Yard Care

[Havoc34]

Looks like a lush golf course in the upper NW.

 

[Frogsker30]

dethatching this weekend. Then putting Humichar and lime on it. Before starting my regular routine.

Tearing out a bunch of plants and redoing landscaping as well.

 

[Pipe Line]

dethatching this weekend. Then putting Humichar and lime on it. Before starting my regular routine.

Tearing out a bunch of plants and redoing landscaping as well.

Toyed with the idea of dethatching last year. Just get quite a bit of dry grass left on the lawn sometimes during the early summer when it probably needs mowed multiple times a week. Which one do you think is more effective between dethatching/aerating? I aerate each fall.

 

[Frogsker30]

Toyed with the idea of dethatching last year. Just get quite a bit of dry grass left on the lawn sometimes during the early summer when it probably needs mowed multiple times a week. Which one do you think is more effective between dethatching/aerating? I aerate each fall.

I do both. I dethatch in the fall before aerating. This allows the seeds better attachment when overseeding. Then I dethatch again in spring mainly because I have a tree that has the world smallest leaves and a rake cant pick them up. But also it onces again allows fertilizers to stick to the blades and soil better.

 

[BBTown Bomber]

I just pay tru-green. Looks good every year. Just keep up with watering.

Tru-Green in Scottsbluff/Gering area is a POS and has a rep of hiring incompetent people who tend to fuck things up more than they help. He’s paid out a lot of money in settlements (including $1,800 to us).

Hope that helps!

.

 

[Pipe Line]

I do both. I dethatch in the fall before aerating. This allows the seeds better attachment when overseeding. Then I dethatch again in spring mainly because I have a tree that has the world smallest leaves and a rake cant pick them up. But also it onces again allows fertilizers to stick to the blades and soil better.

What tool do you use to dethatch?

 

[Frogsker30]

What tool do you use to dethatch?

I rent one from the home depot

 

[dsbigred1]

What tool do you use to dethatch?

I have a SunJoe or something like that, electric dethatcher. It gets up so much crap, it’s crazy. Probably cost me $140.
My one neighbor that actually cares about his lawn has borrowed it twice, too

 

[Pipe Line]

I have a SunJoe or something like that, electric dethatcher. It gets up so much crap, it’s crazy. Probably cost me $140.
My one neighbor that actually cares about his lawn has borrowed it twice, too

Yep that's the one I looked at last year, but didn't think I was knowledgeable enough to invest yet. Do you like it?

 

[dsbigred1]

Yep that's the one I looked at last year, but didn't think I was knowledgeable enough to invest yet. Do you like it?

Works great. It’s corded, though, so you gotta be aware of that. Just aerating and seeding wasn’t getting things done at all. Did all 3 last fall with the lime, and it has never been thicker or greener this time of year. Even had to cut in December and January with it being a warmer winter.

 

[Frogsker30]

Works great. It’s corded, though, so you gotta be aware of that. Just aerating and seeding wasn’t getting things done at all. Did all 3 last fall with the lime, and it has never been thicker or greener this time of year. Even had to cut in December and January with it being a warmer winter.

Trying to convince the wife to let me get one. Thanks for the ammo!

 

[dsbigred1]

Trying to convince the wife to let me get one. Thanks for the ammo!

I was surprised how well it works. The scarifier is great when seeding, too

 

[Pipe Line]

Works great. It’s corded, though, so you gotta be aware of that. Just aerating and seeding wasn’t getting things done at all. Did all 3 last fall with the lime, and it has never been thicker or greener this time of year. Even had to cut in December and January with it being a warmer winter.

Boom! I do have some spots that are piss stained from the dogs that I want to try and bring alive this year. My sidewalk grass by the street is tough to keep alive too. Going to put some underground sprinkler heads along that grass this year to see if it'll work.

 

[Toe]

Which one do you think is more effective between dethatching/aerating? I aerate each fall.

Well first of all, do you actually have thatch? A lot of people think they need to dethatch when they don't even have a thatch-forming grass in the first place. Grasses like tall fescue and perennial ryegrass almost never need to be dethatched.

 

[Pipe Line]

Well first of all, do you actually have thatch? A lot of people think they need to dethatch when they don't even have a thatch-forming grass in the first place. Grasses like tall fescue and perennial ryegrass almost never need to be dethatched.

Then I do not. I have Fescue. Only real issue is during the summer I get a lot of dried out grass from mowing that just sits, like hay drying out in the field, and I still water obviously so it just gets a little messy then shit starts to look a little rougher during the really hot dry months of mid to late summer.

 

[Toe]

@Pipe Line Yeah, if you get behind on mowing, it's often better to set your mower a little higher and bag the clippings, rather than try to mulch them and leave them covering the grass. Remember that you want to take off a max of 1/3 of the height of the grass at a time.

Also, it's better to aerate in the fall than in the spring. (I go by this maintenance calendar for tall fescue.)

 

[11husker23]

I'm the odd old man with a perfect lawn that actually encourages the neighborhood kids to play on the grass. That’s what it’s for.

I do have one rule, though: stay out of the landscaping. I have to explain this rule to new kids. Once. Then the other kids become my enforcers. They know.

 

[Kaladin]

I like to just piss off the deck. Penis needs fresh air once in a while.

My parents live out in the country and my dad just pisses in the backyard every time he has to piss

Oh to live in the country

 

[Toe]

I do have some spots that are piss stained from the dogs that I want to try and bring alive this year.

Forgot to reply to this part earlier. Remember that urine contains urea, which is loaded with nitrogen. A lot of fertilizers contain urea for just that reason. Piss spots are essentially the same as the 'burn' from over-fertilization - too much of a good thing. So using a nitrogen-rich fertilizer is about the last thing you want to do when you're trying to correct that problem!

 

[dsbigred1]

Well first of all, do you actually have thatch? A lot of people think they need to dethatch when they don't even have a thatch-forming grass in the first place. Grasses like tall fescue and perennial ryegrass almost never need to be dethatched.

Good points. I was transitioning from zoysia for about the passes year plus, and we get a ton of leaf cover mostly because only 1 neighbor ever takes care of anything outside. Hood full of oaks that drop from September to mid December, but only two of us ever rake. No matter the time of year, I have leaf clutter because of it.