GRASS!

[Gomer Simpson]

I got the lawn completely tilled over the weekend. I have not gotten it seeded yet. The grass in the backyard was pretty sparse, so it's really just fresh, clean dirt that I'm working with. The front yard had much thicker grass and as a result there are clumps of grass on top of the dirt. I'm not sure whether I should seed asap or wait a couple of days in hopes that those clumps will die off. I need to figure out a way to flatten the soil. I know that you can get rollers that pull behind tractors, but I don't have a tractor of any variety. I'm not sure if you can get one that can be pushed or even if it would be heavy enough to do a good job. Any further advice is appreciated.

[Truth Detector]

[Gomer Simpson]

Why the shock? I said I was gonna.

[flyingpylon]

Somebody else probably knows better, but I don't think you want to use a roller on your yard. That compacts the soil, and compacted soil isn't good for growing grass or anything else. Not saying it won't grow at all, just that you won't be doing yourself any favors.

[Gomer Simpson]

I can't really leave it lumpy, though. That's part of the reason I ripped it up to begin with. It was awful to walk on because it was so lumpy. When I took back the tiller this morning I asked about a push-roller. Hoosier Tools has them to rent for $25 a day. Apparently they get their weight from being filled with water.

[Frank Capua]

I can't really leave it lumpy, though. That's part of the reason I ripped it up to begin with. It was awful to walk on because it was so lumpy. When I took back the tiller this morning I asked about a push-roller. Hoosier Tools has them to rent for $25 a day. Apparently they get their weight from being filled with water.

You can fill them with concrete but then they are a pain to return.

[ZUL8TR]

After you compact with the roller, I'm guessing you will want to run an aerator.


Some guy in our neighborhood had someone churn up his entire yard. I didn't see what did it, but after it was done, the dirt was all smoothed out and looked really light and fluffed up. If you would have stepped on it, you would have sunk in.

[comfortably numb]

it's now come to this---Off Topics is as exciting as watching grass grow.
Only we are watching someone else's grass grow.

Frank, let us know when you are painting your bathroom.

[Gomer Simpson]

After you compact with the roller, I'm guessing you will want to run an aerator.

One of these might do the trick:

[Gomer Simpson]

it's now come to this---Off Topics is as exciting as watching grass grow.
Only we are watching someone else's grass grow.

I can add daily pictures, if that would help. We could probably do a time elapse so it looks like the grass is growing in a very short period of time.

[ZUL8TR]

.

[Gomer Simpson]

Wow. Yep, just like that.

[comfortably numb]

.

Nah, if you are going to aerate the holes gotta be bigger...

[Frank Capua]

If there was anyone who was gonna complain about the holes not being big enough... it was gonna be someone numb.

[comfortably numb]

Most holes...

[Truth Detector]

Why the shock? I said I was gonna.

That's a lot of work and you've got a lot more to go. How deep did you till?

I prefer to plant grass in the fall but you are committed!!!!

How much grading needs done?

[Gomer Simpson]

That's a lot of work and you've got a lot more to go. How deep did you till?

I worked on it about 9 hours on Sunday. I'm not sure exactly how deep it was. I'd guess about 8 inches.

I prefer to plant grass in the fall but you are committed!!!!

The house is a complete remodel, I have to be committed. I'd like to be done with it sometime this summer.

How much grading needs done?

It seems to be pretty well graded already. I wouldn't want to guess the degree, but it definitely slopes away from the house.

[lutesk]

Somebody else probably knows better, but I don't think you want to use a roller on your yard. That compacts the soil, and compacted soil isn't good for growing grass or anything else. Not saying it won't grow at all, just that you won't be doing yourself any favors.

I've rolled my yard for years and can honestly say I've never seen a benefit out out it; and yes, I aerated afterwards. Just seemed to make my yard rougher and bumpier. I'm not going to do a thing with it this year except mow. No fert, no weed killer. One of the finest lawns I've ever seen was the one where I took a power dethatcher and just tore it up to smithereens. Raked it all up and then power seeded. Two months later it was like I was at Crooked Stick.

[Truth Detector]

Can you put up a picture of the lawn? I'm curious how clumpy it is. Can you flatten/smooth it with a landscape rake?

[Gomer Simpson]

Can you put up a picture of the lawn? I'm curious how clumpy it is.

Certainly. I'll snap a picture on my way out the door in the morning.

Can you flatten/smooth it with a landscape rake?

Unfortunately not. That's what I did in the backyard and it smoothed out great. In the front yard the grass was pretty thick, though. There are grass clumps everywhere with the roots holding decent size amounts of dirt to them. All the rake does is move the clumps around. The soil underneath is great, but it would take way too much effort to remove all of the clumps.

[Truth Detector]

Hmmmm.....

Do you have a lawn tractor?

[Gomer Simpson]

I do not.

[Red Byrd]

How loose are we talking about here? Just sort of loose or would blow away in the wind loose?

[Gomer Simpson]

Loose enough that I can pick them up. They are a bit too heavy to blow away in the wind. I would say they average about 2-6" in diameter, 1-3" tall.

[Gomer Simpson]

[ZUL8TR]

Call the tool rental place and see if they have something to break all that mess up.

[Frank Capua]

Gomer didn't tell us he kept horses in his front yard...

[Gomer Simpson]

Call the tool rental place and see if they have something to break all that mess up.

Yeah, I think one of the spiked rollers will actually work pretty well. The soil is softer than it looks in that photo.

[RS2]

I mowed my grass yesterday with my new Viking lawnmower. It is funny that there is no throttle, it gives more gas as needed when going through thicker grass.

[ZUL8TR]

Go for a power aerator. Not some roller you have to push/pull.