# SodFace's Newcomer 2020 Journal - Ottawa



## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Hello all from Ottawa, Ontario.

Time to start a journal here instead of just on my phone. My journey into giving a crap about my lawn only started this year. I've always fertilized, watered, de-grubified, and weed picked in the past. Now I am armed with some better tools, better products, and an interest in lawn care.

The turf we're dealing with here is sod laid just over a year ago(new construction). I have a nice little green(city) space behind me with a little creek going through. Total lawn size is just about 3900 square feet. Sod laid was mix of KBG, PRG, and TF. I don't mind the mix for now and will be sticking with it for now.

I have a smaller frontage and a larger backyard in this house.

Going into the fall I will be doing an overseed of my narrower side yard with some fine fescue as that side gets barely any sun and little water(might be an issue in summer). I am giving it one year to wow me then I am looking at some soft landscaping.

This year has seen me grow by:
-Using real weed killer instead of the crap in stores here
-Caring about core aeration and getting that done to break up my clay soil
-Started applying FAS
-Started spraying Kelp and Humic
-Spraying at all! I had never owned a sprayer.
-Learned more about fertilizer besides following the Scott's/CIL program blindly
-Measuring how much water I put down
-1/3rd rule and proper mowing height
-Soil testing!

General goals:
-Denser lawn
-Greener lawn
-Fix soil issues like compaction
-Pre-emergent strategy dialed in
-Pest deterrance

Here's a couple photos to start it off...

Side yard which I'm not too upset about besides needing a in-ground garden:


Back part that struggles with sun and soil:


Need a good front yard pic...


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Did my first FAS spray application last Saturday. I think I see a difference. Only issue is the dog was let out for a minute and smelt awful of iron when he came back in.

In the mail today was some Prodiamine 65 WDG which I'll apply soon. Also got some Talstar P as the Japanese beetles are eating my little tree in the back. Will need some Imidacloprid for next summer! No grub damage yet but I read an article about them being able to see some colour and are dissuaded from brown and attracted to green  . I've fought these demons in the past. Also for the mosquitoes and maybe ticks around although I want to be responsible in my applications.


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## doverosx (Aug 7, 2019)

Right on my fellow Ottawa lawn nut!

Does your backyard back into a path? I keep an eye out for domination lawns whenever I go for long walks ;-).


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

doverosx said:


> Right on my fellow Ottawa lawn nut!
> 
> Does your backyard back into a path? I keep an eye out for domination lawns whenever I go for long walks ;-).


No path but conservation area! I hope I can keep up the domination line. New owners next door that are treating the lawn a lot nicer.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Had a new dude come by and do core Aeration tonight. Dealing with that compacted clay in the back. Going to spread some mushroom compost over once I mulch up the cores hopefully tomorrow to try and introduce some more organic matter.

Fence posts in on the side we don't have a fence yet. So far so good...no lawn destruction, really. They managed to just fold the sod right back over the posts which impressed me.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Aeration went well. Did a thorough mow this morning to bring my HOC down a bit and try to break up the plugs a little.

The plugs in the back look decent:


The ones out front seem to indicate more thatch so might need to take care of that. Likely next year I think:


Temperatures heading down lower these days. Lower-mid 20°'s as the highs (low 70°'s). Should be tackling the narrow side yard shade mix overseed in the next couple days.


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## doverosx (Aug 7, 2019)

Perfect seeding weather coming up for us...naturally after putting my seed down...literally right after.....

A tornado warning was blasted. Sorry Ottawa, my seeding project brought a tornado over lol


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Did a cut yesterday afternoon.

Scalped the two areas I wanted to overseed (very little existing grass for the most part). Goal here was to fill in the areas and on the side I wanted to bring up the soil level a bit. The back small patch is a standard TF/PRG/KBG mix. On the side I put down some fine fescue as it gets very little sun. I give it until next summer and if it still sucks I'll be looking at alternative landscaping there. That side of my house is essentially never used.



No tenacity due to fine fescue. Let's hope for the best. If it gets really bad I'll do an app later on...such a small area that hand pulling should be ok.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Threw down .5lb of N over the lawn last night. Using my huge leftover bag of Scott's 32-0-10 Fall fert. Caught some rain overnight even.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Staying on top of watering for now... Hopefully the upcoming thunderstorm doesn't wash any away. I'll post my DIY setup for the side when I get a picture.

Found a little Poa Annua today! Ugh!


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Put down a low dose of Prodiamine. Probably late to the game for my area but oh well.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Just a cut yesterday. Some baby grass popping up in the back.

Here's a couple photos of my shitty DIY irrigation for my side yard. Orbit single line timer from Amazon and a misting hose held in place with garden staples(the ones used to hold down weed barrier fabric). Back is just a hose and sprinkler I leave in place and turn on manually at random times all day. Hating that.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Spot sprayed some weeds and applied FAS in anticipation of a thunderstorm tonight or tomorrow. I think the FAS is helping the colour pretty good as my lawn is much darker green than either neighbour.

Bunch of baby grass in both overseed locations. I kinda expected the fine fescue to take off quicker but really good showing so far.

Fun pic... sometimes you don't feel good about your turf until you get another angle of it:


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Put down some starter fertilizer on my grass babies. It has filled in much more since the pictures above.


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## doverosx (Aug 7, 2019)

I bet it's looking great! I know mine is doing really well...I need to get the pictures up.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

doverosx said:


> I bet it's looking great! I know mine is doing really well...I need to get the pictures up.


Me too! I'll get some seed updates soon too. Happy with the KBG/PRG mix nottttt so pleased with the FF shade mix. We'll see if anything grows on that side!


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Today a mow and application of 32-0-10 @ 0.5lb per 1k.


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## doverosx (Aug 7, 2019)

Nice. I've grown to hate the fine bladed fescues but they are acceptable when cut low (2-2.5").


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

doverosx said:


> Nice. I've grown to hate the fine bladed fescues but they are acceptable when cut low (2-2.5").


It was forced for me. My narrower side yard gets so little sunlight. The sod that was laid did well initially then has slowly died until this summer where there was lots of bare spots. The mix couldn't handle it even though the rest of the lawn is good. Anyway this is an experiment...if it sucks I'm going to move to non-grass landscaping in the bad spots.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Couple mows since last post. Screwed my back up bad so the wife cut the lawn for the first time. She didn't do that bad! I chastised he a bit to keep it straight but I'm overall impressed. She doesn't trim though so the edges were shaggy for a few days.





Back seeded spot looks fantastic. Didn't bother with mesotrione for this one spot and had to pick a bunch of assorted weeds. There's a bunch of pressure from the other side of the fence.


As for the narrow super shady side...not so impressed with the fine fescue already. Let's see where this goes. Along the side of the garage looks fine(seed transitions from Northern mix to FF) but the part that was nearly bare is quite thin.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Seeded a couple bare spots...not sure it'll take but it was either that or leave it bare until spring.

Spot sprayed mesotrione. First on the bare spots and the parts seeded over a month ago. Then to some broadleaf, crabgrass, and POA A spots when I added some surfactant. I hope a nice app of Prodiamine next spring will reduce the POA a and crabgrass presence.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Mow and a quick picture today. Fence is in now so the lawn is pretty wrecked. Machine got stuck and dug in some tread marks which made me sad. I guess plan is to fill in divets with soil and dormant seed I guess. I'll need to do some seeding in spring which blows.


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