A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Plant pests and problems Lawn care problems re-doing lawn

Hi,
Hi I am new and would like to ask a couple of questions..My yard is about half grass and the rest was/is dirt. I want to fill the dirt part in with grass, I have had to till it all up several times because there are so many dead roots underneath that nothing new could ever grow. Anyways, I have brought in manure and peat moss but the dirt is still sandy. Its like when you water it the water kind of floats on top and will not soak in. I know this is not good for planting, any ideas on what I should do? Also when is the best time to plant grass seed? Thanks so much!

The standing water sounds more like clay than sand. With sand, water goes right through past the 'root zone' too fast to be of service to the grass. (this is my problem here). Clay is tough stuff to work with. The best results (for both clay and sand would be to till that manure and peat and any other organic material that you can get your hands on right into the top few inches of soil whenever possible. And cooler weather is best for starting grass seed. For me in s. Cal that means fall through early spring. Is is easiest to keep it more evenly moist then. So probably now is best to start.
I see southern Nevada as your growing field. Anywhere near the Colorado River is a very hard place to plant. The area there is, beside being clay, almost too alkaline for most plants to thrive. This is the reason why the River has not ever had a lot of over-grown jungle growth and thickets in the sides of it. Most people in the area have dug out their yards by feet and then brought in huge truck loads of topsoil in order for grass to thrive. And have gone even even deeper for trees and shrubs and still have to add yearly applications of acidic material or food. And my aunt in Henderson planted most of her flowers and vegetables in raised beds with imported soil for the same reasons.
I would ask at your local extension office or or university or something for the best ideas for you.