know what I've learned. Out of personal preference, we bought IFA's Quick Green Premium Grass Seed, along with their brand of starter fertilizer and bag of Ironite. Even though I'm not a huge fan of lawns, I'm excited for this project, and I actually think it's going to be pretty fun.
True to form, here is a list to help you decide if you want to reseed or not:
1. Have you already tried a season of good lawn care basics and been unimpressed with the results? Properly caring for your lawn will encourage the growth of good types of grasses and choke out the unwanted kinds. If you don't already practice good lawn care, or hire someone who does it for you, your next lawn will be a disaster too.
2. Do you love mowing, watering, and caring for a lawn? If not, why are you planting a new one? You can still have a green, lush and beautiful yard with little to no grass. This can be especially attractive if you have and love dogs, who are notorious for ruining lawns.
3. Consider the actual function of your yard, is it a playground? a multipurpose room? a used car lot? or a show piece? This might help you determine the areas that truly need reseeding, and places where a hard scape or other type of landscaping would be more suitable. Now is the time to seize the opportunity to put in that raised bed garden you've been dreaming of, or to create a beautiful outdoor living room, or to put in a gravel area to park your four wheelers and camper.
Enough on Turf.
I saw a Blue Bird today, and that can only mean one thing. Spring has truly come to Wyoming. The Cranes and Geese are the early warning signs; but once you see Blue Bird, there is no turning back, Spring is here. That doesn't mean we won't get a few more snow showers and hard freezes, but the days are getting warmer and summer is on it's way. You'll know Summer is on it's way when you hear Kill Deer and Meadow Larks out in force.
Also, the first and second weeks of May are time to start putting out your Hummingbird feeders. So start getting them out of storage and ready to go, or purchase some if you want to attract them to your yard this year. Remember the food mix is 1 part sugar to 3 parts water, and a little red food coloring if you like. These little guys need lots of energy, and they are a delight to watch. We have several different species that come to The Valley and it is a lot of fun to see who your "regulars" are. A couple of notes on Hummingbirds: don't substitute the sugar for anything else when you are making their food, don't leave your feeders out past the second week of August, and remember to clean them often to prevent the spread of disease.
What would you like to learn about next week? Send me some feedback. Don't forget the Container Gardening Workshop on May 4th @ 6pm in the Mountain View Library.
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