[Greenbuilding] Lawn advice

[Chris Green]

Frank Flynn wrote:
> <snip>
> We are in a drought and I've let my lawn die by not watering it.  I  
> want to replant it with something that will thrive in our dry  
> conditions here.  My particular soil is rich but also has strong  
> Adobe tendencies (it turns to stone if left dry and baking in the sun  
> all summer).  The lawn area is irrigated, I have automatic sprinklers  
> and can water whatever until it's established and water it a little  
> through the summer but the lawn wanted too much water.
>   
Along the way I read that if you rototill in about 6" of sand and maybe 
3-4" of peat or sphagnum moss, that is supposed to make a good, 
water-holding base for lawns. This will likely require two or three 
rototilling sessions to get about a 12" depth. It should de-adobify the 
existing soil as well. However, you don't want to lower your clay 
content two much since clay also holds moisture. No doubt substituting 
some compost for the moss would be alright.

The moss  will likely change the ph of the soil so a different variety 
of grass might be needed.

Alternately, you can do like a guy in the next town over from here did 
and turn your yard into a vineyard... :-)

Cheers,

Chris Green.