06/27/2026
I just wanted to give my input as to the current situation with our lawns in the neighborhood. After owning 3 homes and renting countless others, this is the first time keeping a yard alive and green has ever been a struggle in my own experience. I was fortunate to make contact with an agent from UF/IFAS about the constant uphill battle we continue to experience with our lawns. It was visually apparent without doing any scientific test that the soil quality was subpar, additionally it was apparent through the community that many yards suffer from chinch bug and fungus that have put significant damage into our yards. So we basically have a trifecta of issues that plague the sod. I’ve done a lot of sod replacement in our community and many other new build communities. With that said, I’d like to go over various items to consider when dealing with your yard.
Soil Samples-you can purchase soil sample kits on Amazon, Yardmastery.com, or directly from UF/IFAS. Kits typically run $25-35 and give yourself, your yard treatment company, CHATGPT, or myself a lot of information on what your yards deficiencies are. Highly encourage buying one of these kits.
Irrigation- I highly recommend you testing your irrigation monthly or at least quarterly. A broken head can cause a lot of issues for your yard. Your dead spot may simple be from a broken sprinkler. Also, I use a smart irrigation controller that monitors for weather and will bypass my set schedule if enough rain has hit my yard already, preventing overwatering, high water bills, and potential fungal issues. I also recommend buying irrigation rain gauges. Basically small cups that measure how much water your sprinkler will get on your yard during one cycle. You need around 1.5” weekly.
Yard treatment- your yard takes years to successfully establish. Our yards start off dealing with poor and compacted soil, extreme weather conditions living in Florida (from a harsh freezing winter, into a drought) and constant new weeds that blow in from other areas construction near by. Getting a company to come out that fertilizes, sprays pesticides,herbicides, and fungicides gives the yard a viable opportunity for success. There are also a lot of DIY schedules and treatment plans available that work well. Yard Mastery, Scotts, Pat’s Nursery, and Lesco all have schedules you can follow.
Topdressing- Topdressing in the new communities has been the most successful, almost immediate thing I have noticed. Tied in with Aeration, you can see visible improvement in color and growth as early as 2-6 weeks.
Yard compaction- new build homes are subject to high soil compaction due to the amount of trucks, foot traffic, and soil that is dumped and spread with heavy equipment. Getting your yard aerated annually will help the roots establish better and in return cause better growth for your sod in the spring time. Aeration can be done any time of year though.
This is part one of my input on how to better your lawn. Waiting till the yard is in a failed state will result in needing new sod, but taking preventive measures can prevent thousands plus in sod replacement later on.
If you’d like a free quote on any of the services we provide, or just input on help to get set up for DIY lawn maintenance, please call or text 904-896-3467.
