# AVguy's 2018 Lawn Journal



## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

So, late in the season to start this but here we go...

I'm near Birmingham, AL and l've always appreciated a nice lawn and wanted my own. We Bought this house 2 years ago with nice looking, tall bermuda grass. Everyone around here seems to think that's what you should do with bermuda- mow high and infrequently. Most people think it's a chore that must be done rather than an enjoyable thing you get to do frequently. Anyhow, the previous owner used a service to spray and kept it high and relatively weed free. I have never and don't plan to ever pay anyone to treat my lawn. It's one of those things I take pride in being able to do myself.

This is my first year reel mowing and fertilizing and lots of other stuff. I started reading about "reel low bermuda" and found a deal on a TruCut P20 mower which came with a electric blower and weedeater(both stihl brand). I started the season by scalping really early. When I say "scalp" I mean from 3" to the dirt. Then I bought a sunjoe dethatcher/scarifier. I tore up the yard really good with that and got the neighbors all thinking I had a few screws loose(which I just may). Then I got a deal on a Ryan greens aerator. poked a bunch of holes in the lawn and threw out some milo.

Other new toys... I mean tools for this year(I love tools):
John deer(made by Mclane) 3K edger 
Scotts DLX spreader with edge guard 
Homelite Chainsaw 
Yard Machines Chipper/Shredder
Troy Built electric tiller
Toro Greensmaster Flex21(about to be for sale)
Toro Greensmaster 1000(about to be my long term mower)- came with a 2nd parts mower.
Pro Plugger(Father's Day gift!)

Everything was very cheap. Craigslist, thrift store, etc... I also have spent very little money on fert and chemicals. I'm cheap and I want this not to be too complicated. This is fun for me and I want it to stay that way and not break the budget. Gotta feed 4 kids.

I'll try to get some current pics tomorrow. I didn't take pictures before or during the spring overhaul. Here's how it looked on Memorial Day:


I'll add more history later. Don't want to make the first post a novel. More details to follow....


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

Today:
First mow with the GM1000(13/16" measured HOC), edge, trim, blow. I missed "fertilizer Friday" yesterday so I'm about to 'thro er down'. I'm spooning weekly with .25N of 29-0-5 in the front yard and .5N on my putting green project in the back.


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## Ral1121 (Mar 19, 2018)

Already looking good


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

Ral1121 said:


> Already looking good


Thanks. It's still kinda recovering from my scalping it with the flex21. I'd planned to raise the HOC over the summer and was scheduled to be at 1" by now. Still around 5/8". Maybe all this rain and fert will help get it going a little more.


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

Got a Pro Plugger for fathers' day so I did some plugging this afternoon.


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

Just for fun:
https://youtu.be/Gqz3XABpRaQ


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

Happy Sunday! Here are some pics.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

AVguy said:


> Happy Sunday! Here are some pics.


 :thumbup: Got the whole crew lined up there!


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

Colonel K0rn said:


> :thumbup: Got the whole crew lined up there!


Yup. #2(flex21) is for sale. Just need to get her cleaned up and take some pics.


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

I just wanted to make a post on a topic that may be frouned upon by some. So I put it here in my Journal.

I'm not knocking anyone else' approach, but there seems to be lots of emphasis on chemicals and fert and products and processes. While I understand they all serve a purpose and have a place, I also think you can have a lawn to be proud of without breaking the bank and dumping every popular elixir into your soil and onto your blades.

Here's what I've applied this year:
1) I started by missing my pre-emergent last fall for poa anua, but I didn't know better. Poa was pretty bad for a while this spring. 
2) 2 applications of milorganite early in spring to wake up the Bermuda slowly but way early(scalped early too) 
3) I got some ferrous iron sulfate heptahydrate to kill a bunch of moss and that worked well and fast. It also made the grass really green really fast, so I've done that a couple times. 
4) lime to fix the PH a little. 2-40lb bags over 3 applications. 
5) Sta-Green 29-0-5 with 2% iron. Started out full rate and went to spoon feeding 1/4N weekly('fertilizer friday'). 
6) weed killers:
24D-quinclorac/dicamba mix 
Bayer Advaced Season Long weed control(contains isoxaben as a pre-emergent for chamberbitter which has been a huge issue but getting control slowly)
7) Water/Sun/time/mow reel low and often

What I haven't done(not bashing those who have):
PGR/RGS/micros/compost/sand/urine(@HDmoviesource)/other common or weird stuff

All that not to say anything negative about those who spend crazy amounts of cash on really effective chemicals that make you sound really smart when you mention them in conversation with lay folks(non-lawn nutz). But for me, this year, simple has been fun and rewarding. My lawn is as good as I could have hoped for and I can't imagine a huge return on anything except maybe PGR, but I love mowing very often, so I don't expect to do that anytime soon. Now if I can just get a handle on the poa anua and chamberbitter next year that will be ultimate dominaation!


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## CARL HD MOVIE SOURCE (May 24, 2018)

I hear ya, I want to natural on my lawn, however I really don't know how bad the weeds will be this year. While Im learning lawn care Im willing to test new things, but Im trying not to go the chemical route.


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## Noclssgt (Apr 6, 2018)

I agree.
I don't put a ton down on my lawn. I've put a total of 1 bag rate app of milo, an app of ringer to get my potash up, a fungicide and Scott's max green fert app. Oh and a grub-ex app. I spot treat for some weeds that have came up and I did a prodiamine and dithopyr app this year. I too did not do a pre emergent app in the fall due to overseeding and poa annua was horrible this year.

I haven't done all these crazy apps of stuff either, double bag rate milo, rgs is too expensive for me, I have compost but it's for the garden and flower beds. I'm happy with my lawn, especially as far as its came.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

AVguy said:


> Happy Sunday! Here are some pics.





AVguy said:


> ...I also think you can have a lawn to be proud of without breaking the bank and dumping every popular elixir into your soil and onto your blades.


 :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

+1 AVguy. Simplicity is often the best answer.

Human nature refuses to believe that simple often trumps the complicated. The basic precept of the New Testament is that lawn care doesn't have to be highly technical for 99% of DIYers. Literally getting into the weeds on product labels is fine, but only once the major basics are established. If not, we are simply measuring with a micrometer to then cut with an axe. Get the basics right, and the rest falls into place.

Cheers.


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

CARL HD MOVIE SOURCE said:


> I hear ya, I want to natural on my lawn, however I really don't know how bad the weeds will be this year. While Im learning lawn care Im willing to test new things, but Im trying not to go the chemical route.


I hear that crabgrass seeds can pass though the digestive tract. Just sayin.


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## CARL HD MOVIE SOURCE (May 24, 2018)

AVguy said:


> CARL HD MOVIE SOURCE said:
> 
> 
> > I hear ya, I want to natural on my lawn, however I really don't know how bad the weeds will be this year. While Im learning lawn care Im willing to test new things, but Im trying not to go the chemical route.
> ...


Haha.


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## Gunther (Oct 2, 2017)

That's a good looking lawn @AVguy, I bet it looks good from across the street.


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

Gunther said:


> That's a good looking lawn @AVguy, I bet it looks good from across the street.


One day my neighbor made me come look at my yard from his porch. He was right... looks better from over there.


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

Mom wasn't super happy about the flamingos in general, but when the girls went out to pet them right after bath time apparently that wasn't her favorite either.



Also got my build complete on my battery backpack sprayer. Seems to work great with water. Will try some chemicals his weekend hopefully. Need to spray some weeds and put out some bifen. Maybe an iron app if I have time.


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## Rackhouse Mayor (Sep 4, 2017)

So when do we get to see the putting green project?


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

Rackhouse Mayor said:


> So when do we get to see the putting green project?


Maybe I'll get a pic tomorrow. It's still in early stages. Grass is coming along. Trying to keep it weed free has been a struggle. No pre-emergent. Will treat twice in the fall and twice next spring. Just mowing low and throwing down "N" for now.


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

As requested here are Pictures of the putting green project before and after some grading. 



A previous owner of our house had an above ground swimming pool here. They leveled it with sand but it was sloped slightly toward the hill which made a low spot for water to pool. The kids made a mud-slide(with permission) a couple weeks ago which you can see in the first pic. The grading is better now, but we'll see at the next downpour if it still pools. I'll add sand later to level more. I had some Bermuda seed from before I knew better so I put that on the hill. I'll probably kill the Bermuda in the next couple years anyway to try zoysia in the backyard. Lots of shade and I want more grass and to keep the trees.

This weekend I fixed the level a bit, spread some sod pieces I cut before grading, and backfilled with compost(homemade). Then I threw down some triple 10 fert and put the sprinkler on a timer to keep it all damp for a while.

Today I also ran the dethatcher to remove some(a bunch) of moss. That's why it looks dry and bare just past the green. I put some of that Bermuda seed there too, but will ask the Lord to water that(rain). Not gonna waste sprinkler water or time on it.

I'll post some updates when the green looks better. Doing well now, but we need to keep giving it 'N', water and time.

As a side note, I couldn't care less about sports in general, and golf in particular. Just thought since I have all the gear and a good spot it might be neat. Maybe the kids will enjoy it or we'll have a reel low garden lawn someday.

Here's a pic of the front yard from today:


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

We finally got some rain today. About 1.25". Very happy about that. It's been quite a while since we got anything significant. Meanwhile. I've done a few things to stress the lawn while it's been hot and without rain. The back yard looks pretty bad. Front yard is doing ok, but was starting to lose color and send up some seed heads with the lack of water.

I've been struggling to get enough water on the few spots I'm trying to grow in and fill, so yesterday I went to the big box to get parts for an above ground irrigation system. A TLF memeber sent me some hunter MP rotator nozzles so I put those in some rainbird pop-ups and pvc with hose adapters. Worked out well. The wife isn't too excited about the way it looks but it's temporary and I'm planning to paint it all black soon. May install it all underground next year.

One of the things I did to stress the grass(and kill some of it) was to spread a load of sand after aerating to fill plug holes and build up some low spots. We still have a lot of low spots to fill, but this was a good start. Some of it was enough sand to smother the grass and, I think, kill it. So those spots are getting lots of 10-10-10 and water to get them grown in this year... hopefully. I'll add a couple pics. The front lawn pic was before the rain today. I have the second best looking drought stressed lawn on the block this week. @Gunther has me beat this week. Nobody tell him I said that.


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## Gunther (Oct 2, 2017)

@AVguy I'm not so sure mine is the best on the block, but thanks!


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

It's been a while so here's a little update. The putting green is coming along. Should have good coverage this year. I had some kilinga popping by up so I'm hitting that with image(blue spots in the picture). 

Sprinklers are working out great. Thanks to the TLF member who sent those MP rotators to me! 
Front yard is doing decent. A couple spot that I buried with sand are almost grown back in, but most of the sand washed away in a storm. Maybe next sprin I can get some better leveling done.





The DEF fluid experiment worked pretty well. It's DEFfinately 32% urea. And it can be over done.





There's lot more in progress, but that's all I have time for right now. As a teaser I'll say there's a reason everything around the swing in the first picture is yellow... more on that later.


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## AVguy (May 21, 2018)

Spring has sprung. I've been mowing for about a month now every 2-3 days and this week started mowing every morning. Began with a scalp at dirt level. Then mowed at .375". Yesterday I lowered to .300". I want to get down to .200", but want the lawn filled in and green first. Should have that in a week or so.

This year I'm focusing on getting the back yard healthy and full. I almost killed it last year when I intentionally sprayed out half of it to let moss take over in the shade. I discovered the reality of drift with glyphosate. So I'm using DEF fluid to apply about a pound of N per 1k every 2 weeks(until I burn it).

The front yard got 1/4 lb per 1k of def(urea) 3 weeks ago and that's all I plan to give it this year. I'm going to find out if you can keep tif 419 at .2" with no Nitrogen and no water. I'll water if it turns brown, but otherwise will rely on rain. Y'all go ahead amd tell me how crazy that is. They told Connor he was nutz too. We will see.

Here are a few so far pics:


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