Hello,

I should be a homeowner by September and I would like some advice concerning
the lawn. At the moment, the lot is basically a bunch of reddish/brown
dirt. The soil does not appear to be rocky and I got the impression that it
didn't have any significant rock underneath. In September the lot will have
sod except for the backyard which will be dirt.

First, any tips for maintaining a decent look for the parts of the lot that
will already have sod? I wish I knew what type but I won't (it's probably
the cheapest available knowing the builder). I'm concerned that starting
this late in the year might be detrimental to the grass if we have anything
other than a mild winter.

I'm also concerned about the back yard. I don't want to lose my dirt to my
neighbors so it is in my interest to put something down early. Is it
possible to lay down sod in September and have it turn into something other
than dead grass once Spring arrives? Any tips for the back yard?

What about price? I read that it is around $3 to $4 for 9 square feet of
sod, is this accurate?

Thanks for any tips! I just don't want to waste money and/or do anything to
the lawn that will cost me later on down the road. I really want something
nice that my daughter can run around on (oh yeah, how do I discourage fire
ants and those nasty grass hornets?).

Thanks all!

--
gorf