jacee Posted May 4, 2012 Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 Let it grow and go to seed before the first and last cut - ie, spring and fall - and leave those clippings on the lawn. That's it. Thick and healthy and crowds out the weeds. I am so disgusted with commercials for chemical sh!t ... ! "Absorbent coating" my ... (gr)ass That's what the hull on natural grass seeds is for! They grow commercial grass seed, take the water-absorbing hull off and then coat it with some poisonous synthetic sh!t! GMAFB!!! Thx. /end rant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmy Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 Let it grow and go to seed before the first and last cut - ie, spring and fall - and leave those clippings on the lawn. That's it. Thick and healthy and crowds out the weeds. I am so disgusted with commercials for chemical sh!t ... ! "Absorbent coating" my ... (gr)ass That's what the hull on natural grass seeds is for! They grow commercial grass seed, take the water-absorbing hull off and then coat it with some poisonous synthetic sh!t! GMAFB!!! Thx. /end rant Also, instead of bagging your grass clippings, leave them in your lawn. Set up your mower so that it blows the clippings to one side, and mow so that on your next pass, you run over the clippings you cut previously. Your clippings will get mulched up and stay in the lawn and help it retain moisture. This was how dad had us do it, and our lawn always looked great without any chemicals or watering. -k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlight Graham Posted May 6, 2012 Report Share Posted May 6, 2012 In the fall, instead of raking up my leaves I run them over with the ride-on lawnmower so they get mulched up and into the lawn. Seems to work good, and saves me lots of time raking & hauling leaves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolak Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 I have a question for you guys and girls, my lawn is dying this year and I can't manage to bring it back to life so far. Its starting to get patchy in places were the grass seems to have almost disappeared (almost as if squirrels tore it out, but I rarely see them on my lawn). The soil looks fine, its well watered and I've tried over seeding the entire lawn and specifically the problem spots but only some of them take. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Woman Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 (edited) I have a question for you guys and girls, my lawn is dying this year and I can't manage to bring it back to life so far. Its starting to get patchy in places were the grass seems to have almost disappeared (almost as if squirrels tore it out, but I rarely see them on my lawn). The soil looks fine, its well watered and I've tried over seeding the entire lawn and specifically the problem spots but only some of them take. Any suggestions? Is this what your lawn looks like? - Pic Lawn Grubs Edited to add: I see that site says the problem doesn't usually show up until late summer, but you could do the 'test' that they suggest just to be sure that grub's aren't the problem. Edited June 9, 2012 by American Woman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolak Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 Is this what your lawn looks like? - Pic Lawn Grubs Edited to add: I see that site says the problem doesn't usually show up until late summer, but you could do the 'test' that they suggest just to be sure that grub's aren't the problem. Thanks for the reply, unfortunately its not so much as patches of yellow or dead grass as much as small patches of no grass (think small holes). The grass around these little holes which mark the entire lawn is healthy and grows with a vigor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topaz Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 I think its kinda early for grubs,.. questions, do you rake your lawn, are you on gravel,loam or clay, if you don't rake your lawn it could be thatch or dead grass which can cause mold, there's leaf spot, there's also chinch bugs. If you have grubs or chinch bugs, squirrels and other animals will dig and destroy your lawn looking for them. Grubs hate it wet grass so keep it watered and fertilized. We are on gravel so grubs love our lawn but I keep it watered and I don't have to spray for them but it wouldn't hurt to have a lawn company look at your lawn. I hired a lawn company to look after ours for two years and then I took it over and it looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Woman Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Thanks for the reply, unfortunately its not so much as patches of yellow or dead grass as much as small patches of no grass (think small holes). The grass around these little holes which mark the entire lawn is healthy and grows with a vigor. That does sound rather puzzling. If it were an animal digging for bugs, like a skunk for instance, you'd think the holes would eventually fill in. Topaz may be right - maybe the best thing would be to have a lawn service company come and look at it; it must be frustrating not knowing what's causing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BubberMiley Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Anthills? Sometimes they aren't so obvious at the surface but if you dig down a few inches, they all come out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I stopped growing grass 20yrs ago...now again 1st in my new neighbourhood to break the lawn fetish and the concept is spreading at last count 7 other neighbours have followed my lead, one neighbour came down the street to thank me for giving him the motivation to do the same, something he always wanted to do but hesitated to be the first ...tossing that lawnmower was a liberating experience ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolak Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I stopped growing grass 20yrs ago...now again 1st in my new neighbourhood to break the lawn fetish and the concept is spreading at last count 7 other neighbours have followed my lead, one neighbour came down the street to thank me for giving him the motivation to do the same, something he always wanted to do but hesitated to be the first ...tossing that lawnmower was a liberating experience ... May I ask what your growing (if anything) instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 May I ask what your growing (if anything) instead? perennials of all sorts...trees, shrubs, vines, ground cover, flowers, fruit, veggies, herbs all in a natural setting....maintenance is simple, water very very occasionally, weed issues are minimal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Manny Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 We grow our grass starting out hydroponically, then once the plants are well established we move them outdoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyly Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 We grow our grass starting out hydroponically, then once the plants are well established we move them outdoors. my cousin planted "grass" in our grannies flower garden because he couldn't grow them in his apartment, grannie at 90yrs old diligently watered and weeded them never knowing what they were only remarking that they never had flowers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dre Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Well if its good soil, and youre giving it the right ammount of nutrients and still having that problem, you need to aerate. Rent a power aerator at your local equipment rentals outfit and go over your whole lawn a bunch of times. It punchs zillions of tiny holes in the soil and loosens it up so that roots can penetrate and get oxygen. Are these bare patches hard? I bet they are... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kolak Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Well if its good soil, and youre giving it the right ammount of nutrients and still having that problem, you need to aerate. Rent a power aerator at your local equipment rentals outfit and go over your whole lawn a bunch of times. It punchs zillions of tiny holes in the soil and loosens it up so that roots can penetrate and get oxygen. Are these bare patches hard? I bet they are... Come to think of it, the soil is pretty hard (even water doesn't sink in quickly). Thanks for the advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dre Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Come to think of it, the soil is pretty hard (even water doesn't sink in quickly). Thanks for the advice Home Depot rents them. Theres a picture of the tool there so that you know what it looks like. http://homedepotrents.com/toolschool/aerate_your_lawn.asp Go over it a whole bunch of times... it will make your lawn look rough for a week or so, but its the best thing anyone can do for their lawn. After the soil is all loosened up feed&seed the bare patches again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Woman Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Come to think of it, the soil is pretty hard (even water doesn't sink in quickly). Thanks for the advice It's odd that the grass around the small holes grows with a vigor if the problem is simply need of aerating, but that couldn't hurt - unless you have an automatic sprinkler system, and there are better times of the year to do it; and some equipment is more effective than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyser Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Come to think of it, the soil is pretty hard (even water doesn't sink in quickly). Thanks for the advice Dont discount the grub problem, it is very bad in the city since the ban is now almost 8 yrs along.Idiot politicians. But then again....super hard? Maybe you have too much clay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Manny Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 It's odd that the grass around the small holes grows with a vigor if the problem is simply need of aerating, but that couldn't hurt - unless you have an automatic sprinkler system, and there are better times of the year to do it; and some equipment is more effective than others. Sounds like dog/ animal feces or something like that. If they poop on your lawn, it can kill the grass on that spot but the area around it gets a dose of fertilizer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest American Woman Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Sounds like dog/ animal feces or something like that. If they poop on your lawn, it can kill the grass on that spot but the area around it gets a dose of fertilizer. Animal pee can kill the lawn, too - but it's the reference to "holes" that has me confused; sounds like animals digging for something (bugs/whatever). I know skunks dug holes in my lawn when I had grubs, but that wasn't until the fall - but I did have patches that didn't grow well during the summer, no matter what I did - and that's where the grubs were. Once I did have a problem with squirrels digging for acorns that had become embedded in the ground, too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiddleClassCentrist Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 I seeded my lawn with clover this year for something different. Read up online about it. Since my grass was brown but the clover was more drought resistant, maintaining it's green colour. The sun beats down on my front lawn all day and I don't feel good about draining aquifers just to keep it green because that's just retarded. That and I don't really care for the "Final Solution" lawn of nothing but grass. Backyard is fine because a swale runs though it and it is more shaded keeping it greener longer. My favourite lawn that I've seen was just a bunch of low growth evergreens taking up the entire front yard. It actually looked nice, wilderness like but not overgrown. If It wasn't for my kids needing room to run around I'd probably do something different like a xeriscape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peeves Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 (edited) I spread Ammonium nitrate on the last snow of the season, (or as close as possible) It's high nitrogen and cheap, and as the snow melts it leaches in.It's too strong to put directly on the grass. Edited June 14, 2012 by Peeves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betsy Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 any tips to kill chinch bugs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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