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Mud yard #864529

Asked April 14, 2024, 9:10 PM EDT

Hello, We current have two dogs and we've tried planting sod two years in a row to get a better lawn. I've also tried clover and over seeding. With the dry summers we've had lately and the fact that our yard gets a lot of direct sun, everything we do keeps dying. We have patchy grass at best, mostly mud though. We don't really want to get grass anymore, we want something to put in the back yard that doesn't take a lot of water, and is hardy enough for the dogs while also being something our 5 year old.daughter can play on.

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thank you for your question. I'm sure your yard is definitely mud with the rain we had yesterday. It sounds like you've tried several things including seeding and sodding your lawn. Unfortunately there's not an ideal lawn for what you're looking for except for a no-mow lawn. This lawn uses a grass seed mix of fine fescues and works for sunny areas that you have. You will have to seed your lawn with the recommended mixes of fescues. Here are two MN Extension articles outlining the fine fescues and the no-mow lawn: 

https://extension.umn.edu/lawns-and-landscapes/planting-and-maintaining-fine-fescue-lawn

https://turf.umn.edu/mow-no-mow

Retail stores sell "fast lawn" mixes so I would caution you to read the label carefully and make sure it contains fescue grasses that are hardy in our area.

I also have a dog, and know they are not friendly with grass lawns. I have heard that some put down an area with wood mulch and train their dogs to use that area. 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied April 17, 2024, 12:19 PM EDT

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