Need advice on yard work Vol Do you take pride on your lawn?

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Dec 10, 2013
Alright fam, to me, there's nothing worse than having to cut your lawn on a weekly basis, especially when your lawn looks like ****! I'm talking weeds, dirt patches, dried out areas, the whole nine yards. I feel like I'd actually enjoy cutting if the land was level with luscious green grass. 

So my question is, do you take pride in your lawn? Do you have a lawn service that you pay monthly? Do you take care of your grass on your own? 

My girl's dad had one method which he did with his yard: Call up a company and pay for the service. After a few months, they should have tilled the ground and plant the seeds. After that just cancel the service and water the lawn yourself.

I wanna hear NT's input on it though and any recommendations you guys have. Also, I know it depends on the size of the yard, but does anyone have a general price for a sprinkler system? Is it a must?

I'm trying to get my lawn like this:

I want the grass greener on my side!
 
im not a home owner but yard work is a source of leisure for many people...my dad has a yard and he loves cutting, chopping, sawing, digging, gardening and all that jazz...

ill stop over every few weeks and cut the grass for him (he got a bad knee) and I've even found it to be somewhat relaxing. 

his neighbors pay for lawn service but i never understood why (at least for as small of a plot their house is on)...they could cut their grass in like 30-45 mins...their money doe
 
My neighbor is a landscaper, surprise win. Once I get more cash flow I'll get the necessities to do it myself.

If your a homeowner you should def take pride in a nice lawn.
 
There is a science to this. Things to take into account are -

- What region you live in
- How much sun your lawn gets
- What type of grass your growing

Different species of grass do better in certain regions and should be mowed to certain lengths.

You also have to worry about drainage and how well your soil drains water from rain or sprinklers.

Also, make sure to fertilize twice a year.

Aerating your lawn is also recommended depending on what species of grass you have.
 
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Wow, I had no idea how specific these factors are. Especially the length of the grass. 

And I'm saying, I would take leisure in cutting grass if the yard wasn't so bumpy and unpleasant to the eye!
 
You could always start fresh. Use a sod cutter to cut out the existing grass you have, and once you're down to only dirt you can level your lawn. You can also avoid future headaches and by adding an in ground drainage system. Then you can either reseed yourself, have it professionally seeded or hydro-seeded, or you can install rolls of sod.
 
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Man you know your stuff. I should do some research myself. Do you think it would be cheaper to do it myself? Or does the money for all the equipment end up being more than paying for service?
 
Man you know your stuff. I should do some research myself. Do you think it would be cheaper to do it myself? Or does the money for all the equipment end up being more than paying for service?

Well cutting the sod out is easy as long as you rent the sod cutter. Leveling your lawn I would suggest you get a professional as well as the drainage system. Installing rolls of sod you can do yourself in a few hours, you just have to make sure you prepare the soil before laying down the sod.
 
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Love doing yard work. Usually take my time and spend about 4 hours doing it. Currently building a deck in my back yard and i will need to re do all my sprinklers for adequate coverage. That should be fun.

It's always cheaper to do it yourself, and it will take you longer than if you had someone do the work. It all comes down to what your time is worth really.
 
I take pride in ensuring that my yard is well maintained. When you see someone's yard that is unkempt, you make assumptions (whether accurate or not) about how messed up the inside of their home is. Plus, a well groomed lawn really improves the look of your house, and can cost you almost nothing if you are doing the work yourself.
 
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Home owner checking in. I take pride in my house. Probably because it's brand new and freshly built last year. In all honesty, you'll save a BUTTLOAD on doing the labor yourself if you start fresh. Not sure how it is in the US, but in Canada, you'd be spending 3-4 times more by getting a landscaper to do it. Sod, for me anyway, would be about $1500ish for 2000 sq. ft. of sod.

Not sure how bad your yard looks, but as stated, if you have the funds, the time and the commitment, you could resod the whole thing. IF you start fresh, you could rent a tiller and buy some top soil if needed. Make sure drainage is worked out properly and sloped away from the house. Get a bunch of buddies together and a case of beer and start rolling the sod out in the yard.

As already stated, there are tons of factors on how to grow a healthy, luscious green lawn. Your location and climate dictates what species of grass you should get. Different species then dictates maintenance and care. When you first lay out your sod, water it immediately. It's always a must to water it everyday for 2-3 weeks (maybe more depending where you live) with about an inch of water. Squishy and soggy but not flooded. And then after that trim down to about 3-4 times a week and gradually to once a week for a couple hours.

The best time to water is ALWAYS in the morning between 4-9am. This promotes deep rooting systems and healthier growth as the grass gets her supply and sits in it throughout the day. Especially in Summer. Watering mid-day, when its hot out, causes the water to evaporate too quickly and the grass can't suck it up. Watering at night keeps the water in the soil and causes excess moisture which leads to disease and fungus (grows mushrooms and weeds). This is where auto sprinklers are handy, I work at 7 am Mon-Fri so I can't turn it off at 9. And I don't want to get up at 4am to water. So the sprinklers run the schedule for me and all I have to do is cut the grass.

As for cutting, it must be on a schedule and specific length, depending on the species. Hope that helps. Dive into some research and online content , there is plenty of info.
 
Really appreciate all the feedback! I think I'm determined to do this myself. Is there a certain time of the year that I should till the ground? Otherwise I'll work on some research.
 
Really appreciate all the feedback! I think I'm determined to do this myself. Is there a certain time of the year that I should till the ground? Otherwise I'll work on some research.

Again, depends where you live. If there is a Winter where you're at, ideally, it should be done in the fall so once it grows and sets up its roots, it goes dormant in the winter and you re-up in the spring by power raking and new fertilizer and water scheduling etc.
 
Burn a bowl, slap on your playlist and get surgical with a shovel and rake :smokin
Got nothing but dirt and rocks out here in the desert :x
 
I used to cut the grass at my mom's estate which was like an acre. That was like a workout in itself but that smell of fresh cut grass is one of the best in the world.

[Hank Hill voice] Yeup [/Hank Hill voice]
 
you trying to get your lawn looking like the 18th hole at augusta?
 
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Nothing better then putting on some tunes and riding around mowing the yard 
smokin.gif


Great self reflection time. 
 
Really appreciate all the feedback! I think I'm determined to do this myself. Is there a certain time of the year that I should till the ground? Otherwise I'll work on some research.
You're trying to revive or just completely re do?

I'm thinking of trying to revive back yard. I have very hard pan soil so i'll be aerating it here soon and laying some grass seed to see if i can sprout in the bare areas. 
 
 
You're trying to revive or just completely re do?

I'm thinking of trying to revive back yard. I have very hard pan soil so i'll be aerating it here soon and laying some grass seed to see if i can sprout in the bare areas. 
I guess revive. My yard looks good in some areas but it just has a lot of weed and some dirt patches. So maybe redoing everything won't be a great idea?
 
I couldn't give a crap about garden work. I've got way better things to do - and if I have spare time things I would rather do.

I pay a company to cut the grass so it stays neat so my kids can play outside but that's it.

The front of my house is all paved so it just needs the weeds sprayed every once in a while when they grow through the cracks.
 
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