# DAM Lawns 2020 Lawn Journal



## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Location: Barrie, ON, Canada
Grass type: kbg/perenial rye/fine fescue
4800 sq ft.
Mower: 2019 Lawnboy 21" Rotary, with a Honda engine ofcoarse.

Background: We've had the nicest lawn on the block since I was a kid. Been mowing since I was able to push one. In my younger days worked as a "Lawn Care Professional" at one time spraying and spreading fert/pest control, and at another in lawn and garden maintenance where I gained tons of knowledge.

2018/2019
Moved to this lawn late summer 2018. It was a disaster. It was a rental property with zero lawn care done. A barren field of weeds. I was determined to bring it back without fully nuking it.

After attacking weeds, watering, mowing fertilizing, aerating, top dressing, i brought what little grass there was back to life. Unfortunately I am not a big picture taker, and don't have any good before pics.

The earliest I have is late June 2019 before any seeding, after a lot of good cultural practices, and battling the thousands of weeds: june 24 2019









I finished 2019 with a reno, aeration, heavy overseed, top dress, with 75% kbg, 25% perennial rye. Fertilizer blitz.





Then it snowed and the stupid snow plow ruined my edges big time.





And that ended 2019.

Now 2020!!

The goal is to make the lawn as thick, lush, and dark green as possible. Total domination! Improving soil structure, minor leveling, etc. as I go.

Mar 20th - raked the lawn.

April 2nd - plow damage repair

April 18 - first mow, dormant seed bare areas.

April 20 the lawn





Apr 27 - second mow. First fert. 10.3 pounds Scotts Starter 24-25-4. Giving me .5 pounds N, .5 P, .1 K

May 2 - Rolled the lawn 4 directions, core aerated, and raked up all cores. Sprayed humic/kelp.









May 12, 13th - Overseeded 75% kbg, 25% perennial rye, top dressed entire lawn 1400 pounds sand/soil.

May 14th - Half app of Fert. 6.6 pounds 28-0-10, with 3% iron. .37 N, 0 P, .13 K.

May 19 - stewing in topdressing, overseed, and fert after a couple days of rain.









May 19 - raised the cut height from 1.75 to 2.25 inch and double cut/ trimmed. Haven't done edges, letting them grow in a recover from winter damage.





And the small but distinct domination line.



Now I think I'm caught up. More to come!


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Beautiful lawn! Great job @DAM Lawn :thumbup:


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Not too shabby fellow Canuck.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

@pennstater2005 Thank you, a labor of love.
@Stuofsci02 Thank you, yours looks pretty amazing


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Installed the checkmate lawn striping kit. Sure beats my past diy attempts of strapping a metal bar to the rear flap. Going to get my striping game on now. Here are the first stripes of many to come.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Yeah.. The Checkmate is awesome. I have one on my JD X304


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

The lawn is growing crazy fast and is thickening big time. Double cutting it every other day. You can stand there and watch it grow. Starting to lose the dark green and dont want to fertilize as its not needed, but I do need iron. I'm going to mix up and spray FAS for the first time later this week, let's hope the next pics aren't of a black dead lawn!

Loving the stripes from the new Checkmate!!!


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

A day of digging gardens and a mow. Some diagonal doubles over top of the previous checkerboard. Not perfect, but not bad. Lawn is thick and growing fast, the fall and spring renos are in full force. Used an edger attachment on my husqvarna trimmer for the first time a few days before these pics. So awesome!! why did I wait so long for one.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Mixed and sprayed FAS Saturday evening at the cool season rates. It was my first time doing this. Watered Sunday morning. The lawn already had good colour, but I'm definitely seeing a green up today (Monday). If anything it seems to be evening the colour out where I may have had lighter areas. I need to get better pics tomorrow, the evening sun washes it out, was looking way darker earlier afternoon.

Its also very dry for so early in the season, the storm most seem to have got late last week missed me. Did a full watering Sunday but my edges along the concrete are drying out, starting now i will be daily hand watering them between regular waterings. Hopefully will get a good rain this coming Wednesday, as long as it actually comes.

With how dry it is I decided to raise my cut height from 2.25 to 2.75 in the front.



Pic is 2 days before the FAS app mowed at 2.25.



Monday evening after spraying FAS 48 hrs earlier, and raised cut height by .5 inch. Lighting makes it look way worse then before I sprayed but I swear its darker.



Over on the side in the shade.



Looking forward to regular apps of this to see the results I can get.

Come on rain!


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks DAM good.... Once the seed stalks are done things will start to look better too.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

@Stuofsci02 thank you! Your lawn is my inspiration! I Can't wait for the seed stalks to be gone!!

One pic I forgot to add, just for my own lawn journal documenting. Backyard


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

DAM Lawn said:


> @Stuofsci02 thank you! Your lawn is my inspiration! I Can't wait for the seed stalks to be gone!!
> 
> One pic I forgot to add, just for my own lawn journal documenting. Backyard


They will be gone soon... how much N have you put down this year?


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Stuofsci02 said:


> DAM Lawn said:
> 
> 
> > @Stuofsci02 thank you! Your lawn is my inspiration! I Can't wait for the seed stalks to be gone!!
> ...


So far I have put down 1.25 pounds of N per 1000sq this year.

Apr 27 - 0.5 of a pound coming out of dormancy

Then I split .75 pounds N per 1000 in two:

May 14 - 0.37 pounds N

May 27 - 0.37 pounds N

I was hoping to get out another light app out soon, just need to see a little rain in the forecast.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

DAM Lawn said:


> Stuofsci02 said:
> 
> 
> > DAM Lawn said:
> ...


Have you considered going organic for this app to extend the feeding through the summer and not push too much growth?

I think this is what I am going to do. I have been eyeing the Homehardware 9-2-2 with iron.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Stuofsci02 said:


> DAM Lawn said:
> 
> 
> > Stuofsci02 said:
> ...


I have also been eyeing this and have it in my HH cart just waiting for me to pull the trigger. I haven't used an organic fert. in the past (other then humic/kelp/top dressing) but had planned to this season. I've been considering a couple options like a combo of Actisol, and organic matter soy/alfalfa meal. However I think i will go the 9-2-2 route as I keep seeing a lot recommending this with good results. The iron can't hurt either!


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

The badly needed rain came yesterday with heavy morning rain, hot sun all day, followed by heavy rain at night. It was great, now today a cool down, and a mow! Bagged my clippings today, with all the seed heads/stalks it needed a vacuum. Second mow at 2.75, not bad, definitely preferred 2.25 though just a little tighter.

The checkmate striping kit has totally changed my mowing game this year. Less then a month in and I now have the striping addiction.

Decided to order the 9-2-2 to feed through the summer. Really fighting the urge to put down a bit of synthetic right now for a colour boost but I will resist.

No trimming, do that Sat.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looking good.. If you want color boost now, go with liquid iron. I order Ferrous Sulfate Heptahydrate powder and Ammonium Sulfate powder from Amazon and mix it at 1.7 oz per K AMS and 2.0 oz per k FS. You can go higher, but I like to ramp up slow to avoid greying/blacking the lawn..


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Saturday mow, one of the best of the year. Seed stalks are nearly gone and the lawn is healthy and thick. Looking tight.



@Stuofsci02 Just sprayed the lawn at the 1.7/2.0 oz per k FAS rate, added 1 oz per k citric acid because what the hell, also added a conservative (I hope)0.8 oz per k of urea because what the hell. Sprayed it out using the teejet nozzle I just finally got around to putting on the sprayer. My first time spraying urea, just kind of experimenting, lets hope I don't burn nothing.



Water in the morning and wait to see what happens.


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## MarshalOfFire (Apr 22, 2020)

Looks great!


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks great. Having a corner lot is sweet so you can dominate in two directions. You should be fine with what you sprayed. Looking forward to seeing your colour response.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

@Stuofsci02 thank you. A corner lot is sweet. I'm just coming up on two years here and never realized before hand how much I would appreciate being on a corner, the largest lawn in the hood. Total neighborhood domination!

The colour response after spraying the fas with citric/urea was good. I think my expectations are too high and I'm chasing that dark blue green I had last fall. It will come. Definitely a bit greener, mainly I notice an evening of any lighter areas.

High noon pic approx 60hrs after spraying. Looking a little shaggy as I'm letting it grow a couple extra days as we are in this stretch of dry and heat.



I've been hand watering the edges late afternoon to mitigate drying out. Found this little tuff of crabgrass.



Also pulled a few random tufts of this crap.



I seeded last fall, this spring, and will be again this fall, but after that I should be good for a season or two. I think a Pre-m is in my future for next season. Quinclorac for this.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

A deep watering this morning. I didn't want to, but felt I should....raised the height to 3.25 inch as the summer heat is kicking. I may bring it back down sub 3 inches if we get some rain and a bit of a cool down.

Barely took anything off, just a cleanup and some stripes. No edges/trimming way to hot and dry to risk that.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

My order finally arrived. Some HH 9-2-2 organic. Works out perfectly for 5000sq ft. 55 pound bag ÷ 4, 13.75 pounds per app gives me almost exactly .25 N per 1000, perfect. Weighed it up with my fish scale and threw out the first app tonight. Water early AM.

Weather dependant, provided we don't have a summer like last with 6 -8 weeks without any rain to speak of and scorching heat. My plan is to put this out every two weeks, 3 more apps after this one will carry me through to mid August.


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## doverosx (Aug 7, 2019)

Nice! It's been out of stock on the website for a while.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

doverosx said:


> Nice! It's been out of stock on the website for a while.


Maybe I lucked out. Ordered June 9th I believe.


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## doverosx (Aug 7, 2019)

Ah yes, they got new stock!


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

I ordered it last Sunday and still not in... I have a serious problem though.. watering ban...


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Stuofsci02 said:


> I ordered it last Sunday and still not in... I have a serious problem though.. watering ban...


Oh, same boat! Even by hand is only for garden beds.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Babameca said:


> Stuofsci02 said:
> 
> 
> > I ordered it last Sunday and still not in... I have a serious problem though.. watering ban...
> ...


I have been thinking about putting in a well at the back of my property...


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Oh no, I didn't know things were already that dry. Thankfully a ban hasn't hit me yet. Good luck! 
Hope the rain in the forecast this coming week actually comes.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Stuofsci02 said:


> Babameca said:
> 
> 
> > Stuofsci02 said:
> ...


Can't do that. Living on a rock. Surfactant, Phosphite, PGR are put to the test. Southwest lawn with no trees. Will see.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

5 days, a couple waterings and a few good rainfalls since putting down some 9-2-2. The rain and cooler temps have helped the lawn immensely. You can never win though, its been more or less wet since Saturday mushrooms popping up and mowing now i noticed the possible beginnings of some fungus/brown patch.

The lawn was wet from a random rain just before I was going to mow. Didn't let that stop me, bagged the clippings today. Edged, blowed, mowed double doubles vertical, trimmed, mowed again double doubles horizontal. A lot of double doubles. Still mowing at 3.25 which is a little shaggy to me, but looking dam tight for the height

Lots of random weeds and some clover starting to pop up as i havent done any spraying or much pulling in a bit. Tomorrow I will spot spray. I'm also way overdue for some humic/kelp, looks like rain in the forecast Saturday so I will try and time an app with that.









Above pic is where I had major plow damage this Spring and reseeded the curb edge. Not perfect, but not bad.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Stripes look good. Do you get questions from passerby's


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Thanks. I get tons of questions and comments from passersby. Its nice, lots of compliments from the neighbors. Everyone wants to know "what fertilizer". I tell them all the things I do in a season and they gloss over. True Green should really pay me commision as I know 3 neighbors who hired them this season to try and turn their lawn around after being inspired by mine.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Double mowed double wides yesterday. Mowing the same two directions rather then switch to diagnal to really burn those stripes in. Also after mowing yesterday we had a huge pouring rain storm. Today the lawn is looking gorgeous. Got back from fishing, cleaning down the boat and the lawn beauty is distracting.

Also very impressed. Spot sprayed weeds/clover Thursday and its all dead as can be! Now thats fast results.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

What a negative difference a week makes! With the prolonged full sun heat and drought the struggle to keep the lawn out of dormancy is real.

I have been a dedicated slave to watering without having inground irrigation. Currently I'm doing a full watering of all 5 zones every other morning starting at 5:30am moving sprinklers around. Also hand watering the curb and dry spots nearly daily, and some "syringing" late afternoon when the lawn is looking heat stressed.

Put down a spoon feed of 9-2-2 at .25 N yesterday knowing this morning was my full water morning and there is a chance of a t-shower today. Not the best time for fert. but I figured a light app. of slow release organic can't hurt.

Things are tough right now, just trying to limp it along until some rain and a cool down🤞. The bottom of the front lawn wants to go dormant no matter how much water, and the curbs are the real challenge.

Mostly its hanging in there, looking a little stressed, with some areas browning no matter how much I stay on top of the water.

Back to once a week mowing at 3.75 inch 





On the bright side my more southern warm season grass type I'm experimenting with in the back is loving the full sun and heat. Growing atleast an inch plus a day. No PGR for me.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Looked awesome a week ago. That's my first time reading your journal. Great work!
ow, that heat, I have never seen anything like that. Grass neither. How much water do you put? I am sure that if do just above 1'' a week total, you will keep it alive. To put 0.4'' from 2 bibs ( I water at the same time 2 zones) it takes me 3.5 hours.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Yep..grass wants to go to sleep.... this has been a hard summer...


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Babameca said:


> Looked awesome a week ago. That's my first time reading your journal. Great work!
> ow, that heat, I have never seen anything like that. Grass neither. How much water do you put? I am sure that if do just above 1'' a week total, you will keep it alive. To put 0.4'' from 2 bibs ( I water at the same time 2 zones) it takes me 3.5 hours.


Thanks, its always a work in progress! I know I'm light on the water based on the tuna can. I water more by time, 45 min per zone, 5 zones every other day. The two zones on the main front overlap like 80% so it gets 1.5 hours every other day. 4 hours is all the time I have in the morning. That all changed today!

Instead of doing all 5 zones in one every other day, I will water daily, the main front one day, the side and back the next. This will give me time to double the length of time watering each area. It just means getting my *** out of bed pre 6am daily. Inground irrigation sure would be sweet!


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Stuofsci02 said:


> Yep..grass wants to go to sleep.... this has been a hard summer...


It really does, its a tough year so far all around. The main front especially with zero shade relief wants to shut down. Just trying to keep on the water. Lets pray all this rain in the forecast coming up actually happens. I don't know how you short cut grass guys do it, its a struggle at 4 inches, i couldn't imagine at 1 inch or below.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

DAM Lawn said:


> Stuofsci02 said:
> 
> 
> > Yep..grass wants to go to sleep.... this has been a hard summer...
> ...


To be honest... I have found it easier at low HOC to keep green during droughts. Maybe it is just me....


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

And then there was rain! I'm not the best at identifying, but im convinced some of my browning in places I was thinking was heat stress is disease. I will be better prepared to deal with it next year, for now just need to ride it out. Fall Mini reno will be here soon.

Snuck in a lunchtime mow yesterday, bagging clippings to not spread any disease, suck up any straw like dead seed stalks, and some localized poa seeding.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

DAM Lawn said:


> And then there was rain! I'm not the best at identifying, but im convinced some of my browning in places I was thinking was heat stress is disease. I will be better prepared to deal with it next year, for now just need to ride it out. Fall Mini reno will be here soon.
> 
> Snuck in a lunchtime mow yesterday, bagging clippings to not spread any disease, suck up any straw like dead seed stalks, and some localized poa seeding.


I finally got an inch of rain today. I guess you will see if it is heat stress in the next day or two if it recovers.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Double cut double wides Tuesday. Edged, blowed, mowed, trimmed, mowed again. Dropped the height from 3.75 to 3.25. Spot sprayed weeds (mostly clover) Wednesday. Spending 5-10 min a day pulling any new crabgrass shoots isolated to within 1 foot of the curb edge. I was spraying it but so much new is popping up daily I would need to spray a few times a week. Pulling is keeping it at bay.

Got out and sprayed a heavy app of humic/kelp before the coming forecasted rain this morning. Also had a bag of miracle grow soluable plant food sitting there so put a fairly insignificant amount in because why not.

Overall can't complain for going in to late July the lawn is looking great. Definitely more rain then last season. I have a few trouble spots with some minor suspected disease, and a couple areas I suspect might be grubs but I will need to go do some probing.

Fall mini-reno will be the week of Aug. 17th. 1 month and counting. The plan is to first pull all poa patches i can, round-up a few isolated areas of bad grass, rip up the lawn with an aeration, scarification with the sunjoe, heavy overseed 75% kbg/25% rye, top dress.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Well I guess this is how it starts.

Picked this up locally from marketplace, brand new in the box for a good deal. Remington 18" reel mower.





Cut at the highest setting 2.75 inch but seems a bit shorter then that. Took a solid inch plus off which probably isn't the smartest thing to do mid July. Went over it multiple times every direction there is.





Looks a little crappy right now, exposed tons of dried out seed stalks, and some seeding poa. Ran over it with the rotary at a higher setting to vacuum up as much as possible. However it is one clean cut!!!!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Once you start cutting with a reel there's no going back. Looking good. Especially for July.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

This is how I started last fall.. start saving now for a powered version &#128527;


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

SNOWBOB11 said:


> Once you start cutting with a reel there's no going back. Looking good. Especially for July.


Thats what I'm afraid of, I definitely see the attraction. Thanks, I do feel I've made it through this year!


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Stuofsci02 said:


> This is how I started last fall.. start saving now for a powered version 😏


I might just have to $$. Already found myself searching classifieds  For now I'm committed to the backyard with the manual. We will see how it goes.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Early morning today ahead of the rain. A quick mow at the legal Sunday time of 9am sharp. Spoon feed #3 of the 9-2-2 at .25 N rate. Also spread a light app of some 12-0-18 synthetic "fall" fert. for a little dose of K. Only about .16 N, and .25 K. Sprayed humic/kelp for the second time this week.....and then it rained good!

In lieu of a drone, I may need to climb out on the roof


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Backyard experiment- going reel low

Reel mowing the back daily for 6 days in a row to try and train it sooner then later to a lower height. Currently measuring around 1.5 - 1.75 inch, down from nearly 4inch. Looks like absolute crap with all the now exposed dead/dried seed stalks but it will come along.

Impulse buy, couldn't help it. I picked up a Mclane reel mower for my first noob machine. It appealed to me due to its simplicity and the ability to cut higher then a greensmowers. Im commited to 1 to 1.5 inch. Not sure if I'm ready for sub 1 inch yet. Its highest setting is 2 inches.

Great condition, starts first pull, reel and bed knife have no dents or Knicks. It surprisingly and unexpectedly cut paper right across. I will do a backlap soon. Used for the first time yesterday, it felt and sounded like I was snowblowing the yard!


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## mucknine (Jul 8, 2019)

Congrats on the impulse buy! Looks like it's a highly experienced machine, a wily veteran of mowing. :thumbup:

I'll be following your progress closely. Seems we've got very similar journeys, lawns and goals.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

mucknine said:


> Congrats on the impulse buy! Looks like it's a highly experienced machine, a wily veteran of mowing. :thumbup:
> 
> I'll be following your progress closely. Seems we've got very similar journeys, lawns and goals.


Thanks, hopefully it knows more then I do! I figure this will either be a great success or complete disaster, either way should be fun.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks good... Just keep mowing as you have.. I would consider dropping the height to 1.25" for a cut or two to knock down those seed stalks.... As long as you water it will recover...


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Stuofsci02 said:


> Looks good... Just keep mowing as you have.. I would consider dropping the height to 1.25" for a cut or two to knock down those seed stalks.... As long as you water it will recover...


Thanks. Good tip, I will do that later today. This should be interesting.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Lowered the height of cut a half inch to 2.75. Mowed double double diagnals both directions over top the burnt in checkerboard. Bagged a crap load of clippings.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Double cut diagnals, sprayed fas and .15 N urea tonight, water in the morning.

Did a light dethatch on the backyard with the sunjoe on its highest setting a couple days back. Just one pass but removed tons of junk and hey. Manual reel cutting the back daily at 1.5 inch or slightly bellow. Had dropped to 1.25 and then back up. Its coming along, still needs colour, very yellowish in comparison to the rest of the lawn and seed stalks galore. Goal is 1 inch or lower in the fall after overseed.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

All that rain and a little bit of fert. has the lawn looking awesome.

Put down .16N, .25K synthetic and the last spoon feeding of 9-2-2 organic at .25N on Aug 1st.

Fert for this year is at a total of 2.71 pounds per 1000 N, 0.72 P, 1.08 K. 1 pound of N is from the organic.

9-2-2 spoon feeding at .25 N per app went as follows. June 19, July 6, July 19, Aug 1st.

The neighbors for sure think I have OCD. Triple mowed yesterday! At 2.75 inch doubles vertical. Then edged, trimmed, blowed. Lowered the height to 2.25 inch and double cut doubles criss cross diaganal. Super tight and clean!

Scalped the back with the manual reel below one inch. Too low though, I'm far from level and scalped a few spots, raising the height a notch or two going forward and should look sweet in a few days. Right now looks horrible. I had it looking good but decided I wanted lower. Where the side back meets the low cut main back is drastic.

Confirmed grubs around the center front garden bed. Had a few spots die out for no reason, probed a section and sure enough, hundreds of tiny little grubs and what looked like eggs. I had nothing proper to use so I did what I could. Poked a bunch of holes and soaked the spots in Raid. Sprayed Nematodes the other day but not sure how effective that will be.

Today spot sprayed the very few bits of clover I could find, and detective work along the curb to pull the minimal new crab grass shoots i could spot.

Just over a week before I rip up the lawn with a scalp, scarify, overseed, and top dress. Going to pull out a couple larger poa patches this week, and round up a couple isolted patches of other bad grass (quak, torpedo, and who knows).





This spot by the tree was checking out a bit last week, but now rebounding nice



The back





Grubs!


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## BBLOCK (Jun 8, 2020)

haha what have the neighbours said to ya so far


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

BBLOCK said:


> haha what have the neighbours said to ya so far


All nice compliments, and my immediate neighbors are used to me always doing something and barely notice anymore. Its more the ones down the street, that I don't really ever talk too. Yesterday a guy drove by on his way out, I was mowing, came back, still mowing/trimming. He took the family out for I assume dinner and I was mowing again. They came back much later and I was out mowing again an already perfectly mowed lawn. Then he happened to drive by today when I was out picking crab grass. Also other similar stories. I dont care what people think, but assume they think i have ocd!


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## BBLOCK (Jun 8, 2020)

DAM Lawn said:


> BBLOCK said:
> 
> 
> > haha what have the neighbours said to ya so far
> ...


that's pretty funny.

the neighbour going by 3 times and you're still mowing

i think a lot of ppl on these boards are in the same situation. we're clearly nuts, that's why we're here to be even more nuts!


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Early fall mini-reno done! It sucked, estimate 20 hours of hard labour.

Pre work - ripped out a couple larger patches of poa by hard to bare dirt. Roud-up a bunch of random spots of bad grass.

Fri. night - removed lawn striper, triple cut scalping it bringing the height down to 1.5 inch.

Sat. - Scarified with the Sunjoe on the lowest setting two directions. Insane, ripped up the lawn big time. 12 yard bags of debris.

20 bags - 60 pounds of Scott's Sunnymix 75% kbg, 25% prg. Coating 50% = 30 pounds seed - 6 pounds per 1000sqft

Spread half the seed, top dressed with just under 2 cubic yards of top soil. Then spread the other half of the seed. Fertlized with starter fert 24-25-4 giving .5 pound N and P per. Will hit it again with fert. in a week or two.

Light raking, covered it all with 5 big bricks of peat moss. Now I water water water and wait!

One mishap - after mowing the lawn for the 100th time cleaning up thatch I was getting tired and not as careful as I was earlier. Backed the mower up and the bracket from the checkmate I left on folded under. Ripped it off, mangling the blade and bracket, need to replace both.

Now I take advil and lie down for a day!


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks like some serious carnage... Looking forward to the results. I used that Scott 75kbg/25prg coated seed last year for my play ground reno. It was better than expected. You can see how it turned out at the end of last year on page 6 of my journal..


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Stuofsci02 said:


> Looks like some serious carnage... Looking forward to the results. I used that Scott 75kbg/25prg coated seed last year for my play ground reno. It was better than expected. You can see how it turned out at the end of last year on page 6 of my journal..


It was serious carnage and tough to do as it didn't really need it to this extent. I figured no pain no gain, this will be my last fall overseed for a couple seasons as I plan to start a pre emergent next year to deal with poa. Your play area looks great, nice dark green, it was like an oasis in the desert for you this summer back there!


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Wow. That's a lot of work...


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## mucknine (Jul 8, 2019)

Damn DAM! That is a lot of work. I'm sure it'll pay off. I'm looking forward to seeing the results.


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