Howard wrote:
I live in NE Alabama and our extreme drought has caused many sunk in
holes
or depressions in my yard. I have access to a couple of free, small
truckloads of left over leveling sand, the kind used in
construction. A
friend wants to use this to fill in the holes in the yard. He says
the
grass will grow right over it and do fine. I don't share this
opinion. I
have 1 acre, on a lake, with St. Augustine in the front and mostly
centipede
in the back. The back slopes more than the front. The drought has
damaged
all of my grass but I have fertilized and have been extra careful
about
mowing. I keep the mower set on 2 1/2 to 3 inches in height. Both
grasses
are rebounding very well as this spring we have had abundant
rainfall. I am
concerned about putting sand out to fill the holes and depressions.
What do
you guys think? Should I accept this offer of free sand or wait and
get
some good topsoil.

Thanks,
Howard

Sand works fine, with a few caveats... It's generally done in early
spring, and only put down about 1/2 inch at a time. If you fill a 2"-3"
deep hole you'll have a sand spot for a while. My front yard looks like
a fairway with 2 bunkers right now....