OT: Any lawn nuts here?

[temery]

I love my new pond, but those who delivered the rocks and stones tore the hell out of my lawn. They filled and reseeded, but nothing but crabgrass is growing.

Can crabgrass be killed this time of year (without killing the actual lawn)?

 

[uconnfan68]

I love my new pond, but those who delivered the rocks and stones tore the hell out of my lawn. They filled and reseaded, but nothing but crabgrass is growing.

Can crabgrass be killed this time of year (without killing the actual lawn)?

Good thing you're looking for stuff to do in your retirement.

 

[temery]

Good thing you're looking for stuff to do in your retirement.

I want to be able to yell at kids to get off my lawn, but I can't do that until I have a lawn.

 

[uconnfan68]

I want to be able to yell at kids to get off my lawn, but I can't do that until I have a lawn.

Bad idea. You'll need them to mow it soon. ;^)

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

Look up Drive XLR8 herbicide. It will knock out the crabgrass and not injure your lawn. Read the directions for daytime temps when applying. You can try ortho weed b gon with crabgrass control too, but in my experience not strong enough unless the crabgrass is young.

 

[temery]

Look up Drive XLR8 herbicide. It will knock out the crabgrass and not injure your lawn. Read the directions for daytime temps when applying. You can try ortho weed b gon with crabgrass control too, but in my experience not strong enough unless the crabgrass is young.

Will do. Thanks.

One question: Will this mean any future children will have six toes on each foot? That's not a deal breaker. I'm just curious. How safe is this herbicide?

 

[ctchamps]

Look up Drive XLR8 herbicide. It will knock out the crabgrass and not injure your lawn. Read the directions for daytime temps when applying. You can try ortho weed b gon with crabgrass control too, but in my experience not strong enough unless the crabgrass is young.

That ortho killed my grass and left the weeds. Worse it made the weeds angry and they went into overdrive. It was the first time I used chemicals. And the last time.

 

[Dove]

I want to be able to yell at kids to get off my lawn, but I can't do that until I have a lawn.

About 15 years ago wasn't your lawn dirt? Sounds like crabgrass is an improvement.

 

[tdrink]

Very likely they seeded at the wrong time of year. Young grass can't compete with crabgrass.

Crabgrass is an annual that self seeds at one time of year; late spring. It grows aggressively and will shade out and rob nutrients from young grass. Using a pre-emergent will also kill newly sprouted grass. The trick is to get the grass to mature enough so you don't kill it along with the crabgrass seed.

If you can get the grass to fully establish and grow thick it will eventually shade out the crabgrass. Reseed in fall and fertilize as needed.

That said, my lawn looks like hell. I hate having to constantly maintain anything other than my disposition.

 

[Exit 4]

All the advise and info here is correct. When attacking crabcrass, its a one to three year process. There is no overnight magic.

You must spray the pre-emergent in the fall and spring. After a couple years of pre-emergent combined with proper seeding in spring and fall, you should have it beat back. Otherwise, weeding by hand is another option for small areas. As for your desired grass, it does not germinate well once overnight temps are in the 60s. Good grass basically goes quasi dormant in the hot months of July and August. Sept -Nov and late April - to early June are the months to grow new grass - when temps are in the 40s and 50s. Many find over seeding lawns and starting new lawns in mid Sept to be particularly effective. You can even start a new lawn as late as late October and see surprising germination by mid December, even when temps are in the upper thirties.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

Will do. Thanks.

One question: Will this mean any future children will have six toes on each foot? That's not a deal breaker. I'm just curious. How safe is this herbicide?

Just allow to dry, wait 48 hours to let kids on. I would always recommend wearing shoes outside, especially with kids. There are all sorts of things in things going on in the soil besides chemicals, including parasites. We have fire ants where I am, don't want to step on those with bare feet.

 

[tomtom80]

What I've found works best is starting any lawn seeding around Labor Day. Cooler temps and generally wetter conditions best for starting out a new lawn. Then late October do a winter guard fertilizer and come spring time the lawn has a good head start on maturing before the killing July August temps wreak havoc. I've never had success with a spring/summer new lawn

Also had good luck with the Ortho weed b gone max spray you connect to a hose

 

[temery]

What I've found works best is starting any lawn seeding around Labor Day. Cooler temps and generally wetter conditions best for starting out a new lawn. Then late October do a winter guard fertilizer and come spring time the lawn has a good head start on maturing before the killing July August temps wreak havoc. I've never had success with a spring/summer new lawn

Also had good luck with the Ortho weed b gone max spray you connect to a hose

I'm going start from scratch in the fall, but I'll be putting in a sprinkler system.

Seems as though any time I have work done, their trucks tear up my lawn. Their cosmetic repair look ok for a while, but the damage seems to be premature. Really starting to tick me off.

 

[sledog]

Bonide Ultra Weed Beater kills almost everything in the lawn - except the grass. Works for me.

One side of my lawn craps out by 4th of July every year. Can set your watch by it. I'm considering reseeding using Pearl's Premium grass seed around Labor Day. I'm sure there are others (Johnathan Green Black Beauty?) that claim same, but Pearls is genetically modified to grow deep (12") roots, thicken (suppresses weeds), needs very little water, needs fertilizer only once a year, grows slowly, and needs to be cut only once per month. Too good to be true? Some reviews are negative, but I'll find out. I'm in NJ, and the closest place that carries are some Costco in CT. May need to make special trip as the on-line shipping fee is outrageous.

Lawn and Grass Seed for Ultra Low Maintenance Lawns Pearl's Premium

 

[pnow15]

If I killed all of the weeds, nothing green would remain. Green is the operative word.

 

[Deepster]

I have always felt that the guys with the nicest lawns on the street are the guys that have the worst wives. No other reason to be out there, maniacally tending to every chickweed and dandelion all weekend long....unless, of course, the sound of a mower is quieter than the sound indoors.

 

[August_West]

I love my new pond, but those who delivered the rocks and stones tore the hell out of my lawn. They filled and reseeded, but nothing but crabgrass is growing.

Can crabgrass be killed this time of year (without killing the actual lawn)?

you need some DDT.

I've got a hookup

 

[CL82]

Bonide Ultra Weed Beater kills almost everything in the lawn - except the grass. Works for me.

One side of my lawn craps out by 4th of July every year. Can set your watch by it. I'm considering reseeding using Pearl's Premium grass seed around Labor Day. I'm sure there are others (Johnathan Green Black Beauty?) that claim same, but Pearls is genetically modified to grow deep (12") roots, thicken (suppresses weeds), needs very little water, needs fertilizer only once a year, grows slowly, and needs to be cut only once per month. Too good to be true? Some reviews are negative, but I'll find out. I'm in NJ, and the closest place that carries are some Costco in CT. May need to make special trip as the on-line shipping fee is outrageous.

Lawn and Grass Seed for Ultra Low Maintenance Lawns Pearl's Premium

Let me know how it works out for you. It sounds too good to be true but the reviews look good.

 

[tdrink]

you need some DDT.

I've got a hookup

I thought you said you were taking a break from the board to opine at some more exclusive internet hangout.

Was that just leaving the cesspool? Or is the men's board the more exclusive group?

 

[August_West]

I thought you said you were taking a break from the board to opine at some more exclusive internet hangout.

Was that just leaving the cesspool? Or is the men's board the more exclusive group?

Just the pool. I will never leave the men's side

I'm plying my tradecraft away from the tyrannical despot.

You want a link? I'm killing it.

 

[jdb50]

you need some DDT.

I've got a hookup

DDT is for insects, could spray the crabgrass with vinegar but to re seed you will have to wait till after Labor Day or water religiously.

 

[8893]

Just the pool. I will never leave the men's side

I'm plying my tradecraft away from the tyrannical despot.

You want a link? I'm killing it.

What did I miss? Who is the tyrannical despot? ? Bah. Get a sac.

 

[tdrink]

Just the pool. I will never leave the men's side

I'm plying my tradecraft away from the tyrannical despot.

You want a link? I'm killing it.

Haven't even seen anything from the new king of the pool lately.

I'm intrigued as to where you have found greener pastures. But didn't you say you had to get account permission? You know how the saying goes, I don't want to join any club that would take someone like me as a member.

 

[temery]

DDT is for insects, could spray the crabgrass with vinegar but to re seed you will have to wait till after Labor Day or water religiously.

I have a neighbor who connected to the sewer line a couple weeks ago. Tore the hell out of his lawn.

Some company came and sprayed the grass seed. Two week later and it's a perfect lawn. Not sure what it cost, but it's very likely worth the money.

 

[jleves]

I have a neighbor who connected to the sewer line a couple weeks ago. Tore the hell out of his lawn.

Some company came and sprayed the grass seed. Two week later and it's a perfect lawn. Not sure what it cost, but it's very likely worth the money.

Most likely hydroseeding. If your soil is properly prepared and you can water 3x day for about 10 to 14 days, it has really good results. Way cheaper than sod and a better route system more quickly. The key is making sure you've killed all the weeds and prepared the soil with good amendments and keep the stuff wet for a couple of weeks. Then you have to keep it up with fertilizer and weed killers.

For a decent sized front lawn, I sprayed the entire lawn with RoundUp waited a week and then tilled it, pulling up all the dead stuff. Then I added a decent amount of amendment (chicken crap, bat guano, rich soil) and tilled it again, leveled it and had them spray the hydroseed. A month later, I had the best lawn in the neighborhood.