Well I know really nothing about the technical stuff of the chemical. All I know is I bought the stuff and we had the guy apply it twice a year from probably 2011-2014 and have put it on 1/year 2015-current. You could easily tell that the grass was under stress for a couple weeks but we have never had anything die - except the wide bladed stuff. We are in central Iowa and all four of our yards are local sod so I assume it is bluegrass.
Yard Care for Dummies
- Thread starter wxman1
- Start date
Well I know really nothing about the technical stuff of the chemical. All I know is I bought the stuff and we had the guy apply it twice a year from probably 2011-2014 and have put it on 1/year 2015-current. You could easily tell that the grass was under stress for a couple weeks but we have never had anything die - except the wide bladed stuff. We are in central Iowa and all four of our yards are local sod so I assume it is bluegrass.
New home owner, just bought a mower and trimmer. Thinking about putting the mower on mulching setting for the year to help build up the yard. I'm assuming it's too late for most treatment methods right now, any other tips to help? Not going for yard of the year, just want to look decent.
I'm guessing you have Poa Trivialis in a bluegrass lawn. What time of year do you notice this wide bladed grass?
Ground level. At least my neighbor thinks so. He's mowed 3 times in two days all at different angles. He actually did mow to the ground on some high spots. I'm going to ask him if I can use his yard for putting practice.
I do 2.5" in spring/fall, and 3" between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
My understanding is the grass is healthier and will spread out more (horizontally) when you mow high -- like on the highest couple settings. Yeah, that means you need to mow more often.
Is that accurate?
I tend to mow higher and I seem to think that it helps keeps the weeds from spreading when the grass is longer. It keeps more moisture too I think when you leave it longer as there is more for the dew to settle on.
It's a little later than I would like but I just ran a de-thatcher through my yard last night and it kicked up a lot more dead stuff than I thought with it being as soft as is is right now with all the rain we have had. I have a quarter acre lot and got nearly a dozen bags of clippings between the new grow and dead stuff the de-thatcher loosened up. The first time I mowed this year I probably let it go too long and I got 6 bags of clippings off it. I did this 2 years ago and about a month later my thin spots really filled in and the lawn looked as good as it ever had. Hoping for similar results this year.
My blade is so dull it probably is just as effective as that. I need to take it off and get it sharpened as I'm not really cutting the grass, more like just laying the smack down.
My yard is so much greener than the neighbors' yards. Of course, its full of dandelions and vioket looking weeds, but at least its green!
Like this?
Had that at my last house - neighbors decided to let their 12 year old son manage their lawn care (i.e. mowed every other week...) so it overtook my yard in 2 seasons. Treated it multiple times and only offered short term fix, and just grew back anyway.
I have it moving into my yard due to neighbors that do nothing to their lawn. I've kept it in check the last few years so it hasn't spread any further than it initially did.
Had that at my last house - neighbors decided to let their 12 year old son manage their lawn care (i.e. mowed every other week...) so it overtook my yard in 2 seasons. Treated it multiple times and only offered short term fix, and just grew back anyway.
Depends on your grass type and if you irrigate and what kind of weed pressure you have. Mowing frequency and heights are really important to getting a high quality lawn. My first mow is 2 inches. Early spring I mor at 3 inches. And sometime in May I raise it to 3.5 inches. I'd go to 4 but my mower has poor suction at 4 inches. I lower back to 3 in October and my last mow is at 2 inches before winter sets in.
