# Bauc54's Lawn Journal



## bauc54

I am brand new to TLF and you will find that I am a newb in terms of both my knowledge of lawn care and the decisions that need to be made to have the nicest lawn possible. I am also extremely happy to have found this website and I look forward to adding what I can in the future.

I built a new house last year and had the lawn sodded with Tif 419 because I wanted the tee box kind of look. I did not communicate well with my landscape architect and wound up with a very uneven lawn. He had no idea that I was looking for an absolutely level lawn that I could cut "reel" low. After the final grade, the soil was very level. Then came irrigation. The soil above the irrigation lines was not properly compacted before the sod was laid and now I have a lawn that has high and low spots. My fault because I should have let the landscape architect know what my expectation was. Sod was planted in early March of last year. I had it sanded twice last year but the landscaper used a power brush to work the sand into the yard and never completed a final leveling step with a rake or drag mat. I let the lawn winter at approximately 1.5 inches. In early February it was treated with pre-emergent and a fertilizer. I am not exactly sure what was used as I hire that portion of lawn care out. This week I have had my lawn de-thatched and scalped. I am looking for any and all advice for levelling the lawn and getting my HOC in the .75 inch range. I am willing to put in a large amount of effort so please feel free to hit me with what you think is necessary.

Last year I used a Mclane 10 blade that I purchased off of craigslist and had serviced to bring it up to speed. I spent a lot of time working on the mower and not actually mowing the lawn. So, this year I have also pulled the trigger on a new Swardman Edwin55(22in) 6 blade reel, grooved front roller, rubber drum, speed reducer kit, transport casters, and the brush cartridge (I have an artificial turf putting green, plan on using the brush to keep it in top shape and I might use the brush cartridge in levelling projects) and leather grips. Photos of the mower to come when it arrives. I placed the order with Lee Purcell of Reel Rollers and I highly recommend communicating directly with Lee if you have any questions regarding the Swardman line of mowers and cartridges.

Scalping/dethatching was completed the day before these pictures were taken and the pictures were taken today after I ran the sprinklers.

Backyard overview (picture taken facing north)


Backyard Side View



Current state of Tif 419


Backyard (picture taken facing south)


Backyard major problem area


This is one of my largest problems. This is on the North side of my house where the grass doesn't get full sun. Additionally, the soil is below the level of the concrete surface and water pools in this area when it rains despite my gutters. Having a lot of difficulty getting grass to grow here. Can I bring the level of grass here up to the level of the concrete with one sanding?


East side of front yard
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West side of front yard


Post scalping, down to dirt in some areas 


Problem spot on east side of house. Doesn't get full sun. Will this fill in? How can I promote growth?


Currently in West Texas temperatures are on the rise and my lawn is already beginning to green up. The landscape architect is supposed to be coming again soon to complete another sanding of the lawn. His crew always uses a power broom to get the sand down into the turf. My current plan is to complete my own spot levelling after the LA completes his overall sanding. Then I will fertilize. Once the grass is coming through at a height of 0.75 inches I will start to mow every 3-4 days. Initially I plan on using my Mclane as I don't want to scar the blades on my new reel. Here are my questions (I apologize if they have already been answered in other threads):

1.)	What fertilizer should be used now or after sanding/leveling is complete?
2.)	For the low spots/problem spots that I have already highlighted, can I level them out in one sanding or will it take several to make sure I don't choke the Bermuda out in these areas that don't receive full sun?
3.)	Should I complete further scalping if I want to maintain a HOC of .75inches? (see current state of Tif pic above)
4.)	Will I be able to maintain a HOC of .75 inches if occasionally I go 5 days between mowing?(I travel a lot for work and sometimes I am gone on trips that make mowing every 3-4 days impossible)
5.) Should I just use the Edwin as soon as the grass is tall enough to cut or am I correct in saving the blades and using my Mclane reel?
6.)	Are there any other ideas/suggestions out there?

Thank y'all for any information you give me. I really appreciate the help and I'm excited to be part of this community.


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## Ware

Welcome to TLF! Have you read this thread on leveling?


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## bauc54

@Ware Thanks! I have read a little bit of it and I will continue with it now.


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## Mightyquinn

1) What have you used in the past? Where do you typically buy your fertilizer? You will want something that is high in Nitrogen like 29-0-4. 
2) It could be done, but if the area isn't getting at least 6-8 hours of sun the bermuda will slowly decline in those areas. Anything on the North side right next to the house or fence will most likely never get thick like the rest of the lawn will, you may have to consider doing something else with that area(flower/planting beds)
3) If you are wanting to maintain or start at .75" you will need to scalp BELOW that to achieve that HOC, try and shoot for about .50" HOC when scalping.
4) You may be able to maintain that HOC if you use a PGR(Plant Growth Regulator like Primo Maxx or T-Nex) regularly.
5) If it was me, I would wait until the lawn is about 75-100% greened up before taking her on the maiden voyage, just use the McClane until then so you will know of any obstacles that may cause harm to the new mower.
6) What do you plan on hiring out in regards to the lawn care side of things this year? Remember this is a marathon and not a sprint, just be patient and don't try to rush things and you will have the lawn you want before you know it.

Welcome to TLF!


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## Bunnysarefat

I have a hard time believing those spots on the side of your house up near the house and fence is ever going to get enough sun to give he same results as the rest of your yard. Unless it's getting 5-6 solid hours of sun it will never fill in fully. That's bare minimum. 4.5 hours won't work, it will be thin.


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## Colonel K0rn

Looks like you're in better shape than some of us when we joined TLF. One of the things I would recommend is to try PGR on the whole yard, to echo what MQ said. I'm pretty sure that with some sanding, and the PGR, you'd more than likely promote enough root growth to support lateral spread and increased vigor in problem areas like where the water is pooling on your yard.

My $0.02, the area by my pool was the only area that I treated with PGR last year, just to see how it would work, and since I did a renovation on the front, I wanted to try it out in the back to see how it would work. That area that I treated withstood our winter, where we got snow, for the first time in 8 years of living here, and a unseasonably cold winter and my dogs. I've had to mow that area twice already, and it is thriving... meanwhile, I'm still waiting for my front yard to wake up.


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## bauc54

@Mightyquinn Thank you for the information. In the past I have hired out most of my fertilizing and weed control. The fertilizers I purchased in the past were whatever looked the best at one of the big box stores. I now realize how little I actually know about lawn care but I will take your advice and find some 29-0-4 and then follow your suggestions from the new testament and your leveling thread as I move further along.

I haven't exactly decided what I will hire out this year. I would like to get to a point where I can do everything on my own but it seems like I need a spray rig to make that happen. However, buying the spray rig and all of the chemicals sounds pretty expensive and I have already dropped a large chunk on the mower.

Is it feasible to do the spraying with a hand sprayer or does it have to be one of the rolling sprayers?


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## bauc54

@Bunnysarefat I agree with you. I have a tough if not impossible road ahead to get the tif to fill in in these areas. I think I might have a better shot at it if I can keep the water from pooling in those areas.

Additionally, the landscaper accidentally put strips of celebration in that area because he ran out of tif and then ordered a few rolls of the wrong variant. The celebration did much better than the tif but it didn't look right so I had him come back and replace it with tif. In June, July and August, the turf in that area actually does get 5.5-6 hours of sun so I'm hoping with the help of ideas on this thread I can get it to spread enough to get a reasonable result.


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## bauc54

@Colonel K0rn Should I find a way to get some PGR down before sanding? Your experience and comments make me think it will be possible to get the problem areas to fill in.


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## Colonel K0rn

bauc54 said:


> Should I find a way to get some PGR down before sanding? Your experience and comments make me think it will be possible to get the problem areas to fill in.


You're going to want to let the turf recover from the sanding and your initial mows during greenup, and wait until the temps get into the consistent 80°F days and you're having to mow pretty frequently. You should then look at applying the PGR to help slow the vertical growth, and promote lateral spread. We've got a PGR group buy going on in the Equipment Exchange subforum that's pinned at the top, and you can get a bottle that would be appropriate for the size of yard you're trying to maintain. There's a few more days before the group buy is closed, so there's plenty of time for you to calculate how much you are going to need. First, I would recommend that you go to the top of the Warm Season subforum, and read the PGR thread to familiarize yourself with the product. That thread should answer a lot of your questions, and see some of the results that members have had with liquid gold.


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## Mightyquinn

bauc54 said:


> @Mightyquinn Thank you for the information. In the past I have hired out most of my fertilizing and weed control. The fertilizers I purchased in the past were whatever looked the best at one of the big box stores. I now realize how little I actually know about lawn care but I will take your advice and find some 29-0-4 and then follow your suggestions from the new testament and your leveling thread as I move further along.
> 
> I haven't exactly decided what I will hire out this year. I would like to get to a point where I can do everything on my own but it seems like I need a spray rig to make that happen. However, buying the spray rig and all of the chemicals sounds pretty expensive and I have already dropped a large chunk on the mower.
> 
> Is it feasible to do the spraying with a hand sprayer or does it have to be one of the rolling sprayers?


With only 5K of lawn I would look into getting a battery powered backpack sprayer for your needs and that will open up a whole new world of possibilities :thumbup:

A lot of members have this sprayer and really like it. Chapin 20V Backpack Sprayer


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## Tellycoleman

Welcome to TLF
I would question your lawn provider who put down fertilizer on your dormant lawn in February. Unless your lawn was/is at least 50% green up I wouldn't put anymore fertilizer on it. Your grass didn't use any of it in February while dormant and it's just feeding the weeds. But you are in Texas. Not sure about your Bermuda condition in feb. 
Either way the deeper you get sucked into the life of lawn care. The more you will get the "I'll do it myself attitude"
When do you plan to level the lawn?


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## bauc54

Well, I decided to get the Chapin push sprayer after all. My brother in law lives down the street and he was willing to split it. I'm going to take the plunge into handling everything this year.

He and I are also looking in to buying some PGR in the area. Depending on what we can find we might be interested in the group buy.


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## bauc54

Tellycoleman said:


> When do you plan to level the lawn?


The landscaper is supposed to be coming in the next week or so to do his portion of leveling. Then I will reassess and likely level at the end of this month/early next month. My yard is starting to green up now but I am only seeing the beginning signs.


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## Tellycoleman

I am not in anyway a professional but I think it is discouraged to top dress or level a pre existing lawn while it is still dormant. 
I hope someone else will confirm or deny. 
Topdressing during dormancy is only going to give you a sandbox in your lawn until growth returns in the spring. It leaves the area prone to washout if you get a heavy rain which is also likely during the spring. I would wait until full greenup. You already scalped the lawn to the dirt which is good but under the dirt are rhizomes and roots holding everything together. You want to topdressing when the grass is actively growing and when the sand has something to stop erosion. It is to early for fertilizer it's to early fo pgr. As a matter of fact. I question the use of pgr if your doing a heavy topdressing. Pgr slows top growth which is what you want your Bermuda to do if it's covered in sand. 
. I hope someone else chimes in and tells me I'm wrong. but I think your making a mistake by topdressing this early. I just would want someone to tell me. 
I'm itching to do stuff to. However I would slow down and wait a month. One spring thunderstorm will wash away you hard work and money.


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## Mightyquinn

+1 Telly!


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## Ware

+2


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## bauc54

Alright, it's settled then. I'll have the landscaper wait until green up. My thought in having him do it now was to be able to see all of the high and low spots a little more easily but I can see where that line of thinking is incorrect.

Thanks for the input!


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## bauc54

New mower shipped today! Supposed to be here on the 13th. Hoping the customs issues that @Topcat is having are worked out...


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## J_nick

:beer: Congratulations :yahoo:

I don't need one but I want one :mrgreen:


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## Ware

Congrats!


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## gijoe4500

bauc54 said:


> New mower shipped today! Supposed to be here on the 13th. Hoping the customs issues that @Topcat is having are worked out...


What part of texas you in? Ready to sell that 10 blade mclane? lol. Congrats on the new mower.


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## Topcat

bauc54 said:


> New mower shipped today! Supposed to be here on the 13th. Hoping the customs issues that @Topcat is having are worked out...


Congrats! Tracking info for mine still shows it coming tomorrow by noon. However I am not getting my hopes up, because it shows no info after hitting Belgium 2 days ago. FedEx has all the required customs forms. I sent the agent that contacted me an email and she confirmed all paperwork is in order.


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## Mightyquinn

Congratulations!!! I do think that ribbed rubber drum is a game changer for some home lawns that have severe slopes.


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## bauc54

@gijoe4500 I'm up in Lubbock. Quite a drive for you to make for a used mower... LOL but hey, I'll let you know if I decide to get rid of it.


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## bauc54

Mightyquinn said:


> Congratulations!!! I do think that ribbed rubber drum is a game changer for some home lawns that have severe slopes.


My yard has no elevation change other than the low and high spots. LOL. In talking with @Reelrollers I decided the ribbed drum wouldn't hurt anything in my yard and it might help if I ever decided to sell.


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## bauc54

@Mightyquinn "You will want something that is high in Nitrogen like 29-0-4. "

My yard is starting to peak through with green. Should I apply something like this before leveling?

If so, are you aware of a sprayable so I can put the new Chapin push sprayer in use?


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## gijoe4500

bauc54 said:


> @gijoe4500 I'm up in Lubbock. Quite a drive for you to make for a used mower... LOL but hey, I'll let you know if I decide to get rid of it.


Yeah, for that much of a drive, it would pretty much have to be free! haha.


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## Mightyquinn

I would not apply any fertilizer until your lawn is at least 75% greened up as anything you do apply right now will most likely just go to waste. It is a good idea to apply some fertilizer before leveling as you should be watering it frequently to encourage growth through the sand.

Yes, I am aware of liquid fertilizers you can buy that are similar to the granular 29-0-4 but they are VERY cost prohibitive as you are paying a lot for water and their "special formulations". I would just stick with the granular for now.


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## bauc54

Green up is coming along nicely. Today I scalped again with the McLane on the lowest notch. Scalped in three directions and was able to remove more material with each pass. I was occasionally trimming a little green due to the high and low spots.

I'm still waiting on the Edwin55 to come in. Customs issues have held it up.

I'm going to wait a while longer until most of the yard is green and then spread 29-0-4 as suggested by @Mightyquinn. Patience is not one of my virtues so turning this lawn into a show lawn will be a good lesson.

Still happy to hear any suggestions :mrgreen:


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## Fishnugget

bauc54 said:


> New mower shipped today! Supposed to be here on the 13th. Hoping the customs issues that @Topcat is having are worked out...


That is one sexy machine!


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## bauc54

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: The Edwin was released from customs yesterday and delivered today. I plan on putting it through its paces when I get home from work. I'll post some more images later on.



The brush cartridge is in this box.



They send a bag to protect the leather grips. The quality and care in packaging reminds me of opening an Apple product.


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## Ware

I'm jealous! What are your first impressions?


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## bauc54

First impressions are that this is a marvel of engineering! No reel adjustments were necessary as it easily cut paper all the way across the bedknife. The Kawasaki engine fired up on the first pull after filling the oil and gas tanks. I ran it across the lawn a couple of times and the cut was so much better than I can get with my Mclane. It managed the uneven areas well.

I also switched cartridges and put the brush on. The switching process is quite simple and if I can figure it out, most people can. I then ran the brush across my artificial turf just to see how it does. It worked very well and the putting green looks almost as good as the day it was installed. With a little more time(I was on my lunch break) I could have had it looking brand new.

I plan on taking my turf to .5" tonight. I'll post more info as it comes to mind. I'm not as experienced with a reel as @Ware and @Redtenchu are but I'll try to give a more in depth review as I get more time with this bad machine!


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## Ware

Good stuff. :thumbup:


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## Redtenchu

Congrats, I'm excited for you!


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## Rockinar

Awesome. Congrats on the Sward. Thats the color I would have got also.


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## Mightyquinn

Congrats on getting the mower through customs!!! Great to see so many Swardsman's on here and can't wait to see how they perform over the season.


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## bauc54

Green up was/is coming along very nicely. Today we got our first measurable rainfall in 99 days and it was accompanied by pea sized hail. 1.5" was enough to flood my yard and drive home the need for leveling. My bother in law also got me some EZ wet after reading the wetting/surfactant posts. Hopefully it will help alleviate some of this problem once I have a chance to put it down.

I will be doing my first leveling project at the end of April/early May. I plan on generally spreading 1 yard of sand/1k. Then i will use the rotary brush on my Sward to work the sand into the turf and finally use a drag mat to level as much as possible.

I have mowed 2 times with the sward and the front and rear rollers make a huge difference when mowing over the high and low spots. For those that are on the fence about pulling the trigger on one of these mowers, pull the trigger. You will not be disappointed and @Reelrollers will be very helpful.

A few questions:

1. The areas around the concrete patio that are holding water in these pics are 1" or so below the level of the concrete. For those that have areas like these that hold water, is there any hope that I will be able to build up the soil and turf enough to alleviate this problem? Any pointers?

2. I am currently mowing the lawn at .25" based on the Sward's HOC adjustment. My hope is that mowing low like this will encourage root growth and thus help the turf to spread and cover the bare spots. Am I incorrect in thinking this? Should I be doing something else if my hope is to thicken the turf and fill in the areas that are down to dirt from scalping?

3. I have the FAS that @Mightyquinn posted about on the way. I went with the original products in the first post not the new chelated product. When should I start applying this?

Thanks for any and all help!


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## Mightyquinn

You are going to need to build those ares around your patio up with sand gradually over the season, the sand should help with drainage and moving water away from the house.

Did you ever get any PGR? That will help it spread and thicken up. I'm curious to see if you can maintain .25" all year. You will want to start spraying the FAS once the lawn is mostly greened up.


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## bauc54

@Mightyquinn We have some PGR on the way as well but I was going to wait on applying that until after my first leveling project.

It's hard to tell from these pictures but my lawn is mostly greened up now. I don't plan on maintaining it at .25" all year. I'm just starting low. I travel quite a bit for work and some of my international trips can be 5-7 days worth of travel. No way I can keep it at .25" but it will give me some room to work with in hopes that I can keep it between .5" and .75".


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## Spammage

bauc54 said:


> bother in law


This is my favorite reference ever, and it was probably an accident. :lol:


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## bauc54

Hahaha, I would edit that but @dsbuckle can be pretty bothersome from time to time.


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## dsbuckle

bauc54 said:


> Hahaha, I would edit that but @dsbuckle can be pretty bothersome from time to time.


 :lol:


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## Colonel K0rn

Dang, that crown in the middle is going to make it difficult to get it to be completely level, but on a good note, you can see the level that you need to bring the soil up to. I think once you get your grass out of dormancy, and get your first sanding done, you'll be on track to have a nice and level lot. The PGR is definitely going to help drive the roots deep, and help with the lateral spread. You've got some good tools at your disposal to transform your lot into a nice surface. Just remember, this is a marathon, and not a race. It's going to take a couple of seasons to get it pool-table flat. My yard, not so much... more like 3-4 years.


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## bauc54

Haha, thanks @Colonel K0rn . I'm persistent if anything so I think I'll be able to get it to a decent result. As you can tell, I'm still working on the whole concept of being patient...


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## Llano Estacado

@bauc54 I've got similar issues as you. I'm starting my leveling project this weekend. I'm in Shallowater. Curious as to who built your house for you?


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## Rockinar

Just my opinion, I'd wait till June-july-august to do the sanding/leveling. Might be greening up, but its not really growing much. You are going to be looking at a sand lawn for at least a month if you do now. In the summer it will only be 2 weeks. I'd hit it in June, then again in August.

Thats just me.


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## Colonel K0rn

Rockinar said:


> Just my opinion, I'd wait till June-july-august to do the sanding/leveling. Might be greening up, but its not really growing much. You are going to be looking at a sand lawn for at least a month if you do now. In the summer it will only be 2 weeks. I'd hit it in June, then again in August.
> 
> Thats just me.


Good advice. @bauc54 You'll want to wait at least 3-4 weeks after your last application of PGR to give it time to wear off, and have the plant actively growing before you do your sanding. That way it'll have plenty of carbs stored up to push through the sand quickly and not stress it out too much. When your evening temps are in the mid 60's is when you should look to do your first app of PGR.


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## bauc54

@Llano Estacado Salyer homes was my builder. I would highly recommend them. I picked the landscaper as he is a friend of mine and it was kind of done separately from the main build. A lot of people around here complain about their builder and the process. Most things went perfectly for us and the Salyers were and still are quick to fix any problems that arise.


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## bauc54

@Rockinar @Colonel K0rn Thanks for the advice. I'll take some more pictures tonight when I get home from work. Last night I applied some EZ wet that @dsbuckle gave me. I'm hoping it will help with the puddling issues that I currently have.


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## bauc54

Update on the lawn:

On Friday I applied Grubex and a bag of 27-0-2. This was as close as I could find to the 29-0-4 that was recommended by @Mightyquinn . The lawn is coming along but the cooler night time temps are causing fluctuations in growth. I took these pics last night after I mowed.







The turf looks pretty good in some areas and I have plenty of need for heat and sun in other areas.











I looked at a couple of pics from my lawn this past October and the strips that are still dormant actually filled in pretty well by that time. I am still hopeful that with heat, sun, PGR, EZ wet and some love, I will be able to get these trouble areas to fill in. The backyard is also starting to show some signs of striping in the areas that are growing well. My first time to see it and I can see why it is addictive. Thanks for all of the continued advice!


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## Llano Estacado

@bauc54 you can get 29-0-4 at Ace Hardware. Its is the Ace Hardware branded fertilizer. I bought some at the one at 19th & Frankford by Academy.


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## bauc54

@Llano Estacado thanks for the heads up. I'll check Ace before my next app.


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## Mightyquinn

I think I recommended the 29-0-4 because you had some on hand but anyway what you put down is fine and the lawn isn't going to know the difference  I think some people get too caught up in the numbers when it comes to fertilizer( I know I did at one time ) and as long as you can get something close to what is recommended you will be just fine :thumbup:


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## Rockinar

Mightyquinn said:


> I think I recommended the 29-0-4 because you had some on hand but anyway what you put down is fine and the lawn isn't going to know the difference  I think some people get too caught up in the numbers when it comes to fertilizer( I know I did at one time ) and as long as you can get something close to what is recommended you will be just fine :thumbup:


For example look at Connor Wards fertilizer video. He's like "I don't know, I just buy whatever is on sale". I think people get too wrapped up in exact numbers.


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## MrMeaner

bauc54 said:


> @Llano Estacado thanks for the heads up. I'll check Ace before my next app.


Yo.. Im in Lubbock out in the Highland Oaks subdivision. Give me a shout if you need some help!! Buy your ferts and supplies from Pro-Chem here in town, best prices and they have the correct blended fertilizers for our area.


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## MrMeaner

MrMeaner said:


> bauc54 said:
> 
> 
> 
> @Llano Estacado thanks for the heads up. I'll check Ace before my next app.
> 
> 
> 
> Yo.. Im in Lubbock out in the Highland Oaks subdivision. Give me a shout if you need some help!! Buy your ferts and supplies from Pro-Chem here in town, best prices and they have the correct blended fertilizers for our area.
Click to expand...

Is this Blake Baucum BTW? This is John Sorensen from Lakeridge.


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## bauc54

@MrMeaner Hey John, yessir it is. Thanks for the tips.


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## MrMeaner

Nice!! If you need some help don't hesitate to ask and BTW I would love to check out your new mower sometime.


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## MrMeaner

Blake, Ill give you some PGR when you ready for it - have a gallon of that stuff and it will only take you a little to do your yard.


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## bauc54

@MrMeaner Sounds good to me. I won't turn it down. You're welcome to check out the mower or try it on your own lawn if you really want to get some steps in.


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## MrMeaner

Call me or shoot me a textwhen your ready for it - Ill put some in another jar or something for you and bring it over - where do you live. I'm out in Highland oaks area - Slide and Woodrow

Lol.... I'm trying to do less work not more on the lawn - I live out here on an acre and is a bitch to take care of even with a huge triplex reel, ready to move in town and have a bunch of fake grass to look at lol

806-559-0503


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## bauc54

@MrMeaner Haha, sounds good to me. I live in Oakmont. 116th street between slide and quaker.

806-632-2960


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## bauc54

A quick update on where things stand now. I have received a lot of great advice from this thread and done my best to implement it. The trouble spots are filling in slowly but surely. The areas that were taken down to dirt during the scalp/dethatch are also coming in slowly. I plan on taking on my first leveling project in the next week or so. HOC is at .25" per the scale on the Swardman and I am mowing 2 times per week to keep it at that height.

This has been my regiment so far:

Lawn journal 2018

Scalp in late feb

3-19-18 First fertilizer- Milorganite at a rate of 2-36lb bags for the whole lawn. Soil temps were supposedly right at 60 degrees

4-6-18 Grubex applied 1- 14.35 lb bag for the whole lawn with about 1/4 leftover

4-6-18 Scott's Green Max 27-0-2
1- 16.9lb bag for whole yard with some leftover

4-8-18 EZ wet applied at 25oz/whole yard half in backyard half in front yard

4-15-18
Made first app of FAS 1 bag in 4 gallons was only enough for 2/3 of the yard because I walked too slowly. Mixed another bag in 4 gallons and threw out two thirds. Watered in at 5 minutes per zone the following morning. Still mowing yard at .25". Mowing frequency is twice per week.

4-29-18
Applied ace brand 29-0-4 on setting 5
Applied 25oz of ez wet and then watered in at 10 minutes


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## Ware

Looks good! How are you liking the Swardman?


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## bauc54

@Ware The Swardman is awesome. Mowing my uneven lawn is much easier with the front roller and rear drum. I highly recommend a Swardman to anyone that is looking for a new reel mower.


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## Iriasj2009

Looks awesome!!! Nice curb appeal!


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## bauc54

I completed my first sanding project yesterday afternoon/evening. The landscaper brought in 4 yards of sand and moved it into random piles in the yard. I purchased a landscape rake and borrowed a drag mat from @dsbuckle. Having the right tools for this job made it much better. After spreading the sand with the landscape rake I used the brush cartridge on my Swardman to work the sand into the turf. Then I used the drag mat to work the sand in further and begin the leveling process. I ran the Swardman over it for a final time and then did a final pass with the drag mat. After I was satisfied I applied a heavy dose of Milo and then ran the sprinklers.

Overall I am pleased with the way it looks now but I know I have plenty of work left to do to get it where I want it to be. Big thanks to my wife, my sister and my brother in law, @dsbuckle, for all of the help.


----------



## Ware

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:


----------



## MrMeaner

Looks awesome Blake and great job on the leveling!! I drove by your house yesterday and saw the crew putting out the sand and thought to myself someone knew what they were doing. I was driving around your area and actually looking at the two houses across the street from you, the one for sale and the one being built. Nice neighborhood!!

I would let all those bare spots fill in before you start using PGR's... just have to mow more often but the grass is not growing crazy right now anyway...another month and it will be growing fast with the fertilizer you have put down.


----------



## bauc54

@MrMeaner Thanks, John. Both of those are nice houses. Wheatley builds a nice house and you could get into that one with some time to make a few decisions on finishes. The house next door to me on the west side is also going to be for sale soon. They moved into it as a midway house until their house in the falls is complete. Could probably get a good deal on it if you are willing to wait until their other house is ready.

Lawn was growing at a decent rate before the sanding so I'm hoping it will rebound in 3 weeks or so. I plan on waiting on the PGR until it has filled in completely and I am really needing to mow frequently.


----------



## bauc54

Grass is rapidly growing. Took these pics on Friday evening and it's amazing how much sand the yard was able to swallow up. By Sunday the grass was over 1" in many places so I made the decision to mow it. Also decided to apply FAS to help the areas that were taken down too low following the 1/3 rule. I had a ton of seed heads and I wanted to knock them off. I will take more pictures tonight and post them tomorrow.


----------



## Iriasj2009

Looking great!!!


----------



## Ware

Looks amazing!


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## bauc54

Here are a couple of pics I took this morning. It is really amazing how fast the lawn is recovering after the sanding. It hasn't even been a full week yet.


----------



## bauc54

Mowing at 3/8" resulted in some burned spots. I'd like to get back down to .25" once the sand is completely covered. @Ware @Mightyquinn Are there any best practices for how mowing should be handled post leveling?


----------



## TigerinFL

wow ... nice looking lawn


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## Ware

I mow as usual when it needs it - but try to tread lightly and not disturb the deeper sand too much. I've found that you can break the 1/3 rule when the turf canopy is still relatively thin.


----------



## bauc54

@TigerinFL Thanks for the compliment. @Ware Thanks for the info. The lawn is also producing a large number of seed heads. Is there anything to do besides mowing to slow down/eliminate them?


----------



## Iriasj2009

bauc54 said:


> @TigerinFL Thanks for the compliment. @Ware Thanks for the info. The lawn is also producing a large number of seed heads. Is there anything to do besides mowing to slow down/eliminate them?


Sorry to tell you but Seeds heads might be inevitable even when mowing reel low. I usually just ride the wave until they're gone


----------



## Ware

I think seedheads can be a sign of stress - which leveling obviously is. That said, I think it's pretty common to see some bermuda seedheads at some point during the growing season. PGR (trinexapac-ethyl) is supposed to suppress seedheads, but if you're wanting to wait to use it I would probably just let them run their course.


----------



## bauc54

@Ware Good point. It makes sense that seed heads would be a sign of stress. The plant is trying to reproduce before it dies. I was planning on waiting to spray PGR until the lawn is filled back in completely. Do you recommend spraying PGR now or waiting?


----------



## Ware

If you're able to keep up with the mowing I would probably wait.


----------



## Colonel K0rn

Looking good. I thought for a bit that you threw down some compost, but that Milo is still showing through. Nice greenup!


----------



## bauc54

@Colonel K0rn yeah, it got a little heavy in some spots but the lawn is responding very well. The wife, on the other hand, does not appreciate an abundance of Milo.


----------



## Movingshrub

Ware said:


> I think seedheads can be a sign of stress - which leveling obviously is. That said, I think it's pretty common to see some bermuda seedheads at some point during the growing season.


Is it normal to get seed heads every year during the spring or only when the weather is super weird? The weather in Alabama was just very odd this spring. There were multiple times where the temp signaled to the grass to come out of dormancy, only to get freezing temps again. My Bermuda grass was loaded with seed heads last week and this week, so I made sure I had the right amount of nitrogen and irrigation to hopefully address plant stress. I've been cutting about 1.25" - this is not a height where I'd expect to see seeds.


----------



## raldridge2315

Seed heads are fairly normal this time of the year. I actually think I had more last year than this year.


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## bauc54

I mowed on Saturday evening at .25" and had to mow again on Monday evening to keep it at .25". Going to apply PGR soon. Last night I applied EZ wet and a bag of 29-0-4. Most of the original sand(5/2/18) is incorporated into the lawn but I reapplied sand in a few of the low spots a week(5/9/18) after the first sanding. The second sand application was all in the backyard and is taking longer to fill in as it was applied much thicker than the first go around.


----------



## bauc54

The Swardman continues to be awesome. I have put it through the ringer and it keeps performing at a high level. I tend to get a little obsessed with making sure it cuts paper before every mowing and that has come back to bite me.  When I mowed for the first time post sanding, I had just adjusted the reel to bedknife and it would easily cut paper all the way across the blade.

Heavy sand and a tightly adjusted reel is a recipe for problems. Instead of having the sharp edge that it once did, the bedknife is rounded because I kept adjusting it in subsequent mowings not realizing what I was doing. I have worn away a significant portion of the bedknife and substantially dulled the reel. The good news is @Reelrollers is working on getting me a new bedknife so I can change it out.

There is some yellowing of the turf in a few of the pictures above. I believe this is due to the dull reel/bedknife. I also have a Worksharp Ken Onion knife and tool sharpener. Does anyone have any experience sharpening a reel with one of these?


----------



## Llano Estacado

:thumbsup: Looking great! I am also getting ready to do the first round of PGR, probably going to let it grow aggressively for 1 more week then throw on the brakes.


----------



## bauc54

Thanks @Llano Estacado. Are you holding off on PGR in hopes of getting more fill? Or is there another good reason to wait?


----------



## Llano Estacado

I've got a few spots that don't get full sun all day that are filling in, but there not quite there yet.


----------



## bauc54

Well, things were going great in the yard. Then we had baseball sized hail on Saturday Night. All natural aeration. Let me know if anybody has experience handling this situation. I think it will heal relatively quickly but I also put some PGR down last week. I plan on continuing with my normal routine unless I get some advice to handle it differently. Thanks in advance.


----------



## Alan

Wow!


----------



## Spammage

I would get the roof and other house repairs done first, then worry about the lawn. Watch for nails too before using the reel. Roofing crews are supposed to run a magnet to collect any that drop, but they only have to miss one to mess your reel up.

As far as the lawn, I suspect that leveling will have to be done to correct that.


----------



## Llano Estacado

That stinks! No doubt you'll get it back in tip top shape soon.


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## raldridge2315

I would check with the insurance and see if they will at least pay for the sand. That's property damage same as the roof.


----------



## Ware

Also don't forget the stained fence - something I didn't even think about after our last major hail storm, but the adjuster found some marks and wrote it up to get it re-stained. :thumbsup:


----------



## Spammage

raldridge2315 said:


> I would check with the insurance and see if they will at least pay for the sand. That's property damage same as the roof.


It isn't covered. The lawn, trees, shrubs, etc are covered for some things, but lightning is the only weather related cause to be covered.


----------



## dsbuckle

I'm 6 houses down from @bauc54 so I have the same thing. I just spread two large gorilla carts worth of sand and am gonna run a drag. Was taking too long cup by cup like on the golf course. Too many holes! Agh!!


----------



## Redland1

Love the progress.Nice lawn and beautiful home.Its nice to see a neighborhood we're all the lawns are nicely manicured.Sorry to hear about the hail damage.Texas Weather is always all over and super unpredictable.


----------



## J_nick

That hail damage is crazy!


----------



## Colonel K0rn

Spammage said:


> raldridge2315 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would check with the insurance and see if they will at least pay for the sand. That's property damage same as the roof.
> 
> 
> 
> It isn't covered. The lawn, trees, shrubs, etc are covered for some things, but lightning is the only weather related cause to be covered.
Click to expand...

Best way to answer this is "it depends" on the damages, and the adjuster. Let's say you need to get the fence re-stained, and a roof put on the house. An adjuster might be willing to pad the payment to cover some sand. But making a claim for sand alone, nah, that won't be covered. Plus, it'd likely be below the cost of your deductible, which you're responsible for with any insurance claim.


----------



## Greendoc

bauc54 said:


> The Swardman continues to be awesome. I have put it through the ringer and it keeps performing at a high level. I tend to get a little obsessed with making sure it cuts paper before every mowing and that has come back to bite me.  When I mowed for the first time post sanding, I had just adjusted the reel to bedknife and it would easily cut paper all the way across the blade.
> 
> Heavy sand and a tightly adjusted reel is a recipe for problems. Instead of having the sharp edge that it once did, the bedknife is rounded because I kept adjusting it in subsequent mowings not realizing what I was doing. I have worn away a significant portion of the bedknife and substantially dulled the reel. The good news is @Reelrollers is working on getting me a new bedknife so I can change it out.
> 
> There is some yellowing of the turf in a few of the pictures above. I believe this is due to the dull reel/bedknife. I also have a Worksharp Ken Onion knife and tool sharpener. Does anyone have any experience sharpening a reel with one of these?


Does that sharpener use a belt? I use one of these with the bedknife clamped down to face grind.










I have also used the standard 3X21 belt sanders for face grinding a bedknife as well.


----------



## bauc54

Thanks for all of the advice! I wound up mowing and then doing my best to fill all of the divots with with sand. Fortunately, many of them were already sand filled since I just completed my last sanding. Tonight I plan on throwing down some 29-0-4 to encourage growth into the divots. If anyone thinks I should use a different mix, please let me know.

@dsbuckle and I will probably wait until after hail season to have the home repairs completed as neither of us have any leaks and we don't want to risk another storm rolling through. Paying a double deductible would not be fun. Roofing companies have descended upon the neighborhood from far and wide and it will be good to let the less reputable ones leave town before having the work completed.


----------



## bauc54

@Greendoc It is a belt system that looks to be similar to the makita in your pic.



I have a bur on the trailing edge of each reel blade. Should I use the belt to remove the bur and then hone the flat edge of each blade? As a reminder, the Swardman blades are not relief ground.

I also rigged up the backlap kit that @Ware described. I need to get some backlapping compound for that as well. By the way, what is the best way to put the pulley back on once you are done with backlapping? I had to grease it up and then use a rubber mallet to pound it back on.


----------



## Ware

bauc54 said:


> ...By the way, what is the best way to put the pulley back on once you are done with backlapping? I had to grease it up and then use a rubber mallet to pound it back on.


Yeah, I tapped it back on with a soft face hammer.


----------



## bauc54

@Ware Thanks! Is there a specific backlapping compound that you like to use? Grit?


----------



## Ware

bauc54 said:


> Ware Thanks! Is there a specific backlapping compound that you like to use? Grit?


I have 120 and 180 on hand for my greens mower. I would probably order the 1lb Pinhigh containers from Jesco Products. Those are a nice size for homeowners. :thumbup:


----------



## Greendoc

bauc54 said:


> @Greendoc It is a belt system that looks to be similar to the makita in your pic.
> 
> 
> 
> I have a bur on the trailing edge of each reel blade. Should I use the belt to remove the bur and then hone the flat edge of each blade? As a reminder, the Swardman blades are not relief ground.
> 
> I also rigged up the backlap kit that @Ware described. I need to get some backlapping compound for that as well. By the way, what is the best way to put the pulley back on once you are done with backlapping? I had to grease it up and then use a rubber mallet to pound it back on.


Except for touching up the relief grind on the blade, I do not use any kind of belt on a reel. Only for the bedknife. The slight bur on the trailing edge does not hurt anything. But that is where a relief angle would be if there was one.


----------



## bauc54

Makes sense. Thanks for the info!


----------



## MrMeaner

bauc54 said:


> Thanks for all of the advice! I wound up mowing and then doing my best to fill all of the divots with with sand. Fortunately, many of them were already sand filled since I just completed my last sanding. Tonight I plan on throwing down some 29-0-4 to encourage growth into the divots. If anyone thinks I should use a different mix, please let me know.
> 
> @dsbuckle and I will probably wait until after hail season to have the home repairs completed as neither of us have any leaks and we don't want to risk another storm rolling through. Paying a double deductible would not be fun. Roofing companies have descended upon the neighborhood from far and wide and it will be good to let the less reputable ones leave town before having the work completed.


Blake,

Jeremy Andrus, Kent Wood and Garret Young, all golfing buddies at lakeridge, work for Andrus bros roofing and can do a great job if you roof is hail damaged. Odessa had a horrible hail storm last year and they did a great job on my mom's house and our Odessa business office roof. highly recommend them and obviously are local to us.


----------



## bauc54

MrMeaner said:


> bauc54 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for all of the advice! I wound up mowing and then doing my best to fill all of the divots with with sand. Fortunately, many of them were already sand filled since I just completed my last sanding. Tonight I plan on throwing down some 29-0-4 to encourage growth into the divots. If anyone thinks I should use a different mix, please let me know.
> 
> @dsbuckle and I will probably wait until after hail season to have the home repairs completed as neither of us have any leaks and we don't want to risk another storm rolling through. Paying a double deductible would not be fun. Roofing companies have descended upon the neighborhood from far and wide and it will be good to let the less reputable ones leave town before having the work completed.
> 
> 
> 
> Blake,
> 
> Jeremy Andrus, Kent Wood and Garret Young, all golfing buddies at lakeridge, work for Andrus bros roofing and can do a great job if you roof is hail damaged. Odessa had a horrible hail storm last year and they did a great job on my mom's house and our Odessa business office roof. highly recommend them and obviously are local to us.
Click to expand...

Thanks, John. I plan on giving them a shot at it. Lynney Tucker is a good friend of mine and he works for JFerg. So, I'll give them a chance too.


----------



## bauc54

The hail damage is mostly healed at this point. I had been mowing my lawn at .25" but it really wasn't looking the way I wanted it to. I re-read some posts and realized that if I want to maintain at .25" I would need to take it lower than that with a scalp, then let it grow back to that height and maintain. So, I lowered the blade down to what I think was .125". This took off a lot of clippings but has since healed and the lawn looks to be much thicker and healthier at .25" now.

The trouble spots are slowly filling in. Depending on their progress by the end of this season I may pour concrete in these areas to completely solve the problem. There are also some areas that have been slow to fill in after the double sand applications but they are coming along as well.

I can't thank the members of TLF enough for all of the answered questions and great ideas. I feel like my lawn has made great strides thus far and I look forward to implementing more of the advanced practices from @Mightyquinn's Bermuda bible. Thank you all!


Notice the iron stain on the wall above the crepe myrtle. For future reference, spraying the leaves with FAS should be done very carefully and not at full blast... :|


----------



## bauc54

The lawn is coming out of regulation from the PGR and I am having to mow every other day to maintain this HOC. I plan on letting it flush for a week to fill in before my next PGR app on the 15th.


----------



## wiredawg

@bauc54 , just wanted to say, great journal. And your progress has come along very nicely. Looking forward to reading more...


----------



## Ral1121

bauc54 said:


>


Is that a putting green that you maintain in the back corner of your yard?


----------



## MrMeaner

Looking fantastic!!


----------



## bauc54

Ral1121 said:


> bauc54 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Is that a putting green that you maintain in the back corner of your yard?
Click to expand...

It is an artificial putting green.


----------



## Ware

It's looking really great! :thumbsup:


----------



## Ral1121

bauc54 said:


> Ral1121 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> bauc54 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Is that a putting green that you maintain in the back corner of your yard?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> It is an artificial putting green.
Click to expand...

Any plans to create a natural surface putting green?


----------



## bauc54

Ral1121 said:


> bauc54 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ral1121 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Is that a putting green that you maintain in the back corner of your yard?
> 
> 
> 
> It is an artificial putting green.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Any plans to create a natural surface putting green?
Click to expand...

No sir. I think you really need to have a roller in order to make the putting surface smooth enough to be useful as a practice tool. I am an avid golfer and the artificial turf is a very good practice area for me.


----------



## bauc54

I received my 10 blade reel, verticutter and scarifier cartridges from @Reelrollers. The 10 blade reel gives me a much better cut with my HOC at .25". I'm excited to use the verticutter and scarifier in the coming weeks.

I am leaving town tomorrow and won't return until Sunday night so I applied PGR and feature last night in hopes that @dsbuckle only has to mow one time for me while I am gone.

Any recommendations on when the verticutter and scarifier cartridges should be used? @SwardmanGuy


----------



## SwardmanGuy

Verticutter: we recommend to verticut about 5-6times a season. It means about once every 4-6weeks... In one day mow, verticut and dethatch... 
Scarifier (dethatcher): use according to you - when its necessary. To clean the lawn. Can be used more often than verticutter. For example once every 3-4 weeks.
Btw. its nice picture...could we use it at our instagram please?
Thank you!


----------



## bauc54

SwardmanGuy said:


> Verticutter: we recommend to verticut about 5-6times a season. It means about once every 4-6weeks... In one day mow, verticut and dethatch...
> Scarifier (dethatcher): use according to you - when its necessary. To clean the lawn. Can be used more often than verticutter. For example once every 3-4 weeks.
> Btw. its nice picture...could we use it at our instagram please?
> Thank you!


@SwardmanGuy thanks for the information. Yes, feel free to use the picture for Instagram. I am happy to send you the hi-res version if you would like it.


----------



## jayhawk

Re roof ....what's the status? Been thru it....learned a lot


----------



## bauc54

jayhawk said:


> Re roof ....what's the status? Been thru it....learned a lot


 My roof is totaled and will have to be replaced. We are done with hail season here so I am scheduled to have the work done at the very end of this month. One of my buddies is a manager for a local roofing company and I have been able to work a very good deal out.

Still happy to take any advice you have to offer.


----------



## jayhawk

i'd read through this re: hiring out a roof redo. https://www.handymanhowto.com/how-to-hire-a-roofing-contractor-for-hail-damage-repairs/ there is some good other topics there too that can suck a DIY guy in

the bottom line is there is quite a bit of room to negotiate and the additional underlayments, warranty terms etc are marginal costs that could easily be done w/in the budgeted amount. the roof co's around here send out more polished sales guys (who were not even employees but commissioned based 1099 contracted) who would talk about how fast they could do it.


----------



## bauc54

About three weeks ago I used the verticutting and scarifiing cartridges on the lawn. I didn't get any pictures of this process or the result but I mowed then verticut and then scarified. I believe I had the verticutter set way too low because it really chewed up my lawn. The scarifier helped to clean that up a little bit but not as much as I was hoping. I wound up having to go back over the entire lawn with a double cut using the reel to cut all of the stolons that were exposed. This resulted in a yard that was heavily scalped.

It took a couple of weeks for all of that to heal and now I am happy with the way things are looking overall. I am having a slight problem with the mower. The belt keeps slipping and causes the reel to get bogged down. @Reelrollers @SwardmanGuy Has anyone else had this problem? Is there an easy fix. I have had to raise my HOC not because it is burning the lawn to keep it low but because the turf is so thick the mower can't handle it. Currently cutting at around .4"


----------



## Ware

bauc54 said:


> ...I am having a slight problem with the mower. The belt keeps slipping and causes the reel to get bogged down. Has anyone else had this problem? Is there an easy fix. I have had to raise my HOC not because it is burning the lawn to keep it low but because the turf is so thick the mower can't handle it.


I had to adjust the cable on mine. I think the new cables stretch a little after some use - similar to bicycle cables. I bet if you remove the side cover and depress the reel engagement paddle you'll find that the belt is a little loose. I would adjust the cable up top until you get good engagement. Also note the hook positions described in this post - I forget what they recommend, but it may be in the manual.


----------



## bauc54

Thanks @Ware! I'll try that.


----------



## Reelrollers

bauc54 said:


> About three weeks ago I used the verticutting and scarifiing cartridges on the lawn. I didn't get any pictures of this process or the result but I mowed then verticut and then scarified. I believe I had the verticutter set way too low because it really chewed up my lawn. The scarifier helped to clean that up a little bit but not as much as I was hoping. I wound up having to go back over the entire lawn with a double cut using the reel to cut all of the stolons that were exposed. This resulted in a yard that was heavily scalped.
> 
> It took a couple of weeks for all of that to heal and now I am happy with the way things are looking overall. I am having a slight problem with the mower. The belt keeps slipping and causes the reel to get bogged down. @Reelrollers @SwardmanGuy Has anyone else had this problem? Is there an easy fix. I have had to raise my HOC not because it is burning the lawn to keep it low but because the turf is so thick the mower can't handle it. Currently cutting at around .4"


Agree with aware, may have to tighten down on the cable bolt connected to reel pulley.

Also, another way to get immediate pressure on reel belt is to move the spring to the end hole which is located under the side cover at the end of the reel cable. I can send you some pics if you need. This is the same way you add tension to that belt when you use the different cartridges.

By the way, the lawn has come so far in 5 months! Looks great especially after that massive hail storm.


----------



## bauc54

I have been doing a few things to the lawn to help prepare for the coming season. Can't wait for the lawn to start waking up but realistically I am still a few months away from anything significant. This winter I have had a little bit of work done on my sprinkler system. I have added seven heads(four in the back and three in the front) and I have had several heads capped to prepare for concrete. There is a triangle that never filled in in the backyard that I am going to have filled with concrete and the side of my yard between my house and fence will also be filled with concrete. I have also taken care of most of the pruning. I sprayed Prodiamine and Talstar on Friday and I admit to doubling the amount of dye that was need to give me a little green :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

This season I plan on another extensive sanding once the lawn is growing at a decent pace. I will heavily scalp, verticut and scarify my law as soon as I start to see green up.


Here you can see the sprinkler heads that were added


The triangle of dirt between the two sprinkler heads will be filled in with concrete


I will also have concrete poured from the edge of the house all the way back to the gate. This area doesn't get enough sun and also holds water. Double whammy for my tif.


----------



## bauc54

Saturday the weather was pretty crappy and cold but I wanted to get the scalp taken care of. I started by using the scarifier cartridge and going over the whole yard twice. Then I moved on to the verticutting cartridge and gave the yard another couple of passes. I put on my 10 blade reel and set the HOC just under 0.5". This was all I had time to do but I am pleased with the way it looks so far. I will continue lowering the HOC as I plan on maintaining at .25" for as long as possible. Concrete should be poured in my problem areas some time this week.



















I will continue using the scarifier and verticutter to remove as much of the dormant grass as is possible. Excuse the empty beds, I have rubber mulch that I plan to put down as soon as I complete the scalp.


----------



## Austinite

Looking good! Curious what Verticutter are you using?


----------



## bauc54

Austinite said:


> Looking good! Curious what Verticutter are you using?


I have a Swardman mower with the verticutter cartridge. Very handy.


----------



## bauc54

I took soil samples in the front and back a few weeks ago before I sprayed Prodiamine. Today I got the results back and I see that I need to lower my nitrogen a little bit. I was hitting it pretty heavy during the season last year but now the results are letting me know I should be applying 0.7lbs/m. Last year I started the season using Milo but got away from it once the wife let me know she wasn't going into the yard because of the odor  Then I started using some 29-0-4 that I could get fairly inexpensively from Ace Hardware. My results also let me know that I am deficient in Phosphorus and that I should be applying 1.9lbs/m. So, now that I have my results I need to find a fertilizer that fulfills my Nitrogen and Phosphorus needs and doesn't add any more Potash. @Ware @Greendoc @Mightyquinn Do any of y'all(or anyone else) have recommendations for a fertilizer that would accomplish this goal or will I need to find a Phosphorus supplement? Thanks in advance!


----------



## Mightyquinn

You could go with a starter fertilizer for the season which would give you the Nitrogen and Phosphorus you need and the extra Potassium won't hurt anything as your lawn will use it throughout the season. Other than that you would need to find some Super Triple Phosphate 0-50-0 at a local CO-OP or farm supply store.


----------



## bauc54

Mightyquinn said:


> You could go with a starter fertilizer for the season which would give you the Nitrogen and Phosphorus you need and the extra Potassium won't hurt anything as your lawn will use it throughout the season. Other than that you would need to find some Super Triple Phosphate 0-50-0 at a local CO-OP or farm supply store.


Thanks for the reply MQ. After some reading your Liquid Fertilizer thread, I am considering going all liquid. Last season I started the year using Milo but ultimately moved to a synthetic 26-0-4. The problem is that I was picking up a decent amount of fertilizer since I was mowing low.

So my question is: does the amount of NPK needed to achieve the same results as granular applications decrease for foliar apps?

My soil test states that I need 0.7lbs/1K of N and 1.9lbs/1K of P2O5. So if I decide to melt and spray 46-0-0 for N and 12-61-0 for P2O5 would I use 6.08lbs urea and 12.5lbs of 12-61-0 to get the desired monthly rates for my 4k?

12-61-0 is very expensive. $69.99 plus shipping for a 25lb bag.


----------



## Mightyquinn

bauc54 said:


> Mightyquinn said:
> 
> 
> 
> You could go with a starter fertilizer for the season which would give you the Nitrogen and Phosphorus you need and the extra Potassium won't hurt anything as your lawn will use it throughout the season. Other than that you would need to find some Super Triple Phosphate 0-50-0 at a local CO-OP or farm supply store.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the reply MQ. After some reading your Liquid Fertilizer thread, I am considering going all liquid. Last season I started the year using Milo but ultimately moved to a synthetic 26-0-4. The problem is that I was picking up a decent amount of fertilizer since I was mowing low.
> 
> So my question is: does the amount of NPK needed to achieve the same results as granular applications decrease for foliar apps?
> 
> My soil test states that I need 0.7lbs/1K of N and 1.9lbs/1K of P2O5. So if I decide to melt and spray 46-0-0 for N and 12-61-0 for P2O5 would I use 6.08lbs urea and 12.5lbs of 12-61-0 to get the desired monthly rates for my 4k?
> 
> 12-61-0 is very expensive. $69.99 plus shipping for a 25lb bag.
Click to expand...

Spraying fertilizer should be the same as putting it down in granular form. Depending on your grass/soil it "may" be more efficient at using it since it's getting some nutrients through the leaf but that is just something you will have to play around with and see what works best for you. Your calculations seem correct but I would be wary of ordering fertilizer online as it's very expensive(as you can see) and are you sure that the 12-61-0 is water soluble? I would go to your local Ewing, SiteOne or anything else locally you may have and see what they offer. I know SiteOne has there Macron sprayable fertilizers that may be a better option but I've never used them so I can't say either way.


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## bauc54

@Mightyquinn Thanks again for the info. Good question. I have no idea if the 12-61-0 is water soluble. I will go to my local SiteOne and a few other places and see what they have.


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## Mightyquinn

bauc54 said:


> @Mightyquinn Thanks again for the info. Good question. I have no idea if the 12-61-0 is water soluble. I will go to my local SiteOne and a few other places and see what they have.


Soluble Phosphorus is going to be hard to find most likely at a good price, you might be better off applying it granularly and spray the nItrogen. I know Scott's fertilizer is kind of expensive but it has a small prill size usually and is easy to find and may be more cost effective. Good Luck :thumbup:


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## bauc54

The lawn has been greening up nicely over the last two weeks. We got down below freezing over the weekend so that put the brakes on a little. Today I applied my second application of 16-16-16 to help get my P level up. I had a local expert look at my soil test and he believes the 1.9lb/M requirement was for the season not per month. I also applied grubex. Lawn is really starting to take off. Looking forward to aerating and leveling some time in May if time allows. We just had our first child about a week ago so my priorities have shifted big time.


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## ctrav

Very clean look and totally dig the putting green...is it synthetic or grass?


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## bauc54

ctrav said:


> Very clean look and totally dig the putting green...is it synthetic or grass?


Thanks for the compliment. It's a synthetic putting green. I think it would be very difficult to mow a residential lawn into a putting green that would be a good tool for practice. Wish I had the time and money to try it though.


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## bauc54

This weekend I used my recently acquired pro-plugger to transplant some plugs to one of my problem areas. I am hoping it will work but the area still isn't getting a ton of sun so I am not very confident. Any growth I can get will help the area to fill in once the sun moves enough to give the full 8 hours needed.






I filled in the donor sites with sand. It'll be interesting to see how quickly they fill in.


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## bauc54

I mowed yesterday evening with the electra set at 6mm. Starting to see some seedheads pop up in large areas around the lawn. This happened a little bit last year but not until we were a little later on in the summer. The only thing I know to do is to wait and hope they run their course. Any advice is much appreciated. The plugged area looks marginally better than it did before. Time will tell.


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## bauc54

Well, its that time of year again. I had 5 yards of sand delivered for my 4k of lawn. I plan to use the 1 yard of left over sand to carry out some more spot leveling as the summer goes on. First I scalped the lawn in two directions and I was amazed at how much material that removed. Then I used a core aerator that I borrowed from @MrMeaner. This machine worked like a champ. It is a plugr and it did a fantastic job of removing the cores up to 2.5" of depth. I raked the cores together into piles then scooped them up and discarded them. Then it was time for the real work to begin. Moving the sand from the driveway to the lawn proved to be several hours worth of work for me and the gorilla cart. I did all of this on my own and don't plan on ever doing that again. Once I had the sand in piles around the lawn I used the landscape rake to break them down and begin the smoothing process. Then I used a drag mat to help level and further smooth out the sand. After I was happy with that I used the brush cartridge on my electra to work the sand down into the canopy and the aeration holes. Then I used the drag mat one more time to give it a final level. To finish I applied a heavy dose of 18-4-8 with Apex 10. Overall I think this turned out well.


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## MrMeaner

Awesome and nice work!! Your basically going to have a putting green for a lawn.


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## ctrav

If your sand is half as clean as that truck you will have an awesome lawn when done  :thumbup:


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## bauc54

ctrav said:


> If your sand is half as clean as that truck you will have an awesome lawn when done  :thumbup:


The sand was better than the last time I did this project because there weren't any large rocks. There are still some very small pebbles but I think they will settle into the canopy without much trouble. Thanks for the compliment.


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## bauc54

Here are a couple of progress pics. The second picture was taken after a quick mow at 6mm. If you want to cringe, mow reel low 4 days after sanding... Had to be done though :mrgreen:

Taken on Saturday- 3 days of healing


Taken on Sunday- 4 Days of healing


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## bauc54

Here is another update. Sanding was done on May 28th and 29th. This picture was taken last night. Two weeks of progress and still needing it to fill in a little more. My apologies for the poor picture. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


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## ctrav

Looks really good!


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## bauc54

Got a quick lunch time mow in today. Currently mowing at 10mm (.39") My trouble spot is very slowly filling in. I am currently applying feature, apex 10 and I have switched to a 15-8-4 liquid fertilizer that I am applying weekly at 1/4 the normal rate. I have only applied the liquid fert once so far. I sprayed PGR on 6-23-19 so it's almost time for my next dose. I'm not using GDD but spraying PGR every 3 weeks instead. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


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## Ware

Looks good! How are you liking the Swardman?


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## bauc54

Ware said:


> Looks good! How are you liking the Swardman?


Swardman is treating me well. I traded my edwin for an electra because I had some issues with a set screw breaking. The electra is awesome. I just backlapped my reel and I am very pleased with the cut.

I have let friends that are used to mowing with a trimmer borrow my electra and they love it also. Handles like a dream and for most people the noise difference is a huge selling point.

The only major negative I see is durability. Some of the sheet metal parts are heavily worn already. I'm not easy on equipment but my lawn is relatively level and I still get some major scraping. If I could change anything, I would improve the overall durability. Having said that, I realize that the maneuverability of the swardman mowers is possible because they are lighter weight. Maybe the trade off is worth it. Only time will tell.


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## bbbdkc79

@Bauc5, what set screw did you have a problem with? I recently posted on TLF the issue I had with the reel cartridge screw backing out. Just curious if this was your problem.


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## bauc54

bbbdkc79 said:


> @Bauc5, what set screw did you have a problem with? I recently posted on TLF the issue I had with the reel cartridge screw backing out. Just curious if this was your problem.


The screw that holds the pulley on the main drive shaft. I had one of the very first Edwin 2.0s here in the US and it had the rubber tread on the rear drum. My understanding was that rubber tread allowed too much torque to be applied to that screw and it sheared. I got it repaired but did not want to continue messing with it.


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## bauc54

Last night I took the plunge. I scalped, verticut, scarified and scalped again. Then I laid down Perennial Rygrass seed. I went with the Par Perennial Rye blend from Ewing as it was the only one they have at my local store. I wanted the Eagle blend but it seems like par will work fine. At least for my first attempt at this. I only took one picture and it is of the final result. I used my broadcast spreader to drop the seed using a cross hatch pattern to make sure the seed was spread out evenly.

I will try to update this journal with pics of the progress in the coming days.


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## bauc54

Germination has been really slow for me. This picture was taken this morning and I overseeded a week ago. To make matters worse, we got down to 33 degrees last night. Hopefully germination continues after today and tomorrow when we get back into the 70s and 80s for the next week or so. Night time lows look to be in the mid 50s after tonight. If nothing else the brakes will be thrown on the bermuda.


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## MrMeaner

Any updates? How is it looking now Blake?


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## bauc54

MrMeaner said:


> Any updates? How is it looking now Blake?


It's coming along pretty well. Since my last post I put down another 50lb bag of seed, Holganix at 14oz per M, and Apex10. The germination is going much better. There are still some places that need to fill in. Can't keep the birds out of these areas for some reason. It is amazing how well this grass stripes. I have had several people stop me in my yard to ask what the hell I am doing to get my lawn so green when most other lawns are well on their way to being dormant. These pictures were taken 2 days after I mowed at 20mm for the first mow after seeding.


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## MrMeaner

Looks awesome!! Nice having a green yard in the fall... would probably do the same if I had a smaller yard to work with.


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## VALawnNoob

what is apex 10 and how does it benefit your lawn?


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