Question
I love the idea of organic gardening, but have not yet made the switch. I'm hoping you can offer some suggestions that can help us solve our problem and may lead to us making some more organic choices in the future.

Along the back of our house, where the water runs off our roof, the grass doesn't grow well. Our house is two years old, and the sod has never taken in that area. We are considering a move, and gutters are just not an option right now (no money). What can we do to help our centipede grass grow and improve the look of our lawn for selling? We are considering reseeding the entire lawn as well, but may find that unnecessary when the spring hits and grass grows in again. We have a fairly shaded lawn, with adequate drainage and centipede grass in a North Florida climate.

Thank you.

Answer
Hi Caroline;
Could be the soil right next to the house is too hard. This could be too much clay ritght there, or the foundation of the house juts out under the soil, and the soil is not deep enough.
You could check to see if the ground has too much clay right there, build a planter with landscape timbers, or bricks ( Windsor stones etc), and plant shrubs or flowers in there that need a lot of water, so the runoff from your roof doesn't kill the grass.
Raising a bed there would give you better soil to grow something, and add to the looks of the house.
Maybe just gutters alond the flat sides of the roof, or just where the problem is.
If you are just a little bit handy, and straight gutter across the roof is not hard to install, and a downspout at each end, would direct the water where you want it to go.
I have never had gutters on my roof, and I have Holly bushes across the front of the house. The water gushes off the roof across the frone, and the hollies handle it we.
As far as Centipede grass, I have never grown it, but I am thinking it is pretty much like St. augustine, which is hat I have.
To switch to organics, just buy a lot of sugar and treat your lawn with it now.
apply it ( I broadcast by hand, like throwing chicken feed) at the rate of 1 pound per 250 s.ft. of lawn area, flower beds and all.
that will liven up the beneficial microbes that will enrigh the soil. The sooner you atart enriching the soil, he sooner the weeds will start to fade away.
Don't need to fertilize, but if you do, I would use an organic fertilizer, and also use the sugar.
After you apply the sugar, you want to water in in thoroughly, to a depth of at least 6 incehs.
Deep watering encourages a deep root system to help protect against heat, cold and drought damage.
Also, set you mower blades to a lower setting, around 2 inches.
Mow when the blades of grass are 3 inches high.
This will require a couple of mowings a week, for awhile, but the shorter cutting will make the roots send out more runners, and the grass will spread faster.
when the grass is nice and thick, or when the temperature gets up into the middle or upper 80s, then set the blades as high as possible.
always mow when you will cut off no more than 1/3rd of the blade height.
Letting it grow and then cutting off too much makes the grasss appear stiff and reedy.
Write if you feel I can help more.
Charlotte