Every winter, whatever it is that is growing on my yard disappears, leaving bare ground (which is a big muddy mess if it snows or rains over the winter). I would like to identify what type of grass this is (if it’s even grass at all!) and some advice on what to do to keep some ground cover throughout the year. Attached is a photo showing what the yard is doing right now in the spring time. You’ll see that there is some green growth and some dirt. In the winter, the whole area would be dirt. In another few weeks, it will all be green. Thank you.
It looks like you are in what is known as the "Transition Zone". This area requires multiple grass types to fill in over the seasons and prevent bare spots. There are special grass seed bags that are marketed for these areas that can be found at your local feed and seed stores.
These article will give you more information on grasses for your area:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/needlegrass/green-needlegrass-information.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/gardening-by-zone/zone-6/zone-6-grass-seed.htm
What you have growing, there, appears to be Moss Rose.This article will help you with the care of the plant:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/portulaca/portulaca-plants.htm
This collection of articles will give you quite a bit of information on gardening in your zone:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/gardening-by-zone/zone-6
My lawn is quite mossy though I don't mind that. Some animal, I assume, is gouging holes in it. 3 - 4 inches across and a couple of inches deep. The gouges are all over the lawn, especially the mossier parts. Any idea what it could be? I know there are badgers in the area. Many thanks. Bob
It is more commonly birds or squirrels. Here is more:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lgen/lawn-and-garden-holes.htm
Hello! We live at the front entrance for our subdivision so we get a lot of traffic passed our house. We have been having issues getting our St Augustine grass to grow properly right on the corner of the busy road. Any ideas on what landscaping I could do there, instead of grass, that will stand up to the constant road debris that gets tossed into our yard? Northern FL, zone 9
Here are some ideas for you. A native plant grouping can provide eye appeal as well as tough plants. Some of my favorites are purple coneflower, asclepias tuberosa, and little bluestem ornamental grass.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/design/lideas/planting-along-roadsides.htm
My back yard is very sandy and I want to plant grass seed to make my lawn thicker. We had someone put sod down in part of it and they did an awful job. It's so bumpy that I almost fall down. I want to plant grass seed on the rest of the area. What do I need to do to prepare the area and what kind of grass should I plant? The front yard has grass but also a lot of weeds. What is the best way to revitalize it. My husband hates when I try to fertilize or feed the front yard because he says it makes the grass and weeds grow faster. But it looks so bare. The only thing that makes it look green are the weeds. Any advice on some plants that thrive here would be appreciated too.
These articles should help. You will need to amend the sandy soil to get grass to grow.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/amending-sandy-soil.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/beachgrass/american-beachgrass-care.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/gardening-by-zone/zone-9-10-11/zone-9-lawn-grass.htm
There use to be a red ant pile in my front lawn. I used granules to kill it but now my grass will no grow in that spot and it has been over 3 years now. Any idea?
As long as the granular was used according to the instructions, there will be very little risk of harm to your lawn. There could be a fungal infection in need of treatment, which will require a fungicide. This article will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/using-fungicides-in-garden.htm
If you feel that too much insecticide was used, you may need to contact your local extension service for advice on remediating the contaminated soil. This link will help you to find the closest to you:
is there a fertilizer that I can use to grow grass back
We don't recommend specific products, but there are some sprays that will repair these spots. Here's an article that may help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lgen/dog-urine-grass.htm
A patch has gone yellow and looks as though it’s dying. I don’t have animals and the patch looks as though it’s spreading.
Here's a link with the info you need:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lgen/fixes-for-yellow-lawns.htm