Anonymous wrote:I just count all the weeds as lawn. It all looks good when it's been mowed.

Us too!

Anonymous wrote:What do you recommend for high traffic areas where dogs go to the bathroom? Would zoysia work?

Yes

What do you recommend for high traffic areas where dogs go to the bathroom? Would zoysia work?

I just count all the weeds as lawn. It all looks good when it's been mowed.

Clover. Just throw down some seed and water. In a month do it again. Softer than grass, doesn't get tall, little cute flowers that native bees really like.

If you want a lawn that looks like a golf course, you have to irradiate it like golf courses do. But if you want a green lawn that stands up to kids/dogs running around on it and is soft to walk on in bare feet, throw down some clover seed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes.
Plant zoysia.

Please tell me about this zoysia. I am about to reseed my lawn and I got what I found at Home Depot, something called Scott's Contractor's seed.

My house came with a zoysia lawn, so I have no experience with starting one. I think you have to put down sod for it, not seeds. Some people don’t line it because it turns brown in winter but I barely have any weeds in it. All I do is put down compost every spring and fall.

Thanks. I think one of my neighbors has it. It is exactly what you described. I rarely see them doing any yard work, definitely not grass work and their lawn has no weeds at all! But, as you said, turns brown in winter.

We haven't used chemicals or sprinklers in 22 years. If you put the right plant in the right place, nature does its thing.

If you stop using chemicals, expect it to take 3-5 years for your yard to fully recover from the withdrawal - quite literally like a drug withdrawal. You have to rebuild the biome.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes.
Plant zoysia.

Please tell me about this zoysia. I am about to reseed my lawn and I got what I found at Home Depot, something called Scott's Contractor's seed.

My house came with a zoysia lawn, so I have no experience with starting one. I think you have to put down sod for it, not seeds. Some people don’t line it because it turns brown in winter but I barely have any weeds in it. All I do is put down compost every spring and fall.

All you have to do is water it. Set up a sprinkler. Grass is a weed, in case you haven't noticed it growing in between bricks and cracks in the sidewalk. The lawn industry is a huge scam.

Invest in a good seed - it makes a difference. Getting the cheapest stuff at home depot just means you are going to spend $ again and again.

Anonymous wrote:Yes.
Plant zoysia.

Please tell me about this zoysia. I am about to reseed my lawn and I got what I found at Home Depot, something called Scott's Contractor's seed.

Yes.
Plant zoysia.

It’s all about sun and water. You need the right amount of both. Too much or too little and you won’t have grass. It’s so finicky, now that I own a house I totally see why people do ground cover and other things instead of trying to maintain a lawn. It’s an absurd amount of work!

This summer, yes, rain was a bit more regular than certain past summers. Years ago our grass turned brown in summer, but not anymore. Apart from rain, I believe that our bushes and trees have grown over time and contribute to shade and moisture retention. A large expanse of flat lawn baking in the sun will probably not do well.

Every year we try to manage it ourselves and it just seems to get worse each year.