Lawn Experts Please Help

[bigfry]

So I finally figured out how to upload photos. Here they are.

First pic was taken April 3 after aerating, top dressing and overseeding

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdSUhQbVVlandMd1E

This next pic was taken May 16

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdNzBSVWx6N3NFRlE

I decided I wouldn't mess with the weeds anymore and just let the grass slowly grow. I spread some more fertilizer and have mulched mower and bagged every other mow. Weeds are still there and clovers have established and looks like are not expanding anymore

My lawn still looks patchy but I left it and am still watering rigorously. I am waiting to use my secret weapon (Trillion-p) cannot wait to use this. Wife does not know and probably will never know.

Will snap more pics once I spray the herbicide

Since then I took out 300 sqft of patio stones out and layed down some sod.

Next is the deck. I got green lit to redo the deck. Don't laugh. It's original 20 years old

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdQUJXRVZoN3FtNE0
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdNG1QZzJKVWxsbDA

Sorry if these posts are annoying on a fly fishing forum but I thought it would be handy to see my progress Turning a neglected lawn to hopefully the nicest on the block

On a side note can anyone recommend how to rid of ants without killing the grass. Thanks

[BigFoamy]

Its all good man, love the post. what a difference a few weeks makes eh. Dont over water. If the ground is always saturated or wet the roots will be weak and shallow. Once you hit it with the TP, you'll be great. its early enough in the season where you should see some massive improvements by the fall.

[fishinhogdaddy]

On a side note can anyone recommend how to rid of ants without killing the grass.

 

Cyanne pepper or corn meal.

FHD

[BigFoamy]

On a side note can anyone recommend how to rid of ants without killing the grass.

 

Cyanne pepper or corn meal.

FHD

lol, ants are an issue at my place. The stuff I use kills plants dead no matter what Ive tried it only seems to keep them at bay for a few days.

[Dangus]

Kinda blows my mind that as outdoorsmen/fishermen, you guys would be spraying that garbage all over your lawn.

Not a Trolling comment. Just sayin.

I know it's "just one lawn." But it's still your contribution.

Dandelions are fairly easy to root out with the right tool. Just takes a little time and effort. No need to spray.

[ÜberFly]

Cuz it's easy! More time fishing less time picking weeds!!

 

 

Kinda blows my mind that as outdoorsmen/fishermen, you guys would be spraying that garbage all over your lawn.

[Swede]

I just pay enviromasters to take care of my lawn .Apparently its a organic and environmentally friendly way to care for your lawn. Now honestly am not sure what they put on my lawn but i don't ever get one weed on my lawn itself. If you seen the close in front of our house that the city of Red Deer takes care of you would realize what a miracle that is.

[bigfry]

Kinda blows my mind that as outdoorsmen/fishermen, you guys would be spraying that garbage all over your lawn.

Not a Trolling comment. Just sayin.

I know it's "just one lawn." But it's still your contribution.

Dandelions are fairly easy to root out with the right tool. Just takes a little time and effort. No need to spray.

Sure dandelions are fairly easy to root out, try doing about 2000 of them just in my front yard because the previous owner never took care of it.

and its not just dandilions, i have patches upon patches of clovers as well as other broad leaf weeds that i don't know the name of. but im sure my highly toxic herbicide will do the trick.

[albertatrout]

I just let the clover take over and put wood mulch down where the grass dies out (like under the trees). No fertilizer, no spray, and it stays green all year with no water application. Only have to mow when it rains so more fishing time, and the jackrabbits love it. Win win. A little round up keeps any major weed issues in check along the mulch lines, and for those concerned about the environmental effect of properly applied herbicides, please refer to the peer reviewed science.

[BigFoamy]

I fertilize twice year. I hardly ever spray herbicide as I dont need to, I pull weeds as I see them and they've never really been out of control. That said, sometimes you need to you use them and I will if I have to.

 

I'm more concerned about the non-fishers that live on my street, that wash all 4 of their hummers every single weekend of spring summer and fall. Not to mention, driving one of those multiple vehicles everyday also does its fair amount of damage

[BigFoamy]

I just let the clover take over and put wood mulch down where the grass dies out (like under the trees). No fertilizer, no spray, and it stays green all year with no water application. Only have to mow when it rains so more fishing time, and the jackrabbits love it. Win win. A little round up keeps any major weed issues in check along the mulch lines, and for those concerned about the environmental effect of properly applied herbicides, please refer to the peer reviewed science.

you might be able to get away with that in coaldale but, where I live, you need to take are of your yard. One of my neighbours called the police on another neighbour because his grass blades where to long. Its a thing, I asked him how he would even F'ing know that! One guy got a letter from the city stating that a neighbour had complained about his weeds and if he didn't deal with them, the city would show up and do it and then bill him!!!!

[BigFoamy]

Kinda blows my mind that as outdoorsmen/fishermen, you guys would be spraying that garbage all over your lawn.

Not a Trolling comment. Just sayin.

I know it's "just one lawn." But it's still your contribution.

Dandelions are fairly easy to root out with the right tool. Just takes a little time and effort. No need to spray.

@ bigfry. Just ignore this comment. Theres way more to it than us outdoorsmen and fishers just being stupid like he's implying, not trolling though.

[bigfry]

so i got more pictures!!!

 

can someone please help me post it so it shows up as images rather than just links! thanks!

 

this is of my lawn today about 30 mins ago. its really thin,, really need it to thicken up somehow. topdressing is still visible. im thinking if i keep on mulching my clippings i will create a nice layer of thatch? so the top dressing will be less visible, or shall i spread some more seeds! lol

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdQXF1SEpCVnJyM00

 

these next pics are to show the patchiness of the lawn:

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LddFdsQ3k3eTE0LU0

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdVlFRbFJ3bWt0UWs

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdTVRncUo5NzUxVDA

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93Ldb2czdzVENFBlTTA

 

also can anyone please tell me what kind of perimeter bush i have here? i was told it was a cotoneaster but google searches only show them with red berries not the blackish ones that mine produces?

here are some pics of an area that a neighbor reversed into apparently. Is there anything i can do to speed up the regrowth? and make the bush more dense with leaves.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdWU1GeGVCb0cwN1U

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdWW16MjNOT0RqdWc

[albertatrout]

you might be able to get away with that in coaldale but, where I live, you need to take are of your yard. One of my neighbours called the police on another neighbour because his grass blades where to long. Its a thing, I asked him how he would even F'ing know that! One guy got a letter from the city stating that a neighbour had complained about his weeds and if he didn't deal with them, the city would show up and do it and then bill him!!!!

I've lived in other cities/ towns, did the exact same thing there. Only warning I have ever got was for not keeping up with the buttercup at my cabin. I spray for it once a year now as the county's land is full of it and it spreads onto our place awfully fast. Generally, as long as the weeds are managed there are no bylaws against having a brown lawn or not having perfectly trimmed grass. Clover stays far greener than grass come the hottest part of the summer, it would benefit our communities if it could become more fashionable.

[Dangus]

Deleted. Didn't contribute anything positive.

[Swede]

Bro I don't care about your lawn or your hedges. Lets see the rest of your house it looks incredible would love to see the whole house.

[Swede]

you might be able to get away with that in coaldale but, where I live, you need to take are of your yard. One of my neighbours called the police on another neighbour because his grass blades where to long. Its a thing, I asked him how he would even F'ing know that! One guy got a letter from the city stating that a neighbour had complained about his weeds and if he didn't deal with them, the city would show up and do it and then bill him!!!!

Its got nothing to do with where you live its just common decency to respect your neighbor, . I've got a pie shaped lot and my front yard on one side is a shared lawn without a fence. When we moved in I made sure I cut my grass the exact same same height and on the same day as my neighbor. that's for me but its just common decency and nothing else. Something that's strangle lacking in our society nowadays.

[bigfry]

Bro I don't care about your lawn or your hedges. Lets see the rest of your house it looks incredible would love to see the whole house.

Ha ha thanks. But it's not. It's a bit Gotti. Will be doing the exterior next year with the windows and then I will share pics of the progress if anyone is interested!

[Tungsten]

The perimeter hedge looks like cotoneaster.

[BigFoamy]

Def Cotoneaster, you can prune the crap out of these things, they love it.

 

your lawn is brand new and you seeded it, imo, it looks pretty good. seeded lawns always take longer to thicken up. thats why sod is awesome.

 

Leave the top dressing, no need to cover it up. Its there to level out your lawn and to give your new roots something to grown into. It, in time becomes part of your new soil profile.

 

Thatch is good but can also be very bad. It will happen naturally so imo, I would bag my clippings as part of thatch control, eventually you'll end up aerating as a way to control your thatch. If to much thatch, your roots will always be shallow and weak. you want to your roots down into the soil so dont cover up that top dressing just let it be and let the grass grown into it. If thatch gets to thick and compact, it causes BLACK LAYER, which is an oxygen deprived layer in your soil where everythings dead, really stinks too. Nothing will grow there. see it lots on golf greens. Thats why we aerate. aeratings the multi tool.

 

Mow, period! Mow lots!! Mowing promotes growth. Its what makes the grass spread out and thicken up. Everytime you cut it, it repairs itself by growing new shoots (produces the grass blades) and roots (they spread and produce new shoots). I would mow half the length off and then do it again in 3 days and again and again and again. That said, its gonna get hot in the next few days so you may want to do that today and then wait until its not 28 or 30. Or wait until the evening when it cools off a bit.

[bigfry]

BigFoamy you are the man, im going home at lunch today to mow my lawn!!!!!

[bigfry]

mowed my grass yesterday. will definately buzz off another little bit tomorrow as well

 

took a couple more clear shots

 

1. Front yard - i don't think the grass is this deep green i think its the lighting. can see the weeds in the closest part to the picture

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdbG1EdVZZMGY1bFU

 

2. Front yard - the area closest in picture 1. thin and weedy

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdVElySXQ4ejZldWs

 

3. Front yard - far part. on the left towards the tree is a huge clover patch that extends even farther

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93Ldc2I0UnFpQlVtTVk

 

4. The clovers patch - wait til you meet my Trillion-p

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LdZGxPZFc5SjhzVnc

 

5. Front yard - thin, inconsistant, looks like sht

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0E5FBjo93LddlROWW5BSEtwbzg

[ppb]

Hey Bigfry, where did you buy the Trillion p? And how much did it run you? Spot spraying my weeds with roundup is getting ridiculously expensive as they keep coming in from the neighbors yard..

[bigfry]

Hey Bigfry, where did you buy the Trillion p? And how much did it run you? Spot spraying my weeds with roundup is getting ridiculously expensive as they keep coming in from the neighbors yard..

 

I got it from someone in Edmonton. If you know anyone who lives on a farm they can purchase it at and UFA. I bought 6 L for and split it with my buddy.

[lad]

I got it from someone in Edmonton. If you know anyone who lives on a farm they can purchase it at and UFA. A 10 L bottle will run you 300. I bought 6 L for 150 and split it with my buddy. I calculated it out and I think I can spray 85000 sq ft for 75 bucks. That's not bad

A 10 liter jug of Trillion from UFA is currently 129$ Par 3 is also 129$ for the 10 liter jug.

 

I was told at UFA they are the same and have bought both and could not detect any difference.