Anyone know lawn care tips, my lawn looks like crap, i fertilized and did some weed control but its not up to my standards still. Im looking for natural secrets. I know beer and soap work well on a lawn, just to give an example, call me crazy but my dad does it and his lawn is amazing. If you have any tips or websites to look at it would be appreciated.
Lawn Care Tips
- Thread starter xXped0thugXx
- Start date
silverpig
Lifer
- Jul 29, 2001
- 27,703
- 12
- 81
Soap = wetting agent. It makes the water penetrate into the ground more easily and thus allows the grass more easy access.
Mow it down low, then get rid of the thatch layer. You can do this a few ways:
1. Stiff rake.
2. Power rake.
3. Aerate.
I'd suggest not aerating unless you're really into it as it requires quite a bit of work.
Lightly topdress with some sand, and overseed with some nice grass. Your local garden shop will recommend something good for your area. Perennial ryegrass is nice. Throw down a little bit of high-phosphorus fertilizer to help the new grass establish well, water well, and let it grow. Once you have your new grass going good, keep the nitrogen levels up to keep it healthy and keep weeds away. That means fertilize with a fairly high first number fertilizer.
Fertilizer has 3 numbers: X-Y-Z
X = nitrogen. This helps the upper part of the plant and makes it grow and keeps it green.
Y = phosphorus. This promotes good root growth.
Z = potassium. This makes your grass hardy and tough. No wuss grass.
If you really want to show off, put down an iron compound (again, garden centre) a day or two before your dad comes over. This doesn't really do much for the health of the greens, but it makes it go a really dark gorgeous green
Mow it down low, then get rid of the thatch layer. You can do this a few ways:
1. Stiff rake.
2. Power rake.
3. Aerate.
I'd suggest not aerating unless you're really into it as it requires quite a bit of work.
Lightly topdress with some sand, and overseed with some nice grass. Your local garden shop will recommend something good for your area. Perennial ryegrass is nice. Throw down a little bit of high-phosphorus fertilizer to help the new grass establish well, water well, and let it grow. Once you have your new grass going good, keep the nitrogen levels up to keep it healthy and keep weeds away. That means fertilize with a fairly high first number fertilizer.
Fertilizer has 3 numbers: X-Y-Z
X = nitrogen. This helps the upper part of the plant and makes it grow and keeps it green.
Y = phosphorus. This promotes good root growth.
Z = potassium. This makes your grass hardy and tough. No wuss grass.
If you really want to show off, put down an iron compound (again, garden centre) a day or two before your dad comes over. This doesn't really do much for the health of the greens, but it makes it go a really dark gorgeous green
Squisher
Lifer
- Aug 17, 2000
- 21,204
- 66
- 91
He's been saying this for a long time, but I always hear the people on rec.gardens disputing its benefits.
Garden Web forums">http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/#title[/S</a>
Lawn Care forum from Garden Web
First, what kind of grass do you have? What state do you live in and what are the growing conditions, sun, shade, clay soil?
If you have a fescue lawn, mow it higher. Bermuda, probably cut it lower.
Don't over water. Watering every day is worse than not enough water. Water an inch of water once a week.
The beer and soap doesn't really do all that much.
Sharpen your lawn mower blade.
Lawn Care forum from Garden Web
First, what kind of grass do you have? What state do you live in and what are the growing conditions, sun, shade, clay soil?
If you have a fescue lawn, mow it higher. Bermuda, probably cut it lower.
Don't over water. Watering every day is worse than not enough water. Water an inch of water once a week.
The beer and soap doesn't really do all that much.
Sharpen your lawn mower blade.
In the 30 plus years I have owned homes I have never done anything more than water the damn grass. The more you water it, the more it grows. No fertilizer or beer is needed.
This is one thing that I think more people should do, i just sharpened the blade on my lawn mower and it made a big difference in how the top that gets cut looks and heals. A dull blade will make the tips of the grass yellow and brown.
I also read somewhere that you shouldn't cut the grass more than 1/3 of its height at a time, otherwise it will "shock" the grass.
Taller grass uses less water than shorter grass to stay green in my experience. I mow the lawn about once a week; grass grows fast here in the summer in central california.
I use the scotts program of fertilizers, which you can get off there website, they also have some good lawn car tips.
I use 28-2-2 fertilizer twice a year. Mow the grass high (about 3") Nitrogen = green grass.
I'd recommend getting a soil sample so you know WHAT to fertilize. You just can't blindly dump whatever fertilizer on you want.
I'd recommend getting a soil sample so you know WHAT to fertilize. You just can't blindly dump whatever fertilizer on you want.
thanks all, i have some work to do cause the people who lived in the apt. before me really did nothing for this lawn, its in bad shape already this year cause we are in a drout in Ct.
Pliablemoose
Lifer
- Oct 11, 1999
- 25,195
- 0
- 56
One of the local yard gurus recommends the beer & soap stuff, I think it's really more that folks that care enough about their to spray beer & soap are out there weeding, mowing, etc.
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
- 70,150
- 5
- 0
Something I've noticed and the guy across from me who's a landscaper does, is that if you mow the lawn really short, it will look a bit dead and yellow, but if it's got lots of sun and water, by the time it gets tall it will be incredibly green and nice. Then when it's time to mow you shorten it very close again and of course it looks yellow for a time, but then it's green when it gets bigger Not sure what happens if you just don't cut it so short, but I like a nice short carpet-like lawn!
Not sure what happens if you just don't cut it so short, but I like a nice short carpet-like lawn!silverpig nailed the soap thing.
Just make sure to use a natural, non-antibacterial soap.
Beer is food for soil life. Remember that there exists a very complex web of life surrounding plants. Something like half of a plants energy goes into producing sugars and proteins that are released through the roots to feed microbes and bacteria that live in the soil - they then break down elements(N-P-K-Ca-Mg-Fe) into forms the plant can use
Without these organisms, the soil would, well.. be dead.. and unable to support but the most adapted life.
It would be interesting to try and maintain an extraordinarily healthy lawn. I don't think I would bother, grass is just too boring. I would rather plant something cool.. some other ground cover.
When you cut all the green off the grass, it is an incredible shock. It'd be like seweing your mouth and your ass up for a time. The grass grows very slow for a few days while it works to use every last bit of energy to produce some new green growth so photosynthesis can once again resume, and the grass can eat. During this time, root growth slows down and probably halts.
You will create much healthier grass if you leave some green. The grass will recover much faster, and it will never completely stunt it's growth.
The less stress a plant is subject to, the better.
Just make sure to use a natural, non-antibacterial soap.
Beer is food for soil life. Remember that there exists a very complex web of life surrounding plants. Something like half of a plants energy goes into producing sugars and proteins that are released through the roots to feed microbes and bacteria that live in the soil - they then break down elements(N-P-K-Ca-Mg-Fe) into forms the plant can use
Without these organisms, the soil would, well.. be dead.. and unable to support but the most adapted life.
It would be interesting to try and maintain an extraordinarily healthy lawn. I don't think I would bother, grass is just too boring. I would rather plant something cool.. some other ground cover.
It is an illusion. It looks so nice and green because it was all cut short and yellow before.Originally posted by: Skoorb
Something I've noticed and the guy across from me who's a landscaper does, is that if you mow the lawn really short, it will look a bit dead and yellow, but if it's got lots of sun and water, by the time it gets tall it will be incredibly green and nice. Then when it's time to mow you shorten it very close again and of course it looks yellow for a time, but then it's green when it gets bigger
When you cut all the green off the grass, it is an incredible shock. It'd be like seweing your mouth and your ass up for a time.
The grass grows very slow for a few days while it works to use every last bit of energy to produce some new green growth so photosynthesis can once again resume, and the grass can eat. During this time, root growth slows down and probably halts.You will create much healthier grass if you leave some green. The grass will recover much faster, and it will never completely stunt it's growth.
The less stress a plant is subject to, the better.
dullard
Elite Member
- May 21, 2001
- 26,066
- 4,712
- 126
While we are at it, I have a lawn question. I recently got a new house and know nothing about lawns. I seem to have about 10 different varieties of mushrooms growing in and around the lawn. They last about 2-3 days, disappear, and come back in a week. Is there anything that can get rid of them for good without harming the other plants nearby?
Conversely, you can have a very nice lawn without using tons and tons of pesticides and other chemicals.
Full sun + aeration + fertilizer + pre-emergent + proper mowing + yearly overseed = kickass lawn.
This is why everyone with full sun should just plant zoysia. That stuff chokes out weeds all by itself once it's established.
Originally posted by: silverpig
<-- works on a PGA tour golf course
Do you work on a TPC course?
I played on Myrtle Beach TPC and that was the most lush course I've ever played on.
The fairways were so lush and the greens were like carpets. It was incredible.
no idea what kind of grass it is. the back yard is more shady than sunny, the front yard is all sun. ill try and get some pictures up. my assh0le roomate let the dog pee on the new grass in back and now there are deadspots, good thing he got evicted. time to start over there. unsure what to do about the rest. there's crabgrass in a few spots, and some other sh!t that i cant identify. again pics coming soon.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes + WCL Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 23K
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
-
-
Facebook
Twitter