SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
webuser_861286948

Can I save my lawn?

Neal Rich
3 years ago

I posted here a few days ago because I noticed weeds taking over my yard. Thanks to the kind help of a few people here on Houzz, the primary weed was black medic. But just as there was a solution to eliminating this weed, it was pointed out to me that the weed helps the lawn look green and if I kill the week without grass under, I’ll be left with a large brown patch.

i then inspected that area and while I did see some grass under the black medic, it was spars. I inspected other sections of my lawn and noticed more weed areas and bare patches. The ground appears to be bone dry and firm. I also noticed this wasn’t much of a problem under the shaded areas of my lawn.

i live in the very southern part of PA (near MD) and while they temperature have been about average the past few months, the rain fall in May was drastically less, about 1/4 of the average. I didn’t realize this until I looked it up today. I’m not sure if that means this lawn is dead because of a drought Type situation or if there’s also a nourishment problem as I haven’t fertilized my lawn in a couple years.

to make things more complicate, I’m going to be listing this house for sale and the last thing I want is brown patches in the front lawn.

thanks to the good advice by some here on Houzz, I won’t be killing any of the weeds just yet. I was wondering if there might be a way to fix this considering my location, selling in a few months, the time of year and the problem which I have (pictures included below). My photos show some of the worst problem areas but thankfully most of my lawn is covered in grass and from the street just looks dull and not a bright green.

Is there any type of spot treatment for grass to grow? Could i try seeding if I watered often? Might this grass return if I fertilize and water the area? Would hiring a company like Tru Green be my best option?

im open to any and all ideas. I’m in a bit of a panic as I now notice the problem isn’t isolated do just one Section of my lawn, so I thank all who can offer advice .







Comments (24)

  • Neal Rich
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thank you for the truth. is there A way to know how I lost the lawn? Could this have been a lack of watering during a dry May?

    would more frequent watering starting tonight help? and I know you’ve already suggested feeding my lawn which I’ll be doing soon too (Milorganite & urea). Any other suggestions to keep things at least as they are so nothing gets worse Thank you

  • Related Discussions

    Help!!! Can I save my burned Lawn??

    Q

    Comments (7)
    Nope, not gonna stop the yellow, but keep soaking today and tomorrow. Exactly the damage can only be determined by how much nitrogen there was by percentage and the form(s) of nitrogen present. If there was a slow release element, the damage will not be continuous at this point. If none was slow release, the damage was immediate because the nitrogen was immediately supplied to the plants. The only thing you can do is water a lot to try to leach the fertilizer past the root zone. Still not effective from a damage-reversing point of view but would have prevented damage somewhat had you caught it and began watering earlier. Normally, it isn't anything to worry about in the long run. In the short run, the grass will look really crappy for a while but will recover. How long that takes usually depends on the type of grass you have. If it's bluegrass, expect that to be about a month give or take. In the meanwhile, don't blow it off as dead. It may not be. Keep mowing on a regular basis, never mowing off more than one third its height. And after tomorrow, irrigate as usual supplying no more than one inch of water per week taking rainfall into consideration. If it isn't bluegrass, let's hope it's not dead, but most don't die from this and usually do recover.
    ...See More

    Is my backyard lawn worth saving?What kind of grass do I have?

    Q

    Comments (6)
    Most turf grasses in the PNW will be blends of various cool weather grass seeds, however sod farms seem to prefer monocultures and often go with a single type. Because many of these grasses look virtually indistinguishable from each other, best to go back to the source and ask where you purchased the sod. Because our cool season grasses want to go dormant in summer, I tend to recommend fall as the best time to overseed or do much remedial lawn care. What you can do now is to aerate the soil, using a plug or core aerator. Aerating is one of the best things you can do for a lawn or the ideal first step in lawn care prep. After aerating, spread a thin layer of compost, just a half inch or so. Water as necessary but not too frequently and deeply when you do. In my Puget Sound climate, once every week to 10 days is usually sufficient through summer provided the water penetrates down 6-8 inches. Weed manually as required. Then in fall you can overseed. Again, cover with a thin layer of compost (better than peat or topsoil) and keep moist until full germination, usually about 10-14 days. Mow when the new grass is at least 2.5 inches tall. And you can still fertilize before winter. If you overseed in September, you should be able to fertilize in mid to late October. Of any time of year, the fall fertilizing is the most beneficial in our region. And opt for an organic product if you can.
    ...See More

    Can I save my pitiful lawn

    Q

    Comments (2)
    I am in the Bellingham area which is the NW corner of the state. We have been an inch or two below normal for rain fall this year. Starting in June we get into the dry season.
    ...See More

    Can I save the yellowing/dying grass at end of lawn near road?

    Q

    Comments (6)
    Certainly road salt is a consideration, but if it is just happening now, heat is also a factor. Pavement heats up more than turf during the day and releases that heat all night long. The extra heat evaporates water faster and causes the grass to dry out. It just needs to be watered a little longer along the edge of the pavement.
    ...See More
  • dchall8 .
    3 years ago

    How were you watering before May? How often and for how long were you watering?

    Neal Rich thanked dchall8 .
  • Neal Rich
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I wasn’t watering at all dchall, Mother Nature appeared for be watering regularly, though I’m clearly not good at growing grass so I guess I wouldn’t know if Mother Nature was doing a good job. Based on this question though, should I start watering this lawn tonight?

  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    3 years ago

    You should be fine; we're not that far from each other (I'm in PA, Lehigh Valley), and while May rainfall was low, it wasn't low enough to cause major issues. May's weather was on the cool side of average as well. Things were a touch dry, but nothing severe.

    Unless you somehow managed to miss out on Friday's rainfall (about 3/4") you should be good to go for a week or so.

    And we're supposed to have a showery late week anyway, with cool temperatures to kick off June.

    Neal Rich thanked morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
  • Neal Rich
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thank you Morpheus, while I know you said this isn’t thr time to grow grass, what if I tried to grow Bermuda grass, or something which would normally be planted in this weather in a southern state? Might that offer a temporary improvement for my dead patches?

  • Allison Rogers
    3 years ago

    You could have your soil tested to see what nutrients it needs. Talk to your local extension office about soil testing.

    Neal Rich thanked Allison Rogers
  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    3 years ago

    If you're going to do that--and with moving, I wouldn't personally bother (the corrections will generally take too long to perform and activate)--go with Logan Labs. I'll give you a better read than your local extension office.

    Mostly because local extension offices don't do test reads. :-) Usually, anyway, without exorbitant fees compared to my "free."

    Now in your new place? Absolutely. But not months before moving. There's no time to correct anything major, and the major stuff is what would be causing the biggest problems.

    Neal Rich thanked morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
  • Neal Rich
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Morpheus, i look forward to hearing from you at my new place. I’m going to start on that lawn from the beginning and keep it nice and healthy. I know I’ll learn lots along the way from your free, but expert level, classes.


    as for the Milorganite & urea which I still plan to add soon, and hope it helps the current grass and maybe helps the green color, should I be keeping children and small pets off the lawn after I apply? The Milorganite I found says slow release, is there any harm to children or small animals for being or playing on the lawn with slow release Milorganite that you’re away of? I guess what I’m asking is, if it’s natural or a chemical I should research.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    3 years ago

    Milorganite is about as "natural" as you can get :-) It is technically called a biosolid or treated sewage sludge. But it is a Class A biosolid and so is safe to use as a fertilizer for any garden usage. While a natural product, it falls short of being considered 'organic'.

    Neal Rich thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
  • Neal Rich
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thank you gardengal, and similar for Urea? It’s natural?

  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    3 years ago

    I wouldn't expect miracles from any application at this point, you're sort of applying that to a spavined horse and hoping to win the Kentucky Derby. :-) However, the black medic will look nice.

    However, you don't need to worry about Milo. No, it's not treated sewage sludge. It's thousands of bacterial generations out from that. It would be as fair to say that the corn on my plate is cow crap spread on a field--not fair at all.

    You will find a lot of negativity about Milorganite over time. Some dislike it because it started life coming out of the rear end of a human (as if all of the water on the planet didn't pass through a kidney at some time or another). Others will call it not organic because...well, for some reason or another.

    Can it be used in certified organic production? No. Now go look at what can be used in certified organic production. Pay special attention to allowable pesticides. Make up your own mind on that. Which I'll be happy to let you do.

    You, your pets, and your children, are safe around Milo. I wouldn't eat large amounts, but then again, I wouldn't eat large amounts of table salt out of the box, or my cadmium yellow or red paints, either. Although technically, you can ingest small amounts of all of those without harm. And you can eat the most of the Milo, actually. :-)


    This is a cool opportunity for a quick lesson. Milo's a really interesting fertilizer in that it has both fast release nitrogen (water soluble) of about 2.5%, and slow release nitrogen (water-insoluble) of about 3.5%. Your label may vary a bit, I'm using the Web site--the stuff I picked up this year has a 6-4-0 label that matches this, though.

    We can just say that Milo is about half fast, half slow nitrogen. Half will release with the first rainfall, half will hang around and release over time. How much time depends on the type of slow nitrogen. For most fertilizers, they brag about that on the bag. Vigoro often states, "Feeds for 5 months!" And so on.

    Milo's a bit more guesswork because it's not a steady curve and not due to a coating on regular nitrogen particles. It's organic, depends on temperature, moisture, bacterial activity, and so on. It'll take about 3 weeks to start becoming available to your plants--about the time the fast nitrogen begins to stop working. Then, assuming decent moisture and warm temperatures, it'll be available at a good rate for the next two to three months or so. About all you want, really (and, in my experience, about as long as the Vigoro really lasts anyway). The Milo you drop now will still be releasing very small amounts of nitrogen next year, but you won't care about that because it really isn't enough to worry about.


    Urea's fast nitrogen--unless coated.


    Grains, like corn or soybean meal, are slow nitrogen. They take three weeks to start, and work for months at a high rate. Like Milorganite, they'll still be releasing in a year, but who cares? It's not much.


    Usually, if you see feather meal, run. It's super slow. But in a mix with other things, it's not a problem and it can be a nice balance with soy, urea, or other faster things. And if hydrolyzed (steamed) or otherwise treated, it can be a good and very cheap source of nitrogen.

    Neal Rich thanked morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    3 years ago

    Not necessarily a simple answer. Urea itself is a natural product but urea fertilizers are synthesized from inorganic compounds. So unless you are collecting and using urea via your own urine, it is no longer considered to be "natural".

    Neal Rich thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    3 years ago

    " it is no longer considered to be "natural". "

    This is one opinion. A lot of us consider it--accurately--to be identical to the molecule found in nature and use it as the identical molecule. Since it is identical.

    Again, you'll find a lot of people who are, for some reason, very confused about the concept of inorganic and organic chemistry. Urea is synthesized from two primary components--one organic molecule (natural gas, from a variety of sources), one inorganic (ammonia, ditto).

    As to how far it has to deviate from nature to be a natural source is a matter of opinion. In my case, if nature makes the molecule in vast quantities and I synthesize the molecule (or somebody else does), then it's a natural molecule. QED.


    But again, do your own research and form your own opinion without letting somebody else do it for you. Start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urea#Industrial_methods

    Neal Rich thanked morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    3 years ago

    There are accepted definitions for 'natural' when it comes to gardening and gardening products. Natural means it is derived directly from naturally occurring materials and because commercial urea fertilizer is synthesized from non-naturally occurring compounds, it is considered by governments, by farmers, and politically, as a synthetic chemical fertilizer.

    Any product that has to go through some sort of chemical manufacturing process - like synthesized urea - can no longer be considered a naturally occurring material.

    Neal Rich thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    3 years ago

    And that's the way it goes, Neal. As to the subject, once again, you can choose one side or the other, and I suggest you make up your own mind rather than being...well, frankly, bullied into it by a bunch of weasel words and half-truths. Do a lot of research, but do be assured that the molecules of urea are identical as to whether they came from you or from a fertilizer plant. Your grass can't tell the difference, and neither can any chemist in any lab anywhere...and if they say they can, they're lying (it's actually a physics principle in action that two identical molecules will act identically regardless of their origins and there's a Nobel in it for anybody who proves differently).

    There are, of course, energy costs if they came from the plant. Nobody's saying there aren't. And in neither case (from you or a cow or the plant) is the urea pure (but actually, the stuff from the plant is far purer and tested very regularly, as well as balanced to a known strength).

    Politics and whatnot aside, the chemistry and physics are pretty easy to understand and I'll be glad to help you with that if you like.

    Neal Rich thanked morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
  • dchall8 .
    3 years ago

    ...and somehow, most of the time, I get along with both of them. We've all had our differences.

    Back to the last question, commercially manufactured urea is not considered to be natural by the USDA certifying agency for organic farming. Natural urine (mammal waste), uric acid (avian waste), and ammonia (fish waste) are all natural, biological forms of nitrogen nutrients. So unless you're going to have the USDA come to inspect your lawn care practices, nobody cares what you use. Just don't get caught calling your urea fertilized lawn, certified organic.

  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    3 years ago

    Since the mods actually were kind enough to remove those comments that absolutely did violate the comment policy around here but did not remove my comments (which actually didn't), I took care of those. David, if you'd like to rescind your comment, which no longer makes much sense, my last one can go as well.


    Neal Rich thanked morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
  • Neal Rich
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    There have been so many helpful comments posted so I want to say thank you. As part of a possibly unrelated topic, is there benefit to adding iron to a lawn this time of year?

  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    3 years ago

    Yes and no. (I'm famous for my definitive and absolute answers and allowing people to decide for themselves, as you can tell).

    It can be a good idea if your soil is short in iron, which only a soil test could tell you, although observation can also tell you if grasses and other plants are yellow and you don't have a very calcium-rich soil (you almost certainly don't unless somebody's been pouring lime on it in huge quantities for long periods of time).

    It can be a neutral idea if you're OK on iron. It's not really going to hurt anything, per se, and iron's not toxic in most soils until it exceeds 5% of the soil profile and the soil is extremely acidic. This is a condition you also don't have, and that I can guarantee because you have a lawn that I've seen and that's not its characteristics.


    I've added iron at this point in the year even when I was technically OK on iron due to a slightly off iron-manganese (not magnesium, manganese, it's a long story, they kind of fight it out in there) balance in the soil. It wasn't necessary and could have waited, but wasn't going to do any harm.


    If you want to, and feel color is poor, go ahead. If you feel color is OK but are looking for deeper greens, May really isn't the time to bother. Summer is coming on, and the grasses actually try to get lighter in summer to reflect a bit more light away (observation indicates that my bluegrass lightens...you don't care about exact chroma and luminosity descriptions as the color itself also changes, but call it ten to fifteen percent or so depending on how brutal our summer gets).

    You're going to get a better charge out of added iron in September, and a much better charge in October as temperatures fall, growth rates of the grass drop, and sunlight fades and grasses darken and deepen, trying to absorb more sunlight and stay warmer.

    The absolute best bang for the buck I get is spraying my own homemade solution (4 oz ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, 1/16th oz sodium lauryl sulfate, 1 oz ammonium sulfate) in 1 gal water and spraying it on 1,000 square feet of lawn in early November when growth stops (that does vary a bit). It lasts most of the winter until it gets cold enough to zap the top growth (usually mid-February when temps hit 15 or below, if it ever does), turns the grass dark thunder-green, and looks like mid-summer all winter.


    The full-on best thing to do? Get a soil test and balance everything. A healthy lawn will look its best and have gorgeous color at all times in the year that it can. And on the PA/MD border, there's no reason that shouldn't be--just like mine--pretty much 12 months a year.

    OK, I get 11 months a year. February 15 to March 15 is nothing to write home about.

    Neal Rich thanked morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
  • Neal Rich
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I notice the Milorganite has a little P and no K. Is that something I should also be adding to my lawn in this application? to remind you, I haven’t fertilized for years so I’m sure my soil could use some nutrition in most aspects.


    is there any advantage to applying liquid fertilizer in this application so the grass gets the nutrients quicker?


  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    3 years ago

    Lacking a soil test, we wouldn't know if you need potassium (K). So the answer here is "null." :-) Milo actually does have some, it's just that it's less than 1% so the bag has to say 0.

    You're in good time in terms of fertilization, so there's no real advantage in rushing it. Milo's already a good balance of fast and slow, and liquid fertilizers tend to be expensive anyway. If you want to turn Milo into a "liquid" fertilizer, it already contains some fast nitrogen, which is water-soluble (like Miracle-Gro or the like would be), If rain is not expected within the next few days and you're in a hurry this one time, irrigate the lawn with about a quarter inch of water.

    You probably won't see much of a fast difference as the feeding isn't inundating the grass with nitrogen or iron, and phosphorus takes a while to work in anyway. But at least it got in there quickly.

    Neal Rich thanked morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
  • Neal Rich
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    your information is always helpful, thanks. I’m going to do my best to time this with the rain. is this fertilizer like seed that could dry out if it doesn’t get rain for a couple days? we have t-storms coming but not regular rain and those storms can be hit or miss though im sure we will get hit by something before not too long.

  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    3 years ago

    Nope, ferts will sit indefinitely. Some organic fertilizers could theoretically get eaten by animals or birds, but you usually get those back anyway as...er, processed fertilizer...from the same birds and animals returning it to approximately the same areas they got it from, just...worked on...by the animal. Since that's effectively the process you're looking for anyway, it's not an issue. That's why we like seeing large numbers of worms in our soils, they process enormous amounts of organic materials for us.

    Some of the richest areas of my lawn and gardens are where the rabbits...deposit...materials...that decay back in as the beetles and worms and bacteria work on them.