Reclaiming a lawn…

5Heismans – posted 11 September 2003 09:43

I moved into a rental house last November. Rye grass was already down on what was supposed to be a bermuda lawn. Rye grass died out as it got hot and the bermuda never came back no matter how much I watered. I’m guessing the previous tenants pretty much killed it, though I don’t know how.

I reseeded at the beginning of the month with a hybrid bermuda. I know it would have been preferable to do it earlier, but temperatures were continuously over 100 degrees in July and August once I got the landlord’s OK to go ahead and do something about the lawn. I should have a good two months before it gets cold here in Fresno so I think I’ll be OK. It is starting to come in pretty well.

I’ve got a couple of questions for the members of the forum:

1. How long until I can top dress with compost? I have a three year old son, and like the idea of going organic. The property is down in the river bottom and the ground is pretty sandy so I suspect it needs all the help it can get.

2. Can I overseed with rye later this fall, or am I stuck with dormant bermuda?

3. How long after planting the bermuda should I wait before coming in with a protein based fertilizer to make sure I don’t inhibit the germination of the seed I just put down? Also, there are chickens and peacocks here on the property. I’ve kept them away from the grass seed, but if I put down cornmeal I’m afraid I’ll never get rid of them.