Posted on 07/12/2009 5:37:28 PM PDT by narses
It's not only what you do to your lawn, but when you do it. The first day of Spring is August 15th. What you do in the fall will affect your lawn, since that's when plants go through their major growth spurt.
Killing Weeds
Autumn is the best time to kill weeds, just as the weather starts to cool down. Weeds grow best during bright, sunny days between 1:PM and 3:PM. In order to get the maximum benefit from your weed killer, spray a weak solution of children's shampoo on the lawn. Believe it or not, this washes the grime off the yard allowing your grass to make better use of sunlight while at the same time making the weeds more receptive to weed killer.
In a garden store, soil softener is called ammonium lauryl sulfate, however children's shampoo or even dish soap will do the job just fine. Use a hose sprayer that emits 1 tablespoon per gallon of water.
You can use regular or liquid weed killer with your sprayer; put in enough for about 5 gallons of water (you'll have to read your weed killer instructions) and mix with it a tablespoon of shampoo or soap with the weed killer, and apply.
Spray just the weeds, not the whole yard. Weed killer retards plant growth. Additionally, you may want to use separate sprayers so you don't accidently feed your weeds and kill your yard. Shake the sprayer periodically, keeping the solution mixed well as you spray.
Spot Treatments
You can make a potent weed killer yourself for use in spray bottles. Mix a quart of warm water with an ounce of children shampoo, an ounce of vinegar, and a capful of gin. Put the sprayer on stream, not mist. This salty, soapy water will clean and stick to weeds and dry them out; the gin will also help kill the weeds. Feeding the Lawn
The secret formula is to mix your dry fertilizer with a four pounds of Epsom salts (which make the lawn green) and a pound of confectioners sugar (which gives the plants energy). Plants need sugar and starch, typically they produce their own via photosynthesis, however you've just provided the materials without the work. Use a rotary spreader set to half your fertilizer's recommended settings. Spread before noon in both the fall and spring.
Watering the Lawn
The secret formula for watering is a can of beer (which helps the thatch compost faster into better soil), a cup children's shampoo (to break water surface tension and wash away dust), half a cup of molasses (more sugars) disolved in half a cup of warm water (so it isn't thick), and top off with household ammonia (for nitrogen). Note, pouring beer into soap will make lots of bubbles. Do this over the lawn.
Spray this liquid on your lawn every three weeks, you should also spray it directly over your fall and spring fertilizer session.
Warning: your lawn will get slippery.
Mowing
Using a sharp blade is the trick, you want to cut the grass, not tear it. Mow after 7:PM so the grass can heal without the scortching sun. Failure to do so will increase the chances of the top of the grass from turning yellow or brown.
Sharpen your mower's blades after every two sessions.
Trim close around driveways and sidewalks. Bugs love to make homes under overhanging plants.
Save Your Grass Clippings
Grass clippings can be used in your garden around your vegtables and between plants. They hold in moisture and heat, while also keeping weeds at bay. Grass clippings can also be used for composting. Watering
If you can step on your lawn and the grass doesn't bounce back up, it needs watering. Water between 4:30AM and noon. Water for 45 minutes, if you've used the shampoo mixtures the water should seep right into the soil for the plants to use.
The deeper the water goes, the better the plant roots.
Aerate the Yard
Use shoes with sharp kleets; by poking holes in your yard you let air and moisture get in, while loosing the soil. You can rent aerating machines which pull up plugs of earth. These holes fill in with silt and loose earth during rain storms and do a great job at retaining moisture.
Clay Soil
Many new homes are built in areas where the good topsoil has been stripped away and sold. The soil needs to be replaced for a good lawn. Cow manure / comprow spread every few months helps out. The trick is not to over do too much too soon and choke new grass that forms.
Pest Control
The secret formula is one third of a hunk of fatty lye soap shaved and disolved into a quart of boiling water. Mix with four ounces of flea and tick shampoo. Take a hand-sized pinch of chewing tobacco and boil it in another quart of water; filter out the leaves (you're making tea). When done mix equal parts of: the lye-shampoo, the tobacco tea, and antieptic mouthwash. Spray this stuff on your lawn with a setting of one tablespoon per gallon. The solution kills disease, makes the insects sick, and poisons them.
FYI ping!
try some green lawn paint on those spots. very easy.
perhaps you are doing too much stuff to the lawn. maybe if you mow it and ignore it, (have some gin) it will be happier. i’m no expert but my dad worked at a golf course for 45yrs and i picked up a few things. sometimes, grass is better if you just leave it alone and stop fooling around trying to have a “perfect” lawn. fire the fertilizers, put down the hose, and have a drink. it may work, it may not but it will be more relaxing than worrying about a bunch of stuff that can generally take care of itself. although i must say i have seen diseased greens look like that too.
I’m wondering if its some sort of fungus. Honestly, this year, I’ve done much less than I’ve ever done. And it looks much worse. The tru green guy only comes every other month too.
saving for future reference, thanks
Or you can take the advice from madamemayhem in post 44. ;-)
Best to read about the neurotoxins in weed killers before ever using it on your property at all.
People wonder why they get chronic conditions or cancer.
Also like crushed limestone
Works for me.
Kalifornian Green concrete or astro turf if you
play golf.
I have never understood the mentality of
planting grass only to have to cut it every week
or two. I have better things to do with my time.
Our lawn may not look as pretty as some of the neighbors, but we're just as happy.
B4l8r
Killing Weeds
There’s a chemical called, 2-4-D found at Lowes or other hardware stores. Easy to use...follow directions. Kills only weeds, will not harm grass. I always purchase the concentrated because I have to treat three acres of lawn each year.
(Kinda reminds me of the Dragnet episode where Officer Gannon had all the ingredients for his special homemade BBQ sauce on his desk.) :)
http://www.hrt.msu.edu/
Did some research last night and I think its Leaf Spot fungus. In which case, from what I’ve read, killing and reseeding won’t get rid of the fungus and I’d fight it all over again with new grass. May have to call in a local lawn expert to see for sure.
Blue Fescue (can be grown cheaply from seed; the white flowers are a different plant, impatiens)
Pampas Grasses (it's cost effective to buy a small pot and leave room for it to spread -- it will double every year as long as there is loose soil for it to spread into)
“I have never understood the mentality of
planting grass only to have to cut it every week
or two.”
Man do I hear you on that. I’m one of those folks who spends a small fortune paying to fertilize and water my lawn to make it grow fast, only to have to cut it every week. Its like an addiction...at least I get some exercise out of it. : )
Just think how often you’d have to cut if you let it go to weeds? My neighbors cut 2x as much because they have a “clover” lawn. lol
Lawn Secret #1564:
Green Paint
I like to run the lawn mower over the grass and make it get cut.
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