Reviving a dead lawn

[MrFancypants]

About six months ago we purchased a house with a front lawn that was overrun by weeds.  After accomplishing various other tasks around the home, I'm turning my attention to the sorry state of my front lawn.  The problem is, I'm not exactly sure where to start.

After doing a bit of reading I have decided to seed rather than roll out sod.  The section I'm looking to cover is fairly small, maybe about 750 square feet.  Issues I have to deal with...

1.  soil erosion around and under the driveway; the concrete is undamaged, but in spots there's about an inch of space between the concrete and the ground.  How concerned should I be?

2.  soil erosion in general; I need to add an inch to two inches in various spots, mostly at the areas surrounding the driveway and near the house.  Should I add compost or soil?  Can I find either of these at Lowes or Home Depot or are there better options?

A question that I can't seem to find a clear answer to....  since I intend to add compost and/or soil, should I till the lawn before or after I add the new material?

Of note is a small, half dead tree that didn't make it too far beyond the planting stage before it started to die.  It's maybe 4-5 inches and will be removed with an ax and shovel.  Another part that will need some extra material.

Thanks for any help!

[smalllife]

Sounds like the perfect opportunity to zero-scape or otherwise find more hearty alternatives to the grass lawn!

Are you seeding grass (which will need lots of water, fertilizer, etc.) or a more robust and varied ground cover (multiple plant species encourages diversity, soil, and pollinators)?

If you till the lawn, you will be giving oxygen to buried seeds - and will likely see an explosion of the weeds you don't want.    Those weeds if mowed could be a more environmentally friendly lawn option, but that's up to you.  Weeds are in the eyes of the beholder, I have a nice lawn of clover and a few unidentified low growing green plants. 

[skunkfunk]

  Weeds are in the eyes of the beholder

Never put weeds in your eyes. Especially sand burrs or the like.

[iris lily]

What's your climate?

In general, if you are going to till it all up, add the compost first and till it in. That will add to the quality of your soil. If you have heavy clay soils, aerating it every few years is a good thing, but very few people do that. An aeration machine is a specialty item.

Make sure that you have grass types that are appropriate for your climate. Blue grass prefers cooler climates although we have a mix of it, in with other grasses. Also, most grasses need sun. Too many people expect a lawn to grown under trees--nah, that won't happen.

 

[eil]

Where you live depends on the quality of advice given...

In some places it's hard to grow a nice green lawn because green grass isn't really native to the region. You have to seed, sod, fertilize, irrigate, aerate, etc, etc which all costs bunches of money. If this is you, then perhaps maintaining a lawn is not the most mustachian way to go. (As indicated in the first response.)

If, like me, you live in an area where grass grows in abundance in fertile soil of its own accord, then sod or seed simply speed up the "greening" process. Just put down some top soil and let nature do its thang. The weeds will get there first but once the grass has moved in, you can't tell the difference between weeds and grass after the lawn mower has had its way with them.

Depending on how much you need, a local landscaping supply company may be the better option for soil. We purchased five yards of 50/50 top soil and compost mix for $160 this spring. Most of it went to our new raised beds in the back yard, but I used some to fill in a few dents and valleys in the yard.

If you need to fill in around (and under?) your driveway, you may need fill dirt (sand, basically) and/or gravel for structural support. Then topsoil on top of that. Also look into why the ground eroded there and see if you can mitigate the cause (e.g., reroute the path the rainwater takes during a storm).

[NeverWasACornflakeGirl]

I want to make a more eco-friendly, low-maintenance, mustachian lawn, so I was looking at this link:  http://www.gardenista.com/posts/fields-of-green-5-favorite-lawn-substitutes.  I'm thinking along the lines of:

"Fleur de Lawn (http://gardenista.com/products/fleur-de-lawn) is a flowering eco-lawn mix with low growing perennial flowers that change color and texture through the seasons."

[Argyle]

I wish that site showed photos of what the lawn-alternatives (specifically the Fleur de Lawn) look like in place.

[NeverWasACornflakeGirl]

I wish that site showed photos of what the lawn-alternatives (specifically the Fleur de Lawn) look like in place.

Like a whole bunch of weeds, I'm guessing!  ;-)  LOL -- just kidding.  But I'll bet that to those of us used to seeing a whole bunch of grass, it's going to look pretty messy until we get used to it. 

[MrFancypants]

Wow, thanks for the responses!

I'm in an HOA, and according to that, only half of my lawn can be zero-scaped.  There's also a word about weeds in it, so I'm basically stuck with a grass lawn.  I haven't yet chosen a specific type of grass, but my selection was going to be primarily driven by drought resistance.  Most of my neighbors have green lawns that aren't watered more than once a week, if ever (plus sporadic rainfall), so I'm sure the answer to that question will be a simple matter of asking my neighbors.  Additionally, a "good enough" lawn typically doesn't need much more maintenance than weed control and throwing out some fresh seeds in the spring.

Over the last month or so I've been spraying a chemical weed killer over the area to clear it all out.  It has rained a few times and new weeds have sprung, and I've engaged in another round of spraying.  I was hoping to thin it out just enough so when I plant grass it won't be immediately taken back over by weeds.  In some areas I can tell that I've been successful by the patches of dirt, other areas have regrown weeds.  At that point I'll break out the gloves and go about digging up roots.

I don't believe heavy clay is an issue here, as I haven't been given any specific advice regarding having to aerate, particularly at the point I'm in.

Trees will be a non issue, the lawn will get more than enough sunshine.  My primary challenge will be ensuring it stays sufficiently watered.

The main question of when to till, before or after compost, was the big one on my mind.

[MrFancypants]

...and I'm sorry, I thought I had the location listed under my name like on other forums.  I live in southern Texas.

[phred]

What is the ratio of grass to weeds?  Are you at least 50% lawn?

top soil or compost against the house?  doesn't matter
against the driveway -- needs to have little or no organic matter, so no compost.
air spaces under drive need to be packed full.  use a broomstick to really cram in it and pack it.

a good enough lawn needs to be lightly fertilized at start of 'lawn season' and at end.  You then won't need to throw down seed each year.  A fertilized lawn will crowd out many of the weeds.

watering once a week is not only sufficient, but is recommended.  One inch of water and that's it.  Subtract from the inch the  amount from rainfall.

Give the chemicals time to dissipate before putting down seed or sod, or you may kill them too

call on your county agricultural extension office for which type and strain of grass works best where you are.  Get a bag for a soil test while you're there

Lose the tiller unless you're all weeds

[MrFancypants]

Almost 100% weeds.  The only grass on the front of my property is on the edges at the neighbor's property.

Thanks for the tips on the chemicals.  I'll cease use for a few weeks before I start the actual work.  If it doesn't rain much I'll pre-water the lawn to hopefully hasten the dissipation of those chemicals.

I'll see what I can do about tightly cramming soil under the driveway.  At some point I'll likely install some bricks along the edges to prevent this from happening in the future.

[dragoncar]

I wish that site showed photos of what the lawn-alternatives (specifically the Fleur de Lawn) look like in place.

Like a whole bunch of weeds, I'm guessing!  ;-)  LOL -- just kidding.  But I'll bet that to those of us used to seeing a whole bunch of grass, it's going to look pretty messy until we get used to it.

Looking at those photos, all I could think was "spiders, spiders everywhere"

[MrFancypants]

Alright, my plan....

1.  remove the half dead tree; easily done with an ax and shovel
2.  try the idea of shoving soil under the small opening under my driveway with a broom (cheap to try, worth a shot)
3.  water the lawn for a few days to dilute the weed killers I've sprayed over the last couple of weeks
4.  add top soil to repair erosion and level rough spots
5.  till
6.  seed
7.  straw
8.  water water water
9.  cross fingers and hope to have something to mow in 2-3 weeks

[San]

Hi, I'm new here, but I thought I'd chime in. The above looks like a good start. Two questions:

Where is the water coming from that is causing the current erosion issue? Is it from the downspouts from the house? Is the yard badly graded? (If you answered this already I missed it and I'm sorry). Even stuffing soil in will only be a bandaid unless you know the source of the erosion and if it's just going to wash all of your hard work away with the next big rain.

Have you thought about what type of grass you are going to put down? A lot of people default to perennial bluegrass, but it's really water and fertilizer hungry. Plus, it takes 21 days for the seed to start to germinate. Perennial rye or fescue would be better choices, with fescue being the best choice (a local nursery ought to have the right variety of fescue for your Texas area). It has a finer leaf than the other two, so it won't be golf-course lawn. But it requires WAY less water and fertilizer to grow healthy, and the seed germinates in 7-10 days, so you'll know quicker if it's taken.

Whatever seed you pick, don't forget a starter fertilizer, which can mean the difference between a poor start and a decent one. And when starting a lawn fresh from seed, a lot people will need to reseed again at least twice (autumn and next spring) before it looks excellent. A lot of folks expect a single seeding to give a great lawn, and frequently, especially in really dry areas, it just doesn't. But that's okay, it's normal :)

[Dollarbill49]

Can you actually grow grass in Southern Texas in June and beyond?  Isn't it too hot, and dry?

[MrFancypants]

Hi, I'm new here, but I thought I'd chime in. The above looks like a good start. Two questions:

Where is the water coming from that is causing the current erosion issue? Is it from the downspouts from the house? Is the yard badly graded? (If you answered this already I missed it and I'm sorry). Even stuffing soil in will only be a bandaid unless you know the source of the erosion and if it's just going to wash all of your hard work away with the next big rain.

Have you thought about what type of grass you are going to put down? A lot of people default to perennial bluegrass, but it's really water and fertilizer hungry. Plus, it takes 21 days for the seed to start to germinate. Perennial rye or fescue would be better choices, with fescue being the best choice (a local nursery ought to have the right variety of fescue for your Texas area). It has a finer leaf than the other two, so it won't be golf-course lawn. But it requires WAY less water and fertilizer to grow healthy, and the seed germinates in 7-10 days, so you'll know quicker if it's taken.

Whatever seed you pick, don't forget a starter fertilizer, which can mean the difference between a poor start and a decent one. And when starting a lawn fresh from seed, a lot people will need to reseed again at least twice (autumn and next spring) before it looks excellent. A lot of folks expect a single seeding to give a great lawn, and frequently, especially in really dry areas, it just doesn't. But that's okay, it's normal :)

I have yet to observe exactly how the rain is flowing off my property, as there hasn't been a good shower after I noticed the issue.  My house doesn't have any downspouts, which might be a part of the problem.  Just normal run-off the roof with some metal shields up (I don't know exactly what they're called) to prevent water from running off in certain areas.  For now I'll go with the bandaid and observe to come up with a long term solution.  Some of my neighbors have lined the sides of their driveway with bricks, so this could be a good option to at least keep the erosion away from the driveway itself.

As far as seed goes....  I haven't chosen yet.  I'm not looking to win awards, I just want something green, drought resistant, and as low maintenance as possible.  Before I buy anything I'll make sure to do some reading on the various types that are most likely to take here.

Can you actually grow grass in Southern Texas in June and beyond?  Isn't it too hot, and dry?

That was my initial thought, I really didn't think I could get grass to grow here during this time of year.  Originally I was going to wait until about September to start, but I'm being prompted by the HOA to do something now.  Thankfully every local I've talked to insists that as long as I'm disciplined about manually watering every single day for at least two to three weeks after throwing down seed, it will grow.

[dcheesi]

Can you actually grow grass in Southern Texas in June and beyond?  Isn't it too hot, and dry?

A lot of grasses go dormant in the middle of summer, only to revive and grow again in the fall.

Still, I can't imagine that a lush green lawn is in any way native to that part of Texas...?

[MrFancypants]

A lesson learned today:  knocking down a ~4" diameter ~12' tall tree with an axe is pretty easy, but removing the stump with the axe and a shovel is not quite so easy.  After hurting my hand by not wearing tight enough fitting gloves (huge blister) I've admitted defeat.  Even a buddy with a 4x4 couldn't manage to pull the rest of it out.  Unfortunately I think I've gotten as far with this as my tools will allow and I may have to come out of pocket to pay somebody with a proper stump grinder.

[deborah]

For the stump: A crowbar is your friend. You push it in and wiggle it around, then pull it out - amazing what one will do.

For the weeds: Black Plastic is your friend. Till, then cover the area with black plastic for a couple of weeks. The weed seeds germinate (because they are getting plenty of heat) and die (because they are getting no sun). The black plastic needs to be pegged in around the edges so no sun gets under it. Take the plastic off before you sew your seeds.

Where there is erosion: work out why it is happening and do something about it - put a garden bed there with a border around it, add some gravel there, concrete it, maybe decide that the grass will stop the erosion (but work out how to stop it from eroding while the grass is growing).

Before you plant your lawn, figure out what you are going to do about the edges - it is a pain if you have to do the edges separately.

Disclaimer: we don't have a lawn - one of the advantages of our house. My partner sits on the couch smiling from ear to ear as each lawn mower surrounding us progressively starts up on the weekend.

[marty998]

ooh I've had some fun with a stump grinder in the past. You need to get in there all the way down and kill off the roots as well.

You need lots and lots of shit, I mean fertiliser. Dynamic Lifter it was called. Parents used to buy bags and bags of the stuff. We'd completely cover our 20m x 10m back yard in it every couple of years when I was a kid. It stunk for a week but didn't take long for the grass to grow through. They continue to have a beautiful lawn to this day.

[Boz86]

a stump grinder will make quick work of one stump, you'll only need to rent for 4 hours or less if you can.

[Jack]

Can you actually grow grass in Southern Texas in June and beyond?  Isn't it too hot, and dry?

A lot of grasses go dormant in the middle of summer, only to revive and grow again in the fall.

Still, I can't imagine that a lush green lawn is in any way native to that part of Texas...?

For Texas, you want a completely different kind of grass than any of you Yankees are familiar with. Bluegrass is right out, and so is Fescue -- those are all "cool season" grasses. Instead, down in the South we have "warm season" grasses that are green and thriving in summer (assuming they get enough water) and go dormant in the winter.

What the OP wants is something more like Zoysia, Bermudagrass, Centipedegrass or St. Augustine Grass.  Those four are listed in order from best to worst for growing in my neck of the woods (Atlanta); in more sandy/coastal areas Centipede and St. Augustine may be preferable.

In Atlanta it is possible to grow Fescue if you have slightly shadier yard (but not too shady, or no grass will grow at all), but you would seed it in March or November, not June. In southern Texas I suspect it wouldn't have a chance in any microclimate.

[deborah]

What the OP wants is something more like Zoysia, Bermudagrass, Centipedegrass or St. Augustine Grass.  Those four are listed in order from best to worst for growing in my neck of the woods (Atlanta); in more sandy/coastal areas Centipede and St. Augustine may be preferable.

In Atlanta it is possible to grow Fescue if you have slightly shadier yard (but not too shady, or no grass will grow at all), but you would seed it in March or November, not June. In southern Texas I suspect it wouldn't have a chance in any microclimate.

Sir Walter is drought resistant

[MrFancypants]

For the stump: A crowbar is your friend. You push it in and wiggle it around, then pull it out - amazing what one will do.

For the weeds: Black Plastic is your friend. Till, then cover the area with black plastic for a couple of weeks. The weed seeds germinate (because they are getting plenty of heat) and die (because they are getting no sun). The black plastic needs to be pegged in around the edges so no sun gets under it. Take the plastic off before you sew your seeds.

Where there is erosion: work out why it is happening and do something about it - put a garden bed there with a border around it, add some gravel there, concrete it, maybe decide that the grass will stop the erosion (but work out how to stop it from eroding while the grass is growing).

I tried to find a tool that was recommended in another article I read called a grub hoe, which is basically a hoe with an extra long blade for more leverage.  Unfortunately I couldn't find one anywhere.  I may try the crowbar trick, and if my hand heals by this weekend and I can't arrange for somebody to come out with a stump grinder I may have another go at it.

I've never heard of that trick with black plastic.  It makes sense, I may have to try it.

Regarding the erosion....  bear in mind that I've only had this house since October.  Today we got a really, really good storm.  I stood and watched and I didn't see an alarming amount of water flowing over that section.  I suppose it's possible that the driveway is slanted ever so gently in that direction and water flows off of it and into the yard there (most water from the driveway seemed to make it all the way to the street).  The sidewalk that connects to the driveway is also there, and water certainly flows off if it in that direction.  My best guess is that given the crummy shape the yard is in, it's simply eroded slowly over the 10 years the house has stood here.  I think that adding more topsoil to level it off and getting actual grass growing there should resolve the issue.

The grasses that Jack mentioned all sound familiar to me.  There's a certain type that you find in most people's front yards that has a very fine texture to it, although I'm not sure exactly what it is.  I didn't really know the actual difference between grasses down here and up north.  Recently I had been wondering why the grasses here were green in the summer and not in the winter, with the inverse being true up north.

[NeverWasACornflakeGirl]

I wish that site showed photos of what the lawn-alternatives (specifically the Fleur de Lawn) look like in place.

Like a whole bunch of weeds, I'm guessing!  ;-)  LOL -- just kidding.  But I'll bet that to those of us used to seeing a whole bunch of grass, it's going to look pretty messy until we get used to it.

Looking at those photos, all I could think was "spiders, spiders everywhere"

On second thought, I'm not sure I want to use that mix.  It suddenly occurred to me what it would look like in the winter (mostly dead).

[SweetLife]

Quick reply ... not sure if you started this already or not ... but since my family has owned a sod farm for over 50 years in Canada thought I would help out...

First off 750 sq feet ... you need about 84 rolls of sod ... (6ft by 1.5ft or 18inches) ... that amount could easily fit into a pick up truck (if it is dry) with a trailer .... or make 2 loads ...call a few friends ... add some beer ... lay it like bricks ... (no seams meeting) .... you hold up the sides as you lay it down and pat them together (make the edges tight) ... this should take no longer than one to two hours (be sure to have your top soil already on and someone who is good with a rake working in front of you ... they rake (any dips or divots will be felt with your lawn mower later) .... you roll out the sod ... repeat ... I don't know the cost of a roll there but here for up to 100 rolls it is somewhere between 2.25 and 1.95 per roll (the more you get the less it is) ... Water well after you put it down - then ROLLLLL it out. Will take out any remaining dips and valleys.
Don't worry about weed killer and seeds/sod ... it kills weeds not grass seed ... don't bother with all that extra watering to get rid of it .. that just doesn't make sense.
Sod - after you put it down you will water from 1-2 weeks (in the evening best ... NO WATERING DURING THE DAY ...) water until there is water coming under the sod ... every other night is fine.  You will see little white roots within about 10 days. 

When you finally are ready to cut your new sod use the HIGHEST setting on your lawnmower the first time this will show you where you may still have high/low points (water heavily roll again if you can or gently lift up and rake under if you are anal like my husband lol...).

IF you are doing seed ... you will not have anything to cut after 2 weeks ... it takes at least 2 years for a lawn to look like a lawn if you are seeding ... (unless you want to spend as much in chemicals and treatments to get those little buggers growing as if you had planted sod in the first place...). 

Entirely up to you ... But this is one area that is an easy fix for a little more money but faster results.

[smalllife]

I wish that site showed photos of what the lawn-alternatives (specifically the Fleur de Lawn) look like in place.

Like a whole bunch of weeds, I'm guessing!  ;-)  LOL -- just kidding.  But I'll bet that to those of us used to seeing a whole bunch of grass, it's going to look pretty messy until we get used to it.

If it's anything like my yard (the natural, whatever grows variety) it looks quite nice since nature took winter into account.


Looking at those photos, all I could think was "spiders, spiders everywhere"

On second thought, I'm not sure I want to use that mix.  It suddenly occurred to me what it would look like in the winter (mostly dead).

If it's anything like my lawn (whatever grows, mowed to keep it short), it actually looks great in the winter since nature took the trouble of figuring that part out.

[MrFancypants]

Quick reply ... not sure if you started this already or not ... but since my family has owned a sod farm for over 50 years in Canada thought I would help out...

First off 750 sq feet ... you need about 84 rolls of sod ... (6ft by 1.5ft or 18inches) ... that amount could easily fit into a pick up truck (if it is dry) with a trailer .... or make 2 loads ...call a few friends ... add some beer ... lay it like bricks ... (no seams meeting) .... you hold up the sides as you lay it down and pat them together (make the edges tight) ... this should take no longer than one to two hours (be sure to have your top soil already on and someone who is good with a rake working in front of you ... they rake (any dips or divots will be felt with your lawn mower later) .... you roll out the sod ... repeat ... I don't know the cost of a roll there but here for up to 100 rolls it is somewhere between 2.25 and 1.95 per roll (the more you get the less it is) ... Water well after you put it down - then ROLLLLL it out. Will take out any remaining dips and valleys.
Don't worry about weed killer and seeds/sod ... it kills weeds not grass seed ... don't bother with all that extra watering to get rid of it .. that just doesn't make sense.
Sod - after you put it down you will water from 1-2 weeks (in the evening best ... NO WATERING DURING THE DAY ...) water until there is water coming under the sod ... every other night is fine.  You will see little white roots within about 10 days. 

When you finally are ready to cut your new sod use the HIGHEST setting on your lawnmower the first time this will show you where you may still have high/low points (water heavily roll again if you can or gently lift up and rake under if you are anal like my husband lol...).

IF you are doing seed ... you will not have anything to cut after 2 weeks ... it takes at least 2 years for a lawn to look like a lawn if you are seeding ... (unless you want to spend as much in chemicals and treatments to get those little buggers growing as if you had planted sod in the first place...). 

Entirely up to you ... But this is one area that is an easy fix for a little more money but faster results.

So I have considered that, and laying sod was going to be the direction I took it if I could have waited until about September or October.  But my fear is that I lay it and it doesn't take in the middle of summer.  Perhaps this fear is unwarranted given that I'll be going with a grass that tends to thrive in warmer climates?

I am still leaning towards seed at this point, because it doesn't particularly bother me if I don't get instant results.  Going out every few months and tossing out some more seed isn't a chore that I find particularly bothersome.  But if I simply don't get results, I'll certainly go down the sod route.

[Jack]

The grasses that Jack mentioned all sound familiar to me.  There's a certain type that you find in most people's front yards that has a very fine texture to it, although I'm not sure exactly what it is.

The fine-textured grass is probably Bermudagrass. Some vegetatively-propagated (i.e., only available as sod, not seed) varieties of Zoysia, e.g. 'Emerald' are also fine-textured. I don't know much about St. Augustine or Centipede, but the only varieties of them I've seen are relatively coarse.

So I have considered that, and laying sod was going to be the direction I took it if I could have waited until about September or October.  But my fear is that I lay it and it doesn't take in the middle of summer.  Perhaps this fear is unwarranted given that I'll be going with a grass that tends to thrive in warmer climates?

Yes, now is the correct time to plant warm-season sod too. If sod ($$$) is an option, I'd certainly go with 'Emerald' Zoysia (but YMMV in Texas).

[DollarBill]

Texas has a lot of Bermuda grass but check with your HOA and your neighbors for what they have first. I live in Kansas with blue grass and we have two neighbors that planted Bermuda and it's taking over our yards. They produce runners that will take over everything else, plus it will be brown when others are green.

Sounds like you bought in a new neighborhood. I've heard a lot of new Texas homes don't come with gutters. I think this comes down to cost. Someone see's a new house and buys without knowing what they still need to do. I heard that if you have good drainage it's not important but if it was me I would want to keep all moisture away from the foundation (Mold, cracks). I also found that they put up houses so fast now that the foundation/driveways crack after the house settles. A lot of driveways crack because erosion. Fill it with sand or pee gravel. I think you should add gutters and have the gutter spouts exit on the driveway and the others away from the house. With the HOA haunting you it might be better to put in a sprinkler system and it might be better to do it now than after you spend a year to build grass and find out it will burn during drought or summers. As for the tree, a lot of builders put the tree's in with the wire baskets still on. It looks good at first but then it dies because the roots can't grow...had it happen at one of my houses.

[San]

Thanks for bringing up the warm season grasses. Living where I do, I almost never see a lawn from them and they are completely off my radar.

You should be able to sod with warm season grass now.

Here's a site with a pretty good break down of the warm season grasses, which might help you choose as well as what the neighbors have planted:

http://www.supersod.com/free-info/the-encyclopedia-of-lawn-grasses/characteristics-of-warm-and-cool-season-grasses-1.html

[MrFancypants]

Texas has a lot of Bermuda grass but check with your HOA and your neighbors for what they have first. I live in Kansas with blue grass and we have two neighbors that planted Bermuda and it's taking over our yards. They produce runners that will take over everything else, plus it will be brown when others are green.

Sounds like you bought in a new neighborhood. I've heard a lot of new Texas homes don't come with gutters. I think this comes down to cost. Someone see's a new house and buys without knowing what they still need to do. I heard that if you have good drainage it's not important but if it was me I would want to keep all moisture away from the foundation (Mold, cracks). I also found that they put up houses so fast now that the foundation/driveways crack after the house settles. A lot of driveways crack because erosion. Fill it with sand or pee gravel. I think you should add gutters and have the gutter spouts exit on the driveway and the others away from the house. With the HOA haunting you it might be better to put in a sprinkler system and it might be better to do it now than after you spend a year to build grass and find out it will burn during drought or summers. As for the tree, a lot of builders put the tree's in with the wire baskets still on. It looks good at first but then it dies because the roots can't grow...had it happen at one of my houses.

The house itself is ten years old, which is newish, relatively speaking.  That's a good point regarding gutters, I'll be sure to do more research on that subject.  As far as sprinklers go...  given the drought conditions I can't make full use of it in the foreseeable future anyway (I'm only allowed to water once a week, waivers available for resod/seed).  Not that it will always be like this, but all of my neighbors have green yards, and I have yet to see a single one of them water their property.

One of my neighbors takes decent care of his lawn, so I'll ask him what kind of grass he's been throwing out (he reseeds once or twice a year), so it may be worth planting the same as he is.  But right now based on everything I've read and heard I'm leaning towards bermuda.

I've thought more about sod versus seed:  correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I've read I still want to fertilize and till before laying sod if I want to get the best out of the sod.  I've read that the reason for this is that because I will be adding a lot of extra material you want what's on the ground and the new material to be fully meshed.  Since it costs less, I don't mind not having a perfect lawn, and it is less labor intensive...  I believe I'm going to try going the seed route first.  If I'm unhappy after a couple of months, the sod option is still on the table.

[mayhemmoney]

We had a very dead lawn before when my father bought our house. We searched on the internet about  how to revive it, we found this this from Susan Patterson adds, "Use a pre-emergent herbicide on your lawn in the early spring to control weeds."

[BarkingSquirrel]

  If it doesn't rain much I'll pre-water the lawn to hopefully hasten the dissipation of those chemicals.

Especially with your erosion issue, have you checked where those chemicals are dissipating to?  Local wetlands or brook?  If you are not permitted a xeriscape lawn, could you maybe try to protect the watershed? 

[Rika Non]

When I lived in South Texas I had a great lawn with St Augustine.  You can start from plugs and also maintain and re-plug as needed since it's a catepillar type grass that will spead.  Pretty tollerant to most everything other than Big Pharma sprays.

You can also start a small section and grow it out if you have the time.