Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:59:19 -0400
From: Al Cooke
Subject: Re: putting in my yard…
You will get suggestions about landscape businesses to do a lawn and/or landscape installation. Let me suggest you also have a look at my pages of listings and guidelines on How to Hire a Landscape Service at
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/homehort/GreenInd/master.html
(Incidentally, this list is always a moving target; so I welcome additions from the Chatlist readership.)
For a lawn, sod is the quickest and most expensive method of lawn installation. The cheapest method is usually seeding and September is about the optimum time for seeding fescue in our area. In your case, even though you have sprayed the Bermuda four times, there’s a good chance that you could still coax a Bermuda lawn out of it; it is notoriously difficult to eliminate. It is used for lawn grass even though many eschew the notion of winter dormancy, and May is a better time to start. Please follow through with your intention to till the soil. It will make a difference not only in the quality of lawn you get but in your water use efficiency.
You may also find some useful guidelines on my Home Lawn webpage at
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/homehort/homelawn.html
I would encourage you to review Carolina Lawns and Tips on Writing Turf Contracts and Landscape Maintenance Specifications, both linked from that site..
Good luck.
alcooke
Al Cooke
Extension Agent, Horticulture
Chatham County Center
N.C. Cooperative Extension
919.542-8202; Fax 919.542.8246
:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/staff/acooke/home.html
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