Hey folks, I’m feeling lost here and could really use some advice. I moved in two years ago and paid a lot for sprinkler repairs, but they broke down after two months. I couldn’t afford to fix them again, so I let the lawn go. It’s been through two Texas summers with barely any mowing, and now it’s mostly weeds and dead patches. The HOA gave me a warning a few months back, and I’ve been avoiding dealing with it out of stress.
They sent pictures of my yard along with the violation notice, saying:
“You need to re-sod the bare areas of your yard to comply.”
I don’t even know where to begin. My yard and the easement are around 600-700 square feet. There were dead spots when I moved in, and my trees block most of the sunlight. I’m guessing I can’t just throw sod over weeds, and I’m not sure what tools or steps are involved. Also, it seems like it’d be tough fitting sod around the trees in the easement. Can I even do this on my own? The HOA gave me 30 days to fix it, but I can buy more time if I show them a plan or progress. If it’s $1,000, maybe I’ll let them do it. If it’s $10,000, I need to get moving fast.
Please, I need some advice. Should I go ahead and do it myself or start getting quotes? Any lawn care tips would be appreciated!
Since you’re in Texas, I just wanted to mention that HOAs here can’t stop you from replacing your grass with drought-resistant landscaping. If grass won’t grow under your trees, you can add mulch, rocks, and a few shade-tolerant plants. If some areas are too sunny or dry for grass, more mulch, rocks, or drought-resistant shrubs might be the answer.
Look up some native plants that are drought-friendly for your area. Texas A&M has good resources, and your nearest big city should too.
Contact the HOA and tell them you have a plan, but the timing isn’t great due to the season. Offer to take care of the weeds and overgrowth for now, but ask for more time for the sod. Get that agreement in writing. Also, get a few quotes from companies even if you don’t plan on using them, so you can tell the HOA you’re working on it. I wouldn’t mention going drought-resistant until you’re ready to start. The HOA might push back, but they don’t have much legal ground to stand on.
If you need specific help, message me where you’re located, and I’ll try to assist. I have the best lawn in my Central Texas neighborhood, but half of it is drought-friendly, which keeps the HOA on my back.
By the way, this forum doesn’t allow both pictures and text in the same post, so you’ll need to upload your photos to imgur or another site and link them.
@Vern
Where did you hear that? I mentioned this to my HOA and they said I need grass, even fake turf wasn’t allowed. I’m so tired of trying to keep grass green when it’s still nearly 100 degrees in mid-October.
I can’t see the pictures, but laying sod now is a bad idea. Any cool-season grass will die next summer, and warm-season grass will go dormant in a month before it’s fully established. See if you can get an extension until spring, then plant high-quality Zoysia for your shady spots.
@Tory
Got it! I’m in northern Georgia in zone 7a, with a shady creekside yard. I planted some shade-tolerant grass on October 5th. Your comment had me worried!
Thames said: @Tory
I’m new to this, why would cool-season grass die in summer? Is it just because it’s Texas?
I tried planting a shade fescue. It lasted from February to May, but it died in June, even in the shade. Texas heat (and drought—we haven’t had rain since mid-August) is rough. We hit 100 degrees today in Austin.
Even my Zoysia browns in the sun but recovers by the next morning. The soil temperatures are still around 80-85 degrees here and can reach 100+ in summer.
If you don’t want to fight the HOA or switch to a low-water yard, here’s my take.
Fix your sprinkler system. You paid for it, so don’t let it go to waste.
Your front yard is only 600-700 square feet. Two pallets of Palisades Zoysia should cover that for about $600, including delivery. You’ll need to loosen the soil, get rid of the weeds, add compost, and lay the sod. It’s manual work, but you could finish it in a weekend.
As others said, it’s late in the year for sod, but if you act quickly, you might be okay with the current weather. It’d be better to ask for an extension and wait until early spring.
Even if your sprinkler system is broken, you can still buy a hose and use a sprinkler to water the lawn. There’s no reason it had to go without water for two years.
Joss said:
Can you switch to a low-maintenance yard with rocks and drought-friendly plants?
Yes, Texas law protects your right to switch to drought-friendly landscaping as long as it’s not an eyesore. HOAs can ask to see a plan first and can control rock/stone use for safety reasons. But the law is on your side unless the work looks really bad.
All rocks might hurt the trees in the heat, but combining mulch with some rocks is a good solution.