Lawn Maintenance

I personally do the "Scott's Plan" thing because it is so easy to follow, but if you want some really organic suggestions for lawn care, and gardening in general, using using common household products like beer, baby shampoo, castor oil, and mouthwash.....check out Jerry Baker:


http://www.jerrybaker.net/garden/information/archivedarticles/lawnqa.aspx

Check out his "all season tonic":
http://www.jerrybaker.net/garden/information/TipsAndTonicsHP.aspx#lawns

Also check out his video excerpts on lawn care:
http://www.jerrybaker.net/garden/videos/regularfeedings.aspx
 
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Glenlivet12 said:
I just got the results of my soil test back. I figured i'd post up to show anyone who's interested what the Rutgers soil testing gives you. I'm pretty impressed, its really thorough. Looks like i have a lot of work to do...
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Good stuff! I'm going to try and get my soil tested soon as well.

In the meantime, I put down Milorganite (http://milorganite.com/) to help rejuvenate the soil. I stumbled upon this forum - http://aroundtheyard.com/ and been reading topics there. Yes, I know.. don't believe everything you read on the internet.. hehe. After reading some topics, one big no-no seems to be with using aeration machines. It seems some weed seeds could lay dormant in your soil for years and if you aerate the soil, this will just bring the weeds seeds to life into your lawn. 😕 So, I'm now going to hold off with the aeration.

If you register there, you can post your soil test results and they'll chime in on what your "soil" needs to help better your lawn.

Still trying to come up with a plan myself... 🙁
 
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aerate in the spring after using a pre-emergent late winter? so the weeds can't take hold?

as an aside, I don't aerate, and have fairway greens do the fertilizer applications - it is an old growth lawn. FG used to leave a report card about what they put on and why - seems they may have gone away from custom applications.

looks good and there isn't any leftovers to store.
 
fidodie said:
aerate in the spring after using a pre-emergent late winter? so the weeds can't take hold?
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Crabgrass is an annual weed that dies off after the 1st hard frost. Using a pre-emergent in the spring prevents its growth from a seed. You could aerate in the spring but be sure to follow it up with a pre-emerge. Opening the ground is an invitation for crabgrass.

Broadleaf weeds such as clover and dandelion can be controlled as long as they are activley growing.
 
My yard is 95% crabgrass now. Would it be worthwhile to not only apply pre-emergent in the spring but also follow up with 2nd and 3rd treatments in late spring and mid summer?

I don't care if my lawn is brown for a year or two while I'm killing off the weeds... my neighbors are cool.
 
it's not even winter yet :popcorn:

but let me get in on that aerator! 😉

Since I have well water I am 100% anti chemicals. I'm with AM. Just let nature take it's course. And overseed. Don't cut your lawn too short. I always have mine on tallest setting. Shorter grass clippings are better for the lawn. Natural mulching process.
 
Glenlivet12 said:
I just got the results of my soil test back. I figured i'd post up to show anyone who's interested what the Rutgers soil testing gives you. I'm pretty impressed, its really thorough. Looks like i have a lot of work to do...
Click to expand...

That is an impressive report! How did you arrange them to test it and get in contact with them? Did you email them? Did they send you a packet to fill with soil etc? May give this a shot...

Thanks in advance!

Brian
 
rottin' said:
That is an impressive report! How did you arrange them to test it and get in contact with them? Did you email them? Did they send you a packet to fill with soil etc? May give this a shot...

Thanks in advance!

Brian
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Heres the website http://njaes.rutgers.edu/soiltestinglab/.

You can either request a test kit or just print out their form and do it yourself(thats what i did, it was simple). Follow the instructions(they have a video too) and send in the sample. It took a little over a week get my results. There are other more specific tests you can have done but the basic one is all i got. You can call them too with any questions they seemed happy to talk when i called.
 
Glenlivet12 said:
Heres the website http://njaes.rutgers.edu/soiltestinglab/.

You can either request a test kit or just print out their form and do it yourself(thats what i did, it was simple). Follow the instructions(they have a video too) and send in the sample. It took a little over a week get my results. There are other more specific tests you can have done but the basic one is all i got. You can call them too with any questions they seemed happy to talk when i called.
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Thanks Bill...just printed out the forms and will send in as well🙂

Brian
 
Good time to put down a pre-emergent to prevent fall weeds from growing/spreading. The local JDL (John Deere Landscapes) has some good stuff compared to the big box stores. For pre-emergents, I'm using Lesco Dimension 0-0-7. It was $18 and change for a 10k sq/ft bag. They also had a nice selection of grass seeds too. I will definitely be visiting them again when it's that time.
 
ericgautier said:
Good time to put down a pre-emergent to prevent fall weeds from growing/spreading. The local JDL (John Deere Landscapes) has some good stuff compared to the big box stores. For pre-emergents, I'm using Lesco Dimension 0-0-7.
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Dimension is a pre-emergent for crabgrass that offers some early post emergent control. The crabgrass you have on your lawn now is too large and healthy for Dimension to kill it. Your wasting your money if you put it out now. Apply it in the spring around the bloom of forsythia to keep crabgrass from returning. If you notice Crabgrass starting to pop up in mid June Dimension may kill it, if its small enough. Once crabgrass gets bigger then 2-3 tillers you ain't killin it. Or I should say you'll end up killing your lawn before you kill the crabgrass.

Crabgrass is an annual weed that dies with the first hard frost.
 
@iggy, from my understanding Dimension will also help control Poa annua. Which germinates around this time of the year. I have some of those too in the yard.
 
So i was thinking of just spraying some round up to kill everything. Once it drys do treatment of pelitized lime and wait a week. If i need to reapply round up I will. Then towards the end of sept ill try and rake the dead stuff loose to expose some earth and seed? Is this to much of a hack job to work? Should i fertilize before seeding so the nutrients are there or wait? When do i stop watering, first frost id imagine.
 
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If you are going to do the roundup things, just till your yard and start fresh. The round up thing will just be pissing money away.
 
Glenlivet12 said:
So i was thinking of just spraying some round up to kill everything. Once it drys do treatment of pelitized lime and wait a week. If i need to reapply round up I will. Then towards the end of sept ill try and rake the dead stuff loose to expose some earth and seed? Is this to much of a hack job to work? Should i fertilize before seeding so the nutrients are there or wait? When do i stop watering, first frost id imagine.
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Bill, here's a great step-by-step to follow..

http://aroundtheyard.com/renovations/stack316-front-yard-renovation-t12008.html
 
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