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Great Lawns

This is a topic near and dear to my heart. Ask my wife and she will tell you I was obsessive over my lawn for the last two years… I can’t disagree.

It all started with a new house. Typically a good thing right? Our first new house on a new cul-de-sac with 5 other new houses. We got the pick the colors and flooring and had some input in other things.

CONSTRUCTION TRAUMA

I came out to my front porch every morning and coached the little grasslings to grow up through the straw the contractors laid down. I looked through my bedroom window one morning and Woo Hoo, I could see green. Well the rest of that summer taught me that construction is hell on lawns and trees.

As I cleared away the straw, it revealed there were more bald spots than grass spots. And most of the bald spots had weeds already! The ground was terribly un-even and there were rocks everywhere! Big rocks, small rocks, medium rocks… lots of rocks!

Further investigation revealed that the construction crews took the fertile top layer of dirt for fill in other parts of the cul-de-sac. As we will discuss later, that top layer of dirt is very hard to replace and took decades to form. Now mine was probably under the black top of my neighbors’ driveway.

We would learn later how much trees don’t like the entire construction ruckus. They toughed it out for the first year and half like the tough five stories high pillars of rock you would expect. But then one by one, they made less leaves until it was obvious they were dead. We lost about ten trees. Of course every one of them directly around the house including the big majestic ones on the front lawn that defined the curb appeal of the house.

So here we are with a barren waste land of dead trees and a mange lawn filled with rocks and weeds.

THE MISTAKES

The first mistake I made was the classic, “try to do as little as possible until you realize its taking more time and money than if you just started from scratch in the first place”.

Little by little

I brought in dump truck loads of dirt to try and level small sections. I bought little bags of lawn patch pellets for the bald spots. I bought tree spike nutrient things for the trees. I should have just hired a bulldozer to level the whole thing and then spread seed and straw.

So as I tried to patch and pick up rocks I started to do some research. My wife told me we had “clay soil”. So I looked it up and found that Clay is like concrete. Its very dense, doesn’t hold water, doesn’t allow roots to breath or move.

Gypsum

The site said to add Gypsum. Little tiny pebbles that look like those volcanic rocks in your gas grill. The site said to put truck loads on your lawn with a spreader each year for about 3 years. The idea was they would work their way into the soil and create little pockets in the dense clay thus allowing the clay to breathe and hold moisture more like a sponge. Sounded great but most people I told what I was doing said it’s a lie and the only thing you need is top soil (that stuff the contractors took away).

Earth Worms, Geese, and Sand

The opposite of clay soil is sand soil so I figured if I just added sand to my clay everything would be perfect. Nope… adding sand actually takes clay that may have some chance of being good soil some day and make it absolutely useless concrete.

I awoke one night with the perfect plan! Ill buy a couple wheel barrels full of earthworms! Their great right? They aerate the soil with little tunnels and they poop all over the place. That would surely make my soil good again and quick! Nope… further research told me that worms don’t make the dirt good, good dirt makes the worms. Basically dropping worms on my lawn would be like putting them in the middle of a large empty parking lot.

That disappointment led me to think of geese. If I put a bunch of bread or whatever they eat on my lawn they would come and poop all over it. Nothing is better for grass than poop! My wife informed me that when geese do pick a spot to poop they come back to spot for ever. I wanted a little fertilizer, not a mine field for the rest of my life.

THE SAVIOR

My wife appreciates my obsessions because she knows they give me something to do. Hence keeping me out of trouble and out of her hair. But she doesn’t like to see me in pain and losing is painful for me, especially when my opponent is dirt. So she bought me a book on lawns. Scotts Lawns Your Guide To A Beautiful Yard by Nick Christians.

Let me start by saying this is a great book and if you are obsessive like me, you should go buy it right away. With that said though… I was wary when I first opened the book as its very first piece of advice was to fertilize. Fertilize in the summer, fertilize in the fall, fertilize in the winter, fertilize in the spring, fertilize, fertilize, fertilize. Hmmm I thought, a book by Scotts lawn products telling me to fertilize. Great! Nobody actually cares about my lawn they just want me to buy gypsum and fertilizer and worms.

I was jumping to conclusions as you will see.

SOIL

The quality of your soil is the key if you haven’t figured that out already. It’s not the grass, or weeds, or watering. Good soil is the answer to 90% of your problems.

There are three main types of soil:

Clay soil – Clay is like concrete. Its very dense, doesn’t hold water, doesn’t allow roots to breath or move. Rain runs right over it eroding what ever blade of grass hasn’t fought to grab hold yet. When it’s hot and dry in the summer the clay soil dries out just like… well clay.

Sand soil – Sand is like mesh. It’s very loose and airy. So loose and airy that it too does NOT hold water or nutrients. The water just runs right through it. It allows roots to breathe and move so much they can fall over. Rain can actually wash the soil away along with any grass that may have grown in it.

Loam - This is what you want! It even sounds good. Say it out loud… looooaam. This is the stuff that formed my top layer before it was scrapped away. This is the stuff that’s under the leaves in the forest. That black soft dirt that been formed by decades of decaying leaves and plants. This soil takes the water from a rain storm and holds it like a sponge to slowly seep out over the dry days. This soil has nutrients and is firm enough to hold plants upright yet airy enough to let them breathe.

THE SECRETS

Okay so we determined that our soil is terrible. What now?

There are two fundamental issues with sand and clay soil. They don’t have any nutrients and they don’t hold things well (nutrients, roots, or water). So we simply need to build that layer of fertile soil back as quickly as possible and provide the soil with extra nutrients until that layer is built.

How? You guessed one of them. Fertilizer is the key to the nutrients. Organic material is the key to the fertile layer of soil.

GO NOW AND DO

Here is the step by step of what I eventually did to turn my lawn from a brown balding mess to the lush green envy of my neighbors. I have to give credit to the book (and my wife) for just about everything I am about to tell you.

Mulching Mower

This is absolutely imperative. Spend the most time and money on this one thing. I spent hours researching Consumer Reports to find the mower that mulches the best. It was a Toro push mower but may have changed since. You basically need to replace decades of missing organic material and the easiest material you have is grass clippings. A good mulcher will cut them up fine enough to decay much quicker.

Mow High and Often

Obviously the more grass you cut and mulch the quicker you will build up that layer. Cutting high encourages deep roots and healthy grass. It does NOT cause you to have to mow more often. Cutting grass short can actually do that.

Mulch The Leaves

Just like the grass clippings, chopped up leaves help to build that layer of organic material. I actually rake and blow leaves from the woods onto my lawn to mow over and chop up. If I could think of a way to have truck loads of leaves delivered to my lawn, I would. Think of leaves as free loam and fertilizer put together!

Soil Sample

Before you fertilize, you need to know what your soil is missing. Giving it a nutrient it already has too much of just sends you backwards.

Just about every community has a “Cooperative Extension” that does cheap soil samples. You fill a couple freezer bags with dirt from two different places in your lawn and bring them in with an application that says how big your lawn is, etc. If you don’t have an Extension you can look on the web for soil samples.

What you get back is a map of what to give your soil. Soil needs three key ingredients, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. The report should tell you exactly how much of each your soil needs. In addition it will tell you if your soil is too acidic or too alkali.

Fertilizer

Fertilizer is what provides the three key nutrients above. And if you lawn is like mine… the book was right, fertilize, fertilize, fertilize! But be sure to use the right mix!

All fertilizer has a ratio on the package that tells you how much Nitrogen,
Phosphorus and Potassium it has. For instance a ratio of 50-25-25 indicates that half the bag is Nitrogen, a quarter is Phosphorus and the remaining quarter is Potassium. Bring your calculator to the store though as the numbers are never easy as I just used in my example.

My soil sample said that for my size lawn I needed:

45 pounds of Nitrogen but I should only put 15 pounds down at a time.

0 Phosphorus as it already had too much.

42 pounds of Potassium but I should only put 30 pounds down at a time.

Armed with this information I went to the store to buy fertilizer with a ratio of 15-0-30 or as close to that as I could get to a bag that had no phosphorus and twice as much potassium as nitrogen.

You will have to do some math (hence the calculator) to figure out the pounds you are actually putting down. For instance a 40lb bag with a ratio of 22-0-11 means that half the bag is Nitrogen so approximately 20lbs. I needed 15lbs so close enough. One bag was good for my nitrogen but I needed twice as much potassium so I really need a bag with a ratio of 11-0-22. Like I said, bring the calculator and get as close as you can.

Lime

The forth important ingredient to a good lawn is proper PH level. Remember my soil report said I needed 42lbs of potassium. Well it also said my soil is VERY acidic and needed 3,150 lbs of lime! Yes you read it right 3,150 lbs of lime, 750lbs at a time. At 40lbs a bag, that’s about 19 bags of lime each year for the next 4 years. It is what it is.

A huge word of advice on lime. Spend the extra money and get the pellets. I went cheap and bought 19 bags of powder. The powder got clogged in the spreader immediately so I ended up tossing it in the air out of my wheel barrel. It got on everything including my house, my car, my kid, and I still have the taste in my mouth today. It literally ate my wife’s favorite gardening shovel that we used to scoop it out of the bags. Lime is the opposite of acid but does the same darn thing to metal believe it or not.

The pellets will work in the spreader, stay on the ground and not in the wind, and are usually time released to go into the soil instead of wash away.

CONCLUSION

The first year was wasted on my experiments. The second year I did all of the above and my lawn improved ten fold! I fertilized again this fall and expect my lawn to really shine this spring.

About the Author

Ron Roberts is a webmaster of TrueBlueContractors.com allows contractors to spend less money advertising, give fewer estimates, and get more work.

Lawn Mower Repair Scotts Briggs and Stratton 6.0 Self Propelled Problem Part 1 of 4

American Lawn Mower SK-1 Reel Mower Sharpening Kit $13.99 The American Lawn Mower Company reel mower sharpening kit is an easy way to keep reel blades in top cutting form. This do-it-yourself kit allows users to sharpen their own mowers at home. The kit contains everything you need for safe and effective sharpening, including a detailed instruction manual, grinding compound, application brush, and a special back-lapping crank. The kits is designed for us...

Scotts Lawn Starter Mulch $23.95 Scotts Lawn Starter Mulch The Scotts Lawn Starter Mulch grows new grass thicker and quicker. It accelerates root growth of new grass plants and existing lawn. The mix will improve the lawn's ability to absorb water & nutrients. It is kid and pet friendly, and will not burn the lawn. . Safe for the lawn . Designed to give newly seeded areas a strong start . Encourages thick turf and vigorous root system development . Establishes new grass plants faster, reducing watering requirements . For New Grass Plants & Seedlings . High phosphorus content Item Specifications: Weight: 3.5 lbs Directions to use: . Set spreader to appropriate setting for best results. Spreader settings can be found on back of bag or on Scotts.com . Follow the color coded map to ensure your lawn receives the right amount of fertilizer . Fill spreader and apply over newly seeded area or over entire lawn for root development boost . To keep lawn products from reaching storm sewers, sweep or blow stray particles back onto lawn . Return unused portion of fertilizer to original container . Run any remaining product out of spreader over lawn . This product does not require watering in . However, watering is the critical step to seeding success . Keep soil consistently moist until seedlings reach 2 inches high Caution: While there are no restrictions on reentering the lawn with this product, we recommend watering the product in and waiting until it is dried before going back on the lawn Ships Quickly! Manufactured by Scotts: The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company was founded in 1868 by O.M. Scott as a premium seed company for the U.S. agricultural industry. In the early 1900s, the Company began a lawn grass seed business for homeowners. In recent times, a significant milestone was the merger of Scotts, the leading lawn care brand, with Miracle-Gro, the leading gardening brand, in 1995 to create The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.

Scotts Lawn Fungus Control $27.95 Scotts Lawn Fungus Control The Scotts Lawn Fungus Control prevents and controls major lawn diseases such as brown patch, dollar spot and red thread and suppresses summer patch diseases (summer patch, Fusarium blight, and necrotic ring spot). The mix does not contain fertilizer, covers 5,000 sq. ft., and contains 2.3% Thiophanate-methyl as an active ingredient. . Prevents and controls major lawn diseases including brown patch, dollar spot and red thread and suppresses summer patch diseases (summer patch, Fusarium blight, and necrotic ring spot) . Does not contain fertilizer . Covers 5,000 sq. ft . Apply anytime during the season when disease activity is present in the lawn . Cures lawn diseases and prevent new ones Item Specifications: Directions to use: . Apply with a drop-type or rotary spreader . Do not apply by hand or hand-held spreader . For best results, with a rotary spreader, apply during a calm period of the day . If necessary to apply when a breeze is blowing, move in the direction of the wind to prevent material from blowing toward the operator . Apply to dry or moist foliage at the preventive rate when disease activity is noted or suspected . For cure of these diseases when symptoms indicate advanced stages, apply at the normal rate and follow with the preventive rate within 2-3 weeks . Suppressing turf grass diseases . Apply to dry foliage at the normal rate every 30 days (beginning in late spring to early summer) . Water-in immediately after application and keep turf from becoming drought stressed by watering (1 inch) weekly . Three to four applications may be necessary for season-long suppression Ships Quickly! Manufactured by Scotts: The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company was founded in 1868 by O.M. Scott as a premium seed company for the U.S. agricultural industry. In the early 1900s, the Company began a lawn grass seed business for homeowners. In recent times, a significant milestone was the merger of Scotts, the leading lawn care brand, with Miracle-Gro, the leading gardening brand, in 1995 to create The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.

Scotts Lawn Pro Fall Fertilizer $27.95 Scotts Lawn Pro Fall Fertilizer The Scotts Lawn Pro Fall Fertilizer grows new grass 5% thicker than normal native soil. This starter fertilizer provides essential nutrients for early grass development and gives your plans a strong root system. . Provides fall lawn feeding . Prepares lawn for winter . Great results . Easy to use Item Specifications: Size: 16.8 lbs Coverage: 5000 sq ft Directions to use: . Apply Tomato-tone in a narrow band around single plants or along each side of a row . Keep Tomato-tone at least 3" from stem . Potted Plants: Apply evenly over soil and gently mix in . Water thoroughly after feeding Ships Quickly! Manufactured by Scotts: The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company was founded in 1868 by O.M. Scott as a premium seed company for the U.S. agricultural industry. In the early 1900s, the Company began a lawn grass seed business for homeowners. In recent times, a significant milestone was the merger of Scotts, the leading lawn care brand, with Miracle-Gro, the leading gardening brand, in 1995 to create The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.

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Automated Lawn Mower LB2150 $2599 Fully-Automated Lawn Mower Designed to Mow By Itself! The LawnBott LB2150 is the most trouble-free and reliable robotic lawn mower on the market. If you are thinking about long-term cost, for most lawns, the LawnBott LB2150 robotic lawn mower is by far a better bargain than lawn services, riding lawn mowers, push lawn mowers and other robotic lawn mowers on the market including those within the LawnBott line. Bonus Points: Eco-Friendly mower Installation DVD & Manual Weather resistant and can operate in rain Perimeter wire signal check: if interrupted, the robot stops immediately Changes direction without ever repeating the same movement Keeps on working until its job is done Specifications Features Coverage: 25,000 sq/ft Working Time: 3 hours Dimensions: 22"L x 16.5"W x 10"H Charging Time: 2.5-3 hours Cutting Width: 12" Battery Type: 1 Lithium Ion Cutting Height: .75"-2.5" Hill Capability: 27 degrees Weight: 21 lbs Cutting Disc: 4 blades Rain Sensor: Yes Software: Includes (updates online) Auto Recharge: Yes Noise Level: Noiseless Alarm: No Assembly: Fully Assembled Low Price Guarantee!

Spyder Lawn Mower LB1200 $1399 Fully-Automated Lawn Mower Designed to Mow By Itself! If you have been waiting for a robotic lawn mower that does not require perimeter wire, this is it! The LawnBott LB1200 Spyder robotic lawn mower represents a new beginning for robotic lawn mowers. It sports new technology that is entirely revolutionary (and patented) for robot lawn mowers Bonus Points: Eco-Friendly mower Installation DVD & Manual 100% waterproof No perimeter wire, so no perimeter wire check Changes direction without ever repeating the same movement Keeps on working until its job is done Specifications Features Coverage: 5,500 sq/ft Working Time: Varies on yard conditions Dimensions: 19.2"L x 19.2"W x 10.6"H Charging Time: 2.5-3 hours Cutting Width: 10" Battery Type: Lithium Ion Cutting Height: 1.75-3" Hill Capability: 27 degrees Weight: 18 lbs Cutting Disc: 4 blades Rain Sensor: No Software: Includes (updates online) Auto Recharge: No Noise Level: Noiseless Alarm: No Assembly: Fully Assembled Low Price Guarantee!