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Feed your lawn...

don_in_colorado

10 years ago

...FEED it Round-Up...and plant HOSTAS!!

Scott

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Comments (14)

User
10 years ago
Hooo-boy! I'm sending this to my DH......

Truly, there is no such thing as too many hosta.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
10 years ago
Hoot-man. If Scott's had its way you'd be using ferts every week. Mow and fert all at once. Lawns are waaay overrated.

My front lawn last spring.

You can see bits of grass here and there. Just enough to rest the eyes.

tj
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Lawn seems 'weak'
Q
Comments (13)
Its January, 5 months removed from last August. Anything can happen to a lawn in that span of time from grubs to a general lack of moisture and food. You didn't say you feed your lawn...and if you do, with what? Lawns need feeding as much as any other plant and over winter a lawn can take an awful lot of punishment. This is why you are recommended to feed your lawn in the fall and hopefully, the lawn comes back in the spring and less food is necessary at that time. The matting does sound ominous...there's grubs in them thar hills. They wont be there now, they're down deep making more grubs and not until next late spring will you notice they are doing damage again. First thing in the spring, when the soil has firmly warmed up, apply a 1" layer of good compost over the entire lawn. No fertilizer is needed at this time. When the grass has overtaken the compost, start a feeding program of high nitrogen lawn fertilizer and follow the directions on the bag as per how much to use. Three applications over the spring/summer...and in the fall, if you have it, and can afford it, apply another 1" layer of compost over the lawn. The high nitrogen lawn fertilizer will, in itself, help to fill in those blank and bare spots; it makes grass want to grow. In the spring, think seed. When the compost is laid, consider also giving it grass seed (make it the best seed you can afford)over the whole or part of the lawn that you feel needs it. Repeat this in the fall. All this will build up your soil so that grass will never want to leave it. Mind you, the best lawns do attract grubs. They know where the best roots are and flock to good lawns. But the lawn in good health is your best medicine--it can stand up to what might harm it. 'Course, do have concern about ridding the ground of them.
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Applied Weed & Feed before seeding
Q
Comments (5)
The worst case scenario is that you don't get grass now or in 2-4 weeks. The seed will be "dead" in the sense that it won't germinate once it has come in contact with the chemical. I think it is less likely that you get growth and then the young grass dies as the roots go deeper, more likely is you won't get growth at all or significantly less than you had planned for (say 1/4 or 1/3 germination rate, btw totally just throwing a random number out since I have no idea if anyone could give a good estimation). You can keep trying every couple of weeks and not need to rake up the "dead" seed so no worry of overseeding as if grass does take it will eventually get the nutrients from the decomposing seed and will also supply a bit of water retention properties when watered. If you are going this rate and plan to seed after putting down soil I would make sure the chance for germination is highest. That means eliminating the air barrier when seeding and applying a light coating of soil on top of the seeds. For large plots of land the easiest way is to seed, top dress by hand or tractor/mower 1/8-1/4" with soil, apply a starter fertilzer (the grass seed only "see's" the nutrients right next to it), and then press with a roller of some sort (then lightly water). They make these for riding mowers, or you can do it by hand with a large object (sand bags work great for small areas, my personal favorite was a large inflatable jumping gym for the kids that came in a sack that I just covered with trash bags and rolled like you were making a snowman around the yard (backbreaking but faster than you would think). This puts the seed in direct contact with the soil and helps to keep the seed in place during wind/rain that would otherwise clump the grass and leave bare spots.
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dont leave grass-clipping on lawn
Q
Comments (19)
just because he grows sod might not necessarily mean he is right in everything he says?? he's growing a commercial product not a lawn. in all the time i've been in forums on the 'net this is the very first time that i can recall ever hearing this being said. i can't speak for you climate, but we are avid fans of leaving our clip on the lawn when we mow, the best place for it we cut higher so there is room to accomodate, we have never had any issues outside of our lawn survives alone with only rain and no other pampering yet it remains greener and lusher longer than other lawns around the place. len Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page
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More handy tips
Q
Comments (4)
I wished something like McGroaty's business plan would work here, but I'm skeptical. First, there's plenty of competition. Without lots of background knowledge or some special angle, what makes me or you better at this than them. Then there's my buddies in the business that tell me that if they had it to do over, they'd do something else and that the money is very tight. I've got good friends in both small local nurseries and in medium size wholesale growing businesses, so the scale of the business doesn't really seem to be the answer. I'm inclined to think it might be able to pay for your supplies and help you break even with your hobby, but I really doubt it's going to be anything that will allow you to make lots of money. I bet Tony Avent's book might have some good information about this! Of course, I'm here working a boring 8 to 5 job instead of enjoying the fresh air.....
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josephines167 z5 ON Canada
10 years ago
That Mr. In the pic has intense eyes - nice!
TJ , love your front garden and token grass. It's lovely.

Jo
garyz6ohio
10 years ago
You must spend a lot of time on the dwarf conifer forum with Ken too! Beautiful landscaping, just beautiful!
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
10 years ago
Ken? Ken who?

Thanks Jo & Garry. The idea Don and I are touting is to not let Scott's dictate what a lawn should be. When in doubt, rip it out.

tj
josephines167 z5 ON Canada
10 years ago
Spoken like a true hosta lover! That's a motto that makes perfect sense! I'm making more hosta room too, lol :-)
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
10 years ago
"Spoken like a true hosta lover!"

Well, er, let's just say plant lover. I have a grand total of two, yes, count 'em, two hosta in my front yard. More to come, I'm sure.

I spent 14 years trying to fine tune my gardening skills in the back yard before I realized I was never going to get things right the first time (or the second, or third) so I figured I'd just start winging it in front.

Outline the beds with a hose or rope, cut the grass short, cover it with 10 or so layers of newspaper, cover that with anything organic (compost, mulch, leaves), let it sit over winter and plant through it all in the spring. No back breaking sod removal.

tj
User
10 years ago
Tsuga, I had the pictures of your conifer garden from years ago. They are gorgeous. Every foot of it commanding attention.

Plus your way of doing a bed is PERFECT. I don't believe in digging flower beds either....although DH does. He is also the lawn enthusiast. I mulched almost the entire Back40. My kind of garden. You can see how pots would appeal to me. :)
mountainy man z8 Ireland
10 years ago
Hey Don who is this Scott guy? kinda looks like one of them serial killers lol.

tj, I really like your front garden love the conifers with the alliums.

Denis
don_in_colorado
Original Author
10 years ago
Now That is a lawn I can love, TJ.

Denis, 'Scott' is the pitchman/actor for a series of TV commercials here in the U.S. The products are for lawn-care, seed, fertilizer blah blah blah that kind of stuff. Fertilize your lawn 50 times a year or it'll die blah blah blah.

I much prefer TJ's idea of a 'lawn'. Looks fantastic, TJ.

Don B.
in ny zone5
10 years ago
Scotts can't make any money on conifers, because conifers are not to be fertilized usually. Picture taken this morning, here is part of my front yard, also inspired by the GW Conifer Forum. There are some heathers in between. I have two h.'Orange Marmalade' growing in between those conifers, in their shade. There is a difference, usually hostas do not like bright sun, but conifers need a lot of sun. Bernd
in ny zone5
10 years ago
Here is a hellebore growing in between some conifers this morning. Bernd
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
10 years ago
Thanks Don, Denis & Moc.

Bernd, you have some very nice looking plants and a good mix of cultivars.

Moc, once I learned that method of lawn killing there was no stopping me. No poisons, no back breaking work and in the end you amend the soil (which my clay requires).

tj
in ny zone5
10 years ago
tj, your gardens are always so good looking! Right now some of my plants are not looking their best, some conifers have a lot of yellow, will probably be replaced with new foliage in May.
Bernd

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