First time owner lawn advice

[Humboldy]

Hi yall! We just bought our first house, west of Dallas. Since we rushed it a bit, we didn't take a good look at the yard... mistakes were made.

The backyard clearly has been abandoned for some time. I can see bermuda grass growing here and there, but it's mostly covered in pretty flowers and weeds. Moreover, previous owner (renovators) used the yard for construction: there are tractor trails and few spots are hard as rock due to dumped cement. I was able to break up those spots with a shovel; that resulted in uneven surface, which I did my best to level with a rake.

I received few quotes from landscaping companies and discovered I cannot afford their services. So I am considering to roll up my sleeves and do it myself. I thought I'd lay out my plan here, and if you could correct me or guide me in the right direction I'd highly appreciate that. Feel free to call me stupid, I've never done this in my life.

1. Mow the yard at the lowest
2. Turn the soil with a shovel, pull out the weeds
3. Level and smooth soil with a rake, also remove the stones
4. Spread fertilizer (considering this product: Turf Builder Starter Brand Fertilizer)
5. Seeding with this product: Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Bermudagrass
6. Watering everyday for a month
7. Once grass is 3in tall, start mowing
8. Pray to God!

Thoughts? Thank you in advance, folks!

Have a blessed day!

 

[Logan]

Hello and welcome to GF
I wouldn't call you stupid, just a beginner
Do it in this order
No
2
3
5
6 don't know about no.7
Instead of seed I would use turf if you can get it.
Here's 2 videos one for turf laying and one for seed, have a good day.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

When we moved into our last house it was completely neglected, but there was lots to do in the house as well. I hired a rotorvator and dug over the whole thing except the apple tree, Then i sowed grass all over and went and got on with the house. It is a much cheaper option than turf and by the time I had finished decorating indoors we had an all over lawn and I had had plenty of time to think of where I wanted flower beds and veg, then I cut them out with a spade and turned the turf over to rot.
Turf is always a bit hit and miss, it comes rolled up so you don't know quite what you are getting until you lay it, and there are some terrible shysters out there who simply strip a field, weeds and all. The more reliable ones with a good reputation will probably not be cheap, though dear does not guarantee quality.

Before that when I had a tiny town garden I dug it over and grew runner beans for the first year, growing something like runners or potatoes that will suppress most weeds can be good.

Best advice though, don't rush into anything, look at what your neighbours are doing, chat, get to know what sort of soil you have, read and learn. Good gardens don't happen quickly, but it is a pain if you spend ten years growing a lovely tree and then realise it is in the wrong place.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I did not see a soil test listed.

 

[Humboldy]

Hello and welcome to GF
I wouldn't call you stupid, just a beginner
Do it in this order
No
2
3
5
6 don't know about no.7
Instead of seed I would use turf if you can get it.
Here's 2 videos one for turf laying and one for seed, have a good day.

Thank you! I was considering Bermuda grass, but after further research looks like Bermuda needs a lot of sun, which I don't have due to an oak right in the middle. Now I'm looking at St. Augustine, which doesn't require as much sun and it is recommended to lay sod for this grass, so I will start looking into turf.

 

[Logan]

Thank you! I was considering Bermuda grass, but after further research looks like Bermuda needs a lot of sun, which I don't have due to an oak right in the middle. Now I'm looking at St. Augustine, which doesn't require as much sun and it is recommended to lay sod for this grass, so I will start looking into turf.

your welcome make sure that it's a good quality before you buy. Don't know about the varieties that you can get.

 

[Humboldy]

When we moved into our last house it was completely neglected, but there was lots to do in the house as well. I hired a rotorvator and dug over the whole thing except the apple tree, Then i sowed grass all over and went and got on with the house. It is a much cheaper option than turf and by the time I had finished decorating indoors we had an all over lawn and I had had plenty of time to think of where I wanted flower beds and veg, then I cut them out with a spade and turned the turf over to rot.
Turf is always a bit hit and miss, it comes rolled up so you don't know quite what you are getting until you lay it, and there are some terrible shysters out there who simply strip a field, weeds and all. The more reliable ones with a good reputation will probably not be cheap, though dear does not guarantee quality.

Before that when I had a tiny town garden I dug it over and grew runner beans for the first year, growing something like runners or potatoes that will suppress most weeds can be good.

Best advice though, don't rush into anything, look at what your neighbours are doing, chat, get to know what sort of soil you have, read and learn. Good gardens don't happen quickly, but it is a pain if you spend ten years growing a lovely tree and then realise it is in the wrong place.

Haha, I see! I looked up rotavators near me, and I can definitely afford it. Do you think that will kill the weed?

Our neighbor owns a landscaping company, and the entire neighborhood is his clientele. When I approached him for help, he slammed me with $12,000 quote and that was the end of it, so I hesitate to ask him for advice. Worst case scenario, I will learn it the hard way.

 

[DirtMechanic]

If you rotavate, you will want to roll the lawn afterwards. The tillered soil will settle in a lumpy and uneven way as it rains.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

If you rotavate, you will want to roll the lawn afterwards. The tillered soil will settle in a lumpy and uneven way as it rains.

I had forgotten about doing that, I bought a cheap hand roller that was light and portable, but you filled up with water. I wouldn't guarantee it will do every weed, weed seeds are really tenacious, but it gives the grass a fighting chance, giving it a surface run over and taking the weeds as 'two leaves' before you plant grass seed is a good idea.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I had forgotten about doing that, I bought a cheap hand roller that was light and portable, but you filled up with water. I wouldn't guarantee it will do every weed, weed seeds are really tenacious, but it gives the grass a fighting chance, giving it a surface run over and taking the weeds as 'two leaves' before you plant grass seed is a good idea.

Well fighting weeds will often be the chemical end. And often the beginning too, as the commercial outfits often spray to kill the whole yard before such a major change. But then I would not care to walk barefoot through those hormones. I do not understand what all they do. The one they use here on St. Augustine can get 20% of a male frog population pregnant successfully. Atrizine- I believe -that one is called.