I've always done my own. Backyard faces East with large live oak & cedar elm trees. As they've grown over the decades (and been regularly watered by the sprinkler system), the grass thinned out due to lower levels of light.
A soil test revealed Nitrogen levels near 0 on a scale from 0 to 100! P & K were off the chart high. I stopped using Scotts when it increased to more than a dollar/pound. Plus I didn't need P & K, just N. A turf grower suggested ammonium sulfate, 21-0-0 (very cheap at $17/50#'s). Around here the soil is alkaline, which can inhibit iron uptake, causing yellow-green grass. The 'sulfate' helps to correct for this, giving me emerald-green grass. I learned I wasn't using near enough fertilizer. I began applying it every two weeks and daily watering the bare spots. I soon began to see long runners grow into the bare areas from all sides. Then I knew I'd put down enough. The bare areas all filled in within six months or so, the grass was deep green, thick and lush. In hindsight, my yard had been starving!
During the Summer heat, I don't mow it. It gets about 5" long. As such, I can get away with watering it once every two weeks if there's been no rain. I know when it needs water as it will turn to a dull green color and begin to wilt.
Lastly, instead of bagging all of the leaves, they go into the compost pile. I have three wooden bins, each 24 cu. ft. Over the decades, I've figured out how to break down oak leaves within about 6 months. This compost then goes back on the grass and the cycle repeats. After several decades, I now have 5" of nice topsoil. Below that is river rock, limestone & hard clay (native "soil").
A soil test revealed Nitrogen levels near 0 on a scale from 0 to 100! P & K were off the chart high. I stopped using Scotts when it increased to more than a dollar/pound. Plus I didn't need P & K, just N. A turf grower suggested ammonium sulfate, 21-0-0 (very cheap at $17/50#'s). Around here the soil is alkaline, which can inhibit iron uptake, causing yellow-green grass. The 'sulfate' helps to correct for this, giving me emerald-green grass. I learned I wasn't using near enough fertilizer. I began applying it every two weeks and daily watering the bare spots. I soon began to see long runners grow into the bare areas from all sides. Then I knew I'd put down enough. The bare areas all filled in within six months or so, the grass was deep green, thick and lush. In hindsight, my yard had been starving!
During the Summer heat, I don't mow it. It gets about 5" long. As such, I can get away with watering it once every two weeks if there's been no rain. I know when it needs water as it will turn to a dull green color and begin to wilt.
Lastly, instead of bagging all of the leaves, they go into the compost pile. I have three wooden bins, each 24 cu. ft. Over the decades, I've figured out how to break down oak leaves within about 6 months. This compost then goes back on the grass and the cycle repeats. After several decades, I now have 5" of nice topsoil. Below that is river rock, limestone & hard clay (native "soil").
