🏡 Better Homes Lawn Lords and Garden Gentlemen

[DanJ]

Think I’ve got the fungus under control but now dealing with heat stress. With the amount of nitrogen and iron I’ve pumped through this front yard, it should be a lush deep green, but it is not. Put down a 7-0-20 granular the other day that’s supposed to help with stress from heat and disease due to the higher potassium level. Being on city water I hate watering the lawn if I don’t have to but its definitely come to that point considering we haven’t got much of any measurable rain in over a week. I was using Senninger Wobbler sprinkler heads but couldn’t get the corners since they throw water in a complete circle. Rigged up some rainbird 5000 rotors to sprinkler spikes and I think they’re my favorite sprinkler I’ve used so far. Adjustable arc from 40-360 degrees and you can run them from 1-8 gallons per minute in high or low angle throw.

Also tried my hand at stone edging while I was off for the baby. I figured I could just buy some edge stones and throw them in my existing rough spade edge, backfill them and call it good. I was wrong. Turned into a 2 hour project plus multiple trips to Home Depot. Trenched it out deep enough to put down an inch of paver base sand, tap a brick into place with a rubber mallet, check with the level, adjust the sand, tap repeat. Locked it in with some plastic pro flex edging and spikes, filled the dirt back in and put some seed down. Hope this helps with my mulch washing into the yard when we get torrential downpours.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

Mine are starting to turn brown too. I really don't want to water TBH.

 

[Blood on Blood]

I’m of the belief the builders laying a thin layer of top soil is part of the issue.

 

[CMNTMXR57]

That sand he's using though is leveling sand. So it accomplishes the same.

 

[Blood on Blood]

Think I’ve got the fungus under control but now dealing with heat stress. With the amount of nitrogen and iron I’ve pumped through this front yard, it should be a lush deep green, but it is not. Put down a 7-0-20 granular the other day that’s supposed to help with stress from heat and disease due to the higher potassium level. Being on city water I hate watering the lawn if I don’t have to but its definitely come to that point considering we haven’t got much of any measurable rain in over a week. I was using Senninger Wobbler sprinkler heads but couldn’t get the corners since they throw water in a complete circle. Rigged up some rainbird 5000 rotors to sprinkler spikes and I think they’re my favorite sprinkler I’ve used so far. Adjustable arc from 40-360 degrees and you can run them from 1-8 gallons per minute in high or low angle throw.

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Also tried my hand at stone edging while I was off for the baby. I figured I could just buy some edge stones and throw them in my existing rough spade edge, backfill them and call it good. I was wrong. Turned into a 2 hour project plus multiple trips to Home Depot. Trenched it out deep enough to put down an inch of paver base sand, tap a brick into place with a rubber mallet, check with the level, adjust the sand, tap repeat. Locked it in with some plastic pro flex edging and spikes, filled the dirt back in and put some seed down. Hope this helps with my mulch washing into the yard when we get torrential downpours.


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I also ordered a bag of stress blend. Figure I’d put down towards the end of the month then not fertilize until Sept.

 

[DanJ]

I’ll confirm in morning but after the watering twice, and the weak drizzle we’ve had this afternoon I may be getting my dark green back.

 

[Blood on Blood]

Release the Rain!

 

[Yaj Yak]

straight fuckin' dumped at my house yesterday

any rain gauge recommendations?

 

[jason05gt]

My backyard is starting to fill in and looks decent. I had a big ass maple tree removed and another trimmed about a month ago. That gives me a lot more sunlight throughout the yard. Additionally I did some seeding and that seems to have helped. I need to focus on the bare spots a bit more, but I think I can fix those if I keep up on watering.

The best thing I did was apply Tenacity last fall. I had creeping bent grass in the turf and Tenacity took care of it, but left the tall fescue and bluegrass alone. I might do another application in late August.

 

[Bru]

My backyard is starting to fill in and looks decent. I had a big ass maple tree removed and another trimmed about a month ago. That gives me a lot more sunlight throughout the yard. Additionally I did some seeding and that seems to have helped. I need to focus on the bare spots a bit more, but I think I can fix those if I keep up on watering.

The best thing I did was apply Tenacity last fall. I had creeping bent grass in the turf and Tenacity took care of it, but left the tall fescue and bluegrass alone. I might do another application in late August.

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We’re practically the same neighborhood, and my yard was also slow to come around. Neighbors’ yards pepped up since early spring but mine is only just filling in. I did fall overseeding and liquid aeration, and spring overseeding and physical aeration. Since last year at this time, I removed one crabapple, one mulberry and three rogue trees from the backyard, which still has 3 large maples. It’s nice because the house is shaded and keeps cool in the summer, but it might stunt the grass growth.

 

[DanJ]

I have a giant maple over my backyard as well. I have always mowed everything at 3.25”, but I think the back doesn’t get enough sunlight to support that much height. Had a bunch of grass laying down and essentially growing sideways which causes all sorts of trapped moisture fungus issues. Took it down to 2.25” and going to see if it will fill in at that height. It doesn’t get sun in the afternoon at all so heat shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

 

[DanJ]

straight fuckin' dumped at my house yesterday

any rain gauge recommendations?

These are supposed to be the best as far as accuracy goes.

Stratus Precision Rain Gauge with Mounting Bracket (14" All Weather) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000X3KTHS/?tag=tcg21-20

But I just use this because I don’t feel like spending the money on a rain gauge.

AcuRite 00850A2 5-Inch Capacity Easy-Read Magnifying Rain Gauge, Blue,12.5-inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000A3IMP2/?tag=tcg21-20

 

[Blood on Blood]

The maples also have shallow roots that wreaks hell on a yards, causing bare spots and unevenness.

I had this at my previous house.

 

[jason05gt]

We’re practically the same neighborhood, and my yard was also slow to come around. Neighbors’ yards pepped up since early spring but mine is only just filling in. I did fall overseeding and liquid aeration, and spring overseeding and physical aeration. Since last year at this time, I removed one crabapple, one mulberry and three rogue trees from the backyard, which still has 3 large maples. It’s nice because the house is shaded and keeps cool in the summer, but it might stunt the grass growth.

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I'm in Old Farm, which it looks like is directly behind your house. My wife has been looking at homes in that subdivision for like two years now. I wish we would have bought then as the prices have gone up significantly.

Your yard is looking good. Who did your paver patio? I'm thinking about expanding mine and adding a fire pit, so if you're happy with the installer please pass along their info and I'll get a quote.

The Maples certainly hurt the lawn. The arborist that cut down my maple told me that they have really fibrous roots that hang near the top layer of soil. They "steal" the water from everything around them, which is why it's hard to get plants and grass to grow around the base of maples.

 

[jason05gt]

That's the tree for reference. It was interesting to watch them take it down. My office on the second floor behind the tree, so I kept an eye out just in case.

 

[DanJ]

We’re practically the same neighborhood, and my yard was also slow to come around. Neighbors’ yards pepped up since early spring but mine is only just filling in. I did fall overseeding and liquid aeration, and spring overseeding and physical aeration. Since last year at this time, I removed one crabapple, one mulberry and three rogue trees from the backyard, which still has 3 large maples. It’s nice because the house is shaded and keeps cool in the summer, but it might stunt the grass growth.

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Do you have a 30” mower, or is a service cutting your grass?

 

[CMNTMXR57]

So. at the other house, we had a huge maple that was in the front yard. It was awesome for shade, but literally the front yard was all dirt because of it. Nothing you could do would grow any grass, even planting low sunlight stuff.

Well as storm took it out a few years back, and that portion of the yard now matches the field next to it. I can't cut the shit fast enough...

 

[Bru]

Do you have a 30” mower, or is a service cutting your grass?

Begrudgingly, a lawn service. But has turned out to be pretty nice to have one less thing to worry about.

 

[Yaj Yak]

 

[Yaj Yak]

Begrudgingly, a lawn service. But has turned out to be pretty nice to have one less thing to worry about.

at my new house, i haven't mowed it myself yet, just been using a service because being so busy, and shit, i kinda like it.

 

[Yaj Yak]

i did get that battery toro mower though and i wanna use it fuuuuu

 

[Bru]

at my new house, i haven't mowed it myself yet, just been using a service because being so busy, and shit, i kinda like it.

I enjoy mowing the lawn when I can take my time, soak up the smell of fresh clippings and small engine exhaust, but it’s less enjoyable when I’m speed mowing between kiddo naps. So even though my wife twisted my arm about getting a service this year, it’s been more welcomed than I initially imagined.

 

[Yaj Yak]

I enjoy mowing the lawn when I can take my time, soak up the smell of fresh clippings and small engine exhaust, but it’s less enjoyable when I’m speed mowing between kiddo naps. So even though my wife twisted my arm about getting a service this year, it’s been more welcomed than I initially imagined.

 

[Bru]

I'm in Old Farm, which it looks like is directly behind your house. My wife has been looking at homes in that subdivision for like two years now. I wish we would have bought then as the prices have gone up significantly.

Your yard is looking good. Who did your paver patio? I'm thinking about expanding mine and adding a fire pit, so if you're happy with the installer please pass along their info and I'll get a quote.

The Maples certainly hurt the lawn. The arborist that cut down my maple told me that they have really fibrous roots that hang near the top layer of soil. They "steal" the water from everything around them, which is why it's hard to get plants and grass to grow around the base of maples.

I couldn’t be happier with the patio. KS Design Group.

K.S Design Group, Inc. Yorkville Oswego Naperville Winfield Glen Ellyn Wheaton

K.S. Design Group, Inc. is an industry leading landscape design company proudly servicing Yorkville, Glen Ellyn, Oswego, Naperville, Winfield and Wheaton.

landscapekit.com

Yeah, we back up to Old Farm. We bought three years ago now and it was one of the smallest and cheapest houses in the neighborhood - Instead of the common den behind the garage that bumps up square footage, ours has a tandem garage spot. My wife initially said no because it hadn’t been updated since the 80s but we did a number on it before we moved in. I’d say we got pretty “lucky” because prices are insane now, but then again we’ve also had a bunch of maintenance and repairs because the house was in such disrepair when we bought it.

And the lawn was just as poorly kept.

 

[radioguy6]

question for all you lawn experts. My village re-sodded our parkway about 10 days ago (60x20 plot), with all the recent rain it's been doing very well. Its grown to a very mowable height, but I'm getting conflicting info on when to do the first mow. I don't want to mow too early, but also don't want to let it get too tall. I've done the lift test in random spots and its not pulling up at all, seems like its taking root. I was planning to set my mower at its highest and will collect the clippings. Internet says to mow it anywhere from 10 days to 5 weeks after installation, 5 weeks seems incredibly too long. I'm getting the itch to mow it tomorrow, slowly and carefully and if anything pulls up I'll stop. What do you guys think?