Lawn Care Advice Thread

Def putting down the crabgrass preventer this year
 
ill said:
Def putting down the crabgrass preventer this year
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Yep I skipped that the year before and it was a huge mistake. Last season I was able to do it on time and the difference was astounding.

It only took one season of skipping for them to get out of control. If you wait too long you will have to pull them up manually!
 
As long as my law in green, I don't give a shit.

One of the many glories of Wisconsin living. Shit grows.
 
PackJason said:
As long as my law in green, I don't give a shit.

One of the many glories of Wisconsin living. Shit grows.
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yHKrBH5.jpg


gook-lookin' lawn ya got there, beavis
 
Bayou Tiger said:
Yep I skipped that the year before and it was a huge mistake. Last season I was able to do it on time and the difference was astounding.

It only took one season of skipping for them to get out of control. If you wait too long you will have to pull them up manually!
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Yeah, the big issue with them is how long the seeds can wait to germinate. Think you've got them under control for a few years and decide to skip the preemergent and then they pop up. The best defense is a thick turf, but if it's a little thin, it may be better to seed in the spring versus putting down preemergent, then seed again in the fall after much of the spring seedlings die off in the summer.
 
Cobrabit said:
First app of the season is down. I sharpened the blades in the mowers in the fall, so they should be good for now. Will check the battery on the JD and place on the trickle charger if needed. Going to have a few weeks before the first mow is needed, but will make sure it's ready to go.

COVID and winter has me itching to get outside, even if it's just to mow the grass once a week. Looking forward to some small group get togethers as the weather warms, especially with other families that have had a chance to get vaccinated. Definitely want the yard ready for Independence Day with kids playing with slip and slide/etc.
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gay lawn mower GIF
 
Bermuda is already coming up.
Put pre-emergent down in December and again at the end of February.

If you waited until now for the pre-emergents, and live below the mason dixon line, you're most likely fucked.
 
outofyourmind said:
Bermuda is already coming up.
Put pre-emergent down in December and again at the end of February.

If you waited until now for the pre-emergents, and live below the mason dixon line, you're most likely fucked.
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My area is just now getting into the 60s, which means the ground temp is getting into the 50s. I do agree that it you haven't done so yet, you're running out of time depending on your area. It is better to be too early than late, and I probably pushed it being out of town the last couple weekends visiting my father-in-law under hospice care, but should still be good. We'll see.

I've got fescue, ryegrass, and bluegrass, so they're just now starting to green over the last few days.
 
We are still 3 weeks to a month away from having to deal with lawn care issues. I will over-seed in a week or so and put some Scott's weed and feed down and then the only thing I'll do for the rest of the season is mow it once a week. The nice thing about living across the street from a river is that the water table is really high and I never have to worry about watering it. Even during last year's severe drought conditions my yard didn't turn gold like so many around here, it just stopped growing so I didn't have to mow it for 3 weeks at one point which was nice.

BTW, unless I remember wrong the nastiest thing about crab grass is that it it doesn't need seeds to spread. If you mow it the clippings will germinate and the shit will be everywhere.
 
Rex Racer said:
We are still 3 weeks to a month away from having to deal with lawn care issues. I will over-seed in a week or so and put some Scott's weed and feed down and then the only thing I'll do for the rest of the season is mow it once a week. The nice thing about living across the street from a river is that the water table is really high and I never have to worry about watering it. Even during last year's severe drought conditions my yard didn't turn gold like so many around here, it just stopped growing so I didn't have to mow it for 3 weeks at one point which was nice.

BTW, unless I remember wrong the nastiest thing about crab grass is that it it doesn't need seeds to spread. If you mow it the clippings will germinate and the shit will be everywhere.
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You may be misinformed about crabgrass, as it does spread from seed, and the seeds can sit dormant for years waiting for the right time to germinate. It doesn't have rhizomes and is an annual plant. Mowing it short will only cause the crabgrass to grow more horizontally taking up more space from turfgrass, while the turfgrass will struggle that short.

Gotta try to prevent the seeds from germinating and if they do sprout, you can kill it, along with everything else, using roundup, but then you may be introducing an open area of soil that the sun can hit leading to another crabgrass seed to germinate.

The idea of the clippings causing it to spread can come from the latent seeds germinating from plants years ago, or mowing it when they have begun seeding, as the seeds are small, but numerous.
 
outofyourmind said:
Bermuda is already coming up.
Put pre-emergent down in December and again at the end of February.

If you waited until now for the pre-emergents, and live below the mason dixon line, you're most likely fucked.
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Preen has one that works for those who waited until now....

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You can get it from most hardware stores including Tractor Supply Company and Home Depot....
 
Cobrabit said:
You may be misinformed about crabgrass, as it does spread from seed, and the seeds can sit dormant for years waiting for the right time to germinate. It doesn't have rhizomes and is an annual plant. Mowing it short will only cause the crabgrass to grow more horizontally taking up more space from turfgrass, while the turfgrass will struggle that short.

Gotta try to prevent the seeds from germinating and if they do sprout, you can kill it, along with everything else, using roundup, but then you may be introducing an open area of soil that the sun can hit leading to another crabgrass seed to germinate.

The idea of the clippings causing it to spread can come from the latent seeds germinating from plants years ago, or mowing it when they have begun seeding, as the seeds are small, but numerous.
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The bold/red is probably what someone told me years ago and my memory failed me :noidea:
 
I was thinking about over seeding in the back because lawn is thin there, but then can't use herbicide for a couple of months, right?
 
MTVike said:
I was thinking about over seeding in the back because lawn is thin there, but then can't use herbicide for a couple of months, right?
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That's correct. But if you kill the weeds....the grass will be healthier and may fill in some small areas.

You can then seed over any bare areas as needed after 4 weeks.
 
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