|
"Consider the many special delights a lawn
affords: soft mattress for a creeping baby; worm hatchery for a robin; croquet or badminton court; baseball diamond; restful green perspectives leading the eye to a background of flower beds, shrubs, or hedge..." Katharine S. White |
Going Native...
The Saga of a Turfgrass Newbie
I'll admit, up to a month ago I had a lot to learn about installing turfgrass. I've done promotional work for H Bar H Turf for a number of years but had never really "gotten my hands dirty" (no pun intended) in the turfgrass installation process. But we wanted a lawn...we'd grown tired of the carpet of weeds interspersed with a few pathetic patches of grass. What a great opportunity to literally dig in and learn about installing turfgrass from start to finish! Past attempts made during my pre-HBarH days had been unsuccessful, so I was determined this time we would do it right. Here's our story...
Chapter 1...What kind, how much?
 Knowledge is power, so our first step was to learn all we could about turfgrass. Luckily we were able to find everything we needed to know on H Bar H's website. Based on where we live and our lifestyle we needed grass that was drought resistant and, once established, required little maintenance. Buffalograss, the only turfgrass native to the United States, was the natural choice because of its:
- Drought Tolerance
- Heat Tolerance
- Cold Tolerance
- Wear Resistance
- Minimal Mowing
- Great Pollen Rating
- Chemical Use Reduction
Our yard is shaded part of the day and buffalograss is not the best grass for shady areas, but with a little extra care the shaded spots should do fine.
How much will I need?
Deciding to use Buffalograss was easy enough. Next we needed to determine how much we would need. Using H Bar H Turf's online turf calculator we were able to determine one pallet would do the job.
Chapter 2...Preparing the Soil
 A beautiful lawn depends on a good soil foundation. Due to past experience we knew our soil lacked the necessary components to support a healthy lawn. We worked to create a good base by following the information found on the website...soil preparation». The big bag of Lady Bug Garden Soil was super convenient. We live 40 miles from the nearest town so driving to the garden store just to pick up a couple bags of soil wasn't an option. With the big bag we had all the soil we needed, plus loads to spare, to complete the job. Here's what we did:
- We tested the soil and found it was very alkaline. We knew we would need to amend the soil.
- Used Round Up to kill the existing weeds. We were careful to spray on still days to avoid drift. We waited a few days and then sprayed again.
- Once the existing weeds and grass were dead we rototilled the area, raked out all the dead weeds and rocks, and leveled the ground. Based on the soil test we amended the soil by adding Lady Bug Garden Soil and a slow release fertilizer. Then we rototilled again.
Chapter 3...Installing the Buffalograss
 The ground was ready and the pallet of buffalograss was in the driveway. Turf is perishable and should be installed as soon as possible. Since we couldn't install until the next day we made sure the grass stayed damp...a rainy evening helped. Early the next morning we cooled the grade by lightly sprinkling the soil bed and then began the install. By noon we were done! More about installing turfgrass»
Chapter 4...Maintenance
Turfgrass shouldn't lay for more than 30 minutes without watering so we began our maintenance early...by setting the sprinklers to water as we installed. Watering to a depth of 6 inches is recommended. We tested moisture depth using a screwdriver and used a portable rain gauge to accurately measure the amount of water.
We did our homework!
 Buffalograss will tend to go completely dormant (turn brown) within hours or days of transplanting. Had we not known this, we may have responded by over-watering which can be detrimental to buffalograss. Knowing dormancy may last from days to weeks we continued to follow the recommended watering schedule. More about maintenance»
Chapter 5...To be Continued
The buffalograss has been down for two weeks now and we are starting to see a green tinge. We'll continue to maintain the deep watering schedule to assure deep, strong roots and we will fertilize (I've already bought the Milorganite) during the summer growing season. Once established we're sure buffalograss will be the perfect grass for us. We'll keep you posted!
|
|
Our customers are thrilled with the new Big Bags of Lady Bug Garden Soil! Here's what a few of them have to say...
"I was surprised to see how big the bags are! Every year I end up making several trips to the garden store to pick up soil for my flower beds. Not this year! And it was delivered right to my house!"
"I'm impressed with the quality of Lady Bug Garden Soil. I've used it to amend the soil in my garden and I already see an improvement in the health of my plants."
What's Lady Bug Garden Soil made of?
 Expanded Shale...a beneficial soil conditioner that loosens tight clay soils.
Composted Cattle Manure...derived from a process which takes raw cattle manure and allows for a controlled decomposition process.
Coconut Coir...the short fiber from coconuts. Coir is porous and allows air to circulate thus reducing the incidence of root diseases. Coir lasts up to four times as long as peat moss and is a renewable source.
Decomposed Granite...a mineral amendment high in trace minerals, very organic and environmentally safe. Perfect to help rejuvenate soil structure and elements.
Texas Native Hardwood Mulch...an environmentally conscientious, rich ingredient to facilitate moisture and nutrient absorption. It provides an environment for beneficial fungi to develop and expand.
We've extended our Early Bird Special!
$10.00 off our regular price of $130.00.
Order by July 4th and take advantage of the $10.00 off early bird coupon and free delivery within the Amarillo city area . Call 622-0861 today to place your order. |
Be a Wiser 
