I tore out four oddly placed medium sized pine trees from my yard back in November. The area is now a mud pit. I measured at 8'x20'. id like to raise the area by about and inch. Couple questions. 1)Do i need to take the top soil I buy and, for lack of a better word, mix it in with the existing dirt? Or can i just throw down the top soil and rake in the grass seed. 2) This is a heavy traffic area, with lots of sunlight. What kind of seed would be perfered? I have no care what kind of grass it is as i have little kids.

I would think you would have the best luck if you break up the original soil before putting down the new topsoil. It doesn't have to be mixed in. The put down seed and lightly cover it with the soil. One variable here is the fertility of the new topsoil...you want to assure it is viable.

 

I found this link that may be helpful.

 

Getting New Grass To Grow: What You Need To Know

roto till existing. Mix in new top soil. roto till again.

roto till existing. Mix in new top soil. roto till again.

 

Yep, then show down some seed and let that baby grow.

Everyone else has covered the answer to your first question. As for the seed I would go with a mixture of Bluegrass, Tall Fescue and Rye. All three serve their own purpose and when mixed together they will hold up well in all types of weather and in high traffic areas. That mixture is typically what the sod farms in our part of the country use to produce thick, dark green sod that you see installed at most newly constructed subdivisions.

so i very much appreciate the feedback. Last year. I had bare spots and tried to use bluegrass around mid-june with ok success. Im pretty eager to get this going so i can have a nice yard again come the beginning of may. Question is, when is the proper time to try to grow? Every site ive been on says wait unitl its constantly above 60F at night. My next door neighbor seeded hers in hopes the snow would work the seed into the ground if it snowed.

I seed in spring, but you have to make sure it stays damp. I always reseed in fall. The snow trick tends to help.

so i very much appreciate the feedback. Last year. I had bare spots and tried to use bluegrass around mid-june with ok success. Im pretty eager to get this going so i can have a nice yard again come the beginning of may. Question is, when is the proper time to try to grow? Every site ive been on says wait unitl its constantly above 60F at night. My next door neighbor seeded hers in hopes the snow would work the seed into the ground if it snowed.

This is always what my grandpa said to do. Try to time it before one of the last snows of the year. I've done it in the past and it's pretty effective.

so i very much appreciate the feedback. Last year. I had bare spots and tried to use bluegrass around mid-june with ok success. Im pretty eager to get this going so i can have a nice yard again come the beginning of may. Question is, when is the proper time to try to grow? Every site ive been on says wait unitl its constantly above 60F at night. My next door neighbor seeded hers in hopes the snow would work the seed into the ground if it snowed.

This is always what my grandpa said to do. Try to time it before one of the last snows of the year. I've done it in the past and it's pretty effective.

 

I use Pennington Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue Penkoted Grass Seed

 

Pennington Kentucky 31 25 lb. Tall Fescue Penkoted Grass Seed-1

I spread a lot of sand in my yard, it does wonders for poor drainage and difficult to grow areas. It tightens up loose soil and breaks down hard "clayish" soil. My dad use to sweep the street in front of our house to get

the sand put down by the city during winter snows. He would spread it all over the yard. Neighbors would ask him his secret but he would never tell. I guess he didn't want someone else sweeping up all the sand. Golf courses use it on the tee box so there must be some method to the madness. Once I was able to produce an established lawn, I use nothing but a pre-emergent/ fertilizer. I put it down in October and then again in early spring. It keeps all the winter weeds from growing and crab grass during the summer.

Another one for my fellow yard men. Bought this house three years ago now. Had a honeysuckle tree that was about 20 feet tall, roughly 3ft across. Slowly trimmed it down with a chainsay until i had a stump that sits about 1 foot high. where it sits I cant make it flush with the ground. I drilled about 100 1" holes about 8" deep all over this thing. Used weed killer, used gasoline, used lighter fluid to no avail. Ive even built a fire around and on top of it. This thing is indestructible. And no I a trunk grinder wont be able to get to it

Another one for my fellow yard men. Bought this house three years ago now. Had a honeysuckle tree that was about 20 feet tall, roughly 3ft across. Slowly trimmed it down with a chainsay until i had a stump that sits about 1 foot high. where it sits I cant make it flush with the ground. I drilled about 100 1" holes about 8" deep all over this thing. Used weed killer, used gasoline, used lighter fluid to no avail. Ive even built a fire around and on top of it. This thing is indestructible. And no I a trunk grinder wont be able to get to it

 

I once used a product that was on the market that your poured down the hole. It made quick work of a cedar stump. There are stump grinders that will destroy that stump in 60 seconds. Neighbor just had a couple removed yesterday. It's worth the money. I'm waiting until the rest of the ASH trees comes down and I'll be doing some grinding.

Another one for my fellow yard men. Bought this house three years ago now. Had a honeysuckle tree that was about 20 feet tall, roughly 3ft across. Slowly trimmed it down with a chainsay until i had a stump that sits about 1 foot high. where it sits I cant make it flush with the ground. I drilled about 100 1" holes about 8" deep all over this thing. Used weed killer, used gasoline, used lighter fluid to no avail. Ive even built a fire around and on top of it. This thing is indestructible. And no I a trunk grinder wont be able to get to it

 

I have never tried it but have always heard that Epsom salt will decompose tree stumps if you drill holes and pour the salt in. No idea whether it works or not but given that it's so cheap I'd give it a try.

I have got some weeds in the yard what is the best way or product to get rid of them without killing the grass? I typically use weed & feed liquid Bayer in the fall & spring but it seems there is a lot of wild violets & viney weed which the birds carry in on a regular basis. I did see a product Roundup for lawns that is supposed to kill weeds not grass-has anyone used it?

I have got some weeds in the yard what is the best way or product to get rid of them without killing the grass? I typically use weed & feed liquid Bayer in the fall & spring but it seems there is a lot of wild violets & viney weed which the birds carry in on a regular basis. I did see a product Roundup for lawns that is supposed to kill weeds not grass-has anyone used it?

 

The stuff your seeing that looks like violets is likely "creeping charlie." Your typical weed and feed generally will not get rid of it. The violets will go away once summer sets in the but viney weed will remain. I have a big jug of some stuff that will kill everything except the grass, but it's at the shop and I'll have to check it tomorrow to get you the name. I see that your location says you live in NEKY, if your still in the area stop by Ashland milling and they will set you up with what you need.