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Fertilizing my lawn for initial spring application

BCClone said:
You go early or late december?
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Ive heard people say the best way to seed is to wait for the first snowfall, and put your seed on top of the snow, and let it keep snowing on top of the seed. Once spring hits and the snow melts, it takes off. Ive never tried that. My rule has always been to seed after Labor Day.
 
chuckd4735 said:
Ive heard people say the best way to seed is to wait for the first snowfall, and put your seed on top of the snow, and let it keep snowing on top of the seed. Once spring hits and the snow melts, it takes off. Ive never tried that. My rule has always been to seed after Labor Day.
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A late seed before any sprouting can happen is fine. If you seed fall, I would seed so you get an inch or so of growth on the grass and don't even come near it with a mower. Worst thing is to seed it and have it just sprout, good chance it will die right away.
 
Is it a good time to spread this or is it too late? Forgot i had it in my garage.
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chuckd4735 said:
Ive heard people say the best way to seed is to wait for the first snowfall, and put your seed on top of the snow, and let it keep snowing on top of the seed. Once spring hits and the snow melts, it takes off. Ive never tried that. My rule has always been to seed after Labor Day.
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I've known some old timers who swear by that. Haven't tried it myself either.
 
Curious if anyone knows of a good local aerator (maybe overseed as well though I can do that myself). Did it myself once and that was enough for me.
 
I’m possibly going to have left over 1.5 bags of unused seed from this season. Can I store it for next year or will it go bad?
 
mynameisjonas said:
I’m possibly going to have left over 1.5 bags of unused seed from this season. Can I store it for next year or will it go bad?
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Wait until right before the next rain and just over seed with it. Won't hurt anything. I do it every fall with some cheap nitrogen from Mills Fleet.
 
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mynameisjonas said:
I’m possibly going to have left over 1.5 bags of unused seed from this season. Can I store it for next year or will it go bad?
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Too late for it to start growing and be strong enough to make it through winter regadless if the you have fescue or blue. Wait until temps drop and things are cold and it will come up in the spring. Or just wait until spring..store in a dry and dark spot. You missed the window which is late Aug to early sept. Keep in mind, you will not be able to put down a preemergent next spring until the new grass is established.
 
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I have some sizeable areas that I will be reseeding in the spring due to the debris piles and skid loader driving over it. Thankfully the crane that had to drive onto the yard didn't mess up the yard since it was quite dry when they came.
 
I need a tree removed in my backyard, but pushed them to do it in January when the ground is frozen.

My front yard was buried for two weeks, once the city removed it, I started watering the yellow spots. Only had a handful of small areas due to front end loader tearing it up that I had to reseed. Looks great now. The 4” week long rain that we got a few weeks ago also helped. I’ve also moved my mower setting up a couple notches. Did that back in August.
 
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cycloner29 said:
I need a tree removed in my backyard, but pushed them to do it in January when the ground is frozen.

My front yard was buried for two weeks, once the city removed it, I started watering the yellow spots. Only had a handful of small areas due to front end loader tearing it up that I had to reseed. Looks great now. The 4” week long rain that we got a few weeks ago also helped. I’ve also moved my mower setting up a couple notches. Did that back in August.
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I really wish our area would have had the contractor not the DOT clean it up but it is done I suppose.
 
mynameisjonas said:
I’m possibly going to have left over 1.5 bags of unused seed from this season. Can I store it for next year or will it go bad?
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Germination will most likely drop some. One year, it will most still grow, more than that and you might as well toss it. Add about 10% to the rate to offset poorer germ.
 
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I have grub damage. Can/should I treat now, or do I just take my losses and wait until spring and get the next generation?
 
wxman1 said:
I really wish our area would have had the contractor not the DOT clean it up but it is done I suppose.
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I had a 8' wide 60' long and 7' high pile. I think the what saved most my grass was that I had a tree in my front yard that had provided enough shade. I live on the east side of the street and my neighbor across the street lost most of his grass. I think the afternoon sun and heat is what got his.

Most of the debris was the bulk of my neighbors tree that blew about 30'-40' into my driveway and yard.

The City of Ames contracted the DOT and they came and picked it up. They did a really great job, just that the yard is not level and the loader dug into the ground in places.
 
For anyone that can help: My yard was sodded last spring (April 2019) and seems to have a terrible time breaking down thatch. I typically mulch my grass with a mulching blade on the push mower, but when you spread apart the grass there is definitely a build up (1" or so) of really fine old grass clippings sort of matted to the ground.

A neighbor of mine told me spreading pelletized lime can help with the thatch breakdown. My rudimentary google search/investigation revealed that too much lime can burn your grass, and the application should be based on the ph of your lawn soil.

My question: is lime a good option, and if so what is the best way about finding the ph of my soil? Amazon test kit?
 
MustardTiger said:
For anyone that can help: My yard was sodded last spring (April 2019) and seems to have a terrible time breaking down thatch. I typically mulch my grass with a mulching blade on the push mower, but when you spread apart the grass there is definitely a build up (1" or so) of really fine old grass clippings sort of matted to the ground.

A neighbor of mine told me spreading pelletized lime can help with the thatch breakdown. My rudimentary google search/investigation revealed that too much lime can burn your grass, and the application should be based on the ph of your lawn soil.

My question: is lime a good option, and if so what is the best way about finding the ph of my soil? Amazon test kit?
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Nitrogen will help breakdown residual clippings and such. If you get it done soon, it will help to digest and breakdown the thatch for next spring and then have a dethatcher come through in the spring and get rid of what is there.
 
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BCClone said:
Nitrogen will help breakdown residual clippings and such. If you get it done soon, it will help to digest and breakdown the thatch for next spring and then have a dethatcher come through in the spring and get rid of what is there.
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I think the deeper issue with my yard is that the sod was placed directly onto clay. I've aerated and plan to apply about 7 bags of pelletized gypsum to help breakdown the clay later this fall.
 
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