Yard Care

[Pipe Line]

So, opinions.

Yard is the best it's looked this late in the summer in years. Sprinklers are working hard. However, the last couple weeks of heat are certainly doing what it does. Yard is hanging in there. Right now I'm on 20 minutes for each zone once a day, every other day. I remember asking about this last year when my system first got installed. I also did some research last year to see what the best watering strategy was and the common opinion on here and other reading was basically soaking it for 20-25 minutes every other day. Last year did end up looking great with 20 minutes every other day, but I don't remember it being this hot for a few weeks last year, but I could be wrong.

I was over at my uncle and aunt's yesterday and his yard looks pretty good. He mentioned he does his twice a day. Can't remember if he said everyday or every day after that though.


I would rather not spike up the water bill by watering twice a day. Plus, got a couple of spots in the back yard where heavy dog traffic has basically worn the spots to very thin grass or dirt only, and that creates some serious mud issues. My wife cannot stand when the dogs track mud in the house for obvious reasons. Those spots are getting addressed. Most realistic option for me there is early morning watering, and like 9 oclock watering. I've read that if you water like that over night, much better chance of mushrooms and bacteria and fungus to grow. Don't want that.


Thoughts?

 

[Toe]

I'm kinda the other way around. My yard took a beating this spring, but the last month or so has been wet and relatively mild, so things are starting to recover a bit. Need to get out and spray for weeds, but it looks like it'll be rainy all this week around here.

Most realistic option for me there is early morning watering, and like 9 oclock watering. I've read that if you water like that over night, much better chance of mushrooms and bacteria and fungus to grow. Don't want that.

Yeah, for lawn watering, early morning is usually considered best, like around dawn. Consider getting a timer that you can set to turn on like every third day at 7am or so.

 

[Faux Sean Callahan]

Water 1 time a week... I just do my front yard too. I do it 4 sections for 30 mins on broadcast and 20 on the other heads.

Put Hydrotain down a month ago

Hydretain Liquid - Moisture Manager Reduce Watering by up to 50% | Eco

Shop our Hydretain Liquid Fertilizer with FREE Shipping from Yard Mastery at Amazing Prices Now!

yardmastery.com

Also have pulled back on the nitrogen the last 2 months. Basically did 0.25lbs/1k 2 times during the time.

https://yardmastery.com/products/18-0-1-greenepunch-liquid-fertilizer.

Did a "bridge app" last week of a high iron fertilizer.

7-0-0 GreeNe Effect | N-Ext

N-Ext 7-0-0 GreeNe EfFect™ combines nitrogen and iron uniquely to give you a greener lawn without a growth push. 7-0-0 GreeNe EfFect™ can be absorbed directly into grass leaf tissue, which brings a faster green up. One gallon covers 16,000 sq ft 7% is nitrogen and 6% is iron This gives lawns a...

yardmastery.com

Yard looks good. You can tell there is a few areas that are dry spots, but I think a good aeration this year will fix it as I think it is because of compaction problems. I also put down an application of a liquid aeration to help until I can mechanically aerate it.

0-0-5 Air-8 Liquid Aeration Bio-Stimulant, Humic Acid | N-Ext

N-Ext Air-8™ Liquid Aeration is designed to create space in the soil, increase water penetration, and encourage deeper rooting to drive more oxygen into the topsoil profile. One gallon covers up to 21,300 sq ft Analysis is 0-0-5::N-P-K Contains 8% Humic Acid Great for hard compacted soil...

yardmastery.com

Still working on fixing the front yard, but it was so bad what I took over last year. Going to need another year of overseeding and we should be good. I have too much clumping fescue and some ruts I need to take care of.

 

[Toe]

BTW, we're coming up on seeding time for cool season grasses soon, if anyone is planning anything.

 

[Faux Sean Callahan]

BTW, we're coming up on seeding time for cool season grasses soon, if anyone is planning anything.

Ya I looked that up.... Looks like I did first week in September last year.

Probably going with the Estate Mix from the grass pad.

 

[Pipe Line]

I'm kinda the other way around. My yard took a beating this spring, but the last month or so has been wet and relatively mild, so things are starting to recover a bit. Need to get out and spray for weeds, but it looks like it'll be rainy all this week around here.



Yeah, for lawn watering, early morning is usually considered best, like around dawn. Consider getting a timer that you can set to turn on like every third day at 7am or so.

My sprinkler system does have settings to where I can water multiple times a day on different settings. I have not messed with it as it's a hair complicated, in my opinion lol buuuuttttttt I was thinking about bumping it up to 30 minutes per zone? Maybe over do it for the next couple weeks? It is supposed to cool off a lot here in Papillion after today so that should take the edge off the grass. Other than the recent Nutsedge, I'm doing good on weeds luckily.

 

[Pipe Line]

Water 1 time a week... I just do my front yard too. I do it 4 sections for 30 mins on broadcast and 20 on the other heads.

Put Hydrotain down a month ago

Hydretain Liquid - Moisture Manager Reduce Watering by up to 50% | Eco

Shop our Hydretain Liquid Fertilizer with FREE Shipping from Yard Mastery at Amazing Prices Now!

yardmastery.com

Also have pulled back on the nitrogen the last 2 months. Basically did 0.25lbs/1k 2 times during the time.

https://yardmastery.com/products/18-0-1-greenepunch-liquid-fertilizer.

Did a "bridge app" last week of a high iron fertilizer.

7-0-0 GreeNe Effect | N-Ext

N-Ext 7-0-0 GreeNe EfFect™ combines nitrogen and iron uniquely to give you a greener lawn without a growth push. 7-0-0 GreeNe EfFect™ can be absorbed directly into grass leaf tissue, which brings a faster green up. One gallon covers 16,000 sq ft 7% is nitrogen and 6% is iron This gives lawns a...

yardmastery.com

Yard looks good. You can tell there is a few areas that are dry spots, but I think a good aeration this year will fix it as I think it is because of compaction problems. I also put down an application of a liquid aeration to help until I can mechanically aerate it.

0-0-5 Air-8 Liquid Aeration Bio-Stimulant, Humic Acid | N-Ext

N-Ext Air-8™ Liquid Aeration is designed to create space in the soil, increase water penetration, and encourage deeper rooting to drive more oxygen into the topsoil profile. One gallon covers up to 21,300 sq ft Analysis is 0-0-5::N-P-K Contains 8% Humic Acid Great for hard compacted soil...

yardmastery.com

Still working on fixing the front yard, but it was so bad what I took over last year. Going to need another year of overseeding and we should be good. I have too much clumping fescue and some ruts I need to take care of.

I'm torn between sod for next spring, or just trusting the aerating and grass seed from this fall, to take care of the bare spots in my back yard. One of the spots is right next to the shed, which has a ton of dog traffic, so it's bare dirt, and the other is a thin-medium grass thickness spot on the south side of the house. Before legit sprinklers, the sun would just bake that shit to death this time of year, but the sprinklers are keeping it alive this year, so that's nice. I would like to fill it out next year though, both spots. We are supposed to get our patio extended/finished, which is the main reason I haven't done anything significant about it already. I tried sod a couple years ago before sprinklers, but it didn't take very well for obvious reasons.

I'm leaning towards sod because I'm thinking there's a better chance in the spring for full germination and growth with the sprinklers and full round of food/fertilizer? I did trust aerating and grass seed last fall going into this year and it didn't really do anything significant.

 

[jaihawk]

My sprinkler system does have settings to where I can water multiple times a day on different settings. I have not messed with it as it's a hair complicated, in my opinion lol buuuuttttttt I was thinking about bumping it up to 30 minutes per zone? Maybe over do it for the next couple weeks? It is supposed to cool off a lot here in Papillion after today so that should take the edge off the grass. Other than the recent Nutsedge, I'm doing good on weeds luckily.

I would never consider watering multiple times a day unless it was new sod that you were trying to make sure that the roots don't die in this heat. Watering that often on regular sod causes the roots to be shallow because they aren't use to having to look down for water. My system is set to run three days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday). I set the zones based on what they cover (i.e. my west facing zones will get longer time than my east facing zones since they get more of the hot afternoon sun). Zones range from 22 minutes to 35 minutes. My yard is deep green and in great shape.

 

[Pipe Line]

I would never consider watering multiple times a day unless it was new sod that you were trying to make sure that the roots don't die in this heat. Watering that often on regular sod causes the roots to be shallow because they aren't use to having to look down for water. My system is set to run three days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday). I set the zones based on what they cover (i.e. my west facing zones will get longer time than my east facing zones since they get more of the hot afternoon sun). Zones range from 22 minutes to 35 minutes. My yard is deep green and in great shape.

Gotcha, thank you. I have mine set up for M-W-F-SU, again 20 minutes a piece. Not sure where you're located but this is the last hot day for weeks. I will probably turn it up to 30 minutes and "over do it" for the next couple weeks while it cools off to help everything rebound. It's looked very good up until the last week or so, heat stress has started to show. I think it's just starting to dry out.

 

[Toe]

Seconding what jailhawk said. Only time you'd want to water multiple times per day, or even every single day, is if you're seeding. Keeping the ground constantly wet is a good way to invite fungal problems like brown patch.

 

[WillBoltsBurner]

Anyone else chomping at the bit to do some dethatching and overseeding this weekend with the cooler/less brutal temperatures rolling in for the foreseeable future?

 

[jaihawk]

Gotcha, thank you. I have mine set up for M-W-F-SU, again 20 minutes a piece. Not sure where you're located but this is the last hot day for weeks. I will probably turn it up to 30 minutes and "over do it" for the next couple weeks while it cools off to help everything rebound. It's looked very good up until the last week or so, heat stress has started to show. I think it's just starting to dry out.

I'm I'm Lincoln, so same weather you've been having...

 

[Pipe Line]

I'm I'm Lincoln, so same weather you've been having...

Beautiful. I turned it up to 30 minutes last night to have it ready for tomorrow morning. Feels a hair like overkill now that I think about it this morning, but we'll see.

 

[2010sarenevercomingback]

Time to put in some Saturday work, boys!

 

[HCFord1]

Time to put in some Saturday work, boys!


View attachment 40862

I was planning on doing that and then a lawn crew which must’ve been hired to mow the vacant house next door came and started mowing ours instead. They quickly realized their mistake, leaving my front yard 1/5 mowed and went to do the lawn next door. My wife, being a nice person, offered them $20 to come finish the lawn. I told her she should’ve told them to come do it for free since they’re the ones that made it look like shit.

Either way, didn’t have to mow today so I got a nice break and spent six hours building my 4 year old’s bunk bed instead.

 

[Boondock_St_Sker]

I was planning on doing that and then a lawn crew which must’ve been hired to mow the vacant house next door came and started mowing ours instead. They quickly realized their mistake, leaving my front yard 1/5 mowed and went to do the lawn next door. My wife, being a nice person, offered them $20 to come finish the lawn. I told her she should’ve told them to come do it for free since they’re the ones that made it look like shit.

Either way, didn’t have to mow today so I got a nice break and spent six hours building my 4 year old’s bunk bed instead.

I'd rather mow the yard

 

[HCFord1]

I'd rather mow the yard

100,000%

Really wasn’t an either/or situation though.

 

[Toe]

Time to put in some Saturday work, boys!


View attachment 40862

Proper Dad Shoes for the job, bravo! 👏

 

[Skerz4Life50]

My backyard is an absolute mess right now. There is a new construction house going in behind me and they don’t have any runoff mitigation like a silt fence in place. What’s frustrating is they had one in place when they started in the winter, but at some point removed it.

I realize in Elkhorn we have pretty much had record rainfall for May, so some runoff probably couldn’t be avoided, but since the builder has done nothing, I have 10-15 feet of pretty much my entire back fence line now covered in inches of sticky clay that will likely kill the majority of the grass and cause issues with weeds later in the summer. It is also covering multiple sprinkler heads. And it has happened to at least 2 other neighbors, but possibly 3-4.

I have reached out to the builder and had a response from someone at the company that I should be hearing from them shortly. I feel like asking them for a large load of good top soil, high quality seed, starter fertilizer, and probably some weed prevent and maybe some peat moss or something for coverage would be fair. I have no problem doing the work myself, but I don’t think I should need to pay for their fuck up.

Anyone ever had anything similar happen and if so, how did it go after? Thoughts on how to fix it prior to eventually reseeding in the fall? I sent a couple hours out there trying to take some of it and shovel it off, but I think it is pretty much a lost cause, and if they don’t put in some type of mitigation, it won’t matter anyway as it will just keep happening.

For reference, here is what the lawn looked like in early spring:
View attachment 37738

And here is the shit I have now:
View attachment 37739
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Well after all our grass died because of the runoff from the new build behind us, we decided to build a berm, add some rock, and then new mulch. It was some shitty work, but definitely made it look better and hopefully helps with any big rains in the future. Still got a lot to do to finish everything up, but the hardest part is done.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

Well after all our grass died because of the runoff from the new build behind us, we decided to build a berm, add some rock, and then new mulch. It was some shitty work, but definitely made it look better and hopefully helps with any big rains in the future. Still got a lot to do to finish everything up, but the hardest part is done. View attachment 41258View attachment 41257

This is white privilege