Lawn improvements

[black2002ls]

This is the bare spot I am dealing with. It is low through most of this and has stayed so wet the surface is covered with moss (?). I am going to take the dirt from the trench just behind that, now that it has settled in and I should be free of sink holes, and try and bring that ground level up. The grass is growing so fast, it should be filled in pretty quick after that.




Edit: sorry I kind of high jacked the thread!

[Goku025]

damn black...that is a whole lot of standing water!

[black2002ls]

Let me upload a pic from the rains a couple of weeks ago. When I was digging drains and thinking I was going to add collection boxes to help, I knew I was in trouble when I was 2 ft down and still wet!

[black2002ls]

Dark picture, but that water was deep enough it looked like a river running through my yard!



This was the shallowest part of the swamp:



This was the right side of my back yard. That pool of water continues 10' or so into the neighbor's yard:



It has been so bad, once the water dissipates, it sounds like a bowl of rice crispies. I assume from the soil turning anaerobic from the constant water. Our dog got sick from it as well!

[snacksnack]

I think you have some issues that need to be addressed other then just adding dirt. That water has to go somewhere and you may not like where it goes if you raise the back yard.

[mstng86]

Aren't you on a corner? Id start running drains to the sidewalk next to your house.

Also, looking at the picture from the front view of your house, it shows your fence is slopping towards the center of your yard. If it is follow the ground then the whole yard is slopping to the center.

[black2002ls]

I think you have some issues that need to be addressed other then just adding dirt. That water has to go somewhere and you may not like where it goes if you raise the back yard.

I have spent a LOT of time studying the low spots and the water flow. The grade outside of the fence on the left side is 3-4" higher than the yard almost immediately inside of the fence. There used to be a swale at the fence, but over time as the trees matured, it was not maintained and developed some high spots. My plan of action is as follows:

-Till the ground between my fence and the sidewalk and ~3' inside of the fence, as well as about a 4' path along the back fence line.
-Rake the area along the fence down to level and establish fall to the sidewalk. (Sidewalk is lower than my fenceline and yard)
-Create/correct swale along back fenceline
-Fill low spot that is about at the middle of my back yard (this should eliminate the water flowing through the middle of the yard)

I will probably do this in stages. Taking care of the area between the fence and sidewalk. Assess how this alleviates the problem, and them move to the swale along the back. It should take care of the standing water at the left side of the back yard.

It would definitely be easier to bring someone in with a tractor to fix the areas. I want to do it in stages andbe able to control where the ground is tore up. I will use silt fence to keep the dogs off of the bare dirt. Also, all of my grade contacts are so busy that I can't get anything graded at work. Not to mention all of the rain and that it would take 2 solid weeks minimum of sun and 80+ degrees to dry my yard out enough to get a skid steer or tractor on it.

[Goku025]

little update from after all this rain we had since ive laid the sod down last month




'Merica

[mstng86]

the yard looks good....

not so sure about having those two trees that close to each other. In about 10 years that Bermuda won't live in the shade.

[Goku025]

Thanks, The builders put two trees on every lot where those two sit. The prior owners let the trees die so to make my life easier and not trench out two new holes (which sucks by the way with all these big ass rocks in the way), I placed two new ones in the exact holes and took me about an hour to plant both.
I wont be in this house in 10 years so as long as the grass looks good while we live here im ok with it.

[8mpg]

Looks great man! Now take care of your investment and it will look great each year. See to many sodded yards go to crap due to neglect.

[slow99]

All this rain has done amazing things to my lawn. First 2 pics are part of the back yard by the pool. This grass is as thick as I've seen. I just mowed three days ago:



Different angle:


I can't believe how nice and thick the front has come in. We laid down a pallet of sod in April, grubs got me last summer:


Different angle:


Here's the same spot in April, right after they laid the new sod down:

[Goku025]

daaaaaaaaaaaaamn that looks good!

[mstng86]

I do like the look of st aug when it is filled in well.

[black2002ls]

I do like the look of st aug when it is filled in well.

I prefer the feel under foot over bermuda, but it takes WAY too much water for me to maintain with no irrigation system.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk