Need soil/lawn help.

[BostonBull]

Alright..........

I have put down some quick lime, overseeded, and have been watering once sometimes twice a day. Once everyday at 5:30 a.m. and then if I have it in me after work once around 6-7:00 p.m. I have mowed it 3 times now, but only half the lawn is long enough to be cut by the mower so far. I have mulched it each time. I am cutting at about 2-2.5".

Questions......should lime once more? When should I fertilize again? I have been told the end of this month.

I was going to start on the Scotts steps sytem........yea or Ney?

Suggestions?

The lawn already looks really nice!

 

[CaseyForrest]

Alright..........

I have put down some quick lime, overseeded, and have been watering once sometimes twice a day. Once everyday at 5:30 a.m. and then if I have it in me after work once around 6-7:00 p.m. I have mowed it 3 times now, but only half the lawn is long enough to be cut by the mower so far. I have mulched it each time. I am cutting at about 2-2.5".

Questions......should lime once more? When should I fertilize again? I have been told the end of this month.

I was going to start on the Scotts steps sytem........yea or Ney?

Suggestions?

The lawn already looks really nice!

Id raise the height to 3". We mow at 3.5.

Id hold off on the fert. Keep the water on it. Especially the areas that arent growing as fast.

 

[gasman]

Alright..........

I have put down some quick lime, overseeded, and have been watering once sometimes twice a day. Once everyday at 5:30 a.m. and then if I have it in me after work once around 6-7:00 p.m. I have mowed it 3 times now, but only half the lawn is long enough to be cut by the mower so far. I have mulched it each time. I am cutting at about 2-2.5".

Questions......should lime once more? When should I fertilize again? I have been told the end of this month.

I was going to start on the Scotts steps sytem........yea or Ney?

Suggestions?

The lawn already looks really nice!

Great. I agree with the raising the height. More lime won't hurt. You can get a cheap ph test at the garden store if you want. (It's fun to get feedback on your effort)

Wait on the fert. for the moment. I think you ultimately make a decision what strategy to take for the lawn. Most people are just not aware of the fact they are taking on a strategy. Getting on a chemical program is one easy way to do it. In my opinion not the best but that is just my opinion.

I like to get into the biology of the lawn itself. Understand the little plants that makeup the lawn. There needs will change upon the water they get, evaporative losses, heat, sunlight, soil,weeds, disease etc. One program will not meet every need optimally. If the plants are growing rapidly due to favorable conditions they will need more nitrogen. But if conditions are cr^ppy then they may not need so much. Nitrogen will stimulate growth, but too much nitrogen is unhealthy. I don't like to use any more pesticides,fungicides than necessary. Just my preference.

In essence there is more than one way to skin the cat. How perfect a lawn do you want, how much thought do you want to put into it. How much effort do you want to put into it. The question can go on and on.

Minimum requirenents around here would be modest fertilizer (timed release) 3-4 times per year. A timed release fertilzer should give you a couple months until next application. Less for non slow release. If you want a quick green up, spray some miricale grow or equivalent on it.

I don't think you need to by expensive lawn products. Decent quality generics work fine.

 

[CaseyForrest]

gasman is right on the money. At this point you dont really want to stimulate blade growth. You want to stimulate root growth. Get the roots growing and the lawn will grow, barespots will fill themselves in.

 

[BostonBull]

I am going to send a soil test out to UMASS Stockbridge this week.

I want a perfect lawn. I am willing to come home everyday/night to work on it. Be it chemicals, watering, mowing, or weeding.

WHEN should I do my next applicaton of fertilizer? Or will the soil test reveal this?

I have clay/sand soil so I may end up putting down another coat of lime to help out.......is it OK to put this over in my mulch bed where my Dogwood, Azeila, Hydrangeas etc are?

Thanks Guys!

 

[CaseyForrest]

keep the lime away from the azaela and hydrangea!!! They like acidic soil. I cant remember if the Dogwood likes acid, but I dont think they do.

Wait untill you get your soil test back to determine when to fert next.

Ill go take a pic of my grass and then tell you what I have and havent done to it.

 

[gasman]

I am going to send a soil test out to UMASS Stockbridge this week.

I want a perfect lawn. I am willing to come home everyday/night to work on it. Be it chemicals, watering, mowing, or weeding.

WHEN should I do my next applicaton of fertilizer? Or will the soil test reveal this?

I have clay/sand soil so I may end up putting down another coat of lime to help out.......is it OK to put this over in my mulch bed where my Dogwood, Azeila, Hydrangeas etc are?

Thanks Guys!

Dogwoods like acid as well!!! If you want a perfect lawn, then rip up the top 6 inches of that clay and put in a nice sandy loam.

Alternatively I would each fall, identify the trouble spots and top dress with topsoil, peat moss, sand, and gypsum after aeration. I saw it on the victory garden about 10 years ago. It works great, but when you spread it on, you will swear you are killing your lawn. It's a trick golf courses use, and really helps bad spots.

Go ahead and do the scots program or another brand, they work okay I find. Just follow their directions. Don't skimp on spreading amounts, but you don't have to exceed the recomendations too much either. They seem to recommend the right dose.

Oh yeah aeration and overseeding in the fall really helps. You cand spend a fortune on seed however.

Do all that and you'll put my lawn to shame.

 

[BostonBull]

I have a yard or two of superloom in my driveway nw an will be spreading t lightly this week over the whole lawn.

I will start the scotts program at the end of this month, after I get my soil test back from Umass Stockbridge.

I will have a co. come in each fall and core aerate, and I will also do the gypsum as I have heard that from other places as well.

I plan on puting as much time/money in as possible! I want the best lawn on the block!

Keep the tips coming guys.





What/when for bugs?

 

[rb_in_va]

I just read an article about organic lawn care in This Old House. It basically said that if your soil is in good shape you grass will be in good shape too. There was all kinds of good tips, but don't expect immediate results with it. They said an organic lawn takes less water to maintain it. A lawn treated with chemicals needs a lot of water just to dissolve all the stuff you put on it. It's worth a look anyway. I'll see if I can find a link.

 

[BostonBull]

I just read an article about organic lawn care in This Old House. It basically said that if your soil is in good shape you grass will be in good shape too. There was all kinds of good tips, but don't expect immediate results with it. They said an organic lawn takes less water to maintain it. A lawn treated with chemicals needs a lot of water just to dissolve all the stuff you put on it. It's worth a look anyway. I'll see if I can find a link.

thanks!

 

[rb_in_va]

thanks!

Found it.

http://safelawns.org/

 

[BostonBull]

Sent out two soil samples to Stockbridge today. One from the back lawn and one from the mulch bed/perennials/tree/shrub area.

Thanks for the link!

 

[Dixie1]

Added note: Pre-emergent is always a pelletized herbicide...that contradicts what I said in a previous post about always using liquid herbicides. My bad...

Woodie
it actually comes in several different liquid forms, Pedulum, Dimension, Gallery, Barricade, etc. FYI

 

[Woodie]

Woodie
it actually comes in several different liquid forms, Pedulum, Dimension, Gallery, Barricade, etc. FYI

True, but try to buy one of those at Home Despot...

I should have said the RTU products for homeowners are always pelletized. My bad.

 

[Dixie1]

ah hah. that makes sense.

 

[rb_in_va]

The more I read about organic lawn care the more sense it makes. Going to Scotts route you kill beneficial organisms (that help your grass) along with pests. I am going to try top-dressing with compost. Anyone know when the proper time to do that is?

 

[DGG]

keep the lime away from the azaela and hydrangea!!! They like acidic soil. I cant remember if the Dogwood likes acid, but I dont think they do.

Wait untill you get your soil test back to determine when to fert next.

Ill go take a pic of my grass and then tell you what I have and havent done to it.

I use Holly-tone fertilizer around the acid lovers and they thrive.

 

[gasman]

The more I read about organic lawn care the more sense it makes. Going to Scotts route you kill beneficial organisms (that help your grass) along with pests. I am going to try top-dressing with compost. Anyone know when the proper time to do that is?

Fall after aeration.

 

[BostonBull]

Soil results are in from UMASS Stockbridge. Let me know what yuo guys think.

Is there a fertilizer that has all the recommendations for Nitrogen, Phosphate etc in one?

The one labeled LAWN is for my lawn, and the two labeled Mulch bed are for my shgrunbs and trees. They sent two for that area becasue of the varying species needs.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

You can overseed, and spread a light film of compost on top.

Do you have a bark blowing service in the area that can blow a fine compost (not bark) over the lawn - like 1/4" deep?