Question
QUESTION: no matter how much i've tried; this ;past season i was able to cultivate a beautiful lawn.. unfortunately i have a dog who runs around like a horse and as we approached fall, the lawn began to come up in divets leaving me with a junkyard backyard.  My first question is, it it to late to seed.. I live on Long Island.  My next question is.. should this have happened?  I planted perennall rye grass mixed heavily with fescue and then another seeding of just kentucky blue grass in early spring.. as i said great law until September when it all started to just come up.. could i have another problem that would cause that?  Thanks!RJ, Sea Cliff, NY

ANSWER: It's too late to get the kind of Lawn you are hoping for.  But try it again next Spring.  Sounds like you really do know what you're doing.  A few notes:

1.  Get your Soil tested.  Your Grass will be stronger and you'll have a better understanding of what's going on down there.

2.  Keep your Dog off the Grass.  These 2 things do not mix.  Period.  And I am a dog person -- first thing I did was buy a dog as soon as I bought my house, AHEAD of planting the Lawn.  But dogs can never be kind to a Lawn.  It's not in their nature.  More than anything, this is going to be your issue next year.

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: can you tell me where you get soil tested?

Answer
Send your Soil to the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service:

www.cce.cornell.edu

They'll tell you what your Soil is made of.

After your tests come back, add necessary ingredients to make your Soil healthy.  Amendments might include Peat Moss (which will make your Soil slightly more acid, but is a great way to raise the moisture retention of hard clay), Compost, Humus, fall leaves, even Coffee grounds from Starbucks -- lots of things.  There are stables all over the island; you can get Manure from them and till it in thoroughly, save most for your future compost pile.  If you use store bought Manure you don't have to worry about adding too much.  Sand is another amendment but you have to use it with other things to keep from turning your yard into cement.  See what they say at Cornell.  Good luck.

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER