shady backyard with drainage issues
We did the backyard a few years ago. It immediately started dying after the HOA had a hornets nest removed improperly and a lot of insecticide was dumped on the lawn. We have a dog now and we can tell the zoysia will not even come back at all (The pic is several years old. Imagine weeds and dirt now). So we know now that zoysia is out. The yard is very shaded and has some drainage issue right down the middle of the yard creating issues because we don't want to put any sort of river bed or anything that would break up the yard. I need as much "grass" area as possible for the dog to play in.
I need a fix now. The trees are dropping stuff constantly and the dog is coming in with dirt and mud.
My concerns and questions:
If we stayed with grass what would we try?
Fescue seed takes too long to grow in especially with the dog on it. A neighbor suggested fescue sod then immediately start to seed it to keep the cost down. I considered St Augustine which I am not sure even does well in this area (Zone 7-Atlanta area). I thought about doing st augustine with the fescue seed.
I also don't want to use any chemicals because of the dog. So anything would have to be organic. I have noticed since we have weeds now that wasps are attracted to the clover that is coming up which is a big concern. So any grass we install would probably end up with weeds.
Artificial Turf?
The other major consideration is artificial turf. It is a small area (450 sq ft) that needs grass. I cannot get anyone to contact me back. I started researching in Feb. I have had only 2 companies come out and both have given totally different recommendations. One did not listen to what I wanted at all and said the area would have to drain down to the current drain and gave all sorts of ideas on plants. The other said she could provide what I want which is to flatten out the yard. Frankly, not sure if I believe that can be done. I just hate to spend $5000 plus and it not work.
I am not a gardener and I need it simple so the dog doesn't destroy it. I just don't know what to do but cannot live like it is now. Help!
Comments (8)
vvbboonn
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Messed up, shady backyard
Comments (5)There are two types of grass used commonly in miami and florida in general. One of them is St. Augustinegrass, specifically the 'Floratam' variety and most people down there refer to their grass as just "Floratam". The other type of grass used there is Bahiagrass. St. Augustine is the more shade tolerant and desirable of the two. Bahia is really a forage grass that is better for cattle farms but not for home lawns as it is very ugly and grows too fast- 2" a day fast during summer. It also thins out over time and needs to be replaced. What you might do is post a photo here of the site showing us how shady it is because shade to someone in miami is not the same level of shade as to someone in boston. And also to show us what type of tree it is so we can determine if it is normal or dying. We can also see what type of grass is there currently and wether or not it needs to be replaced or if it is diseased or whatever. More likely than not the action plan will call for rehabbing the site by removal of what is there, perhaps laying some topsoil if needed to fill in any ruts, then laying new st. augustine. From what I understand there is a newer variety that is more shade tolerant called 'bitter blue' that you would have to special order but that may be the ticket. post a photo. And where do you hail from?...See MoreBack Yard Drainage Issues
Comments (18)You build it up at the house. You start at the house, as well as at the neighbors fence (in the sketch), and you make the area high where you don't want water. Low area will get, and keep, water. High area will throw water to the low area. So build it up, in both 'area 1' on my sketch, and right next to the house. Note that the lower, water area is now thrown both toward the street, and out toward the middle of the lawn. Next project: build up area 2, on my sketch, and right next to area 1 on the house: the water is now thrown even MORE toward the middle of the lawn, as well as more toward the street. Once you've got that under control, relax. Have a beer. Grow some grass. Do more next year. Perhaps next month. But that's enough for now, so you don't get overwhelmed, and don't get broke....See MoreShady Backyard Ideas?
Comments (5)Just own experience/opinion - grass will grow poorly under that many trees. For kids, bark fines or relatively fine wood chips, mix in compost or whatever if you like for more of an earthy feel. If you want something to grow there, experiment with different cheap seeds or ground cover plants. I say 'cheap' because with kids running about, a lot of it will get trampled, and will depend on local conditions a lot. I've used white mustard, clover and various other odds and ends including mixes of flowering plants. None of it thrives under trees but provides some colour and variety, some have established themselves. For proper plants/bushes, ask around, go slowly until you can figure out what works; sometimes you might be better off with a container plant with good conditions rather than having it compete with the trees for resources. Somewhat depends on the trees - I have norwegian maples and they're competitive b**tards, their roots don't like to leave much room or nutrients for anything else....See MoreDrainage Issues in Back Yard - French Drain
Comments (81)Dead branches on the Japanese maples. indicate that they were unhappy sometime in the past. No way, without a complete history, to know why. When arb foliage thins, it's not coming back. Doesn't matter at the bottom, back sides ... where it can't be seen. I've not heard of that artillery fungus before. Plants are phenomenal! I think from a ladder, using the pole saw, you can remove 1/3 of the limb at a time. If you used the pole chain saw, you'd cut through too quickly and instead of folding, it would drop wherever and whenever. You'll need to call a pro if you gauge it be too risky. The two Jap. maples in the recent pictures look like they may not be getting enough light. One looks like it suffered from the transplant operation. In transplant, there is always some risk. One just tries to do the best they can and hope for the best. For a transplant to elsewhere in the yard, first dig the receiving planting hole. At the plant to be moved, use a drain spade (long straight shovel -- I'm sure you have one :-) to cut around the tree/shrub, with it ending up as if you've cut it out of the ground using a cookie cutter. I usually go completely around 3 times, trying to make sure that all roots are cut. You'll want the cut line to be a circle that is enough distance from the trunk(s) that the resulting rootball is large enough to hold enough roots that the plant can live ... but not so large that it is too heavy and unmanageable, as soil is very heavy. You'll also want the shovel to be at an angle so the rootball can be extricated and is not so heavy. After you've used a drain spade to cut the sides of the rootball, you'll want to use a shovel, possibly two located at opposite sides of the circle, to gently pry the rootball from the surrounding soil. There may be roots connected at the bottom center. You'd need pry up with one shovel, while using the drain spade to stab under the rootball, trying to sever the roots. The main objective while performing the aforementioned operation is to NOT break up the rootball that is being removed from the ground. You want it to come out of the ground in one whole chunk, with the plant in it. Have a tarp or old sheet ready next to the hole to set the plant on, being careful not to break the rootball. It could either be carried by two people or set in a wheelbarrow and given a ride to the new location. I wouldn't drag it on the ground unless going slow and careful to a destination that was very close, as moving across bumpy ground will usually shake the rootball apart. When you get it to the new location, adjust the soil level of the planting hole to bring the thickness of the rootball to the right height (same as it was growing before or slightly higher, as there may be a little settlement.) Before backfilling, rotate the rootball for the tree's best appearance. If this is done during the growing season, I would add a handful or two of fertilizer to the planting hole/backfill soil. And trim the tree trying to reduce its foliage (so as to balance with the roots that have been removed. This would be removing any bottom branches that don't need to be there anyway, and as an overall haircut of the top portion....See Morega99
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