Question
Hi,
Just completed building a house in northeast ohio.  A bad experience that's left us very short on cash to do landscaping.  If we can just get grass we'll be happy.  We have about three patchy acres of weeds, grass?, and other stuff the deer love to eat.  We've cut most of it down to a couple of inches.  Backfilling around concrete driveway and patio needed.  My thought is to rent a bobcat with standard bucket and a rockhound, and try to do the finish grading and lawn installation myself with friends.  Am I dreaming?  In addition, we are primarily an organic and/or all natural family, so we don't believe in commercial weedkillers and fertilizers.  We are also a septic and well water household.  Please help.

Answer
Hi Calvin;
Glad to hear you are into organics.
Do you have soil with good drainage, or do you have too much clay or sand?
If your soil drains well, for at least 6 to 8 inched down, I would just start with the area you want filled in well with grass, unless you want to do the whole thing, and till in lava sand, some corn gluten,alfalfa meal, and dry molasses or sugar.
Dry molasses and sugar ( plain table sugar) do the same thing, and I use less sugar that dry molasses calls for. I use 1 pound sugar per 250 sq.ft of soil ( 4 pounds per 1000 sq.ft). I think the dry molasses is supposed to be 10 pounds per 1000 sq.ft.
The dry molases and sugar cost about the same per pound,
That will put enough nutrients in the soil to get grass growing well.
If you have clay or too sandy soil, till in some amendmets to condition it.
For too sandy soil, I would till in some bark mulch and some good loam. If it is clay, till in bark mulch.
Put about 3 inches of cedar bark mulch, the lava sand, alfalfa meal and sugar, and till it to six inches. that will mix it 1 part mix and 1 part existing soil.
then put in the grass, and water well.
If you are going to use sod, I would not roll or pack the soil, but lay the sod plaets or plugs down, fill in with soil in the spaces betwee, and water well.
I would till the weeds in too.
If they have already put down seeds, it is too late to do anything about that, if they have not gone to seed, they will compost and help feed the new grass.
Make rich soil, and the weeds will not be a bother much longer.
The sugar or dry molasses nourish the beneficial microbes that enrich the soil.
Weeds won't grow in rich soil.
If you feel I can help more, or if you need more on any of this, write me anytime.
Charlotte