The Urban Fisherman Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Hey guys, I'm gonna keep this quick and to the point... My front lawn sucks! What can I do to make it greener, thicker and just all around healthier. I'd like to add some seed or something but don't even know where to start... Also, how the heck do I stop these weeds from growing up ou of the cracks along my driveway all summer. It never stops man... I dunno how some of you guys ..... (Solo haha) find so much time to fish! Once the dog kennel is done its back to finishing the basement and new office so the baby can have a bedroom, putting on a new garage door, painting some stuff outside, planting the garden and on and on and on... Life was so easy when we rented! ;o) Thanks for any tips at all! Cheers, Ryan
pikehunter Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Answer to the first question: Rottotiller, top soil and new sod. Then never ever cut your lawn short always 2 1/2 to 3 inches longer the better to keep the weeds at bay and Scott's fertilizer. Second question: Weedeater held on edge and whack the crap out of them or buy some vegatation killer.
HTHM Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Your front lawn has what appears to be snow mold or chinch bugs. To check, at the edge of the dead spot take a sample of the turf including the root zone, place in a pail of water. If the bugs float up to the top, there is your answer. You will need to apply a insecticide to deal with that. If not, then you need to apply a fungicide, and topdress and overseed the affected areas. To really green it up, rent a de-thatcher and go over it with that. As that process can be done very quickly, go in with a neighbour or two on the rental to cut costs. As for the driveway, round up. Now banned for public use, so the alternate is a weedwhip on an angle weekly.
bigugli Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 (edited) To start with, you should consider dethatching and aerating the lawn. Keeping things simple, get a DIY fertilizer program from your garden centre. Garden Gallery, Sheridans. Scotts, all have recommended programs and timetables for lawn maintenace through the season. Each component works on different elements of the lawn during the season. Lawn starter, weed and feed, root developer, winter feed, etc... As for the grass growing past the border. Grass spreads by sending out root colonies. You can never eliminate it, only control. Reccomendations depend upon local spray regulations. There are lots of name brand contact weed killers. If they are banned in your area, the controls include digging them out, bleach, vinegar. I could not make more specific suggestions without actually seeing the condition of the sod. Edited April 12, 2011 by bigugli
GBW Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 I find aeration helps followed by a lot of soil and seed. get a good brand of seed and fertilizer. the higher the 1st # is means greener as it is the nitrogen (I think). Weeds, get a spray and soak the hell out of them and hope you don't get your grass as it will kill it too if you do.
solopaddler Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Ryan you think I have lots of time to fish? I'll be completely landscaping my front yard this spring. Replacing the sod, creating a huge bed with curved borders and all new planting, removing a maple tree and creating a new bed where it was with new planting, installing a decorative octagonal shaped window in the peak of the house, laying porcelain tile on my concrete porch, installing a railing around the porch. And lastly, this is not front yard, but planting several hundred cedars in my backyard to create a hedge. Wanna trade lists? Anyhow unlike my front lawn which is all weeds and must be rototilled, levelled with topsoil and new sod laid, yours doesn't look as bad. Personally I'd use seed. Scratch the surface where it'll be sown. Apply the seed liberally along with a good starter fertilizer then TOPDRESS with about an inch of quality topsoil. The topsoil helps the seed germinate and grow and protects it from birds that'll eat it. Water like crazy and you'll be amazed at the result. As far as the weeds in the driveway goes you can try and fill the cracks with tar and driveway sealer. Otherwise weedkiller and a weed whacker are your best friend.
solopaddler Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Your front lawn has what appears to be snow mold or chinch bugs. Yeah, the damage done by the cinch bugs is usually circular. You'll have to eliminate the problem before you fix the damage.
BillM Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Mike, you wanna come over and help me with my lawn? lol
DRIFTER_016 Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Simple fix. Rototill, cover with 4" of concrete and paint green!!! LOL
GBW Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Simple fix. Rototill, cover with 4" of concrete and paint green!!! LOL OH, ME LIKEY!!! You get boat parking/storage too then...
DRIFTER_016 Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 OH, ME LIKEY!!! You get boat parking/storage too then... You got it!!! Boat, car, RV, whatever needs parking plus you don't have to cut it.
solopaddler Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Mike, you wanna come over and help me with my lawn? lol Sure I'll stand around drinking low carb beer barking orders at you. Sounds like fun, let's make a date.
mercman Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 You can always do this.Saw alot like this when i was in Arizona, and some are stuningly beautiful
BillM Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Sure I'll stand around drinking low carb beer barking orders at you. Sounds like fun, let's make a date. I'll stock the fridge! hahaha!
Bernie Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 (edited) When I was a kid my parents front lawn turned into a baseball diamond. They liked the front lawn, but they loved the kids being there even better. Edited April 12, 2011 by Bernie
chessy Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Firstof all you don't appear to have shrubs near by so that more than likely rulesout whit grubs. You have a little moon scapeing, which might be some chinchbugs. But you don't have to worry about them till the heat of the summer. Firstget together with a few of your neighbors and rent a core aerator and make sureit is a core aerator. When you do your lawn you will have plugs that come upabout 3-4 inches long leave them on the lawn, yes they look like tiny dog poobut they thatch layer in those plugs will help fertilize your lawn. Next youhave two choices put down grass seed so it makes contact with the open holes inthe ground if you choose to do that you cannot put down fertilizer, as it willburn the new shoots when the seed germinate. Next step (put your wheels back onyour lawn mower) make sure your mower is 2.5 inches min from the ground to yourblade of your lawnmower don't go by what the wheels say physically measure yourheight. And don't change it yes it will look long till they grass becomes thesame height but this will make your lawn grow thicker. Forever inch of grassyou have you have the same amount of grass root, which sends, new shoots ofgrass to the surface, will keep your lawn from drying out in the summer months.Next step is to keep your lawn watered about a inch of water a week, now thisis where it gets tricky and people will freak never ever water your lawn atnight, your lawn must be dry as possible going into the night time mold willform. Water your lawn early am or in the middle of the day if you have to ITWILL NOT BURN the most damage is done in the heat of the day if you can keepyour lawn damp during the day your lawn will cool and the roots will survive. Waterand height of grass you will see a difference in no time. A good 19 1919 fertilizer that is slow release will help three times a year. And if you andyour neighbors get together 2 times fall and spring aeration is the best thingyou can do... as far as the grass in the drive way good old gylosphos will killit (gylosophos) is the active ingredient in round up. Round up is just a tradename there is cheaper and better out there but it will kill all grasses soshould only be used to kill everything it touches. Hope this helps as Idid lawn care for 7 years and hold land class 1 and 3 tickets for chemical applications.
pikehunter Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Just leave it and come fishing! Now that is the best answer and solution!
Billy Bob Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 (edited) Everyone is way over thinking this....the man likes to fish or he wouldn't be asking here in the first place...keep things simple is what I always say and it don't get any simpler then this....phone a lawn service on the way to the boat launch.....on the way home pick up a self propelled electric start lawn mower for the wife....you can give it to her on Mother's Day.... Problem Solved... Bob Edited April 12, 2011 by Billy Bob
Billy Bob Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 At one time we had bars/gin mills/taverns on every corner...now we have coffee shops....the world is going to hell, isn't it...
The Urban Fisherman Posted April 12, 2011 Author Report Posted April 12, 2011 haha You guys are killin' me. The advice is awesome - I'll get back to you all tonight! As for a little more in depth info: I've already blown my budget trying to finish my basement.... And it's not even close to being done yet... I had the drywall nearly finished then the basement started leaking so I had to back-track and get it waterproofed... so this has to cost me as little as possible... This is what most of my basement looks like now.. So options like re-sodding the entire front yard isn't an option for me... I'm thinking more along the lines of the airating the lawn and putting seeds down/waterering etc? Cheapest option to just make it look a little better? I don't even know what kind of seeds and so on... still have to read through the previous posts more thoroughly though.... As for the weeds in my driveway... I have 2 giant paved driveways and it takes me forever to weed-eat it and rake up the weeds... ultimately weed-eating into my fishing time So I'm wondering about digging out the weeds and filling the cracks with tar or something??? Driveway 1 Driveway 2 Ps. 3 summers ago I swept, prepped, power-washed and sealed my driveway which lasted 1 season....what a waste of time that was...
The Urban Fisherman Posted April 12, 2011 Author Report Posted April 12, 2011 (edited) This was my basement before the water problem started this spring.... almost ready for mud.... BOOO Now I have to put my studs back on - re-drywall the bottom 3 feet and almost 2 months later I'll be back where I was... Edited April 12, 2011 by The Urban Fisherman
Harrison Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Great advice on the lawn so far. I'd topsoil and seed. If budget allowed however, I'd get it scraped by a skid steer and re sod. Easiest and quickest. This is what we do when we destroy lawns doing stone work.
GBW Posted April 12, 2011 Report Posted April 12, 2011 Hey Ryan, is there a local sod farm around? I'd go there first and show and tell them your problems. You should be able to pick up everything you need (other then soil) for under $100.
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