# First lawn journal (amateur)



## Maritimer 99 (May 31, 2021)

I will be starting this journal to keep track of progress. Last year was the first year in our new build and I was in a rush to get grass down due to muddy dog prints in the house. I used cheap grass seed from a local feed store that consisted of mostly annual rye along with some other species.

After a long summer of red thread due to starting grass late and one of the most humid summers on record, and an overall shitty "lawn", I decided to overseed with 100% KBG. It worked out pretty good compared to what I started with. If I would have had a journal I would have better records to look back on.

I am going to attempt to keep up to this but having a toddler and being self employed, along with my wife working two jobs, this may get neglected a bit.

I have mowed yesterday for the first time at 1 3/4" to promote spread (I believe). Today I noticed some of the lawn has lightened in color. I could have waited another week but I was getting impatient and some of the darker dense kbg was getting tall.

I am ordering a power rake/dethatcher attachment for my yard boss I just picked up and I will be power raking the septic field that has a steep decline that is littered with pine needles. Once the soil temps are up which I'm thinking with be in another 2 weeks I will be overseeding. It's shaded in that area in the late afternoon so I'm confident it will work out over the summer.

There is also a patch along the side of the lawn near my sons play area that needs to be seeded. I dumped some of the left over compost from last years top dressing so there is about 2" that I will be tilling into the ground before seeding.

I am planning on throwing down some amendments and ferts on the rest of the lawn but I'm debating what to use. My possible list is:

Scott's soil build'r
Alfalfa pellets
Kelp meal
Gypsum
12-27-18
Compost top dressing 
Natures finest 9-2-2 "organic" fertilizer

As I mentioned I top dressed with compost last year before my overseed and I don't want to go through that again so soon. I'm gonna shop around and weigh it out.

I have a f*** ton of sedge and other grassy looking weeds. Mostly in the area I ran out of topsoil when seeding last May and had to send the wife out to to get a little bit to finish. She went to walmart. Big mistake. I will be spot treating it with a sponge stain applicator and glyphosate.

Here's the lawn today, the day after the first cut.


----------



## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

In all honesty your lawn looks good for a very young grass. Feed it consistently and it will be great.

Honest opinion, get a sedge directed herbecide. Members do a split here frequently and you will get a much effective product. Or get the single use packets of sedgehammer.


----------



## Maritimer 99 (May 31, 2021)

uts said:


> In all honesty your lawn looks good for a very young grass. Feed it consistently and it will be great.
> 
> Honest opinion, get a sedge directed herbecide. Members do a split here frequently and you will get a much effective product. Or get the single use packets of sedgehammer.


Thanks! I appreciate it. The lawn is definitely still waking up though. I'm thinking I'm gonna throw down some synthetic fertilizer to get a bit of green up and stretch it's legs, then in May I'll start with the organics.

I'm in Canada so it's hard finding any selective herbicides other than 2-4d. I think I have found a lead now though.


----------



## Maritimer 99 (May 31, 2021)

Lawn is looking better today. We got 1.5" of rain yesterday. I was hoping my echo rb60 would be here by now but it's hasn't come yet. I looked around at what I had on hand and found some Scott's turf builder pro. I threw that down in the morning before the rain at 1/4 recommended rate. In another week or two I will be applying more fertilizer.


----------



## Maritimer 99 (May 31, 2021)

My rb 60 came on Wednesday evening. Thursday I tested positive so I have been in isolation. I had some lime on hand so I spread some where I have had lots of pine needles drop. Soon going to need another mow.


----------



## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

Looking really good with some light feedings,warm weather and weekly cutting it will fill in spread and mature.


----------



## Maritimer 99 (May 31, 2021)

Work is crazy busy and time has gotten away from me. Sunday April 24th I dropped about 1 lbs of N, .5 lbs of P, and .3 of K. Per 1k.

We had also received almost 1.5" of rain in the last week. On Sunday May 1st I cut at 2.5"

The last two days have been quite sunny. Today it was 57 degrees and yesterday was 54. Ground temps are also rising. I'm making an effort in this next week to go grab a couple bags of alfalfa pellets to throw down. Seed heads are starting to appear.

Pictures from today


----------



## Maritimer 99 (May 31, 2021)

Cut the lawn at 2 1/2" on Saturday may 7. Decided to pull the striping kit out. I was cutting it short as I thought that promoted spread but I read online that keeping it a 2 1/2" is a healthy height and that's what you want. Keeping it at peak health will do more for spreadability.

I managed to make it to a feed store that sold 50lb bags of alfalfa but I couldn't be sure if it was of any quality and I was worried I might get alfalfa germinating in my lawn. Not sure if that's a legit concern. I'll probably apply one more dose of synthetic ferts before I switch to organics. I also started a rock/shrub garden on the side of my house to dress it up a bit.


----------



## Maritimer 99 (May 31, 2021)

Cut the lawn at 2 7/8" on Monday, as I was late to mow and didn't want to break the 1/3 rule. Cut again tonight at 2 1/2". The *** is really thickening up. We have rain coming tomorrow night so the plan is to try and find the time to spread some 24-7-7 with 2% iron. Next app with be organics (9-2-2 Natures finest)













These last pics are of where rock gardens will be going and will be sacrificed to the pro plugger I just got in the mail today. Plugs will be used to clean up the side yard by the existing rock garden I've been working on next to the driveway.







I was told I wouldn't see any "daughter plants" until at least the following year. I am pretty confident I have been seeing rhizomes and I feel the thickening is confirming this.


----------



## Maritimer 99 (May 31, 2021)

I have been really busy with work, and I had a close death in the family, so I haven't had the chance to post anything.

My lawn got neglected and was about 6-8" in height. I cut it at 4" on Tuesday as that's as high my mower will go. It seems to have responded well.

The lawn is filing in dog pee spots really well. I took some plugs from where the rock garden wraps around the house and placed them up in some crummy spots in the side lawn.

I'm going to take some soil samples and check the ph. I have a feeling I need to add some lime. I will also be throwing down some more fertilizer in the coming week. Also need to get an iron/24d app down and also some kelp/humic.

I scalped my septic bed down and threw down some seed on Saturday. it gets morning and early afternoon sun till around 2pm, so I think the *** will be fine through summer. It's still getting a little cold at night but the soil temps here are 60-65 so I should be fine. It may add a little more time than usual


----------

