Want to thank for this newsgroup and many others for setting me straight on
how to plant grass from seed. Some was misleading as they were in a
different zone, different soil type, and subject to their own
interpretations not appropriate to mine. Mother nature helped out a bunch
this year with heavy cloudiness, intermittent hard rain, soft rain, and
drizzle. Heavy humidity most of the time, but no mold, or other associated
growth. Well, except some oddball mushrooms out by the driveway.

Location: Central TX hill country.
Original conditions: 20 degree grade, limestone rocks and gravel, caliche.
Not a yard per se.

Corrective activities: created rock wall at bottom of grade, short from the
fenceline, wide enough to comfortably push the lawnmower between the wall
and fence. Moved the larger rocks out first, part of the wall. Top of the
wall to the house, decreased slope. Filled in with sandy loam. Raked in
5-10-10 fertilizer and grass seed. Over a 6 week period, the bermuda grass
has germinated, sprouted, and grown over 5" in height. Today, I finally
mowed it. The sandy loam did have added attraction, some kind of plant not
typical of my area. I've been pulling up as it erupts.

Local landscaper I'm familiar with, told me about using highly degradable
mulch for water retention and aiding bacteria and aiding earthworm
population for the lawn. He said to use it lightly on an established lawn.
Keep it mowed and use the mulching asset of the mower to chop up the mulch.
Use the mulch lightly, he said. He said you could also bow rake some in the
soil if no lawn is in place yet. Found some bags of finely shredded pine
bark at the local feed store, hope that falls in line with that.

--
Dave

Apathy and denial are close cousins