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The 6th Annual SNE Lawn Thread - 2015


Damage In Tolland

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The absolute worst time of year for me...May 1st trough October.  Pushing my heavy-azz mower through the weedscape.  I invite all to drive by sometime and laugh as my bald sweaty azz pushes that **** up 45 degree slopes, and across the dirt.  Or if you're lucky I will be stomping on vole holes. Been trying for years to get rid of those f>uckers.  traps...grubx, etc. 

 

 

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There will be no blueberry crop at the Semper house this year. Those 3 shrubs got crushed from the roof raking operations. After I prune them back, it's probably a good time to move them.

So what shrub can I put in under the kitchen window, in full sun, that can deal with the snow load from the roof? Or maybe I just expand the tomato bed and leave it blank all winter.

potentilla

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Is this the thread where we can discuss Monsanto's Roundup and how it causes cancer?

"Earlier this month, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer announced findings that glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp line of pesticides, is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The research, published in The Lancet Oncology, relies on studies conducted on the chemical over the last few decades."

Chew on that EPA.

 

Isn't round-up an herbicide?  They call it a pesticide.  Hmmmmm

 

Anyway, an herbicide (or a pesticide)  is a carcinogen?  I can't believe it.........

 

Did that really merit a study?

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Isn't round-up an herbicide?  They call it a pesticide.  Hmmmmm

 

Anyway, an herbicide (or a pesticide)  is a carcinogen?  I can't believe it.........

 

Did that really merit a study?

And the funny part is the way they worded it-"probably a carcinogen"

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Isn't round-up an herbicide? They call it a pesticide. Hmmmmm

Anyway, an herbicide (or a pesticide) is a carcinogen? I can't believe it.........

Did that really merit a study?

Yeah we should just ban everything and kill all the weeds and bugs physically by hand, lol. Seriously. Read the labels and properly protect yourself.

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Yeah we should just ban everything and kill all the weeds and bugs physically by hand, lol. Seriously. Read the labels and properly protect yourself.

 

The Monsanto/Glyphosate thing kind of reminds of the Vaccine/No Vaccine debate.

 

The Monsanto issue is not as much Joe Homeowner spraying a weed in the crack of his driveway as it is with them selling Genetically Modified Seeds and enabling farmers to douse their crops with Roundup with no effect on the crop they are growing and killing all weeds in the process, but allowing the corn,soybean, etc to thrive.  Most people on this board are eating Glyphosate tainted foods. I personally try to eat non GMO food products, but don't always. They are many studies supporting both sides though really.

 

But, as for Roundups' use in this thread, if Joe Homeowner wants to spot spray dandelions and crabgrass, I don't see an issue. I have used Roundup a lot in my personal lawncare, wear gloves and don't make Vodka/Glyphosate cocktails for happy hour.

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For those that partake, Kevin you should put out a Lesco schedule.

I put my dimension down too early every year.

Lol.. Well this year obviously massively delayed. Usually do straight fert first for early green up .. This year Prob not till Napril 20th or so. and Then an app (dimension)will Prob be Early-mid May .Usually do the Merit late June which is your grub control . Many people put that down way too early. Then do another straight fert late summer and Winterizer late Oct/ early Nov
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my back yard is about 30 percent healthy grass. 30% bare soil that is a bit on the sandy side and out in the sunny areas where it gets torched, and 40 percent healthy grass mixed with crab grass and weeds. Suggestions on how to get it to 100% healthy grasswithout digging up large sections of the lawn with children playing on it everyday?

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Lol.. Well this year obviously massively delayed. Usually do straight fert first for early green up .. This year Prob not till Napril 20th or so. and Then an app (dimension)will Prob be Early-mid May .Usually do the Merit late June which is your grub control . Many people put that down way too early. Then do another straight fert late summer and Winterizer late Oct/ early Nov

Do you dethatch first? I usually dethatch, lime, and fert, then come back with demension when the soil hits 55 degrees.

My yard is 95% KB, so if i dont dethatch and mow it close, it doesnt green as fast.

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my back yard is about 30 percent healthy grass. 30% bare soil that is a bit on the sandy side and out in the sunny areas where it gets torched, and 40 percent healthy grass mixed with crab grass and weeds. Suggestions on how to get it to 100% healthy grasswithout digging up large sections of the lawn with children playing on it everyday?

There is no definitive answer to this really.  At a bare minimum you could put down Dimension(lesco) when the forsythia bloom (good indicator on when to put it down) that will prevent the crabgrass seeds from sprouting this year and also a good amount of other nasty weeds (but not all of them). This will at least allow the real grass you have to not try to compete with nasty weeds for water/space.

 

If it were me, I would kill the whole yard and start from scratch this fall. But I'm a lawn nut.  Most people are fine with just overseeding.

 

Like Kevin said, its hard to do anything with kiddos running all over it. I said it before, but fall would be the best time.  You could try to do sections of the yard---maybe half this year and half next year?  Overseed in late August would be a good time as air temps lower, soil temps lower and rainfall becomes more prevalent.

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my back yard is about 30 percent healthy grass. 30% bare soil that is a bit on the sandy side and out in the sunny areas where it gets torched, and 40 percent healthy grass mixed with crab grass and weeds. Suggestions on how to get it to 100% healthy grasswithout digging up large sections of the lawn with children playing on it everyday?

Kill it and put down sod. But thats the pricey approach. But, its not as expensive as you would think.

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Do you dethatch first? I usually dethatch, lime, and fert, then come back with demension when the soil hits 55 degrees.

My yard is 95% KB, so if i dont dethatch and mow it close, it doesnt green as fast.

You can dethatch and aerate, but that typically doesn't need to be done every year unless you don't bag your clippings. Every other year generally. Lime pellets I do every other year with all the trees here the soil tends to get very acidic. 

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Do you dethatch first? I usually dethatch, lime, and fert, then come back with demension when the soil hits 55 degrees.

My yard is 95% KB, so if i dont dethatch and mow it close, it doesnt green as fast.

You can dethatch and aerate, but that typically doesn't need to be done every year unless you don't bag your clippings. Every other year generally. Lime pellets I do every other year with all the trees here the soil tends to get very acidic.

I know early spring is the prime time everyone drops their Fertilizer of choice, but I would advise to not do that honestly.

Dropping fert in early spring causes top growth at the expense of root growth. The grass in spring uses that Nitrogen to grow shoot growth. You want grass in spring to grow longer roots so they can be better prepared for summer to reach water sources deeper in the ground. Spring fert causes a nice early green up, but your yard will green anyway, maybe just 1-2 weeks later. You especially don't need to drop fert in spring if you dropped a fall/winterized application.

Once Fall hits, drop the fert fast and heavy. Top growth slows considerably and the grass uses the nitrogen for root growth.

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An awesome product in Milorganite. It is an organic fertilizer that also contains 4% Iron. Iron really greens up your grass nicely. Milorganite can be dropped any time of year without worrying about burning your grass. They sell it HD, Lowes, walmart, etc.

Moss out is pretty much liquid iron. I believe.
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Yes, moss out comes in liquid and granular form, will also green up your lawn. I have used the granular before.

 

Landscape related post. 

 

We have a line of about 10 majestic 200+ maples lining the road.  All of them are showing the wear of the ages.  Last year one of them failed to leaf;, only about 10% of the branches produced any.  Yesterday, I discovered the wood peckers are having a field day on it.  It's on the cusp of my responsibility and the towns.  I'm pretty sure it's coming down by hand or on it's own in any thunderstorm gusts (though it did survive the CAA winds of winter so who knows).

 

I know this will not be the last of them that goes over the next few years.  Several have had had significant animal/insect attacks of the the years/decades/centuries.  So, my question is tied to replacement.  I'd love to have towering maples line the road again in 200 years.  Of course, I'd like to have things line the road while I myself am more than the moneypit brand of fertilizer.  So--any thoughts on what might be a useful tree to replace these as ultimately they come down?  I know blue spruces grow quickly, but I'm inclined to stay away from the conifers.

 

Sometimes Google helps--but your comments and suggestions are welcome.

 

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20355714_last,00.html

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I like streets lined with majestic sycamore trees, I think they look like Ents. Of course, they need most soil to thrive.

Personally, if stick to maple. ...keep it the same.

 

Thanks, Mike.  That's my inclination other than the fact that they don't grow so fast. But, one does plant trees for future generations' firewood. :) 

 

Per ever-reliable Wikipedia:  normally reaching heights of 25–35 m (82–115 ft) tall,[4][5] and exceptionally up to 45 m (148 ft).[6] A 10-year-old tree is typically about 5 m (16 ft) tall. When healthy the Sugar Maple can live for over 400 years.

 

 

We have two on the front lawn that are monsters.  They're in good shape, but I'm inclined to get an arborist in to come in this year to trim and help them stay healthy.  The folks down the street have an insane maple--it as actually included in a spread Life Magazine did many years ago on the biggest trees in the US.  If I go for a walk today, I'll snap a picture of it to post.

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