[vanawesome]

I've seen a lot of people using a sand or sand mix for leveling, and others using compost. What would be best for zone 10a?

 

[wardconnor]

Sand is your best friend when leveling.

 

[vanawesome]

Sand is your best friend when leveling.

Just straight sand? Not mixed with anything?

 

[Ware]

Yes, I think the thought being that compost is organic matter that will continue to break down - leaving you back where you started.

 

[wardconnor]

Sand is your best friend when leveling.

Just straight sand? Not mixed with anything?

Yes. Straight sand. What Ware said above.

Get sand in bulk and not from big box stores. Mason sand or any sand that does not have larger pebbles or stones.

 

[vanawesome]

Sand is your best friend when leveling.

Just straight sand? Not mixed with anything?

Yes. Straight sand. What Ware said above.

Get sand in bulk and not from big box stores. Mason sand or any sand that does not have larger pebbles or stones.

Thanks guys. About how many yards do you think I'd need for my 700 sq" Zoysia yard. It has some pretty severe depressions and bumps. I guess I didn't do as great of a job leveling when I prepped the soil for seed... Or it could be that I weigh too much and walking on it before it firmed up (pulling weeds) caused most of the lumps. It feels almost dangerously uneven now. Like a broken ankle waiting to happen.

 

[wardconnor]

1 would start with one yard of sand. Folk around here generally say about 1 yard per 1000 ft. You might have a little extra but that is okay because you can use it later. If you do not use it make sure to tarp it or it will blow away.

 

[vanawesome]

Are there any good start to finish leveling with sand videos out there?

 

[Ware]

Are there any good start to finish leveling with sand videos out there?

Here is time lapse I did - it was a pretty heavy leveling...

 

[vanawesome]

Ok. Here is what I did to my mostly Ryegrass with some Zoysia coming in from when I half-assedly overseeded in the spring. wondering if it was a good way to go.

1. Scalped the rye
2. Scarified and de-thatched
3. Put a little bit of zoysia seed down.
4. Leveled with sand, (mostly needed around the border)
5. Put more Zoysia seed down
6. Covered with 1/8" top dressing
7. Raked it in and went over lightly with push broom.
8. Applied starter fertilizer.
9. Watered.

Thoughts?

 

[vanawesome]

Also, I ended up using this sand



I noticed that it has silica in it, which I don't know if that's good or bad. Hopefully I didn't screw the pooch too hard. It's very fine sand, like what you would find on a white sand beach in Hawaii.

 

[jayhawk]

Ok. Here is what I did to my mostly Ryegrass with some Zoysia coming in from when I half-assedly overseeded in the spring. wondering if it was a good way to go.

1. Scalped the rye
2. Scarified and de-thatched
3. Put a little bit of zoysia seed down.
4. Leveled with sand, (mostly needed around the border)
5. Put more Zoysia seed down
6. Covered with 1/8" top dressing
7. Raked it in and went over lightly with push broom.
8. Applied starter fertilizer.
9. Watered.

Thoughts?

I don't know your climate intimately but keep it (seeds) moist from what I've read here from warm season seeding.

 

[J_nick]

Like jayhawk said, you have to keep the seed moist. I watered my Bermuda so much that even the seed sitting on top of the ground germated.

My watering schedule was 7:00am, 10, 11, Noon, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 10 for 5-8 minutes depending on the zone. As soon as I saw pooling I stop the sprinklers. It might have been a little overkill but I'm more than happy with how the lawn has turned out.

 

[vanawesome]

Good call on that. I have it set to this.
6
8
11
12:30
1:45
3:30
6

I'm in San Diego which is zone 10a... I think.

 

[vanawesome]

Mowing on this daily watering schedule is a bit tricky. Ad the ground is just too wet at any given time to run the mower through it without sinking or chewing everything up. Any advice? The rye I scalped is getting pretty long again and I don't want it blocking sun to the seeds i'm trying to get germinated. Tomorrow I'm just going to not run the morning watering schedule and let it dry up a bit and mow around 11AM, then immediately return to the watering schedule.

No germination yet 8 days out. I should start to see it this week within the next few days I hope.