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Lawn Care Tips (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter andy_b
- Start date
NutterButter
Footballguy
It would be a waste at this point since the existing crabgrass will be dead in a few weeks anyway. Wait until the spring and put down a pre-emergent. Crabgrass is an annual and the seeds are already on the ground for next years crop.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
my mower is pretty much toast after the fire. I don't know if it is fixable. The last problem I had with it last year was hard to get fixed because no one had the parts any more due to its age.
NutterButter
Footballguy
ha, the downside of things lasting this long in this day and age where the expectation is that things will break quickly and just be replaced.
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The Commish
Footballguy
MattFancy
Footballguy
Patches. Basically, it's really bad on one side of my yard and the rest has a couple spots here and there of it.
I live in a new neighborhood and they were seeding behind me at the end of last fall. I'm guessing whatever they seeded moved into my yard and caused the issue. I had zero crabgrass or weeds last year. We had a really wet June and then it came out of no where in July. Like I said before, pretty much our entire neighborhood has it.
Quez
Footballguy
Crabgrass has been terrible down here thanks to the record high rains. Being wet all night makes this stuff unmanageable. I put down Bayer weed and feed a few times & it kills it, but a few wet nights & it's back growing over all the dead stuff.
I have some huge spots this year.
I have some huge spots this year.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
This. And honestly, unless you catch it before it gets to developed, it's really hard to kill. If you have a smaller lawn and can treat each individual plant, maybe...but I spend a ton each year on my yard and I can't get rid of it all. It's just a fact of life. Yard's too big to spot treat, and it grows too fast.
See THIS link for growth stages. Once it starts to branch out, you're in trouble...
MattFancy
Footballguy
Not a big yard, only about 1/4 of an acre. It's not all over my yard thankfully, just really bad in some spots. Mainly just one side is really bad.
The Commish
Footballguy
you guys must have some roided up crabgrass 
I have a little over a half acre and I don't have a problem managing it. I also only really get it in large patches when there is no rain, otherwise the grass is thick enough to keep it out. I've never had a problem killing it off with the Bayer stuff.
Well....this USED to be the case. When we moved into the rental after the tree fell on our house, the combo of large equipment, no rain (don't have water running to our sprinklers and even if we did, no electricity to turn them on), and lack of attention on my part, I am in full on recovery mode next spring. I'm not sure what I will do honestly. Need to think it through.
I have a little over a half acre and I don't have a problem managing it. I also only really get it in large patches when there is no rain, otherwise the grass is thick enough to keep it out. I've never had a problem killing it off with the Bayer stuff.Well....this USED to be the case. When we moved into the rental after the tree fell on our house, the combo of large equipment, no rain (don't have water running to our sprinklers and even if we did, no electricity to turn them on), and lack of attention on my part, I am in full on recovery mode next spring. I'm not sure what I will do honestly. Need to think it through.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
Aah...gotcha. Yeah, you can just spot treat a yard that size. That's the only thing I've found that really works as you can just blast the crabgrass right at the source. Even better yet, consider getting a weed puller and pulling them up, then treating with a pre-emergent next spring.
I'm crazy anal about my yard. I love having a big yard, but I do sometimes wish I had a smaller yard just to see how perfect I could get it...
McGarnicle
Footballguy
Yard of the Month for the 3rd time in 4 years. 
Fat Nick
Footballguy
That's the thing...once it's established, it's really hard to get rid of. Drought makes it worse because the best way to control it is to choke it out with a thick yard.you guys must have some roided up crabgrass
Well....this USED to be the case. When we moved into the rental after the tree fell on our house, the combo of large equipment, no rain (don't have water running to our sprinklers and even if we did, no electricity to turn them on), and lack of attention on my part, I am in full on recovery mode next spring. I'm not sure what I will do honestly. Need to think it through.
I have a spot of bare ground that was under my scrap dumpster from when I built my deck. Killed all the grass, but crab grass grew back within days of moving the dumpster, and kept spreading even with the limited rain we've had. I need to re-seed now, and I'm going to have to dig up the top few inches just to get rid of the crabgrass carpet and give the new grass a chance.
MattFancy
Footballguy
My yard was perfect until July lol. No weeds, super green, no dead spots, etc. Then July came and crabgrass and lack of rain ruined it :(
I don't get much shade, so when we don't get much rain, my yard browns really fast.
I'll give it a shot with the spot killer and see what happens. Definitely will be using some Scott's Crabgrass in the early spring.
The Commish
Footballguy
What kind of grass do you have? Overseed this fall with something that is more heat resistant. I've been slowly moving to a mix of kentucky blue grass with a couple varieties of fescue. I had the same behavior as you describe so I changed seed. Last year was the first I used it and I had noticed a difference in the grass until my fiasco hit.
MattFancy
Footballguy
Honestly, not sure. They put down sod in our neighborhood as the finish up building. One of the problems I think is that they don't put top soil down, they just put down sod right over the existing dirt/clay combo. Definitely planning to seed here at the end of this month.
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The Commish
Footballguy
See if you have a John Deere store near you. They have a good selection of Lesco products and they can help you get what will work for your area. And if it's really clay, you'll want to throw some lime down a couple times a year to get the soil stabilized.
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MattFancy
Footballguy
I've put down lime at least 3 or 4 times already this year. Planning on doing it again at the end of the month.
The Commish
Footballguy
I've learned that buying seed etc at the big box stores is pointless. It doesnt matter what the bags say. They're all virtually the same.
The Commish
Footballguy
good...you're on the right track, though don't put down too much...might want to test your soil after putting that much down.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
First time poster in this thread.
We recently bought a house, small yard in a city, quiet little suburban-ish neighborhood feel. Being of Italian descent, it's in my blood to have a nice lawn and well-maintained yard, but this is all new to me since I have never owned a home before. I have 2 questions off the bat -
1. Is there anything in particular I should be doing in advance of winter? The previous owners moved out well before closing (took jobs out of state and couldn't wait any longer) so the lawn kinda went to ####. Lots of weeds. I've mowed it and started taking care of it but it's not as nice as our neighbors' yards. I would like to start combatting these weeds at some point but we are getting so late in the year now.
2. In the back corner of the backyard is a heavily shaded area, roughly square, maybe 250-300 sq ft of lawn. Right now, it has a layer of small loose rocks, sorta gravel-ish, like this. I can't tell if the previous owners tried to grow grass back there and failed because it's so shaded, or if there used to be a small above-ground pool (it is roughly the size area I'd expect for one). Are there any particular tips for growing grass in a heavily shaded area? I did some googling and it seems to be possible but difficult. I suppose at this point I'll leave the rocks until next spring unless you guys think that's a bad idea?
Thanks in advance....
We recently bought a house, small yard in a city, quiet little suburban-ish neighborhood feel. Being of Italian descent, it's in my blood to have a nice lawn and well-maintained yard, but this is all new to me since I have never owned a home before. I have 2 questions off the bat -
1. Is there anything in particular I should be doing in advance of winter? The previous owners moved out well before closing (took jobs out of state and couldn't wait any longer) so the lawn kinda went to ####. Lots of weeds. I've mowed it and started taking care of it but it's not as nice as our neighbors' yards. I would like to start combatting these weeds at some point but we are getting so late in the year now.
2. In the back corner of the backyard is a heavily shaded area, roughly square, maybe 250-300 sq ft of lawn. Right now, it has a layer of small loose rocks, sorta gravel-ish, like this. I can't tell if the previous owners tried to grow grass back there and failed because it's so shaded, or if there used to be a small above-ground pool (it is roughly the size area I'd expect for one). Are there any particular tips for growing grass in a heavily shaded area? I did some googling and it seems to be possible but difficult. I suppose at this point I'll leave the rocks until next spring unless you guys think that's a bad idea?
Thanks in advance....
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Fat Nick
Footballguy
Same here...and we had the same drought in NJ that you guys probably had...
I let my lawn grow REALLY long (4.5-5") in June. The length helps choke out the crab grass even as it browns, and the length also helps the grass with longer roots and more shade to the actual soil to keep what little water we get down there longer. It doesn't look as good as when I cut to 3.5-4", but it helps it recover. We got some rain last week, and it's already greening up again.
If you've got relatively new turf, it'll just take some time to build up some natural debris to hold the water and for the roots to start to permeate the clay under the sod. An good aeration will would help.
The Commish
Footballguy
I don't think it matters, but I'd do it just before I over seeded. The only time I wouldn't do it is right after you plant and the seed is germinating.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
Don't know that there's a bad time...but I think the fall is the best time as it will help keep the old grass + snow from leading to rot over the winter and give your grass a good head start in the spring. I need to do it badly, but don't want to deal with all the dead grass I'll inevitably dig up.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
1 - If the weeds are really bad, and you don't feel like doing it yourself, get a lawn service for a few years. When we moved in, our lawn was probably 50/50 weeds and grass. A few years of professional fertilzer and herbicide and it looks great now. If not, at a minimum, you need to treat the weeds and fertilize. A fall fertilization is actually one of the most important ones as it sets the grass up for a good start in the spring...hopefully to get up before the weeds. Then let it grow a little long to choke the weeds out.
2 - If you want to plant grass where the rocks are, do it NOW, not in the spring. Fall is the best time to plant grass. Just water it...water it often. I have a big patch I just replanted. I water it at least 2x/day (early morning, and late afternoon) for 30 minutes or so. Spring grass is vulnerable to drought if it doesn't establish before the heat comes.
ETA - Those rocks will probably be nearly impossible to completely remove...I'd consider putting some good topsoil OVER it and just working it in. It won't hurt the grass as long as the grass has a soil base on top of it.
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The Commish
Footballguy
If one is going to dethatch and don't have a place to blow the debris to, I highly recommend renting a yard vacuum....Here, they're like $30 for the day. It's a no brainer.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
My parents have one of those...they're awesome. They have tons of trees and they make short work of leaves.
My issue isn't gathering it up, so much as what to do with it once I have it. I've got a 2.5 acre yard with NO woods. It's all yard and landscape trees. I just don't have any place to "dump" stuff, or a truck to haul it away in.
matttyl
Footballguy
Get a lawn sweeper? That's how I'm going to do it.
Mow low. Sweep. Dethatch. Sweep. Gets me out of the house and able to listen to sports radio all day on my headphones without the wife getting upset.
matttyl
Footballguy
Build a compost bin with metal stakes and chicken wire in a somewhat hidden spot? That what I did at my last place for excess grass clippings, leaves, veggie garden waste, and even kitchen scraps and used coffee grounds.
The Commish
Footballguy
oh that sucks....do you have a spotty area in your yard where you could have a burning session? That's about the only other option you'd have it seems.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
OK, in for my morning break. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for this project.
Got working at 8:30 this morning since it was dry and worked with the slice seeder and got into a good groove not being dead tired like I was at the end of yesterday.
I have now finished slice seeding the whole yard.
Next big task is to hand dig and seed around the 48 sprinkler heads scattered through out the yard that I avoided with the power equipment.
And then finally, a start fertilizer every where.
3 more hour tops I hope.
Got working at 8:30 this morning since it was dry and worked with the slice seeder and got into a good groove not being dead tired like I was at the end of yesterday.
I have now finished slice seeding the whole yard.
Next big task is to hand dig and seed around the 48 sprinkler heads scattered through out the yard that I avoided with the power equipment.
And then finally, a start fertilizer every where.
3 more hour tops I hope.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Thanks for the comments.
Re: weeds, the weeds are mostly contained to the front lawn, which is small. I could probably weed it by hand in a matter of an hour or two. Will this do anything substantial? I've weeded gardens before but never a front yard, but we never had much in the way of weeds growing up so I've never had to battle it.
Re: backyard, I suppose I'm not surprised to hear that it's better to plant in the fall than in the spring, I just wonder if we're too far along at this point. Never really considered just laying topsoil over the rocks, I figured I'd have to remove most or all of the rocks before planting any grass. I will take a picture later tonight when I am at the house (we haven't moved in yet) and post here for a better idea. I have no problem doing the work and planting now if it makes it better for next year. I just figured that whatever I planted now could be stunted/killed by the snow/frost that will hit in the winter and I would have wasted my time. I'd expect permanent snow cover from approximately New Years through the middle of March.
If you can hand weed in that amount of time, it's a no-brainer IMO (obviously getting the roots).
Definitely not too far along to plant seed- now is just about perfect. Still likely have a couple of weeks before it's too late.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
This.
Hand-weeding is the best way by far...if you're thorough and have the time. Even makes Mowhawk happy.
And you've still got plenty of time to plant now. In in NJ, and I usually keep cutting my grass until early November or so. It slows down, but I'm still cutting it which means it's still growing. If you're in CT, it's probably Mid-October. Only takes a few weeks to get seed going.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Steve, if you get a chance, read some of the very beginning of the thread There are some good pointers for first time yard owners. You might find some of them useful.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
I need the lawn care equivalent of my USMNT soccer primer post.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
And done!NewlyRetired said:
Now it is just water and pray to the seed gods.
Even if nothing comes of this I can at least say I gave it an honest try.
Fat Nick
Footballguy
Never underestimate how frequently to water...When in doubt, water it again.
As long as the ground isn't visibly soaking and there's no standing water, water it again. 2-3x/day..
The key with new grass is frequency, not volume. Unlike landscape plants, you don't need DEEP watering because there are no roots. You just never want that top 2" to dry out, so water it a lot, but for shorter intervals.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Even though what you say is 100% I am slightly hamstrung because my town bans watering between 9-5.
So I intend to water right up to 9:00am and start up right at 5:00pm, but I would love to have the ability to water around 1:00pm as well. I might sneak my backyard zones in during the afternoon since that is hidden from the public.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
No problem!
It was the walk behind that went up like a roman candle. I have never owned a rider but have been interested in them because of the various attachments mentioned by others in the thread.
I also own a small 21" push mower that I keep around for emergencies.
NutterButter
Footballguy
You should call to see if there's an exception. We're on an even/odd schedule based on house number, but you can water every day if you have new sod. The brain trust doesn't feel that seed has the same water requirements. Maybe you'll be luckier.
Tom Skerritt
Footballguy
Put down a pre-emergent at the end of January, but we had such a mild winter that even so, my yard is still infested with weeds. Treated with a weed & feed AND a weed killer spray. They are started to yellow, so hopefully they will die out soon.
Also, I had to replace my edger/trimmer. Last one was gas-powered. One I bought today is a 40V battery powered one. LOVE IT! I'll need to buy a back-up battery, but it works great! Can get about an hour of full power.
Happy lawn season!
Also, I had to replace my edger/trimmer. Last one was gas-powered. One I bought today is a 40V battery powered one. LOVE IT! I'll need to buy a back-up battery, but it works great! Can get about an hour of full power.
Happy lawn season!
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Insoxicated
Redoing the back and side yards in the next few weeks. I'm in Zone 2 (Memphis, TN) and I've got decent amount of shade that, combined with drainage issues due to neighbors building up their yard, has my bermuda struggling badly.
Dropping soil to contour the yard (shooting grades with transit), to properly direct the water out of my yard, then laying down Palisades Zoysia slab sod.
Any experience with this type of sod? I hear infrequent deep waterings are best... it's pretty shade tolerant... and can handle the occasional mild flooding.
Dropping soil to contour the yard (shooting grades with transit), to properly direct the water out of my yard, then laying down Palisades Zoysia slab sod.
Any experience with this type of sod? I hear infrequent deep waterings are best... it's pretty shade tolerant... and can handle the occasional mild flooding.
Bull Dozier
Footballguy
So I'm in MN, things are still fairly dormant here. I need to do spring cleaning, because I never raked up the leaves last year. How screwed am I or can I still save this lawn?
