[XYZ]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I wish it still looked that nice! The picture might be 5 years old or more; from before I owned the house. Also, it looks larger from the angle the photo was taken. I estimate it's 500 ft^2.



I've used Scotts WeednFeed twice a year, every year, and I get more and more weeds and clover.

Having a lawn is an expensive PITA. But maintaining it is cheaper than the alternatives.

Forget the granular weed killer and fertilizer combo. Buy weed killer in concentrated liquid form and use it according to directions in a sprayer. Don't use high nitrogen fertilizer. Use an organic, low nitro fertilizer like Milorganite instead. Spread peat moss and/or starter fertilizer all over the lawn to improve the soil.

Moss also invades the lawn, so I attack with moss killer.

This leaves brown patches in the lawn for a while, until new moss can take its place. Since this is south-facing, it's just about completely brown this time of year.

I'll bet that is in the area where the big fence is. Moss grows where there is no sunlight. Brown patches are usually related to insect damage if it is hot and dry, or fungal growth if the area is cool and wet.

The only way I'll be convinced that real grass is better is to see evidence of how it can look decent while costing less over 20 years to maintain.

It took me decades to finally realize that a lawn is a crop that needs to be "built up", slowly and it literally takes many years to do. I've described it as having to take care of "an unwanted child".

It's probably a moot point though. The fiance doesn't like the idea of artificial turf, but she did say it looked very convincing. I've probably got 10 days to get it put in, or loose my chance forever.

Learning to care for a lawn requires knowledge, and it is time consuming and is initially costly in $$$ spent in rehabilitation. I hate doing it. But it is still cheaper in the long run than the alternatives.