Log in

View Full Version : Lawn is dying- need help


Tom Hannon
04-08-2012, 11:57 AM
My lawn is in bad shape. I need to find a company I can afford to reset/adjust/replace faulty and insufficient sprinkler heads. Any suggestions?

Bill-n-Brillo
04-08-2012, 12:00 PM
Tom, are you certain it's a watering issue and not something related to the lawn itself? (bugs, weeds taking over, fertilization, etc.)

Bill :)

skip0358
04-08-2012, 12:06 PM
My lawn is in bad shape. I need to find a company I can afford to reset/adjust/replace faulty and insufficient sprinkler heads. Any suggestions?

Tom I lost mine to mole crickets last year. Had to have 1200 sq,' replaced. You should have your lawn checked for same.

jnieman
04-08-2012, 12:15 PM
We lost most of the front of our front lawn to faulty sprinkler heads. My husband fixed the sprinkler heads, but the lawn didn't recover. Massy just 3 weeks ago took out the old sod and put in new for us. The lawn is looking real good now. I think they may also be able to help you with your sprinkler heads, but not sure. They did come out and help us adjust our watering schedule. Good luck.

borjo
04-08-2012, 12:17 PM
Yes, Massey has a guy who, for a one time charge, will do the sprinklers.

skyguy79
04-08-2012, 12:52 PM
We have a contract with Massey and they come quarterly to maintain the irrigation system. (Feb-May-Aug-Nov) I also like that they have online access to your records for all services you have so you can go back and review when they've visited and what they've done. We had two incidents of a problem scheduling the sprinkler recently and even those calls were recorded. I don't know how their prices compare to others, but we like them, their responsiveness and the peace of mind we've gained from their services.

jblum315
04-08-2012, 01:31 PM
I like Stellar. Massey is good too. Did not like TruGreen

jebartle
04-08-2012, 03:46 PM
Price is fair and they are dependable....We have always said that price of water is cheaper than sod!....Hope you are able to save your lawn!

redwitch
04-08-2012, 06:27 PM
Highly recommend Jim Baumgartner for sprinkler, irrigation issues. The man really knows his stuff!! 352/504-2317

Bogie Shooter
04-08-2012, 07:07 PM
Pray for rain.
No sod can survive on one watering a week.
Maybe we could get Niagara Bottling to donate some of their free water for our lawns.

pjolson
04-08-2012, 08:54 PM
Agree with Redwitch. James Baumgartner is good. Have used him a couple of times and have been very pleased.

CarGuys
04-08-2012, 09:10 PM
Tom,

Have you called you original Landscaper that installed the irrigation system for their advise first?

Have you had a lawn service for the last year or been doing this yourself?

Were you not have having problems with a Huge water bill last year? Is there a leak or something not right to your system?

I am afraid to ask what it would cost to replace Sod!

GaryW
04-09-2012, 04:08 AM
Action Irrigation Chip Parrish 352-516-2281

He did ours,,, would use his service again and again.

jsw14
04-09-2012, 09:06 AM
If my lawn turns brown, I'm not goin to replace sod!! I'm goin to Wally-World & buy some Green spray paint :icon_wink::icon_wink:

Tom Hannon
04-09-2012, 09:46 AM
Don't laugh. I had a neighbor in NY who painted his lawn. A shame TV doesn't supply Astro-turf as an option. There is another product that looks like grass and has texture to it. Think of the money you'd save on mowing, fertilizing and watering.

jsw14
04-09-2012, 10:08 AM
A couple BIG loads of 1 inch rock would do the trick too.........

REDCART
04-09-2012, 10:41 AM
Many of the lawns have turned brown in the last week. IMHO, it's the record heat but also cutting the lawn too close that's causing the problem. Zoysia does not do well when cut less than 3" during very hot and dry periods. The people cutting don't seem to know or care. They're only interest is getting done. If you let the grass grow without cutting for two weeks, it should come back, with some watering of course.

Mikitv
04-09-2012, 10:53 AM
Zoysia and the other grasses here will go dormant with a little water and come back with rain and more watering. With water restrictions it's hard to keep it looking lush and green. If you can only water once a week make sure it runs on each zone for a longer period of time.


Praying for rain.

MrMark
04-09-2012, 03:20 PM
My lawn is in bad shape. I need to find a company I can afford to reset/adjust/replace faulty and insufficient sprinkler heads. Any suggestions?

Yellow Pages

CaptJohn
04-09-2012, 03:27 PM
A couple BIG loads of 1 inch rock would do the trick too.........

This my favorite suggestion!
Lava rocks are supposed to keep bugs away but that's only a second hand rumor from me.
They are light and easy to work with. I use them some.
Try singing to the grass.

rubicon
04-09-2012, 03:53 PM
Your first step is to have a professional come and determine the cause. From there it gets easy but not necessarily inexpensive.

Golfingnut
04-09-2012, 04:14 PM
My lawn is in bad shape. I need to find a company I can afford to reset/adjust/replace faulty and insufficient sprinkler heads. Any suggestions?

I would be happy to help you. I changed my heads for full flow heads and within 3 months, my lawn came alive and is doing well even in this dry spell. There was some pressure on the contractors to use inadequate heads for lawn space in an attempt to save water and has caused havoc for homeowners. You would be surprised how easy it is to change the heads to a better water distribution and flow. I did min for less than 100 dollars and that is on a corner lot with 8 zones. My fee for helping is Zero, maybe a cold beer when done.

angel222
05-07-2012, 04:42 PM
My lawn has had problems since I moved here in may '09....I'm on my third company for pest control, etc. and really not happy with them...BUT I just had my sprinklers checked by a really good company recommended by Kathie I and I'm more than pleased with what he did...replaced two heads and moved three to give better coverage...I have a corner property with eight zones. The company is Blue Island construction...ask for Scott. Very reasonable!

angel222
05-07-2012, 04:47 PM
Forgot to leave Scott's number....it's 352 425 2625

natickdan
05-07-2012, 05:15 PM
Tom, another option is Tri-County. Scott seemed very knowledgable when he did work for me.

billethkid
05-07-2012, 06:18 PM
remember you are trying to grow grass on a sand dune!!!!!
No soil...no nutrients...no water...lottsa bugs 'n fungus...lottsa chemicals...then when you get it to start to come back the guy who cuts your lawn will bring the bugs/disease/fungus from your neighbors lawn onto yours...and you get to do it all over again.

We are here 8 years now. When the cold kills off what ever we have that is tropical I replace it with something native to the area that is cold hardy. As there are brown spots in the lawn that look like they aren't coming back...load of rocks and mulch and a new bed is born.

Looking forward to attaining the status of don't care if it freezes...or no water...it won't matter because it will still look good....and one he$$ of a lot cheaper.

But that is me.

btk

jblum315
05-07-2012, 08:36 PM
But how come some lawns are really green and lush?

graciegirl
05-07-2012, 08:51 PM
But how come some lawns are really green and lush?

We are happy with our lawn and our lawn service. In order for a lawn to resist disease it must be fed (fertilized) and watered.

We have a great lawn service who knocked on the door the other day and said we are here but we recommend NOT cutting your grass this time. The heat and drought is better tolerated if your lawn is a little longer. I said fine. You are the experts.

We have Mike's Maintainance.

CFrance
05-07-2012, 11:12 PM
I agree with height-of-lawn issues. Stellar told us they would let the lawn grow to 4 inches, then keep it cut to three. Been doing that since March. Aside from the fact that we don't have enough sprinkler heads in one area, everything is staying mostly green. Some neighbors' lawns are pretty scalped and seem to have dried out.

I might be interested in changing the kind of sprinkler heads, though. The grass directly under almost every head is browning. It's like the water is just skipping over that part. We've run the system and don't see how to change anything to correct that.