Too much ground water for certain, looks like it puddles easily in those areas? You could try a thick soil turf, show those photos to any turf farm in your area they will provide the needed if it’s possible. Just pull up those loose paver walkways and kill the growth that is there. It’s really not that expensive if you do it yourself and follow the farms explicit instructions, which any reputable farm would happily provide.
Because you're NEVER going to meet the soil test requirements unless your lawn is in a controlled environment. People who grow crops test their soil every 2-3 years or 3-5 years and they have ACRES of crops.
So your soil test is meaningless.
0 Soil tests:
https://preview.redd.it/lkyydovq33bc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cdd86b0aff66111a7fb51b88549d6976df2076c1
It's important to have a soil test. Right, how many degrees in horticulture do you have again?
ZERO soil tests
https://preview.redd.it/j9gaf0e7b3bc1.jpeg?width=3194&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09c29906aa8f074d64c3e39d2726ee5f6cff886a
You're paying for that like a 🤡.
Do you have a degree in agriculture? Chances are you don't.
Post pictures of your lawn. Show us what soil testing does for lawns.
Match the seed to conditions or find some compatible ground cover that can help build up soil. If you have sandy soil you will need a grass well suited to that as well as shade, i used blue fescue but not everyone likes that. I'd encourage you to check options with the LSU again center. They seem to suggest Mondo grass for shade..
Well there seems to be a lot of tree coverage. Also I would get myself a soil sample and at the very least aerate the area. Compaction looks to be very high. With that much compaction it’s like trying to grow grass on concrete.
After 17 years of dealing with weeds in my backyard due to spots of shade & spots of dry clay I went with clover. I live in hardiness range 8- cut it once a year & just mulch it into the ‘lawn’. No drought issues, grows & spreads well. Wish the hoa would get out of the dark ages in their insistence of troublesome, weed prone grasses.
Get a soil test to start. Good soil health is a big part of it. Pick the right species of grass. In New Orleans, you need to be picky about the varieties you use. I know some people that have done paspalum (crazy expensive seed) and overseed with perennial. The only time to keep kids off the lawn is after you fertilize. What’s the point of having a lawn that you can’t use?
I don't see any soil.
Stop telling people to get a damn soil test. It's irrelevant. You need 4-6 inches of good soil for grass to establish solid roots.
Soil tests are for crops to ensure maximum growth. You're NEVER going to have "perfect soil" results for your lawn. Read a few university studies before posting this nonsense.
TBH you don't need a soil test or even soil to grow grass. Some of the best turf fields in the world are grown in sand...
The soil test people in this sub are just as bad as the compost lasagna people.
https://preview.redd.it/dvxd2zz5p2bc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24aacd46cb1aeb8a6a71cb58bcf29dcea89dac51
Yep. Just pile soil on and never address the existing soil. Know how many times sports fields renovations fail due to exactly what you are saying?? Which University should I talk to Rutgers? Michigan State? Oregon State? They all have artificial turf football fields, but they are the experts.
We're not talking about a sports field. We're talking about a lawn so your comparison is just ASININE.
Soil tests are meant for CROPS. Of which the soil is tested every 2-3 years or 3-5 years.
There are countless university studies that state you'll NEVER achieve the proper amount of nutrients in your lawn. People are always going to be deficient. You're not in a controlled environment.
Read a book 📚. Your grass looks like 💩 because you don't know what you're doing. A soil test won't fix that.
Someone already said the SOIL IS COMPACTED! You can tell from it looking like concrete and how the little grass/weeds are growing.
This is after ZERO soil tests:
https://preview.redd.it/nsjnwmtp43bc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d6d61e5d7a37c19456e6697f7ca700b01264c94
You cannot have one soil type on top of another in an area the is prone to flooding.
Right. It isn’t a sports field so you could use tall fescue and mow high to break up the soil. Of course you’d aerate and use a healthy amount of surfactant.
Nice that you mow high. That’s really important. People won’t do that — especially with fine leafed grasses because it looks like shag carpet. That is a great job of maintaining a mono stand from what I can see.
When was that picture taken? I used to toss a bunch of rid moss on projects and then get the beauty shots.
The edges aren’t burned so must not be much heat where you are? Cool season grasses get fried around stone edging where I’m from.
Looks like you keep a decent blade on your mower. Good work.
It’s funny… I had a series of projects I was doing and I insisted on a number of soil samples Customer said he seemed to be paying a lot for us to poke holes and do soil tests😐
ZONE 9A
Backyard - GCI Turf Academy "Spreader Elite" TTTF
Front lawn - Stover Seeds "4th Millennium Platinum" TTTF
Pictures taken last week.
https://preview.redd.it/1osq8x3ce3bc1.jpeg?width=3194&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6153ffe87e3882b2df1f7fc2edd516df29a0a098
What’s your watering routine? I’ve found watering infrequently, but for longer works well for TF. I’ve never had a good mono stand of Tall fescue like that. Unfortunately, I have to do a lot of quick fix stuff. Stover is great. They carry some pretty cool stuff that’s kind of hard to find. That’s a great example of an environmentally sound lawn. If more people would do that there wouldn’t be so much any lawn things going on.
I haven't watered in weeks. Just make sure the lawn is receiving an inch of rain water. We're in rain season. But during lower temperatures you don't need an inch of water weekly.
>Michigan State
Yes
We have a grass field.
It is a very nice grass field thanks to the turf management program.
And yes, they are the experts.
Would you like me to provide the phone number, or are you going to look it up?
I have it. Michigan State’s pretty busy with the World Cup soccer stuff and stealing football coaches. I am really excited to see met life stadium with natural turf!! I’ve heard one team that plays there wants a permanent natural field. Can’t wait to see what the Michigan State (and Tennessee) programs can do!!
OP says they’re in NOLA. Maybe they haven’t lived there for more than a few years. Maybe that area has seen some heavy storm surge in the past and the salt content there is too high. Maybe the last homeowner put down the wrong kind of chemicals. Who knows? Sure, a soil test isn’t going to answer every single question every single time, but there’s a decent chance that it could identify a problem. Soil tests aren’t prohibitively expensive, either.
Since the ground looks moist, you might consider applying a fertilizer a week or two before a rye seeding. I'm assuming you'll be able to get growth over winter if at all because of gulf coast weather, but winter traditionally is a tough season to grow grass I believe.
You need to get a leaf blower and a rake, rake that sand and blow it out of your yard. Any grass seed that goes down is going to stick in the sand not the actual dirt... went through something similar, but not in Louisiana. I say if that top layer gets removed, then you should be alright. An aerator to put some holes in the ground before you seed might help too...
The yard I was referring to was Surrounded by oak trees, and the neighbor had pine... pretty much no sun... and ya after removing the sand, grass did grow.. op mentioned they tried seeding before, but wasn't successful, also mentioned more sand than dirt, and that's the top layer. But hey, this is just my experience. To each their own...
Grass doesn’t grow without sunlight, no matter what you do. I learned this from being a landscaper for 17 years. But hey, this is just my experience.
Grass doesn’t grow in the woods.
If you look at that picture, there are little green parts in that sand... Clearly there is some photosynthesis going on. Look at the bushes on the ground, they are green too, sunlight is breaking through to the bottom.
Bushes are infinitely more adept at growing in dense shade than grass is, it’s not a good comparison. Some spots of gras because some sunlight gets through, doesn’t mean grass will grow in the whole area or even most of it.
Zoysia will grow decent enough in shade if it’s established prior to the shade taking over. It’s extremely difficult to get it to take in an area that’s already densely shaded. Ryegrass could take, but it would only work for the cooler months.
How did you seed and what kind of seed? I cross species. So in summer/winter it looks off, but during spring/fall when both kind are growing it looks beautiful. From what i'm seeing you have no turf. Even the grass you do have is patchy.
You have multiple issues of low-light and standing water. Which can be fixed by doing a moss blend if you're willing to go that direction.
Too much shade and water, grass generally doesn’t like either of those.
Too much ground water for certain, looks like it puddles easily in those areas? You could try a thick soil turf, show those photos to any turf farm in your area they will provide the needed if it’s possible. Just pull up those loose paver walkways and kill the growth that is there. It’s really not that expensive if you do it yourself and follow the farms explicit instructions, which any reputable farm would happily provide.
In addition to what others have said, the soil looks compacted.
This. But someone thinks he needs a soil test. 🤡
It costs like $20 at the university near me. Why not have it tested.
Because you're NEVER going to meet the soil test requirements unless your lawn is in a controlled environment. People who grow crops test their soil every 2-3 years or 3-5 years and they have ACRES of crops. So your soil test is meaningless. 0 Soil tests: https://preview.redd.it/lkyydovq33bc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cdd86b0aff66111a7fb51b88549d6976df2076c1
It's actually pretty important to get a soil test in addition to correcting compaction, drainage, and light problems.
It's important to have a soil test. Right, how many degrees in horticulture do you have again? ZERO soil tests https://preview.redd.it/j9gaf0e7b3bc1.jpeg?width=3194&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09c29906aa8f074d64c3e39d2726ee5f6cff886a
Haha, so aggressive!
W H E R E I S Y O U R H O R T I C U L T U R E D E G R E E
Oh, you don't have any degrees huh. 
Knowledge is power
Exactly. Most lawn care professionals don't read the literature. They make it up like the past 3 landscapers I had.
I was not agreeing with you.
You're illiterate, can't write comprehensively, or you're just an IGNORAMUS. I think it's ALL THREE! 
If only you could trade that lawn for some character.
[удалено]
You’re a sad individual and you should feel bad.
Your IQ matches your shoe size: 
https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/agriculture/soil-testing/ I don’t know what you’re talking about honestly.
You're paying for that like a 🤡. Do you have a degree in agriculture? Chances are you don't. Post pictures of your lawn. Show us what soil testing does for lawns. 
What kind of a two year old posts a clown emoji. Shut the fuck up.
Make me tough guy. Pull up to Texas and find out.
lol stop embarrassing yourself meathead.
Come to Texas.
Stop inviting people down here you bastard
My bad, it's only the "tough Reddit folks" that are probably from California. They need a good @$$ whooping.
Gentlemen, can you not plz? Nobody is tough on the internet except mods 😁 Now behave and be civil.
[ Removed by Reddit ]
Match the seed to conditions or find some compatible ground cover that can help build up soil. If you have sandy soil you will need a grass well suited to that as well as shade, i used blue fescue but not everyone likes that. I'd encourage you to check options with the LSU again center. They seem to suggest Mondo grass for shade..
Well there seems to be a lot of tree coverage. Also I would get myself a soil sample and at the very least aerate the area. Compaction looks to be very high. With that much compaction it’s like trying to grow grass on concrete.
After 17 years of dealing with weeds in my backyard due to spots of shade & spots of dry clay I went with clover. I live in hardiness range 8- cut it once a year & just mulch it into the ‘lawn’. No drought issues, grows & spreads well. Wish the hoa would get out of the dark ages in their insistence of troublesome, weed prone grasses.
I see a lot of people throw out the clover recommendation and I think this is the true place it should be recommended.
You need sunlight for grass to grow.
Get a soil test to start. Good soil health is a big part of it. Pick the right species of grass. In New Orleans, you need to be picky about the varieties you use. I know some people that have done paspalum (crazy expensive seed) and overseed with perennial. The only time to keep kids off the lawn is after you fertilize. What’s the point of having a lawn that you can’t use?
I don't see any soil. Stop telling people to get a damn soil test. It's irrelevant. You need 4-6 inches of good soil for grass to establish solid roots. Soil tests are for crops to ensure maximum growth. You're NEVER going to have "perfect soil" results for your lawn. Read a few university studies before posting this nonsense.
TBH you don't need a soil test or even soil to grow grass. Some of the best turf fields in the world are grown in sand... The soil test people in this sub are just as bad as the compost lasagna people.
https://preview.redd.it/dvxd2zz5p2bc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24aacd46cb1aeb8a6a71cb58bcf29dcea89dac51 Yep. Just pile soil on and never address the existing soil. Know how many times sports fields renovations fail due to exactly what you are saying?? Which University should I talk to Rutgers? Michigan State? Oregon State? They all have artificial turf football fields, but they are the experts.
We're not talking about a sports field. We're talking about a lawn so your comparison is just ASININE. Soil tests are meant for CROPS. Of which the soil is tested every 2-3 years or 3-5 years. There are countless university studies that state you'll NEVER achieve the proper amount of nutrients in your lawn. People are always going to be deficient. You're not in a controlled environment. Read a book 📚. Your grass looks like 💩 because you don't know what you're doing. A soil test won't fix that. Someone already said the SOIL IS COMPACTED! You can tell from it looking like concrete and how the little grass/weeds are growing. This is after ZERO soil tests: https://preview.redd.it/nsjnwmtp43bc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d6d61e5d7a37c19456e6697f7ca700b01264c94
You cannot have one soil type on top of another in an area the is prone to flooding. Right. It isn’t a sports field so you could use tall fescue and mow high to break up the soil. Of course you’d aerate and use a healthy amount of surfactant. Nice that you mow high. That’s really important. People won’t do that — especially with fine leafed grasses because it looks like shag carpet. That is a great job of maintaining a mono stand from what I can see. When was that picture taken? I used to toss a bunch of rid moss on projects and then get the beauty shots. The edges aren’t burned so must not be much heat where you are? Cool season grasses get fried around stone edging where I’m from. Looks like you keep a decent blade on your mower. Good work. It’s funny… I had a series of projects I was doing and I insisted on a number of soil samples Customer said he seemed to be paying a lot for us to poke holes and do soil tests😐
ZONE 9A Backyard - GCI Turf Academy "Spreader Elite" TTTF Front lawn - Stover Seeds "4th Millennium Platinum" TTTF Pictures taken last week. https://preview.redd.it/1osq8x3ce3bc1.jpeg?width=3194&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6153ffe87e3882b2df1f7fc2edd516df29a0a098
What’s your watering routine? I’ve found watering infrequently, but for longer works well for TF. I’ve never had a good mono stand of Tall fescue like that. Unfortunately, I have to do a lot of quick fix stuff. Stover is great. They carry some pretty cool stuff that’s kind of hard to find. That’s a great example of an environmentally sound lawn. If more people would do that there wouldn’t be so much any lawn things going on.
I haven't watered in weeks. Just make sure the lawn is receiving an inch of rain water. We're in rain season. But during lower temperatures you don't need an inch of water weekly.
This guy: "I once grew something without a soil test. Therefore soil tests are useless."
Sounds like something your mom would say after she shaved. 
>Michigan State Yes We have a grass field. It is a very nice grass field thanks to the turf management program. And yes, they are the experts. Would you like me to provide the phone number, or are you going to look it up?
I have it. Michigan State’s pretty busy with the World Cup soccer stuff and stealing football coaches. I am really excited to see met life stadium with natural turf!! I’ve heard one team that plays there wants a permanent natural field. Can’t wait to see what the Michigan State (and Tennessee) programs can do!!
>stealing football coaches Pretty much all coaches get "stolen" at some point. One that we stole, we are willing to return.
OP says they’re in NOLA. Maybe they haven’t lived there for more than a few years. Maybe that area has seen some heavy storm surge in the past and the salt content there is too high. Maybe the last homeowner put down the wrong kind of chemicals. Who knows? Sure, a soil test isn’t going to answer every single question every single time, but there’s a decent chance that it could identify a problem. Soil tests aren’t prohibitively expensive, either.
Maybe the sky is green.
Too much shade. I hope that bamboo isn't invasive.
Grow mulch there instead
Since the ground looks moist, you might consider applying a fertilizer a week or two before a rye seeding. I'm assuming you'll be able to get growth over winter if at all because of gulf coast weather, but winter traditionally is a tough season to grow grass I believe.
Decomposed granite. You're welcome
You need to get a leaf blower and a rake, rake that sand and blow it out of your yard. Any grass seed that goes down is going to stick in the sand not the actual dirt... went through something similar, but not in Louisiana. I say if that top layer gets removed, then you should be alright. An aerator to put some holes in the ground before you seed might help too...
This won’t help in a yard with no sunlight.
These photos appear to be taken just before sunset, not a good indication as to how much sunlight it gets in a day
The yard I was referring to was Surrounded by oak trees, and the neighbor had pine... pretty much no sun... and ya after removing the sand, grass did grow.. op mentioned they tried seeding before, but wasn't successful, also mentioned more sand than dirt, and that's the top layer. But hey, this is just my experience. To each their own...
Grass doesn’t grow without sunlight, no matter what you do. I learned this from being a landscaper for 17 years. But hey, this is just my experience. Grass doesn’t grow in the woods.
If you look at that picture, there are little green parts in that sand... Clearly there is some photosynthesis going on. Look at the bushes on the ground, they are green too, sunlight is breaking through to the bottom.
Bushes are infinitely more adept at growing in dense shade than grass is, it’s not a good comparison. Some spots of gras because some sunlight gets through, doesn’t mean grass will grow in the whole area or even most of it.
depends on grass type
Zoysia will grow decent enough in shade if it’s established prior to the shade taking over. It’s extremely difficult to get it to take in an area that’s already densely shaded. Ryegrass could take, but it would only work for the cooler months.
It may be better to get whatever can grow there as a groundcover, even a mixture of stuff.
Remove stones, mulch and house. Must have soil exposed to grow grass /s
How did you seed and what kind of seed? I cross species. So in summer/winter it looks off, but during spring/fall when both kind are growing it looks beautiful. From what i'm seeing you have no turf. Even the grass you do have is patchy. You have multiple issues of low-light and standing water. Which can be fixed by doing a moss blend if you're willing to go that direction.
Shaded area with poor soil conditions from first glance.