9th annual Lawn Thread 2018

[moneypitmike]

55 minutes ago, Damage In Tolland said:

It’s not the good stuff. It’s got filler in it . Need to go a certified Lesco dealer 

I don't think they have those in GC.

[Baroclinic Zone]

May 6th and I just cut the lawn for the 1st time.  FML.  Pre-emergent must have washed away too because the lawn is a fookin disaster of weeds.

[RUNNAWAYICEBERG]

3 hours ago, S&P said:

one thing you should consider now, is testing your soil for ph and lime (if needed) to get it ready for fall. you won't get the full effect of your fert if ph isn't right. check around there is probably a garden club or university affiliated outreach program that will do it for free.

I havent put any weed n feed down cuz my soil is super acidic. I laid the JG Magical last month but thats it. I could lime it up some more but I feels like this needs a new foundation.

[dendrite]

Everyone keep using that Roundup.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/30/fda-weedkiller-glyphosate-in-food-internal-emails

[tamarack]

45 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Everyone keep using that Roundup.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/30/fda-weedkiller-glyphosate-in-food-internal-emails

Pesticide residue in food is never a good thing.  However, from what I've read, that link to cancer is based on a single controversial study, the controversy arising from the study's very loose adherence to scientific protocols.

[dendrite]

1 hour ago, tamarack said:

Pesticide residue in food is never a good thing.  However, from what I've read, that link to cancer is based on a single controversial study, the controversy arising from the study's very loose adherence to scientific protocols.

There's been other research besides the cancer aspect. It's been linked to destroying soil bacteria and affecting the gut biome in humans leading to celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2017/06/aristildeglyphosate

I'm not a 100% fan boy, but I am a follower of Mark Sisson and he's had some blog posts on the subject with links to various studies.

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-roundup-safety-and-polyamory-to-monogamy/

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the issue, but I always defer to natural methods in my yard. I don't understand the big deal about a few weeds in the yard...sounds like more of an OCD thing to me than anything. I'd rather have a mixed lawn and a huge area on my property of wildflowers homing beneficial insects instead of a pristine lawn...but I understand that I'm the minority on that.

[Baroclinic Zone]

53 minutes ago, dendrite said:

There's been other research besides the cancer aspect. It's been linked to destroying soil bacteria and affecting the gut biome in humans leading to celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2017/06/aristildeglyphosate

I'm not a 100% fan boy, but I am a follower of Mark Sisson and he's had some blog posts on the subject with links to various studies.

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-roundup-safety-and-polyamory-to-monogamy/

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the issue, but I always defer to natural methods in my yard. I don't understand the big deal about a few weeds in the yard...sounds like more of an OCD thing to me than anything. I'd rather have a mixed lawn and a huge area on my property of wildflowers homing beneficial insects instead of a pristine lawn...but I understand that I'm the minority on that.

It certainly depends upon ones location.  If you live in a rural area that's not populated by manicured lawns, its much easier to let the lawn be what it wants to be.  Once get get into the more established cities/towns it's much harder and you sort of go with the flow since you don't want to be the odd man out.  I certainly don't like douse my lawn in chemicals but I do like it to be relatively green/healthy.  Some weeds are acceptable but a lawn dominated by weeds is not.

[moneypitmike]

15 hours ago, Baroclinic Zone said:

It certainly depends upon ones location.  If you live in a rural area that's not populated by manicured lawns, its much easier to let the lawn be what it wants to be.  Once get get into the more established cities/towns it's much harder and you sort of go with the flow since you don't want to be the odd man out.  I certainly don't like douse my lawn in chemicals but I do like it to be relatively green/healthy.  Some weeds are acceptable but a lawn dominated by weeds is not.

Shhhhhhhhhh.

[S&P]

15 hours ago, Baroclinic Zone said:

It certainly depends upon ones location.  If you live in a rural area that's not populated by manicured lawns, its much easier to let the lawn be what it wants to be.  Once get get into the more established cities/towns it's much harder and you sort of go with the flow since you don't want to be the odd man out.  I certainly don't like douse my lawn in chemicals but I do like it to be relatively green/healthy.  Some weeds are acceptable but a lawn dominated by weeds is not.

you have it exactly right on location. for me at least, since i am will be putting my house on the market soon, having a lawn that isn't a lawn but a field will hurt its market value. i've put a lot of time and effort into the home inside and out to maximize the market value when i do sell. i don't know home markets in other spots, but down here, curb appeal plays into market value and if my house has a lousy lawn and someone else has a nice lawn, well... And i do enjoy spending the time to takes to make all my lanscaping look nice.

[dendrite]

To each their own. Fully understand market value, curb appeal, and what the mainstream considers to be a "nice" lawn as I grew up with it. My parents live in a high end area of Hooksett and they have the full sprinkler system, chemicals, lawn service, etc. I've become more of the naturey (word?) tree hugger type. Regular green grass just bores me. I will say year 3 of chicken poop is finally working its magic as the lawn is greener than ever and the white clover is spreading and thriving with the grass so the soil must really be nitrogen rich.

Planted my bamboos and cherry tree yesterday. Had to put some hardware cloth guards around the 'boo to keep the chickens away from it while it gets established, but it should be good to go. Saturday morning is looking above freezing so I may get the veggies is soon. Beautiful week.

[Brewbeer]

First mow in the books:

[Damage In Tolland]

1 hour ago, Brewbeer said:

First mow in the books:

Looks great . !!Just a few various weeds visible . 

You need a tractor. That’s a big lawn. Would cut your time in half 

[RUNNAWAYICEBERG]

Nice thick grass but go tractor. 

[dendrite]

5 minutes ago, Damage In Tolland said:

Looks great . !!Just a few various weeds visible . 

You need a tractor. That’s a big lawn. Would cut your time in half 

Some could save time snow blowing their driveway, but they choose to shovel.

[Damage In Tolland]

6 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Some could save time snow blowing their driveway, but they choose to shovel.

So then why don’t you buy a blower?

[Brewbeer]

It takes 75-90 minutes to mow all 3 sections.  The Toro I picked up new at the start of last year.  It's about 8,000 steps to mow the lawn, about 3 miles. 

The real reason I don't need a lawn tractor is I have two boys 14 and 12, so I won't be mowing much longer. 

But I do have the 20 hp snow thrower.

[Damage In Tolland]

1 hour ago, Brewbeer said:

It takes 75-90 minutes to mow all 3 sections.  The Toro I picked up new at the start of last year.  It's about 8,000 steps to mow the lawn, about 3 miles. 

The real reason I don't need a lawn tractor is I have two boys 14 and 12, so I won't be mowing much longer. 

But I do have the 20 hp snow thrower.

But you do have an outdoor shower !

[tamarack]

23 hours ago, dendrite said:

There's been other research besides the cancer aspect. It's been linked to destroying soil bacteria and affecting the gut biome in humans leading to celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2017/06/aristildeglyphosate

I'm not a 100% fan boy, but I am a follower of Mark Sisson and he's had some blog posts on the subject with links to various studies.

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-roundup-safety-and-polyamory-to-monogamy/

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the issue, but I always defer to natural methods in my yard. I don't understand the big deal about a few weeds in the yard...sounds like more of an OCD thing to me than anything. I'd rather have a mixed lawn and a huge area on my property of wildflowers homing beneficial insects instead of a pristine lawn...but I understand that I'm the minority on that.

Unfortunately, so much of the "info" on such products comes either from agribusiness, out to make money, or from eco-advocates, who never met a pesticide they didn't hate.

Our lawn has received zero pesticides in our 20 years here, unless one counts the moles dining on June bug grubs.  However, I use a glyphosate product ("Eliminator", an off-patent version of the 1980s Roundup, with 41% glyphosate), mainly for hack-and-squirt timber stand improvement and for battling the poison ivy along our road (and in the SNJ yard where the grandkids play.)

[dendrite]

5 hours ago, Damage In Tolland said:

So then why don’t you buy a blower?

I do. But I have a dirt/rocky driveway too so if the amounts are meh I'll shovel instead of chucking rocks into the lawn or breaking shear pins. I raise the blower up earlier in the winter to miss rocks, but it leaves snow/ice on the driveway. As we get toward the end of winter I want the snow to vaporize off the driveway. If my driveway was paved like yours I'd snowblow every time and have it set so low there'd be sparks coming off the pavement.

[IrishRob17]

5 hours ago, Brewbeer said:

It takes 75-90 minutes to mow all 3 sections.  The Toro I picked up new at the start of last year.  It's about 8,000 steps to mow the lawn, about 3 miles. 

The real reason I don't need a lawn tractor is I have two boys 14 and 12, so I won't be mowing much longer. 

But I do have the 20 hp snow thrower.

I'm with you, I use a push mower too.  I tracked my first mow last week and it was a little over 90 minutes, 3.50 miles and approx 9,200 steps.  Its a decent workout.

[Baroclinic Zone]

Suck it Winter Moths!

http://www.wcvb.com/article/pesky-tree-killer-about-to-be-wiped-out-in-massachusetts/20273297

 

[moneypitmike]

11 hours ago, Brewbeer said:

First mow in the books:

Looks great!

 

[tamarack]

12 hours ago, Baroclinic Zone said:

Suck it Winter Moths!

http://www.wcvb.com/article/pesky-tree-killer-about-to-be-wiped-out-in-massachusetts/20273297

 

They're releasing that insect predator of winter moth larvae in Maine this spring, in hopes of that same level of success.

[Lava Rock]

I should probably wait till Fall at this point, but hoping to lay down fresh loam and hydroseed this backyard mess soon. I can't tolerate another summer of this disgusting mess

 

[Baroclinic Zone]

35 minutes ago, Lava Rock said:

I should probably wait till Fall at this point, but hoping to lay down fresh loam and hydroseed this backyard mess soon. I can't tolerate another summer of this disgusting mess

 

Too late to plant grass seed at this point.  Roots won't be able to establish deep enough and will dry out in the Summer heat.  Best to wait till mid/late August at this point to get that done.

[Lava Rock]

1 hour ago, Baroclinic Zone said:

Too late to plant grass seed at this point.  Roots won't be able to establish deep enough and will dry out in the Summer heat.  Best to wait till mid/late August at this point to get that done.

thanks for crushing my dreams.

[SJonesWX]

Lava, I strongly recommend that you rototill that area. it has dried out so much it is probably wicked compacted. Putting new loam on top will be nice, but the roots will have a hard time penetrating that cement.

[Baroclinic Zone]

9 minutes ago, SJonesWX said:

Lava, I strongly recommend that you rototill that area. it has dried out so much it is probably wicked compacted. Putting new loam on top will be nice, but the roots will have a hard time penetrating that cement.

Agreed

[SJonesWX]

18 minutes ago, Baroclinic Zone said:

Agreed

plus, what you said about the timing is important. it is hard to get a new lawn established this time of year. the sun is brutal, and the new grass has to compete with weeds, which have already seeded. last year i put some loam down and seeded an area where i can't get any water to. this was mid-September. granted it is a mostly shady area, but that grass came in better than a lot of areas i have done, mostly because of the time of year. the only water it was getting was from morning dew. 

[Lava Rock]

17 minutes ago, SJonesWX said:

plus, what you said about the timing is important. it is hard to get a new lawn established this time of year. the sun is brutal, and the new grass has to compete with weeds, which have already seeded. last year i put some loam down and seeded an area where i can't get any water to. this was mid-September. granted it is a mostly shady area, but that grass came in better than a lot of areas i have done, mostly because of the time of year. the only water it was getting was from morning dew. 

thanks. I've told the guy to hold off till sept. I will rotatill as well.