Lawn Care

[Bobby "Big Daddy" Flay]

For those of you that care and maintain your lawn, what do you recommend for a dandelion,thistle bush, crab grass killer? When is the best time to apply?

Also looking for a recommendation for filling bare spots.

[jbiscuit]

Scotts with Halts Crabgrass preventer will stop crabgrass from popping up next year but you'll have to do a liquid application to "kill" it this year. Scotts Weed B Gone max with crabgrass preventer that hooks up to the hose works great. Buy that. For dandelion, Scotts Weed n Feed (yellow bag). Good for the grass (fertilizer) and kills weeds. Sprinkle a little directly on the dandelions to kill them quickly. Careful tho this stuff will burn your lawn if you aren't careful. Milorganite for thickening the lawn, color etc. Cheap and put it down as heavy as you can afford. The lawn will love it

[Reverend Cooper]

some urine

[michelle]

Get some dogs. They are excellent at lawn maintenance.

[Bobby "Big Daddy" Flay]

Thanks for the input J.

[jbiscuit]

Not a prob. I have been experiementing with fertilizers for years now. I have my own stepped program:

1. Scotts with the Halts Crabgrass Preventer EARLY in the season....usually april. This year the spring came so early so I think I had mine down late March

2. Milorganite about 2 weeks after that Scotts application. YOu can put it down anytime you want but I would wait a few weeks at least to maximize the effect on the lawn. Put it down just like the back of the bag says. You'll go through A LOT.

3. Scotts Turf Builder Plus Weed Control (yellow bag). I use the entire bag on the lawn. Try and get this down before the first dandelion pops up. If you see one in your neighbor's yard, you want to put it down that day. Cuz his dandelions will be yours in 1-2 days.

4. Wait 3-4 weeks and do another Milorganite application. Again, put it down pretty HEAVY. I have roughly 13,000SF yard and it takes 5 entire bags. If you buy it when its on sale at Farm n Fleet, you can get it for like $5 a bag

You can always overseed your lawn too if you REALLY want it thick. I did this for 3 years in a row at my last house and when I sold the place the backyard was like carpet....and all my surrounding neighbors had dandelions/crabgrass/leafy shit yet my lawn had ZERO.

[Car Guy]

That grass is not real J, no way.

[animal]

I look at that pic and all I can think of is "J, you bastard."

My lawn looks like shit, always.

[BlueOvalBolt]

Totally agree with jbiscuit's approach. The only 2 things I would add is doing another Turf Builder w/Summergard in late July or early August and Turf Builder made for fall feeding in late September. I found the fall feeding and the Milorganite to be key steps.

I sold my house and bought a condo so I don't get to play in the lawn anymore but it was fun. The biggest challenge was keeping the weeds at bay from the asshat next door who cut his grass twice a year whether it needed it or not.

[DirtyMax]

I have to forego the pellet type fertilizers because of my 3 dogs. I usually treat with Spectracide weed and crabgrass killer (bottle on the hose) early in the season (late March, early April). I put that down when I leave for work and 8-10 hours later, they say it's OK for pets to be on the treated areas. I usually never get more than a handful of dandelions. My yard usually looks better with this sub-$10 bottle of product than my neighbors yards who pay $50 per treatment a few times per year.

Then throughout the summer, I spot treat the problem areas. My neighbors on both sides have a ton of Creepin' Charlie (aka ground ivy) and don't do anything about it. That stuff it ruthless. So it makes it way into my yard all the time, hence the need to spot treat that stuff.

Then I usually applied Milorganite on/around the 3 spring/summer holidays (Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day). I had to stop doing it this often because my lawn was growing too much and I was having to mow the grass every 3-4 days.

Despite the 3 dogs, my yard looks pretty decent.

[badass88gt]

Some good advice here, I'm familiar with the complete Scott's system but what is milorganite? Is that just a phosphorous fertilizer or what?

[PureSound15]

Some good advice here, I'm familiar with the complete Scott's system but what is milorganite? Is that just a phosphorous fertilizer or what?

Poop.


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[jbiscuit]

BlueOvalBolt's suggestions work well also. I just know how expensive the Scotts stuff can be. I have found that if you use Milorganite throughout the season (even summer) your lawn will be so hearty it will be fine late into fall/winter. I used the Fall Turf Builder once, forgot to use it the following year and have never gone back to doing it.

Here is my lawn at the new house. This lawn is new. Seeded it September. But for reference, look at the color. All my neighbor's PAY for chemical applications. I'm too cheap to do that.


Here is the same view Sept 2011

[wrath]

I have found that wild turkeys and chickens keep a lot of the weeds at bay. Overseeding will crowd out most weeds. I do have some broadleaf weeds and I have to go after the creeping charlie by hand but other than that I don't have to spray anything. I do get weeds wherever I disturb the grass (dig holes, grind stumps) but once the grass gets a foothold the weeds die.

Anyway, I'd try overseeding.

[jbiscuit]

And if Wrath says overseeding will work you can bet that is from years of research. Analyzing farmers almanac data, watching weather formations and humidity levels for optimized seed germination, Soil density calculations based on a 100 year average of compaction rates and nutrient research LOL

[badass88gt]

What is the procedure for overseeding, is at simple as just applying grass seed with a broadcast spreader or what's the deal, I am very interested in this.

[jbiscuit]

Depending on size of yard, I have always done it after a thatching, which also roughs up the top of the soil at the base of your existing lawn. At my current house, there is no way I could thatch that by hand. Wait till after a good rain, broadcast spread the seed so it makes good contact with the damp soil. Remember that grass will off-shoot. So even a little seed on your entire lawn will thicken it as long as the birds don't eat it, a heavy rain doesn't wash it out etc.

Once it germinates, rain will help it grow in thicker. Milorganite will feed to fresh new grass also

[badass88gt]

Ok is there a specific time of year or anytime I feel like it? We have a dry spell coming up now for the next week or so, might be a good time since I can control the watering with worrying about rain. Maybe a drop spreader would he better? My dad has both, I only have a broadcast.

[Haulin' Oates]

Good thread you got going here. I am lazy and use Chemlawn (they do it very cheaply, I think they mis-quoted my yard). I have heard that overseeding is best done in fall. Can we get away with doing it in the spring/this time of year? I have some areas that need to fill in.

[Prince Valiant]

For me, fall is what sets up the rest of the year...as it cools down, weeds recess so that when you want to get the lawn thick and lush. Overseed in early fall, address any thin areas by patch repairing, milorganite is best used in the fall too since many weed n' feeds will kill young grass, aerate the lawn, and water frequently...also when you mow, cut it so that the grass is longer. By aerating and being aggressive with milorganite, you'll allow the grass roots to grow much longer and stronger, crowding out the weeds/dandelions for the next spring.