Lawn Care Thread.

[kandyflip445]

I have a sodded lawn that hasn't really done well since I moved in back in Sept. of last year. It has a LOT of weeds and it has been brown a lot. Admittedly I haven't had a good watering schedule down and weeding...well I dunno what I'm supposed to do.

So what are all of you home owners doing to keep your lawns nice? What kind of sprinkler setups, fertilizer, schedules do you use and why?

I've done one round of fertilizer in the spring before it got hot and it started to green up but I don't think I watered enough and it got so hot that it started to brown again. I have one of those impact sprinklers. I've been thinking about getting a timer for the thing so I just have to place it out the night before and just water a zone each day.

[佩恩_]

sorry, don't even have one.

[Phlip]

Late fall (nearing leaves turning time): cut it as short as it will go.
Fall/Winter: keep it short (dead)
Early spring: aerate and then weed/feed a wet lawn... Cut first, then water or weed/feed on a still-dewey lawn the next morning, but not if it is scheduled to rain within 24ish hours, lest you will be doing it again.
Mid/Late spring: aerate once more and then FERTILIZE, then water the lawn.
All the while after this, collect your old coffee grounds (if you drink coffee) or ask Starbucks for theirs (they'll give them, I promise) and spread them on your lawn after cutting, then water if it is not about to rain.

All should be well, just be prepared to try with all you have to cut at LEAST once weekly.

http://a.imageshack.us/img836/9963/imag0002y.jpg

I closed on my house in October and have been working in the lawn since.
I will go even harder this coming year, I am that much a stickler for it...

If properly cared for, the watering of it will not be a huge item, as long as it is watered or rained on within a week or two... Mine was YELLOW 3 weeks ago, but much better even yesterday.

[TougeLove]

i water 10 min at 4am and 8pm everday. weed and feed every month or so.

if you try everything it may be time to pull it all out and dig up the ground a bit. if you dont have a good sprinkler setup its the best time to look at the dry spots and get them covered.

[LimeLite Racing]

One word. Nitrogen.

[Phlip]

One word. Nitrogen.

True, and one cheap source of it is cofffee grounds.

[S14DB]

It's hard to make lawn recommendations to others that don't live in the same climate and probably have different grass types.

Since you have sod you probably know the grass type you have now. Which is a great first step. Different grass likes different fertilizers and schedule.

I use Scotts guide for what to use an when. Annual Lawn Care Program - Lawn Care Plan - Scotts Miracle-Gro (http://www.scotts.com/smg/learn/annualProgramBuilder/apbstep1.jsp?navId=300031&parentId=100015)

[TheWolf]

It's hard to make lawn recommendations to others that don't live in the same climate and probably have different grass types.

Since you have sod you probably know the grass type you have now. Which is a great first step. Different grass likes different fertilizers and schedule.

I use Scotts guide for what to use an when. Annual Lawn Care Program - Lawn Care Plan - Scotts Miracle-Gro (http://www.scotts.com/smg/learn/annualProgramBuilder/apbstep1.jsp?navId=300031&parentId=100015)

I was about to say the same thing... A florida lawn is an entirely different animal than a NC lawn. St. Augustine grass down here grows thick and you've got to keep on watering it or it will burn in a heartbeat. Right now in summer you've got to cut once a week or it will go to town. St. Augustine is also the best weed killer. It will choke out almost any weed so keeping your grass growing is also keeping your yard weed free. In early spring, march, I'll lay down ortho season long bug killer. It keeps chinch bugs away and grubs out.

http://www.scotts.com/smg/products/ortho/outdoor_bug_killers/lawn_bugs/image/BBGMaxGranules_STD.jpg

Then I'll fertilize with a 16-8-4 Lesco. get at home depot.

http://www.grassrootz.com/images/lesco.jpg

after that kicks in about 3 weeks later I'll let the grass go two weeks without a mow. The blades will get really tall and then I'll hit it with the mower. About a week later the grass has filled in any areas that needed attention. Killed off most of the weeds. Come in full and thick. Then it's just watering hoping that the sun doesn't kill it off over the summer. it may not be hot at 95 but it's 85ish at 10pm. Got a long heat day that saps water from it.

[Dorifto89]

Hey! Here's a wonderful solution to that nasty green lawn! http://images.plant-care.com/vegetable-garden-start.jpg

[HalveBlue]

http://www.ihatebillboards.com/wp/img//2008/08/fight_club-0-500x281.jpg

:x:

[K_style]

My lawn is total fail... Landlord told me that I do not need to water the lawn... (just moved to OR and did not know local condition)

I have been trying to water the lawn everyday.. but they dont seem getting healthier......
Need some vitamins or something.....

I will post pic up tomorrow when sun it up..

[K_style]

http://www.ihatebillboards.com/wp/img//2008/08/fight_club-0-500x281.jpg

:x:


Is that true ????

[TheWolf]

Is that true ????

No

msglgnth

[driftn_silvia]

wow thanks to the OP for posting this thread...My lawn fails tremendously. I need to seriously fix my lawn.

[Walperstyle]

my 2 cents. Too much nitrogen is a bad thing

[ManoNegra]

Funny that this thread pops up since lawn care has been on my mind of late
my dad used to take care of the lawn and plants
and I never gave any of this stuff a second thought
now that it's just me and my brother in the house I'm starting to
transition onto house up keeping mode
so, long story short, my lawn has weeds and at least 4 different types of grass growing
crab grass, bermuda, st agustine and maybe some fescue
I come to find out that my dad just threw a bunch of mixed seeds back in the day
I'm not feeling the bermuda grass which is taking over
and just decided to kill everything and start from scratch
I sprayed some grass/weed killer and plan on digging out the entire lawn
sift the roots, spray more chemicals, wait a while, fertilize, and re-seed

now the problem is I don't really know what type of lawn I want
leaning towards a thin blade type of lawn, fescue maybe
I remember seeing lawns at school that were like a carpet
short, dense and soft
but no idea what that type of lawn is and what it takes to make it stick
I really like the lawn at the Ghetty Museum here in LA which is like that
anyone knows what type of grass that is?

[S14DB]

The St Augustine is taking over not the Bermuda. St. Augy is a bitch like that.

You till the lawn? Get it nice and flat.

I want to get some zoysia grass. nice a smooth like a golf course. Grows really slow.

[ManoNegra]

the majority of my back yard is this (bermuda) but thriving, yuck

http://archive.energyfarms.net/files/user272/DSC03447.jpg

just went to town on a bunch of construction grade black trash bags
I'm going to kill the lawn by covering it with the plastic
from what I've read it should take a couple of weeks

[HalveBlue]

MOO, lawns are over-rated.

They require constant upkeep and maintenance (weeds, brown patches, mowing, etc.) In warm and hot climates (like SoCal, for example) the situation is even worse. In such locales lawns require large amounts of water which places a huge burden on usually already sparse water resources.

Look into xeriscaping. Or at the very least, look at the different strains on grasses and match it to your local conditions.

Anyway, just thought I'd throw some alternatives out there.

[S14DB]

Alternative shit is great till code enforcement shows up. A lot of places are regulated by the city or homeowners association.

[TheWolf]

ManoNegra.. have you looked into centipede grass?

[HalveBlue]

Alternative shit is great till code enforcement shows up. A lot of places are regulated by the city or homeowners association.

Good point.

Zoning codes in the US are fucked. You can quote me on that.

[Phlip]

I am keeping a log and chronicling each step of the setup of my lawn for this coming spring, including the fall overseeding and soil preparation.
I am taking pictures of the whole process and it will be posted to the blog, provided no one on Zilvia flies out to NC and kills me in the meantime for not agreeing with them. I have already spread Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue as of last week and will do so once more in March, once 60º days return. I have roughly one more cut of my grass left, to take place once all the leaves in my trees have fallen, I am far too lazy for raking and prefer to mulch anyway.

All will be posted to the blog once the grass is growing in April

[eberle]

i dont even bother with mine seeing how i have to drive my s13 thru the yard just to get it from my driveway to the street(my driveway fails bad near the street) so i use the neighbors driveway

[kandyflip445]

Please link your blog as you go in this thread for the lawn stuff. I still have to cut mine one more time before it dies.

[Tom25666]

haha my grass is bermuda and johnson. i never cared enough to go to all that trouble

[Phlip]

Please link your blog as you go in this thread for the lawn stuff. I still have to cut mine one more time before it dies.

I am not posting "in progress," I am going to post it all once I am done

[kandyflip445]

Ah, ok. I had visions of a lawn "build thread" and thought it would suit this forum. lol

Anyone have some tips about edging your lawn? I've seen edgers at Sears but they're too damn expensive. I've thought about using a weed eater when I finally get one but I remember when I was a kid I seriously made it look bad on my parents lawn when I tried to edge with it. That, and they had an edger. So I stuck to using that.

I fertilized my lawn back in August and it's been a lot nicer since that last round. Should I go for one more after the last cut?

[Phlip]

Ah, ok. I had visions of a lawn "build thread" and thought it would suit this forum. lol

Anyone have some tips about edging your lawn? I've seen edgers at Sears but they're too damn expensive. I've thought about using a weed eater when I finally get one but I remember when I was a kid I seriously made it look bad on my parents lawn when I tried to edge with it. That, and they had an edger. So I stuck to using that.

I fertilized my lawn back in August and it's been a lot nicer since that last round. Should I go for one more after the last cut?

I edge with a weed eater and have no problems, just know that you will use a LOT of the string and need to learn a steady hand... Helping my brother on weekends when he worked for a landscaper helped me learn that one.

Skip sears, go to Northern tools and get a refurb for 50 bucks or a new one for 130 if that is all you will be doing with it.

I fertilized in April when I did the weed/seed and then did the coffee thing through the summer, I did regular overseeding last weekend (not the one that just ended) and I am waiting for the leaves to fall for my last cut now.

[Phlip]

Delayed by the birth of my child, but here it is:
The musings of a madman...: Green Thumbin' (http://callmephlip.blogspot.com/2011/07/green-thumbin.html)

[kandyflip445]

I'm jealous. Nice write up.

[WIKID S4TEEN]

How the hell you get rid of gophers?!?!?!?!
WITHOUT traps!!
I have little ones (kids)

[Phlip]

How the hell you get rid of gophers?!?!?!?!
WITHOUT traps!!
I have little ones (kids)

I would personally call an exterminator.
I would eventually lose my patience and being an "ants with a sledgehammer" personality, control of them would involve explosives.

[S14DB]

I have found the Mammoth Smoke bombs sold at the local fireworks shack to work well on burrowing rodents. Get it started and toss it in the hole. Let it cook for a few seconds then cover the hole. You'll see the smoke start coming out the other holes and then they will usually make a break for it. Then fill in the other holes.

For moles I trained the cat to dig them up. Gets a treat for everyone he digs up. It was funny to watch him work the backyard. Walks around, stops, then starts digging furiously. Then you see a mole go flying in the air and him chasing after. Brings it back to a hard surface and it is disposed of and he gets a treat.

[SILEIGHTY_DET]

How the hell you get rid of gophers?!?!?!?!
WITHOUT traps!!
I have little ones (kids)


tape a hose to the end of the exhaust on your car and stick the other end of the hose in the hole . let your car run for a half hour . rodent problem fixed .

[Phlip]

tape a hose to the end of the exhaust on your car and stick the other end of the hose in the hole . let your car run for a half hour . rodent problem fixed .

Now what if he actually wants his grass to grow?

[TheWolf]

Now what if he actually wants his grass to grow?

Congrats on the Kid... that's a good one...

[ManoNegra]

weather is starting to get warm again
and I started working on my lawn so I figured
it was time to give an update to what I have been up to
lawn wise since my last post in this thread.

I did my learning/experimentation on parents lawn.
Front lawn:
http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/3954/img0123u.jpg

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/3954/img0123u.jpg

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/4296/img0121ttt.jpg

Backyard:
at planting
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/4639/img0323dv.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/7136/img0324pg.jpg

a few months after
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/8044/img0416w.jpg

recently:
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/2934/img0560at.jpg

What I have learned:
- This is back-breaking donkey work. FML
- Don't buy pieces of grass from stores. It's fucking highway robbery.
Find a nursery that carries the sod/plugs, it's way cheaper (if going with a grass that needs sod like I did).
- rent a tiller or hire someone do till the yard.
- cut sod into small ~3" square chucks and plant 1 foot or less.
Otherwise, be ready for a long wait.
- Plant grass in March or May.
I worked late in the Summer into early Fall and the
St. Aggy stopped growing once it started getting cold.
Which leads to weeds in early January in the spots that are still bare.
This a royal PITA to deal with.

what I'm doing different/better with what I've learned:
- got a tiller to break up the lawn.
- raked and leveled the ground better.
- looked up major sod distributors and discovered that pricing is way cheaper
that buying shit at local stores, even with delivery charges.

Gotta do a little more raking on some areas of the lawn
then put down fertilizer
and then it'll be time to order sod.
Going with Palmetto St. Augustine since I have a few trees on the lawn and
need a shade resistant grass.
I'll try to get some pics of what I'm currently working on this weekend.

[Phlip]

As it relates to my yard, see my post above, I will be doing the SAME thing, just less of it. I will weed and feed, then seed/fertilize in the next couple weeks.

Then I will spend the rest of the season simply cutting it

[jarober]

There are some good tools available at NC State. http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/ Provides great information regardless of the species you have so it can be good for people all over the U.S. If you really want a nice lawn, you need the right start.

#1. Get a soil test. Soil tests are free to residents of NC at the NCDA in NC. Getting a soil test report will tell you what areas your lawn is weak in like pH, fertilizer, etc.

#2. Pick grass species that is adapted to your region. Try to pick varieties of grass species that have performed well in research trials. While Kentucky 31 has been around for ages and is sold profusely in Home Depot or Lowes, there are much better varieties out that are more heat/drought tolerant, less subject to traffic stress, and provide some resistance against disease (like brown patch for tall fescue). Check out your local university for good, newer varieties. This will often need to be purchased online or at a specialty store but it is worth it.

#3. Once the turf is established, make sure to water deeply and as infrequent as possible as increased leaf wetness promotes disease development. Watering in the early morning can knock down the dew and reduce leaf wetness. Avoid watering in the evening if possible because this will cause the grass to be wet most of the night and increase potential for disease.

I am sure there are many things I am forgetting but you should really start with the soil and move forward. Providing a good growing medium is key. Check out your local university webpage as most states have decent turf programs with support for lawn care.

Good luck

[WERDdabuilder]

How the hell you get rid of gophers?!?!?!?!
WITHOUT traps!!
I have little ones (kids)

maybe a little late but if youre still having gopher problems i say go with traps.
we put grass in the backyard and couple months later gophers destroyed it. went to home depot and picked up...
http://www.fleetfarm.com/images/products/small/0000000005909.jpg
end result?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/drewdabuilder/IMG_0044.jpg
killed about 3 of them in less then a week. havent seen any new mounds since.
you said you have kids and i dont think these will be a problem since you put these inside the gopher tunnels and cover it up with dirt.

here is one side of my backyard that they destroyed the most.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/drewdabuilder/IMG_0058.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/drewdabuilder/IMG_0059.jpg

ill be raking up and reseeding this weekend.

[MWH_Photo]

weather is starting to get warm again
and I started working on my lawn so I figured
it was time to give an update to what I have been up to
lawn wise since my last post in this thread.


Didn't even know this thread existed!

I'm about a weekend away from laying sod in our backyard and everything you said at the end was spot on.

Our backyard is shaded 90% of the day so I'm going with St. Augustine as well. (just using sod instead of plugs)

A few things though.. It will go dormant in the winter as you noted so nothing to worry about there. However, when it starts growing again in early spring (now) you need to de-thatch that shit or you run the risk of it dying off next season.

It has really thick and coarse blades so if too much thatch builds up it cuts off water and air.

Most grasses are good to de-thatch every other year or so, but you really need to watch St. Augustine. You can do it every year if you're not crazy aggressive with the de-thatching. Be sure to fertilize after though because it does stress the grass some.

I'll have to post up our results after we finish. Moved into a foreclosure last summer and the front lawn was in shitty condition, while the backyard was nothing but weeds.

[90white240]

Poor little gophers :'(

[thrax]

http://parteetime.com/humor/pics/caddyshack.jpg


Don't hire Bill Murray if you have gopher problems :keke:

[TheWolf]

what do you guys feel about aerating st. augustine grass..

[MWH_Photo]

^^

Haven't tried it yet.. Everything seems to suggest de-thatching since it has really thick/coarse blades and can build up really badly.

I went and bought one of those $30 rakes (instead of renting an electric push thing) for de-thatching since I didn't know how much it would actually do.. and holy fucking shit.. It took me 5 hours to do it by hand and my lawn isn't even large.

It still filled up 1.5 big rolling trash barrels with all the dead non-decomposed grass it pulled out.. so it seems like it did something..

I just finished spreading weed and feed so we'll see what it looks like in two weeks.

Looking like I won't get to sod until the weekend after next in the back yard as well.. Haven't gotten a chance to snag a tiller yet..

[TheWolf]

I thought about dethatching but a couple people I've talked to said aeration was better and "dethatched".

The implement for my lawn tractor is only $200. With the way the price of fertilizer is climbing, I'd take any advantage to keep the grass greener without having to nurse it along..

my yard is 3/4 of an acre.. don't think a rake is going to do it for me...

[Phlip]

With the way the price of fertilizer is climbing, I'd take any advantage to keep the grass greener without having to nurse it along..
Milorganite (http://www.milorganite.com/storefinder/)
plus
Coffee Grounds (starbucks will give you theirs for free, even without purchase)

Milorganite is like $14 a bag here and is WILDLY effective, I have a bag in my storage room right now, I am putting it down at the end of the week after I run and grab some seeds. Going with a creeping red fescue/kentucky bluegrass blend this year.

[S14DB]

De-thatching and Plug aerating works well on St. Augustine and Bermuda grass. Most grasses that spread via stolons develop a lot of thatch.

[ManoNegra]

Didn't even know this thread existed!

I'm about a weekend away from laying sod in our backyard and everything you said at the end was spot on.

Our backyard is shaded 90% of the day so I'm going with St. Augustine as well. (just using sod instead of plugs)

cool to hear
a few questions if you don't mind:
what type of St. Augustine are you going with?
I decided on Palmetto since it's got a small blade and,
from everything I've read, is among the most cold resistant varieties
where are you buying yours from?
what are you being quoted?

looking forward to see updates

A few things though.. It will go dormant in the winter as you noted so nothing to worry about there.

the st aggy I planted at my parents (pics above) just
turned a blue/orage shade of green and just stopped growing
didn't turn brown or yellow like I expected
it started growing again mid February even though we've gotten morning temps in the 40's during that time
I think that version I planted is Floratam (Lowe's)

the front lawn was in shitty condition, while the backyard was nothing but weeds.

yup, same here

did a rough measurement and the yard is ~2500 - 2700 square feet
tilled, removed old grass, rocks and raked the yard this past month
this took longer than I expected working on weekends
I'm going to call the sod farm this week and get an estimate
if the price is cheap enough, I may end up just doing sod instead of plugs

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3103/img0564au.jpg

http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/3778/img0565u.jpg

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/3923/img0566x.jpg

http://img804.imageshack.us/img804/3425/img0567me.jpg

[MWH_Photo]

Oh wow, our back yard is tiny compared to that.. Pretty sure our front yard is as well!

Half our backyard was paved and covered with a wood awning from the previous owner, and about 1/6 of it has raised flower beds around the perimeter. So there's only 1/3 left that's actual (or going to be) lawn. Only about 650 sq ft..

I can't for the life of me remember which type of St. Augustine it was.. I have to call them back to get it pushed back to next weekend though so I'll be sure to ask again.

I called all of our local nurseries and they all contract out to the same company I'm assuming since the prices were within $0.05 of each other. It's $0.80 a sq ft, but I need about 2-4 cu yd's of compost to till into the soil as well. That's not contracted out so it'll vary depending on which place you go to.

It's about $300 less than what I budgeted so I was able to lay a weed barrier in the raised planters, run a drip irrigation system this past weekend, and get a few cu yd's of mulch to cover it all this weekend.

It's going to feel really nice having it all finished. It's looked like hell for the last 10 months!

[TheWolf]

Picked up some of that milorganite that you recommended going to spread it tomorrow. While I had the day off, I upgraded my sprinkler heads. What a difference.

The PO before me put in some cheap "toro" DIY home irrigation kit. It's functional but the heads are to high in some spots and there's mixed sprayers with "paw" sprayers. Some of the stops were broken off the paw sprayers so I just went to home depot and was going to get new replacements but found these.

K2 SMARTSET® SPRINKLER - KRain (http://www.krain.com/retail-rotary-sprinklers/k2-smart-set-gear-drive.html?uasCatalog=1)

The K2 Pro's.. God these things are a dream to setup. Adjust flow angle/output, stream pattern, etc..
Let me shoot under some trees that were blocking some areas of my yard from being watered. You can seriously taylor the whole yard to evenly water which is such a relief. At $12 each. They're cheaper than the paw ones with the same range. Never going back from the geared head sprinklers.

Introducing the K2 Pro Rotor Sprinkler - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfH-2Wvfm-w)

[Phlip]

Last year's hard work is paying off without me having to do anything but cut the grass...
I had a couple 6-8ft brown spots that are being eaten up by growing grass now. I will do turfbuilder next weekend to kill the inevitable weeds, then Milorganite with some light seeds and then I can only cut all season

[WERDdabuilder]

just sprayed my backyard with
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31f43VHpTdL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

hope it kills the weeds/crabgrass thats fucking up my yard.

gopher kill count - 5 in 3 weeks.

[MWH_Photo]

Tried that stuff and it didn't do much of anything =/

It killed some of the broad leaf weeds but didn't touch the crabgrass. I had super fucking elite crabgrass though.. Shit was intense and covering 85% of one of my lawns, so maybe that's why..


I don't really have any before photos because the last thing on my mind this past week was to take photos while I was sore as hell working on the yard..

But a bit of an update in the front:

Dethatched the larger front lawn area a couple weekends ago and added turfbuilder to get rid of some of the lingering weeds and to fertalize since the lawn was pretty thin.

As of today this area has grown in pretty thick and it looks great! I still need to pull a few weeds here and there, but that'll be done next weekend. I have a few small 2'x2' thin brown spots so I'll try and re-seed with Milorganite and coffee grounds in those areas.

What kind of a mixture do you use Phlip?

The side yard was over-run with crabgrass and nothing would kill it.. Chemicals, boiling water, pulling it, ect.. I tried everything except smothering it and re-seeding, so I decided to just rip it out and lay down sod. Some of the roots (I'm assuming roots) of the crabgrass were seriously over a foot long.. it was ridiculous.

I took the chance to level the area back out after everything was ripped out as well. Used to be a stupid "S" type mound and valley that would collect way too much water from the neighbors sprinklers.

As for the back yard:

Tilled it, pulled out weeds, tilled it again, and it's almost ready for sod.


Both areas getting sod have about 1.5" of compost laying on top right now, so I just need to till that in tonight and we'll be good to go for sod this Saturday morning!

I decided to go with Marathon I for both the front and the back since the back actually gets more sun than I thought, and in the front it'll match the other lawn the previous PO laid down.

It's super cheap, and I kind of wanted to go with something that would look nicer but such is life I guess..

I'll have photos Saturday after we finish laying down the sod.

[Phlip]

What kind of a mixture do you use Phlip?

Mixture for grass seed or weed repellant?

For grass, last year I started with Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue and hated it, so I changed to a creeping red fescue and this unspecified turf blend they had at Southern States. This year, I am mixing the creeping red fescue with a Kentucky Bluegrass and conceding that this may cause me to have to cut my grass in the winter.

For weed repellant, in the early season I used Scotts Turf Builder +2, the “water smart” one, because my county was in and out of drought conditions for the previous 2 summers/winters before last year and I might be legally forbidden from watering my lawn.
You should be able to get this ANYWHERE.

Mid season, I switched to the weed control Southern States sold. Find it here:
SouthernStates.com: Southern States Broadleaf Weed Control with Trimec (http://southernstates.com/catalog/p-8244-southern-states-broadleaf-weed-control-with-trimec.aspx)

The ONLY fertilizer I used for the balance of 2011 after the Scotts was Milorganite, along with coffee grounds strewn about the yard whenever I had time to stop and get what Starbucks would give me. I didn’t need to dethatch, never needed to till or sod anything, I was able to fix whatever bare spots I had by simply seeding and proper care.

[MWH_Photo]

Sorry, was kind of a random question out of place.

I thought you were mixing the Milorganite with the coffee grounds, but it sounds like you're actually spreading the Milorganite then dropping coffee grounds over it.

I've never used the stuff before so I wasn't sure..

I used the same Turf Builder it looks like, (all the water we get down here has been "Re-treated" so it's $$$) so I'll give the Milorganite a shot while re-seeding the brown spots next weekend.

Thanks!

[Phlip]

Sorry, was kind of a random question out of place.

I thought you were mixing the Milorganite with the coffee grounds, but it sounds like you're actually spreading the Milorganite then dropping coffee grounds over it.

Actually a bit of both.
Milorganite has no salt in it, like most other fertilizers DO, so there is no such thing as "too much," so I have been seen mixing it with coffee grounds, spreading it on its own and then following it with coffee grounds. I spread Milorganite 3 times last year and did it once each way.

[ManoNegra]

I talked to the sod farm this week
And they tell me that their St Aggy is still dormant
Will try again in two weeks
Meanwhile I can see weeds starting to spring up again
On the feont lawn. Sigh

[Chaluska]

i am cursed with poison ivy in my flower bed :(

I have manually removed it by hand (pulled a full 80 foot long root structure, which was 3" at its thickets spot) and its already starting to grow back again... its time to get a pick-axe and shovel and go to town i guess...

[TheWolf]

If you want to kill crabgrass and everything for a while, I use Ortho Ground Clear... St Augustine eventually reclaims it in about a month or two.

Got two deep good rain showers and the grass has hopped alive. It's now at the cut it every two weeks or you look like a slob level.. once we get into the 90's.. it'll be back to once a week...

[MWH_Photo]

Crappy cell pics now.. update later.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/ghaleon109/IMAG0557.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/ghaleon109/IMAG0556.jpg

I'm taking a nap

[MWH_Photo]

Took a lot longer to lay down the sod than I had planned for.. had a lot of crazy cuts to do under the overhang in the back yard.

All in all we're super pleased with the results. Our water bill this month is going to go into the tripple digits though I'm sure.

The detail is definitely in the prep. I couldn't get a few places perfectly level and it shows in those areas =\. Still love the look of the back yard, and the much should be coming this weekend for the flowerbeds!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/ghaleon109/LolaGrass-6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/ghaleon109/LolaGrass-3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/ghaleon109/LolaGrass-2.jpg

Here's the front yard that I worked on about two weeks ago. Much more green and full now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/ghaleon109/LolaGrass-1.jpg

Our corgi loves the grass too it seems

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/ghaleon109/LolaGrass-7.jpg

[1sickS14]

Good job! That's a beautiful lawn you have there!

[driftthis]

Nice work on the sod, looks good. Prep work is crucial when laying sod. But, it's also important to keep up with it. I have a neighbor that laid down fresh sod and about a year later, their lawn was full of dead grass and weeds. Your neighbors must hate you (front lawn split).

[ManoNegra]

MWH_Photo - looking good
how many square ft did that end up being?.

Your neighbors must hate you (front lawn split).

If he were my neighbor it'd be the opposite.
I'd love to have neighbors that work to make their house (and the neighborhood) look good.

Went to Lowe's and bought a huge roll of heavy duty black plastic sheet
to throw over the front lawn to keep weeds from taking over again while I
wait for the St. Aggy to be ready.
Of course I had to pick one of the most miserable days in Socal weather wise to do this.

[MWH_Photo]

Thanks!

Ended up paying for a pallet and a half (725 sq ft) but got a little over that amount and ended up using every last piece.

Somewhere in the range of 800 sq ft I'm guessing.

Agree about the neighbors for sure though.

We live in an HOA so they can't really let everything in the front of their house go too badly.. but if they were to do something to their property that makes mine look like ass in comparison, then it just means I need to kick it back into gear and fix whatever looks like hell.

Good luck with the St. Augustine, my parent's lawn still hasn't come back from being dormant either. Really late this year but I think it's the strange cold weather we've been having.. still feels like winter. (for California at least..)

[wangan_cruiser]

you definitely need rain. weeds grows quicker when there is rain, they get nutrients to get them grow fast.

everytime it rains i have to trim our lawn every week

[WERDdabuilder]

went ahead and bought 100' of chicken wire to bury on the edge of the yard to keep the gophers from coming in. the trench is about a foot down. got about 150 more feet to dig on the back end and other side =\.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/drewdabuilder/IMG_0085.jpg

[Phlip]

I am done with the work that pays the bills here for the month of March...
(my fiance thinks I am working a half-day tomorrow, I will roll over and stay in bed a while longer and crank the Lawnmower instead of my Subaru)
Tomorrow, I cut...
Friday, I cut LOWER, then I spread the Scotts weed and feed, then I cut again in 2 weeks, when I will also fertilize and seed, then all I will do all season(s) is cut.

[WERDdabuilder]

before...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/drewdabuilder/IMG_0059.jpg
after reseeding...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/drewdabuilder/6e2dc5d7.jpg

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/1760/cbdatazz.png
dat grass

[ManoNegra]

^ nice job

After playing phone tag with the grass farm for a couple of months I gave up on the St. Aggy
Every time I called the grass wasn't ready to cultivate
questions I had could only be answered by the grass expert who was never on hand
fuck
that
shit

I decided to go back to my second choice of lawn: zoysia
I ordered 4lbs of Zenith Zoysia seed a few weeks back
the weekend before last I prepped the yard and laid down the seed
this past weekend I started noticing the tiny zoysia sprouts among the weeds
I'm stoked but apprehensive at the same time since I hear zoysia laws take a long time to establish from seed

[Phlip]

^^^ Funny, I’d been playing with the idea of using some Zoisia in my mix of grass seeds this year. That shit was 50 bucks for a TINY bag, so I went with a mix of rye, creeping red fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass (which they WILL NOT sell in stores here, I had to order it). I was late with it, so I aerated and put seeds down, then followed IMMEDIATELY with the Milorganite fertilizer.

4/23 – 7:16am (one week after seed/fertilizer:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7131944381_6646e605e1_c.jpg

4/30 - 7:01am (two weeks after seed/fertilizer)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8025/6985860234_36a7ee5fe5_c.jpg

4/30 – 7:43am, following cuts in two directions
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/6985860364_f44af41af2_c.jpg

Despite my late start this season, weeds have been a VERY minor problem, and the grass was quick to spread into the few spots that DID die over the very warm winter we had down here.
I cut my grass on Saturday morning and I am already seeing growth now on Tuesday, so I KNOW I will be forced to stay on this.

[ManoNegra]

^^^ Funny, I’d been playing with the idea of using some Zoisia in my mix of grass seeds this year. That shit was 50 bucks for a TINY bag, so I went with a mix of rye, creeping red fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass (which they WILL NOT sell in stores here, I had to order it). I was late with it, so I aerated and put seeds down, then followed IMMEDIATELY with the Milorganite fertilizer.


From the little reading I've done I gather zoysia isn't good for mixing
and yeah, the seed wasn't cheap but $100 in seed > $400+ in making st aggy plugs

funny but here in Cali all they sell in stores is Marathon I-IV which are mixtures of rye, fescue, bluegrass, etc.

I ordered my zoysia from Hancook seed in Florida and they only sell it peridiocally at specific times in the year (summer).

[Phlip]

From the little reading I've done I gather zoysia isn't good for mixing
and yeah, the seed wasn't cheap but $100 in seed > $400+ in making st aggy plugs

funny but here in Cali all they sell in stores is Marathon I-IV which are mixtures of rye, fescue, bluegrass, etc.

I ordered my zoysia from Hancook seed in Florida and they only sell it peridiocally at specific times in the year (summer).

Not according to what I read.
Zoysia Grass Seed & Plugs|Zoysia Grass From Seed| How To Plant Zoysia Grass Seed|Zoysias.com (http://www.zoysias.com/info/establishment.html)
MY major issues were that it was cost prohibitive and too late in the season

[ManoNegra]

Not according to what I read.
Zoysia Grass Seed & Plugs|Zoysia Grass From Seed| How To Plant Zoysia Grass Seed|Zoysias.com (http://www.zoysias.com/info/establishment.html)
MY major issues were that it was cost prohibitive and too late in the season

seen that but I took it to mean when starting a new lawn
don't remember where but I've read that zoysia seeds don't do well in already established lawns


it's been about 4 weeks since I laid down the seed
socal is in full summer grass mode and the sprouts are doing well for the most part

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9323/img0640h.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8985/img0638vv.jpg

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/6743/img0641lj.jpg

I had seed left over and decided to get some seed starting kits
and grow additional plugs to plant in the areas that didn't have good germination

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/1381/img0643yt.jpg

I'm stoked

[r20crazy]

^ nice grass pubes mano!!! and nice job on turning the truck into a mobile grass plug growing device

[future]

So how do the coffee beans work? I was thinking about picking up a shit ton from starbucks tonight and lawing it down tomorrow. Do you lay a little? A lot? Or like when thy out cow shit down and its so muc that you canhardly see the grass?

[Phlip]

So how do the coffee beans work? I was thinking about picking up a shit ton from starbucks tonight and lawing it down tomorrow. Do you lay a little? A lot? Or like when thy out cow shit down and its so muc that you canhardly see the grass?

You won't need "so much you can't see grass" (trust, that would be more grounds than any 5 starbucks could give you).
They'll likely give you a couple trashbags full (hint: go between noon and 3 if possible), and that should do you just fine.

[kennedy8383]

IF you want you lawn to be thick .. Aeration would be your choice and don't cut your lawn on hot day..

[Phlip]

IF you want you lawn to be thick .. Aeration would be your choice and don't cut your lawn on hot day..

Seeding without aerating is a sucker's bet.
I aerate early season (late feb) and at fall overseed (oct/nov)

[WERDdabuilder]

started taking care of the other side of my yard that was destroyed by gophers. i still have more fixing up to do.
shallow mafia grave. grass already sprouting only after a week.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/drewdabuilder/c7d33a32.jpg
started working on the planters. queen palm/blue fescue/cyperus umbrella/red flax. picked up some mulch from lowes, theyre having a special this week 2.50$ a bag.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/drewdabuilder/ec716a0b.jpg?t=1337967033

for anyone that has weeds/etc in their lawn i recommend
http://assets.newmediaretailer.com/37000/37170/web_lawn-weed-crbgrass-killer-32-oz.jpg
i used this after ortho weed-b-gone didnt work at all and it was a success.

[ManoNegra]

Been a while, updates:
I've spent a good amount of time pulling weeds
spraying stuff to kill ants and bugs
spraying weed killer
and, this past weekend, laying down a mixture of chicken stiercol and pet moss on bare areas
to help break down hard soil and retain water

these are from yesterday, week 8:
nicer area that gets sun most of the day

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/198297_10151043365338764_1829818662_n.jpg

section of the lawn that gets only partial sun though out the day
seed has sprout but it's lagging behind the nicer area

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/534331_10151043365928764_1625462283_n.jpg

-juan

[ManoNegra]

Another update.
This past weekend was week 17.

the good
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/394325_10151199199288764_1774446602_n.jpg

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/582778_10151199198768764_1694970489_n.jpg

and the ugly
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/185069_10151199197623764_1006222138_n.jpg

Lawn needs another two months of sun and 70 and above weather in my estimation. Stoked with the progress so far.

[Phlip]

We hit a mini-drought the last week of June and first 2 weeks of July, where within that 3 weeks we had 16 days (13 consecutive) where it was 93° or better and very little rain. As this was the week I had gotten married and spilled over including the week of my birthday, I was WAAAY more lax about getting and keeping it watered than I should have, so my grass was depressingly brown for a couple weeks until I got back on it.

Even now, it is not as deep green as it has been in previous images in this thread, but I have been working on getting it there. I will post a pic when I get home from work

[ManoNegra]

90°s have been the average here in for the last few weeks.
In the San Gabriel Valley where I'm at we saw consecutive 100°s last week.
The shade the trees provide has helped and I've been keeping an eye on the lawn to water as needed.

btw, this guy is kept in the garage and still this happened:

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/311943_10151161587638764_1578395957_n.jpg

[Phlip]

90°s have been the average here in for the last few weeks.

Typical here for that time of year as well, in fact it has cooled off to the 80s a little earlier than normal, but we normally have enough rain for it to not be a problem.

[Bubbles]

That's a sweet little area. So jelly.


!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/ghaleon109/LolaGrass-6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/ghaleon109/LolaGrass-3.jpg

[godrifttoday]

So I need some help here... I read up on several lawn care sites and just about everyone has different opinions...

Sod was place about 5 months ago along with automated sprinklers... We were watering 7 minutes for 3 times a day, 5am, 1pm, 7pm and that seemed to be working fine but water bill was crazy high! so I switched to 2 times a day, and currently now I'm at 2 times a week( i just started this pass week). I water the lawn now on wed at 5am for 16 min, and 7 minutes on Sunday. I also air-rated the lawn and used some fertiziler about 2 months ago, and I also I overseeded about 3 weeks ago.

Most seemed to agree that 1 inch a week of water is just about right. Just like the post above what can I do to get my lawn that green?? Anyone recommend some ph reader to determine what the grass needs?

I live in SoCal and the pass couple of weeks has been hot. Any recommendations ?http://img.tapatalk.com/4ca81533-af5d-2faa.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/4ca81533-af65-7e69.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/4ca81533-af6f-f071.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/4ca81533-af79-7284.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/4ca81533-af83-3351.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/4ca81533-af8e-bb59.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/4ca81533-af99-d137.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/4ca81533-afa2-1270.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/4ca81533-afaa-4e27.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/4ca81533-afb2-6c14.jpg

[initial_jc]

Finally got my front throw mower adjusted, so much easier and better result

[Phlip]

Legitimate thread-bumping activities.

Hard chills lasted longer than normal in central NC this year, so I was only last week able to get started.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8557871158_c04c570c53_c.jpg

Cut twice, bagging it all (clippings are in that hole there between the yards). Borrowed a neighbor's core aerator, spread seeds (a mix of about 4 different kinds of seeds) and Milorganite fertilizer. My neighbor got a freebie because I was bored and we needed the clippings to work on filling the hole in between our yards like I did the one in mine two years ago.
I have to NOT cut my yard (the one on the far side with the blue coupe in the driveway) until I just can't stand to fucking look at it now, and for the rest of the season, I am mulching and not bagging. I will be back to update this thread with progress.
See you in about 3 weeks, hopefully.

[exitspeed]

I really do miss when I had a lawn to care about. '
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/25915_1264649022053_1906209_n.jpg
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/25915_1264648942051_2819143_n.jpg

[ManoNegra]

Neighbor - "Your lawn was starting to look nice, what happened to it?"
Me - "Ask me again near the end of March".

After spending the winter months looking like straw, lawn is starting to green up.
last week:
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/559804_10151557660188764_1253759113_n.jpg

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/66692_10151557660273764_960103973_n.jpg

And noticed these guys showing up this weekend:
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/601605_10151564044728764_474437861_n.jpg

[Phlip]

Neighbor - "Your lawn was starting to look nice, what happened to it?"
Me - "Ask me again near the end of March".

Replace "neighbor" with "grandmother" and you have me where I was before I began work. We've had a decently rainy last couple of weeks and I am starting to see some greening. I will likely fertilize one more time within the next week or two, then leave it alone until I am ready for my first real cut of the season. Once I have 3 cuts in, I will do the Scotts turfbuilder to control weeds and green it up aggressively. By the second or third week in April, I only intend to need to cut my grass, lol.

[ManoNegra]

Replace "neighbor" with "grandmother" and you have me where I was before I began work. .

She wasn't to happy either when I tried to tell her that the grass she planted - among her weeds btw - was a winter type and that it was going to suffer come summer. And guess what, it's starting to develop dry patches already...

I added some stiercol to some areas and threw down some Scotts fertilizer I had left over from last year.
Weeds so far haven't been the problem they were last year and I don't think I'll have as much work this year.
Fertilize once more around June/July and mow every three weeks and I'll be good.

[Phlip]

She wasn't to happy either when I tried to tell her that the grass she planted - among her weeds btw - was a winter type and that it was going to suffer come summer. And guess what, it's starting to develop dry patches already...

I added some stiercol to some areas and threw down some Scotts fertilizer I had left over from last year.
Weeds so far haven't been the problem they were last year and I don't think I'll have as much work this year.
Fertilize once more around June/July and mow every three weeks and I'll be good.

My weeds were not bad last year, but I went with the "try organic shit" route last year and not with Scotts and I could see my progress not as good as usual. I have two bags of turfuilder ready to go now, and I am LOVING that it has been raining since the very afternoon I cut/aerated/seeded my yard. I have not had to turn on my hose yet

[ManoNegra]

I hear you about the organic route
but what I've been doing has been working well so far
that I don't want to tempt fate if you know what I mean.

I think that once that lawn is well establish I'll start trying new ideas.

[Phlip]

After a COLD March, a busy April and a RAINY May, I was finally able to cut my yard 4 times in 2.5 months and fertilize 3 weeks ago.
Today began the "mower as high as it goes" cuts.
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/1003963_10201181084546811_312420703_n.jpg

It is darkening every day, especially with us enjoying some good Tropical Storm Andrew rain down here in NC. I will fertilize again in about 2 weeks, then only cut for the rest of the year. It will get a good bit darker then too. One rough spot left, but the grasses I used are doing EXACTLY what I wanted them to do, so the good grass will creep into that spot within the month.

[240boi115]

I really do miss when I had a lawn to care about. '
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/25915_1264649022053_1906209_n.jpg
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/25915_1264648942051_2819143_n.jpg

dat yard... its beautiful. i almost cried

[Phlip]

8 days later...

Before, 1pm:
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1005873_10201231261441202_627203007_n.jpg

First pass, 1:20pm:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/379617_10201231298642132_1385419549_n.jpg

Finished, except for trimming 1:42pm:
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/1010920_10201231369563905_1612474892_n.jpg

Yes, my front is small enough to do this kind of work on in less than 40 minutes.
I need to edge it and clean up my walkway this coming week too

[tricky_ab]

If that's "small" then you'd hate to see my front lawn :-/

I really need to get out there and deal with it soon. The sod that was laid down from the builder was TERRIBLE so I guess it's research time to see how I can improve it from the patchy mess that it is right now.

[ManoNegra]

Lawn whores unite! lol

been a while
lawn project has shifted gears to coasting - mow and water as needed, fertilizer, etc.
mowed at near lowest setting on a push reel mower today

http://imageshack.us/a/img594/2727/wf77.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img825/7374/6cka.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img59/9442/yp0v.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img20/9738/8nfn.jpg

[Phlip]

If that's "small" then you'd hate to see my front lawn :-/
I cut my entire front yard twice in 40 minutes, that is "small" in my state, lol.

Lawn whores unite! lol

been a while
lawn project has shifted gears to coasting - mow and water as needed, fertilizer, etc.
mowed at near lowest setting on a push reel mower today

"watering," lulz... I have to find breaks in the rain to CUT mine. I was able to cut the front when I got off early, but couldn't go near the back since Thursday was our first day without rain since I cut last Tuesday.
I am in "coast" too... I will do my mid-season fertilize, sticking with one of the Scotts "Water Smart" products since I rather ENJOY the feeling of a $16 water bill.

[SimpleSexy180]

southern california area. the problem is not only the soil... i can give u advice but.. the problem is not the soil is your TIME in EYE. I currently work for a product that can produce nice grass. Depends on maintain.

FOR INSTANT.
in the socal area, the grass as the day goes on it grows, it drinks as you DRINK. THINK. you thirst SOMETIMES in body.

[Phlip]

^^^ Could you please say that again in English styled in the manner for those of us who grew up speaking it?

[Shift n Drift]

Isn't it true, the taller you keep your grass cut the slower it will grow? I started feeding my lawn with crabgrass killer, every 2 weeks till its gone and have been keeping it a little tall and it has slowed down a bunch.

[Phlip]

Isn't it true, the taller you keep your grass cut the slower it will grow? I started feeding my lawn with crabgrass killer, every 2 weeks till its gone and have been keeping it a little tall and it has slowed down a bunch.

Absolutely not true.
I normally cut mine high because it is thicker and shows the lines better that way, and I have to cut it once a week, weather permitting.

[anti tyler]

I will do the Scotts turfbuilder to control weeds and green it up aggressively. By the second or third week in April, I only intend to need to cut my grass, lol.

I really wondered about that stuff, I haven't done a bit of lawn care in ages. Now that we moved into this new house which has pineapples and many various plants, I feel the need to start doing this deed and maybe lay down a nice greenery base to plant some more fruit bearing plants.

I just wasn't really sure if the turf builder was worth the try or not.

[Phlip]

Okay, now I am pleased with it.

https://sphotos-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1001558_10201524333207813_1884288515_n.jpg

Still working on filling that VERY large hole there between the yards, that is why there is a pile of clippings there. I have since spread them out.

[bc.]

I am closing on my first garage next Tuesday, it comes with a lawn and house included.