# Is my lawn even worth tilling?



## joeyboy (Apr 10, 2007)

Oh I should add that I'm doing this to basically restart my lawn. I'm going to do a roundup application, wait until it's safe, then do the tilling (or raking) of amendments, then seed the entire lawn (bahia probably, I'm in central FL on the gulf coast).


----------



## HiFi (Jul 27, 2007)

Another idea would be not to till it but to add soil over the top of the old one loose soil mixed with the things U mentioned.This will save the tree and will allow u to do the criops.But I have a question does the tree block the sun?


----------



## joeyboy (Apr 10, 2007)

it blocks it during the afternoon... I'd say it's canopy covers ~25% of the backyard maybe. But the spots under it get light before and after noon, as the houses to the east/west of the tree aren't tall/close enough to block most of the light. The grass there won't get as much light, but I think it'll be enough (using bahia btw).


----------



## joeyboy (Apr 10, 2007)

you said to just top dress over the old loose soil - that's the problem, the current soil,despite being almost totally sand (sugar sand they call it I think), isn't easy to break through (thatch I'd guess, but I'm new to this). 

I'm thinking that if I don't use a tiller, I really can't do any thick top dressing, since it'll need to be worked into the soil naturally (rain), and not mechanically. (for the top dressing I'm thinking peat moss and manure/compost. I have a bunch of bags of both, figured i'd mix them (any recommendations on ratios?) and mix in some slow(er) release fertilizer, like milorganite. And then put an extra thin layer of peat moss on top of my seeds once they're spread).


----------



## joeyboy (Apr 10, 2007)

Well, did it up today. 

I was using 1 cubic foot (or is it yard? damnit) of peat moss mixed with 40lbs compost/manure. I mixed them together in the wheelbarrow, and gave my lawn maybe a 1/4"-1/2" top dressing. Used the rotary spreader to spread a starter fertilizer (I blended scotts and vigoro's as I had both on hand), and then spread my bermudagrass seeds. Watered afterwards, and it's been lightly raining, so that should keep them good.


Will keep watering lightly / frequently til they establish, then infrequenlty/heavily once established, to promote deep root development. I'll link to the showcase subforum once the lawn's actually grown :wink:


----------

