I live in Oklahoma city and put burmuda seed down the first week of April. A lot of peoples said it was too soon but it took about four weeks and i started seeing grass. My soil is a sandy soil. I used 10-20-10 fertilizer when i planted the seed and six weeks later after i had some grass growing. I was told that burmuda is like a weed and once it starts growing it will take over and so far it has. I wouldn't go through all the trouble with getting your yard smooth because u have nothing to hold the dirt in place and u will get runoff areas. Also i when i fertilized at the six weeks i put more grass seed down. Just have patience and it may take a little longer than everyone else.

Susan, It can get discouraging at times but don't give up. I lost about 50 mature shrubs to the hurricanes about 6 years age. Then a year or so later, the remaining 120 bushes were demolished with Chili Thrips before I figured out what it was. But now I can recognize Chili Thrip damage and stop them before they get too far, and my rose garden of 150+ bushes is flourishing again. There are a couple of things that I have found in my 26 years of growing roses in FL that may be beneficial to you. 1. You probably know this but, start with roses on fortuniana rootstock. Some grow on their own roots but the best bet is fortuniana. FYI, I am going against my own advice and trying a few varieties own root lately. 2. Just because a rose is on fortuniana does not mean that it will thrive. Some roses simply do not like the heat and humidity even if they are on fortuniana while others thrive and continue to flourish through the summer. 3. While some varieties get established immediately and will be 7 feet at the end of the first year (like Brides Dream), other take a few years to get established and bloom quality and production improves with time (Pristine was this way for me). I give any rose on fortuniana three years 4. When first planted, water every day for a few weeks. Also, hold back on the high nitrogen fertilizer until the root system is established. On established plants, I use a combination of slow release organic and synthetic fertilizer once every 10-12 weeks. Sometimes if the established roses need a boost, I occasionally use a high quality liquid that I get special order from my local nursery. Once the roses are established, you can push the bloom cycle but not before. 5. For moderns, you have to spray every 2 weeks for fungus. I use Bayer Disease Control (not the combo product) 6. For established roses, water as needed (usually 2-3 time per week in the summer) and be sure to water beyond the drip line to encourage those shallow fortuniana roots to spread out. Some people swear by drip irrigation but I water from above in the early morning. 7. I only spray insecticides for Chili Thrips. Learn to recognize the damage and be prepared to spray for them if necessary. 8. Add organic matter and mulch if available. I am probably the only person left in my neighborhood who bags their grass because I like to let it dry out and spread around the roses. So in summary, water beyond the drip line in the morning, spray for fungus every two weeks and fertilize every 10-12 weeks. Growing roses in Fl can be very rewarding. We have a long growing season and no Japanese Beetles/ Roses that I have found which continue to bloom through the summer are Elina, Kentucky Derby, Brides Dream, Tournamnet of Roses, Belindas Dream, Heritage, Sunset Celebration, Pristine, Perfume Delight, Flo Nelson, Carefree Wonder, Iceberg, Moonstone, Midas Touch, Tropicanna. I'm sure there are others that I can't remember right now. Good...

Thanks for answering. The front yard is actually my DH's territory and it's a real dust bowl. I have the back yard which is roughly 2/3's St. Augustine and 1/3 weeds, mostly coffee weeds (which I truly despise). As far as the grass seed, he has tried (with a little success) the rye grass seed, but as soon as the heat kicked in that stuff died. I don't think he'd go for an intricate type landscape, although that does sound more like my cup of tea...(O: Mushroom compost. How does that compare to something like aged cow or horse manure and other types of aged organic matter such as old oak tree leaves? Thanks for the suggestions. Deb...(O: >

I'm just catching up but I have a few questions... What is your watering schedule? How long and how often? Do you have pets on the yard? It looks like you are mowing too low. St Aug should be mowed at the highest setting. Beyond that, I mow at the highest setting but I only mow every 2 or 3 weeks, to let it get even taller. Taller grass develops deeper roots, which is exactly what you need in sugar sand. You can develop your sand into a pretty good base for St Aug. I bring sand in when I need to fill, and the best grass I have is on the deepest sandy areas. I've used nothing but organic fertilizers since 2002 and the soil looks pretty black when you look at it. But as soon as you toss some into a jar of water, the white sand sinks to the bottom and the black organic matter floats to the top. There is nothing in between. So with that I am going to second the notion of using alfalfa pellets to fertilize. I would use them at least 3 times per year. First of the three would be late spring, second would be late summer, and third would be around Thanksgiving. If you want to really improve things fast, then use it every other month. The application rate is 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. I love my oscillator sprinklers, but I have graduated to the "turbo" model oscillators. They cost only a few $$ more, but they work much better, more reliable, and more even coverage. I think they start around $20. If you would answer the questions above, we can help you a little more.