What's the scoop on my dirt!?

Hi all - haven't had much to show/say lately I guess. Just been busy - fixing stuff up at home, taking time away from the computer, planning for the future projects - the big one being getting a lawn!!

So there's a big decision to be made - do we pay someone else a BIG chunk of money to come give us a beautiful lawn and flower beds, or do we do it ourselves, hopefully for considerably less money, and also hopefully - not TOO much stress. We've already gotten a couple quotes and, whoa, they're all over the place for pricing! So we're leaning towards doing it ourselves, and that means doing some research!

We've measured the yard - looks like we'll want about 75 yards of top soil to provide two inches (plus a little extra) across the entire yard. As recommended by some of the stuff I've read, we're rounding up the figures (I think my initial math came up with like 67 yards?). So far I've only gotten one quote on topsoil delivered to our area....must keep calling!

I've found I can get great free mulched horse manure if I pick it up myself, or for a small fee, have it delivered by the truckload from Sunbeau Valley Farm in Ravenna. I've talked with the owners and they seem like really nice, friendly people. With all their horses they've gotta clear the manure out, and us gardeners...well, we love the poop! So I'm thinking I might see about getting a truckload or two of the older, better composted stuff delivered to also work into the soil.

And I've picked up a couple soil test bags from the Portage County Extension office - something recommended on just about every gardening show and in every book. It seems like this is just something everyone's supposed to do - and yet no one I've talked to has ever done it! So yesterday I went around the yard working up a sweat just digging down about 4-6 inches to get some soil samples from around the yard (often hitting rocks and having to move where I was digging). I dumped all those in a bucket, stirred 'em up really well to average things out, and am giving it to this evening to finish air drying (it really didn't need it - it's been pretty dry around here, even with all the forecasted rain!). I made a smaller bucket sampling of the dirt where I'm most likely to put my veggie gardens, and have a separate bag/form to submit for that. Each submitted soil specimen costs $9 - I figure that isn't too bad if they're going to send paperwork back in just a couple weeks telling me what I need to add to improve the soil. Guaranteed one item will be "organic matter", and hopefully something to loosen the soil. It is TOUGH STUFF!

Barring a last minute decision to have the entire job done for us, we'll head over to Leppo Rentals this Friday or Saturday to reserve a bobcat with yard rake attachment. We originally assumed we wanted a rock hound, but when I initially talked to the guys at Leppo, they said we'll want to use a yardrake instead, which will tear up and loosen the hardpacked soil, and spit the rocks out to the side (we hope!). Man, it's gonna be a lot of work carting off rocks, pebbles, boulders, branches, and who knows what else!

Need to start spraying the weeds and killing those off.

Oh! Will also need to order like 8 bales of straw to put on top of the grass seed. Hopefully we won't get straw that's full of seeds - can you request that!?

Hm....might need to start pricing/buying grass seed while we're at it, eh?

Everything I've read says DON'T skimp on this stuff - don't get cheap seed, till in the amendments and new top soil really well, etc... Skimp, and you'll be paying for it in time and money later as you try to fix it all.

So the plan is Labor Day Weekend (last weekend in Aug/first in Sept) we'll be doing this. Brett's family is real gung ho about wanting to help - which we're really grateful for. (Hey, who DOESN'T want to try hopping in a bobcat and driving it around?!) Hopefully the weather will play nice with us... Cross your fingers!