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Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional #8688905 03/10/13 07:25 PM
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nvc_fshrmn Offline OP
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Ok so I am looking at improving my home lawn. I think I do a decent job but I want to take it to the next level. I know I can never rid myself of weeds without help from my neighbors but if I can at least fight it then that is a start.

Can anyone share a feeding schedule and products they are using for their lawns. I have a mixture of Bermuda and St Augustine. The St Augustine is what I would like to keep so buying products like Vigoro, Scotts and StaGreen with pre-emergent are out. I have visited the John Deer Landscape store in Dallas and picked out a bag of Lesco 15-5-10 but after doing some checking I think I am at least a few weeks away from being able to use this.

Can anyone make this easy for me. I think next year I will apply a fertizer/pre emergent in early February followed up by Lesco 15-5-10 in mid to late March, and in June applying a 21-3-6 or 15-0-15.

I also need help with knowing how much to put down or should I say what setting I should put my spreader on. I have a Scotts Speed Green 2000 rotary spreader. The Lesco 15-5-10 says to apply 1 lb of Nitrogen per 1000 sq ft. The coverage says 6.7 pounds of fertilizer per 1000 sq ft. On a complete guess I went with 6.5 on my spreader but not sure if that is right.

I definitely need to know the setting conversion if I planning on using different products with different nutrient ratings.

Thanks...Steve


Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: nvc_fshrmn] #8688984 03/10/13 07:49 PM
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skeeter22 Offline
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You can google dirt doctor or Neil Sperry for information and choose which way you want to pursue.

Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: nvc_fshrmn] #8692325 03/11/13 05:03 PM
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I used to work on a landscape crew at one of the local colleges, so I'm no expert, but I did pick up a few things.

The schedule part is easy. Tend your yard on the major holidays.

Christmas: Apply Pre-emergent for summer grasses.
Easter: Fertilize with a balance fertilizer to get the plants going.
Memorial Day: Fertilize with high nitrogen to make it green.
4Th of July: Mulch trees and shrubs like crazy for summer heat protection.
Labor Day: More Nitrogen
Thanksgiving: Balanced blend fertilizer to get the plants ready for winter.

With this schedule you don't apply heavy. Just a nice even dusting of low nutrient fertilizer. The "Big Name" brands are good, but you can often get away with cheaper store brands, if you watch the lables, and apply carefully.

BUT the biggest impact, if you can afford it, will be WATER, water, water, water and more water.
The water will likely have a bigger impact on your lawn than fertilization.
---------------------------
When you want to go to the next higher level and plant Tiff Burmuda so that your yard will be "golf green" smooth, let me know. Expect $$$$$


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Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: nvc_fshrmn] #8693254 03/11/13 08:52 PM
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nvc_fshrmn Offline OP
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Thanks for the tips


Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: nvc_fshrmn] #8694024 03/11/13 11:59 PM
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Fertilizer is crazy how much it has went up it price. But old Ben Benarke said he has done a great job of keeping inflation low.

Other than gas, oil, tires and such.

Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: nvc_fshrmn] #8696864 03/12/13 04:53 PM
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redchevy Offline
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For st augustine water will be key. Many things can be done with weeds.

One of the best things to do for a lawn to promote helth is mow and mow often, you dont want to let it get tall and then scalp it. The regular mowing will also help with weeds and will encourage a thicker denser lawn. Aeriating the soil wont hurt either.

Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: nvc_fshrmn] #8700062 03/13/13 12:46 PM
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I tout this all the time - hire a professional. What is your time worth? If you have to work in the yard then be happy with mowing it and taking care of the flower beds. We are all paying a ridiculous price for fertilizer and weed killer at the retail stores. Companies like TruGreen, ChemLawn, Gecko Green and others are all buying it in such large quantities that they get it for really good prices. And the stuff they get is different than what we can buy at the stores - read more effective and they'll guarantee their results. You'll pay them almost what it costs you to buy the material yourself - factor in your trip to Lowe's, a spreader, calibrating, am I getting it right, water or don't water, and peace of mind and you see why it isn't a bad investment at all.

Then aerate and aerate again - one of the best things you can do for your yard. Again, if you have to work on your own yard you can always rent one of those.


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Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: nvc_fshrmn] #8701553 03/13/13 06:43 PM
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1st I think there are just so many variables that go in to lawn care, from soil type, sun exposure, types of grass, etc...

Generally speaking this is what I would do..

Weeds - Pre-emergent is your first line of defense, for the Dallas area March 1st is a good date, others go with Valentines day. Even with your neighbors laws having weeds it will help and will take time and a few seasons sometimes.

Fertilizer - I think this is dependent on soil... but for the spring I go with a high nitrogen fertilizer then even out the rest of the year. From March thru fall I apply about every other month. (this is overkill to some but again to each there own)

Aerate if you can... that helps.

Mowing - this is also key, mow regularly and often to keep a nice thick lawn and helps with weeds.

Water - This is very important, while I will say regular waterings are essentially, obviously work around the times in rains. With time you can get your yard to be very established to where it doesn't need as much water.

Neil Sperry is a good source for info.

Don't worry about your neighbors having so many weeds, my neighbors next door look like they have a yellow lawn because they have so many dandelions (or however you spell that.) Across the street I don't even think they have a blade of grass, it is 100% weeds right now... and my yard had 4 dandelions. Don't be afraid to get on your hands and knees and get dirty, pull those weeds.


Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: skeeter22] #8709248 03/15/13 02:14 PM
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Originally Posted By: skeeter22
You can google dirt doctor or Neil Sperry for information and choose which way you want to pursue.

Neil Sperry is who you want to follow. Visit his website and sign up for his newsletter. The best is to get his calendar and magazine subscription.

His yard is St. Augustine and is incredible.

Pre emergent now and again in 90 days, fertilize next month by the 15th and again in May. Do not fertilize St. Augustine during the summer. Water regularly and twice each time you water. Once at 4am and again at 8am. The first watering softens our clay soils and allows the second watering to soak in. I leave my St. Augustine 3 inches or taller during the summer. I realize that is what several say not to do, but it has helped my lawn stay thick.

THe lawns I've put in I always started with 2 inches of 50.50 compost then lay the sod on top. If you have low spots you can do this also. Don't spread too thick and the runners will start to grow up and through the soil.

Good luck and enjoy your lawn.


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Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: nvc_fshrmn] #8709801 03/15/13 04:42 PM
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Taller isnt bad, it actualy helps out allot if the grass is in shaded areas.

The mow and mow often dosent mean you have to mow it short, it just means you are trying to remove a smaller % if the gras height.

Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: redchevy] #8737742 03/22/13 06:19 PM
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First time to Neil's page good info there.....I'm glad I didn't whack my Crape Myrtle's last year!!!!

Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: redchevy] #8742451 03/24/13 01:37 AM
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Originally Posted By: redchevy
For st augustine water will be key. Many things can be done with weeds.

One of the best things to do for a lawn to promote helth is mow and mow often, you dont want to let it get tall and then scalp it. The regular mowing will also help with weeds and will encourage a thicker denser lawn. Aeriating the soil wont hurt either.

^^^ this Water. They build a house next to me 5-6 years ago and put in a sprinkler system and Bermuda sod. About the same time life kicked me in the boys and watering the grass took a back seat to eating. Now they have a beautiful St Augustine lawn on my side of their house and My St Augustine lawn is Bermuda.



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Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: nvc_fshrmn] #8759067 03/27/13 08:39 PM
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Actually, the yellow bag of Vigoro sold at The Home Depot is designed to be used for both St. Augustine and Bermuda, and is the only product they sell that will work for mixed types of grass. Eventually your St. Augustine should take over and choke out the bermuda. Once that happens switch to either the purple bag of Scotts Bonus S or the purple bag of Vigoro. PURPLE bags being the key for St. Augustine. Now is the time to put out your weed and feed, 6-8 weeks after you put out weed and feed switch to a straight fertilizer.

If you have crab grass near your St. Augustine there really isn't much you can do because any of the non-selective weed sprays will kill the grass. One tip I've heard but never tried was to take a five gallon bucket, cut the bottom out and put it around the crab grass then spray it with round up or some other type of non selective weed and grass killer.




Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: playoholic] #8780052 04/02/13 05:28 PM
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Originally Posted By: playoholic
First time to Neil's page good info there.....I'm glad I didn't whack my Crape Myrtle's last year!!!!

I hate to see Crepe Murders. I use to tell my dad that his guys did it just so they could charge him in the winter. I do some selective trimming only. St. Augustine is too hight maintenance. I use Fescus in shaded area and bermuda in all others. Rule of thumb on mowing is to never cut more than 1/3.


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Re: Lawn care advice needed from a profession or semi-professional [Re: nvc_fshrmn] #8780465 04/02/13 06:57 PM
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Interestin lawn care article I came across.
http://www.familyhandyman.com/video/devi...ue#.UVsNX6NOnFo

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