Lawn Care Nuts

napoleon in rags

Fred's dead, Baby... Fred's dead
Jun 17, 2009
2,824
1,600
St. Helena
Money, in the form of water, fertilizer, and seed.

As for weeds, I hand pick them, 10 every time I mow, which in the height of summer is 2 x week.
 

TD Charlie

Registered User
Sep 10, 2007
36,263
16,095
Water. Water. Water.

When I was married and living the Pleasant Valley Sunday life, I had one of the better lawns in the 60 unit loop. Then my quarterly water bill came in at almost 500 bucks, the bride screamed and we cut back on water. Lawn went to shit in just a couple months.

This was direct sun for the majority of the day. I put Scotts crabgrass preventer down I think end of March/early April, then used the Scotts weed killer fertilizer (I think the yellow bags) about every 6 weeks. I never used their summer or winter products, just the crabgrass and the weed killer fertilizers. That's what worked best. Still, ivy looking weeds will creep in but were easy to pull if you got them early.

Once the lawn went to hell, I waited until the fall and took a rake to the entire yard two times over. Pulled up so much thatch and dead grass. Then ran a metal rake over it, me and a few friends split the cost of an aerator, and I reseeded. My the next summer the lawn was just starting to get back to where it was, with some spotty areas that I planned on re-seeding...and then I sold the house.

But yeah, it's primarily all about water.
 
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JMCx4

Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Sep 3, 2017
13,451
8,320
St. Louis, MO
Money, in the form of water, fertilizer, and seed.

As for weeds, I hand pick them, 10 every time I mow, which in the height of summer is 2 x week.
You must either a very small or a VERY healthy lawn. If I pulled just 20 weeds outta my lawn per week, the grass would be overtaken in about 3 months.
 

HansonBro

Registered User
May 3, 2006
4,906
3,468
Water. Water. Water.

When I was married and living the Pleasant Valley Sunday life, I had one of the better lawns in the 60 unit loop. Then my quarterly water bill came in at almost 500 bucks, the bride screamed and we cut back on water. Lawn went to shit in just a couple months.

This was direct sun for the majority of the day. I put Scotts crabgrass preventer down I think end of March/early April, then used the Scotts weed killer fertilizer (I think the yellow bags) about every 6 weeks. I never used their summer or winter products, just the crabgrass and the weed killer fertilizers. That's what worked best. Still, ivy looking weeds will creep in but were easy to pull if you got them early.

Once the lawn went to hell, I waited until the fall and took a rake to the entire yard two times over. Pulled up so much thatch and dead grass. Then ran a metal rake over it, me and a few friends split the cost of an aerator, and I reseeded. My the next summer the lawn was just starting to get back to where it was, with some spotty areas that I planned on re-seeding...and then I sold the house.

But yeah, it's primarily all about water.
Yeah that water bill is crazy. Ill enjoy my lawn for the spring and early summer. Do normal seeding and weeding but once it gets hot as f*** I dont bother. Its just such a waste. Come fall I will revive it again and enjoy it for another month or two.

Using some old Mastercraft mower that still starts first pull everytime. Does not have a throttle adjustment so I tweaked the settings on the carb.

Trimmer is a Stihl MS-something or another...not the entry level, I know that.

My weeder of choice is the Fiskars. I like pretending its a shotgun after you pull the weed :)
 
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HansonBro

Registered User
May 3, 2006
4,906
3,468
My dad doesn't fit this video...I ALWAYS had to mow the lawn... he would just come out after and point out all the ways I screwed it up... yet he still would make me do it every time.

My Dad: so you must be good at it by now
:laugh:
 
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Teemu

Caffeine Free Since 1919
Dec 3, 2002
28,752
5,227
We just moved into our first house last December, so its been a scramble to go from no yard implements to many. I think I went with the Toro 21387 mower, which has treated me well so far. Good pacing, folds up to store, mulches well, and has a button start which I love. I have two small kids so I haven't don't any fertilizer yet.
 

IslesNbeer

Registered User
Sponsor
Nov 25, 2016
594
218
Alberta
One of the best things I did was install inground sprinklers. My lawn was always decent with sporadic watering, now, an hour a week and my lawn is fantastic. Cut to 4", water an hour a week, spring fertilize, fertilize again in July an then fall fertilizer in Oct.

I have to spread seed every spring in back yard because of my dog, small yard and close to 1/3 is dead once the snow melts. By late June it looks great.

I don't know if I'm lucky or if there is a weed killer in the fertilizer I use (scotts green max) but I rarely have weeds.

I have a small lawn, only takes me 30mins to double cut. So sold my old Honda 5hp for a yard worx 48v. No more oil changes or running out of gas, can cut my lawn 3 times and battery works in the trimmer
 
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TD Charlie

Registered User
Sep 10, 2007
36,263
16,095
One of the best things I did was install inground sprinklers. My lawn was always decent with sporadic watering, now, an hour a week and my lawn is fantastic. Cut to 4", water an hour a week, spring fertilize, fertilize again in July an then fall fertilizer in Oct.

I have to spread seed every spring in back yard because of my dog, small yard and close to 1/3 is dead once the snow melts. By late June it looks great.

I don't know if I'm lucky or if there is a weed killer in the fertilizer I use (scotts green max) but I rarely have weeds.

I have a small lawn, only takes me 30mins to double cut. So sold my old Honda 5hp for a yard worx 48v. No more oil changes or running out of gas, can cut my lawn 3 times and battery works in the trimmer

My neighbor used the green max stuff once...but he has a drop spreader and I think he must have had the setting on way too high. He ended up with BRIGHT BRIGHT green stripes up and down the lawn. It was hilarious.
 

IslesNbeer

Registered User
Sponsor
Nov 25, 2016
594
218
Alberta
My neighbor used the green max stuff once...but he has a drop spreader and I think he must have had the setting on way too high. He ended up with BRIGHT BRIGHT green stripes up and down the lawn. It was hilarious.

I know that feeling lol after I opt the sprinklers in I mixed seed with soil to fill in the trench, came in almost florescent. Looked like a landing strip
 
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TD Charlie

Registered User
Sep 10, 2007
36,263
16,095
I know that feeling lol after I opt the sprinklers in I mixed seed with soil to fill in the trench, came in almost florescent. Looked like a landing strip

lol no questioning the “MAX” claim in the product name i guess.
 

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