[hawglvr]

Ten months ago we moved into our newly built home, with a new lawn. We immediately hired Superior Pest Control for our lawn care. As our lawn was dying, Superior gave the following: too little water; too much water; needed fertilizer; mower guy was responsible; maybe too much water during the winter.

Called the builder about three to four months ago. They told me to fire Superior and hire Deans. Deans came out and took soil samples. They stated the soil was too high in calcium and low in magnesium. They stated our lawn needed to be aerated and a top soil put on the sod.

The guy came out to aerate our lawn. After aerating our lawn he stated that Webworms had taken over our lawn and was eating the lawn. He would not charge me for the aeration as he stated our lawn was gone. He would not put top soil on the lawn as he indicated it would do no good.

Mico who laid our sod came out yesterday. Mico stated that our lawn was unrecoverable. They indicated our sod needed to be replaced.

Contacted the builder and home warranty. They stated that they would not replace our SOD. We would need to pay to have this done ourselves. Contractor stated if we had hired Deans and our lawn looked like this, they would have replaced our SOD. Reminded them that they gave us a list of people for lawn care when we moved in and one was Superior.

Been here less than a year and we have to purchase a new lawn.

Any suggestions ?

[Wiotte]

Originally Posted by hawglvr

Ten months ago we moved into our newly built home, with a new lawn. We immediately hired Superior Pest Control for our lawn care. As our lawn was dying, Superior gave the following: too little water; too much water; needed fertilizer; mower guy was responsible; maybe too much water during the winter.



Called the builder about three to four months ago. They told me to fire Superior and hire Deans. Deans came out and took soil samples. They stated the soil was too high in calcium and low in magnesium. They stated our lawn needed to be aerated and a top soil put on the sod.



The guy came out to aerate our lawn. After aerating our lawn he stated that Webworms had taken over our lawn and was eating the lawn. He would not charge me for the aeration as he stated our lawn was gone. He would not put top soil on the lawn as he indicated it would do no good.



Mico who laid our sod came out yesterday. Mico stated that our lawn was unrecoverable. They indicated our sod needed to be replaced.



Contacted the builder and home warranty. They stated that they would not replace our SOD. We would need to pay to have this done ourselves. Contractor stated if we had hired Deans and our lawn looked like this, they would have replaced our SOD. Reminded them that they gave us a list of people for lawn care when we moved in and one was Superior.



Been here less than a year and we have to purchase a new lawn.



Any suggestions ?

Sue


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[PennBF]

Call Ron's Landscaping and use them. They are fantastic and you can be sure you won't get anyone better. Have no personal relationship with them. Just that they did our landscaping and you cannot beat them.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Wiotte

Sue


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Silly. That would be like pouring sand down a rat hole. Wasting money. Get someone trustworthy. We use Mike's Maintenance.

It is entirely reasonable if you were watering either too much or not enough to establish new sod that it would become sick. Sick plants are vulnerable to insects and further disease. I am NOT an expert. Also Earl. I can't think of his company name. There are a lot of good lawn maintenance companies. . Sometimes the people who work for them aren't top notch, just report it and someone better will be sent.

[redwitch]

Sadly, lawn only has a thirty day warranty from date of closing, which means we are usually SOL. You can try talking to home warranty and explain all you did do since day one, including following contractor’s directions and recommendations. They might be willing to talk to the builder again. (Odds are that if you had hired Dean’s and gotten same results, contractor would have if you had hired Superior....)

The biggest issue going against you is the webworms. If Superior treated the lawn for insects, they should be responsible. You might actually have a case against them. (Webworms are pretty easy to spot — you’ll see small, white or light brown butterflies coming out of the grass every time you step on it. They can eat a lawn pretty quickly.) If you didn’t contract for lawn insecticides, you really have no recourse but to pay to resod yourself.

[thetruth]

Originally Posted by hawglvr

Ten months ago we moved into our newly built home, with a new lawn. We immediately hired Superior Pest Control for our lawn care. As our lawn was dying, Superior gave the following: too little water; too much water; needed fertilizer; mower guy was responsible; maybe too much water during the winter.

Called the builder about three to four months ago. They told me to fire Superior and hire Deans. Deans came out and took soil samples. They stated the soil was too high in calcium and low in magnesium. They stated our lawn needed to be aerated and a top soil put on the sod.

The guy came out to aerate our lawn. After aerating our lawn he stated that Webworms had taken over our lawn and was eating the lawn. He would not charge me for the aeration as he stated our lawn was gone. He would not put top soil on the lawn as he indicated it would do no good.

Mico who laid our sod came out yesterday. Mico stated that our lawn was unrecoverable. They indicated our sod needed to be replaced.

Contacted the builder and home warranty. They stated that they would not replace our SOD. We would need to pay to have this done ourselves. Contractor stated if we had hired Deans and our lawn looked like this, they would have replaced our SOD. Reminded them that they gave us a list of people for lawn care when we moved in and one was Superior.

Been here less than a year and we have to purchase a new lawn.

Any suggestions ?

MY VIEW
The "lawns," around here are sod laid on top of our very poor sandy clay. If you look at what is being doen, sod is grass that has been cut out of a sod farm with about an inch of roots and quality soil. "Planting" the sod-they lay this sheets of grass on top of our poor soil. It has little chance of success.

Whose fault is it-too much too little water, the mower, more fertilizer. IT COULD BE ALL OF THEM. The real problem is improving your soil. As to too much magnesium.
Someone did a soil test-a good sign. But whoever did the soil test SHOULD have told you what to do.

This area is loaded with lime stone. Take some of the white sand that you/we are trying to grow a lawn on. Put that,"soil," into a clear glass add vinegar, a mild acid, and you will see the limestone fizz.

I would take some quality pictures of your lawn. Cut out some sample patches of grass-preferably from an area half of it brown and half of it green and bring it to the COOPERATIVE EXTENSION. They will advise you as to what could and should be done. IT IS FREE.

As to aeration etc. Other than cooperative extension, most other sources of information is someone with a business interest that needs to SELL you something..

DO NOT PANIC. First find out what to do. THEN DO IT OR HAVE IT DONE.

[graciegirl]

We all got sod. Most of it was put on sand.Most of it is doing just fine.

Watering it in is key. Even the water authority allows you more water when you have new sod.

[Love2Swim]

Originally Posted by redwitch

Sadly, lawn only has a thirty day warranty from date of closing, which means we are usually SOL. You can try talking to home warranty and explain all you did do since day one, including following contractor’s directions and recommendations. They might be willing to talk to the builder again. (Odds are that if you had hired Dean’s and gotten same results, contractor would have if you had hired Superior....)

The biggest issue going against you is the webworms. If Superior treated the lawn for insects, they should be responsible. You might actually have a case against them. (Webworms are pretty easy to spot — you’ll see small, white or light brown butterflies coming out of the grass every time you step on it. They can eat a lawn pretty quickly.) If you didn’t contract for lawn insecticides, you really have no recourse but to pay to resod yourself.

A good common sense post. Webworms killed the lawn. If you didn't pay for insect treatment, you are out of luck. If you did, Superior should pay. If they don't - small claims court.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by hawglvr

Ten months ago we moved into our newly built home, with a new lawn...our lawn was unrecoverable...our sod needed to be replaced. Any suggestions ?

Replace it with something that is designed for the local soil and climate and needs minimal attention, such as certain types of ground cover. Check with the Florida Native Plant Society.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Replace it with something that is designed for the local soil and climate and needs minimal attention, such as certain types of ground cover. Check with the Florida Native Plant Society.

I like grass.

[Wiotte]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Replace it with something that is designed for the local soil and climate and needs minimal attention, such as certain types of ground cover. Check with the Florida Native Plant Society.

Deed restrictions love grass, it sells more water.


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[Nucky]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I like grass.

I like grass? Oh no not you too! You made me laugh.

[thetruth]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Replace it with something that is designed for the local soil and climate and needs minimal attention, such as certain types of ground cover. Check with the Florida Native Plant Society.

The wise sayng-THE RIGHT PLANT IN THE RIGHT PLACE always applies.
What we insist of growing-neat, close cut lawn, kept inside of perfect lines with perfectly trimmed bushes in perfectly laid out groups, NEVER EXISTS OR HAS EXISTED IN NATURE.

Most issues in this thread, and others is about a about a lawn-understood by most to mean GRASS. There is nothing natural about the lawn we seek. You are fighting nature and that means WORK. Other ground covers do exist and used correctly are very attactive. Unfortunately,
you cannot walk on most if not all of them. While they are native, the do not grow NATURALLY as we INSIST on growing them. Not the same plants, we call weeds, need to be removed. Chemicals that will kill what we havd now decided to call weeds will liklely also kill what we are calling native plants. So to force what is NOT NATURAL, NOT REALLY NATIVE CONDITIONS, you need to pull WEEDS by hand.

Depending on how YOU look at it. An endless battle or an endless adventure.