Landscape pros

[ten ocho recon scout]

About 3 months ago (maybe 4 now), I had my landscape guy put in new sod. Marathon 2.

Brought home a new puppy... than another...

Obvious pee stains and some dead spots...

Thats not all.

Whole lawn died within 2-3 months. All of it.

The dogs killed some of it. But its either my gardner cut it too low too soon. Or i overwatered. Or i fertilized too soon.

Going to try St Augustine sod next. Anyone have any ecoerience? I think its tougher so the dogs wont kill it as fast.

Fake grass would probably make more sense. But i paid my guy to out in sprinklers... and i think it gets too hot for dogs... so gotta try real grass at least one more time

[Jason]

Weird it would die if you are watering it. It’s possible the ground should be amended as you may not be getting proper root growth of the ground is too hard. I don’t know much about grass types but tall fescue is a good all around grass. Some do well in full sun and poor in shade and vise versa. Some need a lot of water and other more drought tolerant. You can still have sprinklers with fake grass and run them a couple of minutes to cool off the area for the dogs. It’s just expensive to have installed 

[Jason]

Also, when sod is new it needs heavy watering until it is established 

[Tank]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

Also, when sod is new it needs heavy watering until it is established 

That seems like it wouldn’t be acceptable to do in most cities now that heavier water restrictions are in place most everywhere. 
I’d go with something drought resistant so you don’t run into trouble with your city or any tattling neighbors you might have. It’s unfortunate about the money you spent for sprinklers but that might be too big a hurdle right now. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

10 hours ago, Jason said:

Also, when sod is new it needs heavy watering until it is established 

I talked to a nursery this week about it. I think i may have overwattered it.... got a little overzealous.

I prefer fescue, looks the best (imo). But of the 3 people I talked to about it, all of them recommended augustine... said its tougher, should hold up to dogs better.

Fingers crossed....

[Jason]

50 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

I talked to a nursery this week about it. I think i may have overwattered it.... got a little overzealous.

I prefer fescue, looks the best (imo). But of the 3 people I talked to about it, all of them recommended augustine... said its tougher, should hold up to dogs better.

Fingers crossed....

I had a dog once that was horrible on lawns. I thought he was pissing round up or something 

[arch stanton]

8 minutes ago, Jason said:

I had a dog once that was horrible on lawns. I thought he was pissing round up or something 

Good thing he wasn't. Monsanto would have sued your ass off

[Jay]

Not sure where you live but I think the St. Augustine might be a good choice. It's not the nicest for a picnic but it will look nice if you keep it watered and fertilized.

The St. Augustine will grow back in to fill dead spots made by your dogs. One of the negatives to that is, it will creep into your flower beds and other areas adjacent to the lawn.

We had a St. Augustine lawn at our first house in HB a long time ago. It did pretty well there and we didn't have sprinklers at the time.

Later we replaced the yard with Marathon but the neighbor's house was St. Augustine, and it found its way into our perfect Marathon lawn.

That's one of the nice things about living here (SW Idaho). Everybody's yard is the same Kentucky bluegrass, so you don't have to worry about the neighbors' Bermuda getting into it.

[ten ocho recon scout]

11 minutes ago, Jay said:

Not sure where you live but I think the St. Augustine might be a good choice. It's not the nicest for a picnic but it will look nice if you keep it watered and fertilized.

The St. Augustine will grow back in to fill dead spots made by your dogs. One of the negatives to that is, it will creep into your flower beds and other areas adjacent to the lawn.

We had a St. Augustine lawn at our first house in HB a long time ago. It did pretty well there and we didn't have sprinklers at the time.

Later we replaced the yard with Marathon but the neighbor's house was St. Augustine, and it found its way into our perfect Marathon lawn.

That's one of the nice things about living here (SW Idaho). Everybody's yard is the same Kentucky bluegrass, so you don't have to worry about the neighbors' Bermuda getting into it.

Funny enough. My front lawn I killed off 3 times... had a dirt lot for like a year once (my neighbors loved me). Finally put in new marathon lawn... and the bermuda came back almost immediately. So annoying.

Im in Anaheim. Im thinking augustine should be ok. Its not soft, or the nicest looking, but i just need a ground cover. If this doesnt work maybe ill just cement over it, dunno. But want to give it one more shot.

I want grass for my dogs to poop on..... even though the one has decided to stand at the beginning of the grass, and crap on the edge of the cement.

 

Every. Time.

[Jay]

Disclaimer: I'm not a landscape pro.

But if I were you I would be wondering why my whole Marathon lawn died.

Before you install another lawn maybe check the soil pH to see if something weird is going on.

[Lou]

File a complaint with Marathon. 

[Jay]

3 minutes ago, Lou said:

File a complaint with Marathon. 

I like this idea.

[Lou]

According to Mr Google, Marathon grass comes with a 1-year guarantee.

[ten ocho recon scout]

37 minutes ago, Jay said:

Disclaimer: I'm not a landscape pro.

But if I were you I would be wondering why my whole Marathon lawn died.

Before you install another lawn maybe check the soil pH to see if something weird is going on.

Possible... first sod lawn i planted a decade ago died quick too.

But I think it was either my gardner cutting it too short, too quickly (possibly)... the dogs (possibly)... or that i overwattered (probably).

That sounds opposite, right? New grass needs to be kept wet.

But the nursery i talked to explained a few things to me, and I was like ".... uhm... yeah, guilty".

And they stared at me.

I think I overdid it, drowned out the roots before it established. Then add the lawn getting shocked from cut too short, and the dogs, and viola.

Still.... f*ck... 2K... lasted 2 months or so.... sigh...

[ten ocho recon scout]

Just now, Lou said:

According to Mr Google, Marathon grass comes with a 1 year guarantee.

Hmmm..... ill have to ask my guy about that. Great find!

[Lou]

Just now, ten ocho recon scout said:

Hmmm..... ill have to ask my guy about that. Great find!

[Tank]

1 hour ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

I want grass for my dogs to poop on..... even though the one has decided to stand at the beginning of the grass, and crap on the edge of the cement.

 

Every. Time

Conclusion: your dog is in junior high. 

[Lou]

1 minute ago, Tank said:

Conclusion: your dog is in junior high. 

Public school

[Tank]

2 minutes ago, Lou said:

Public school

[gotbeer]

Decrease your grass footprint and surround it with other more drought resistant covering.  I switched our parkway lawn to dymondia.  It took a while to fill out, but now it's completely covered the parkway while all the neighbors grass is dying from lack of watering.  It's a low growing plant also, so never need to cut it.  

Another I used on a slope that would never grow anything was dwarf carpet of stars.  Another low growing plant, that doesn't need any maintenance.  I grew this in between rocks, and it filled in quite well.

[Jay]

12 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

Decrease your grass footprint and surround it with other more drought resistant covering.  I switched our parkway lawn to dymondia.  It took a while to fill out, but now it's completely covered the parkway while all the neighbors grass is dying from lack of watering.  It's a low growing plant also, so never need to cut it.  

Another I used on a slope that would never grow anything was dwarf carpet of stars.  Another low growing plant, that doesn't need any maintenance.  I grew this in between rocks, and it filled in quite well.

I thought Asians prefer pavement.

[Tank]

52 minutes ago, Jay said:

I thought Asians prefer pavement.

 

52 minutes ago, Jay said:

I thought Asians prefer pavement.

There’s an Armenian family around the corner from us with a large lot. There are never fewer than 8 cars parked there. Never. I’ve seen as many as 13. 

[Lou]

Just now, Tank said:

There’s an Armenian family around the corner from us

[cals]

We went with fescue and it had stood up well.  Yeah the dog pee burns it a bit but it grows back 

[Jason]

1 hour ago, Tank said:

 

There’s an Armenian family around the corner from us with a large lot. There are never fewer than 8 cars parked there. Never. I’ve seen as many as 13. 

There’s Armenians in Glendale?