My dog ripped apart my automatic sprinkler/drip system in my back yard, such that when it was time to water I would simply have a half a dozen jets of water spraying into the air like a really lame water show, so I turned the system off. I then forgot about the system and, instead of reprogramming it to keep watering my front yard, tried to water manually. That worked for a week and a half, and then I forgot. That was sometime in march or april, and now my front lawn is completely brown, except for some of the parts that catch mist from my neighbors.
I've just reprogrammed the sprinklers on an aggressive schedule, but I don't know if I need to seed, or miracle grow, or what, in addition to that. I have no idea what kind of grass I have (had), and know next to nothing about caring for a lawn.....
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
If your neighbours lawn if green and yours is brown you have probably killed of hopefully just the top foliage of the lawn.
Most lawns are tough and will try to recover if given some TLC. Now is the time to water deeply. Water for about an hour everywhere. If you have a 'running' type grass (when you pull up a plant you end up with a great Length of 'stem') it may loose all its foliage and regrow from the ground. Don't let the soil dry out (check with you finger and water when the soil starts to dry out). Make sure you water for period of 20 to 30 minutes and water again when it needs it. If you have a tuffed type of grass (plants die back to a green tuff), you may need to reseed in the gaps. If this is the case when the grass gets going again take some samples to the local nursery and ask them to identify and sell you some suitable over seeding mixture.
Lawn grows better if it is given a reasonable amount of water to make it deep rooted. The intervals between watering are longer and the grass is more drought tolerant if something goes wrong with the irrigation.
Mow the lawn high until it recovers. Lawns love to be fertilized and like to be fertilized in autumn, spring and summer. Always water before and after fertilizer is applied. Buy specific lawn fertilizer (such as Shirleys No 17) and alternate chemical and organic (say pelleted chicken manure).
I'd water and get the grass going before you fertilize, this will cause less stress especially if the lawn is 'at deaths door'.
If your lawn is alive it will quickly recover with the water. See what happens with the water first and then you can work from there.