# BilldozerVT's 2021 Fall Lawn Reno (MN)



## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

Hello and welcome to my lawn journal! I was originally going to wait and post this once the renovation was complete so in the event I completely botched it and had to start over I wouldn't be wasting anyone's time (and mostly to save myself from embarrassment). I found I was constantly looking up other renovations to see at what point they performed their first mow, started spoon feeding, etc. I decided, shoot, I should just post where I am at so others can chime in along the way!

So here we are! First a bit of background. I bought the house in 2014 and knew nothing about lawn care other than I need to run the sprinklers sometimes and mow it. I have a 1,500 sqft section to the right of my driveway and a 250 sqft on the left. Backyard and sides are about 2.700 for ~4500 total. I hired Weedman lawn care to come and spray stuff a few times a year and if my dogs caused issues I would throw seed down I bought from a big box store. My brother bought a house of his own and started to get really involved in lawn care. He started teaching me about fertilization programs and weed control and before the 2020 season I was confident enough to cancel my Weedman service and set out on my own!

2020 was a great learning year for me. It mostly consisted of me acquiring tools, throwing down Milorganite, and experimenting with Tenacity. I started messing with my sprinkler's more for better coverage and began paying much more attention to other people's yards. I didn't take any lawn pictures last year except for this one from August where I was proud my lawn was darker than my neighbors:










All in all it was successful year in that I didn't have any weeds, it stayed green, and most importantly I didn't kill it. After my final fall fertilizer app I was anxiously awaiting a quick green up in the spring and getting back to mowing!


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

So here we are, 2021. Time to get a bit more serious. Once all the snow melted it was time to start sticking a thermometer in the soil to time my PreM. Prodiamine went down, great! But one section of my yard that I thought was lagging in the green up had actually been killed by my dogs winter bathroom breaks in the snow. Great, so now what? By my brothers advice I bought a few bags top soil and spread it in the area and threw down some seed and prayed.










I was happy with the way things were looking so far though. Here is a shot of my little man helping out on 5/2 (my yard on the left).










We had an unusually hot summer so in response I raised my HOC to 3.5 inches (previously I was at 2.5). Not sure if this did a ton because more importantly, I bought new sprinkler heads for better coverage and did the tuna can test to get everything dialed in. I was putting down about .25 in every other day and the lawn was holding up just fine. I have not yet done a soil test (and yes I know I need to get on that!) but I am getting to know my yard much better and feeling more confident with fertilizing.
I bought a striping kit this summer and became addicted very quickly.










Here is a shot of the back:










Trying diamond patterns:










This is a good time to point out I have a lot of weed pressure:










Yard on the left is weed infested. I mow the front every other day and if I see something I just reach down and rip it out. Seems to be working pretty well for now. He has admitted to me that things have gotten really bad this year and said he will be tackling the situation at some point.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

Renovation Time!

Ok, I feel like I have given everyone a rough idea of where I am at. I'm learning and loving the way it looks but I am ready to take the next step. Kind of. The yard was a mixture of whatever the previous owner had done and whatever the heck I had been throwing down over the years. I wanted to get an elite cultivar down and maybe start experimenting to cutting low.

Go ahead and make fun of me because this next part doesn't make a ton of sense. We had a guy on our street totally goof on a liquid fertilize app and totally burned his whole yard. Everyone in the neighborhood was talking about it and he had to get all new sod put in. I know what I should have done was killed of my yard first but because of the neighbor disaster and how humiliating that must have been I didn't want anyone to think I made a mistake. Plus I was not fully confident in my ability to do a full renovation so I came up with the following plan:

1.	Scalp the yard
2.	Dethatch twice bagging the thatch each time
3.	Do some leveling and top dressing with black dirt
4.	Seed at new lawn rate and hope the old lawn doesn't make it or at least the new seed takes over.

So yeah, after all the work this would take, all I needed to have done was sprayed the yard a couple times first to have a 100% new yard. But I didn't and I'll deal with that…for now.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

9/7 - Reno Day!










I was so excited when the dirt arrived. This was it, it was really happening. I got to work scalping and dethatching. This is as low as I could get it with my mower. It wouldn't move otherwise.

"look how they massacred my boy"










Used a lawn level and metal rake to get this stuff worked in. Leveled some areas of the yard that were a little sloped due to previously being mulch beds.










I selected SS9000 PRG (Grand Slam, Slugger, Stellar mix) as my seed but I actually regret that decision now. I chose it because I knew I didn't have enough time for KBG here in MN, at least I didn't think I did. I wanted something that germinated quickly so the wife wouldn't freak out for very long. The reason I regret it is because I found out later the three PRG types in the mix are very prone to winter kill. I also have that large tree in the front which produces quite a bit of shade and my understanding is KBG can do ok in shade. I also like the self healing/spreading ability. Oh well, it's done and I am not against doing another reno next fall if things don't work out (or spring if they REALLY don't work out). If anyone wants to talk me off the ledge here I am all ears but I am ok for now with seeing how this PRG turns out.










The seed went down. Followed it up with Scotts starter fert with weed preventer. I chose that route instead of using any old starter fert + tenacity for simplicity sake.

I have a small side yard of about 250 sq ft that haven't really shown yet but I did the same thing over there the next day. Here is a closer look at the front after rolling the seed in:


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

9/11

For the backyard I decided not to be as aggressive in the scalping and just treat it as an overseed except for one small area I leveled a bit. I let the grass grow to about 5in before cutting down to 1.75 in to violate the 1/3 rule and put it in shock. I figured this would make it take time to recover and give the PRG a chance to get a head start.










I put down the seed and same starter fert. At this point I am running my irrigation for a few minutes each zone every 2-3 hours to keep things moist. The waiting game here was rough, the wife kept asking when the heck the grass will grow and all I could keep saying was "soon…I hope."


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

9/12 - 5 DAS the front










Now this was exciting, let me tell you. Such a huge sigh of relief when I saw these grass babies.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

9/14










I can't believe how quick it was coming in, already over an inch!


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

9/16










We had a windy day which brought in some leaves. Grass is just over 2 inches now so today (9/17) I am going to set my rotary to 2 in and bag the leaves and take a little off the top off the new grass.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

So here we are, present day!

Here is the current future plan:
1.	Continue to mow to keep grass at 2in which is my current planned HOC. Mowing low experimentation will take place next year
2.	Continue running sprinklers every few hours since I threw down seed in some bare spots
3.	Once bare spots have germination, I'll start returning to a normal watering cycle, gradually.
4.	20 DAG I'll start spoon feeding N at .25lbs weekly until the first frost.

Is that too soon for the spoon feeding (or too late)?

Thanks for reading and I am exciting to share my journey with you all! I appreciate any and all feedback.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

Just finished mowing, that felt great to do.










Ground felt incredibly soft and in some areas the mower left ruts. I did roll the lawn with two passes with the roller filled to the top with water so everything should have been pressed in so it has to be due to just how much water I am putting on it. I wonder if that is ok or maybe once I start mowing with the striping kit that will help press things down. Or maybe just when I resume normal watering it will settle. Decided to skip my 4pm water and just do it at 7pm.










Still has plenty of thickening to do and hopefully the bare spots will fill in with the additional seed I threw down. Very happy with how it is looking though!


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

7 DAG










Filled in some bare spots yesterday and covered in peat moss. Did a quick mow today to get the leaves off again and wow, I love how nicely it striped without a kit! Really happy with how this is turning out. I'll start spoon feeding urea in two weeks.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

With PRG and that maturity I would start earlier.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

uts said:


> With PRG and that maturity I would start earlier.


We were having hot 90+ days all the way up to labor day weekend which I was out of town for but I was hoping I would be good with 6 weeks before average frost. Do you think I am screwed? Should I have gotten things going while it was still really hot out?


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

BilldozerVT said:


> uts said:
> 
> 
> > With PRG and that maturity I would start earlier.
> ...


I was referring to the urea feedings.you have a good grass stand. Start feeding in a week to give some chance for seed germination and then lots of mowing.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

uts said:


> BilldozerVT said:
> 
> 
> > uts said:
> ...


Appreciate the advice! I was thinking I was ready for the urea sooner than my plan so I will start it next weekend.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

This lawn is really starting to thicken up so I went ahead and did the first spoon feeding app. I also have adjusted my watering to just twice a day at this point.










Side yard is filling in nicely too.










I cut everything at 2", included the backyard. I tried to snap a quick photo but the sun was reflecting right off the pond and I couldn't get a good angle. I don't feel like the backyard is very exciting since that was just an overseed anyways.


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## Liquidstone (Mar 31, 2021)

Looks great! That PRG comes up quick and you are mowing in no time. I've been cutting out irrigation for a good 18-24 hours prior to my first few mows to help with not creating ruts from the mower. No exact science here to the timing and both your areas look like they'll retain moisture well with the shade you get - Just a matter of checking your soil.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

Liquidstone said:


> Looks great! That PRG comes up quick and you are mowing in no time. I've been cutting out irrigation for a good 18-24 hours prior to my first few mows to help with not creating ruts from the mower. No exact science here to the timing and both your areas look like they'll retain moisture well with the shade you get - Just a matter of checking your soil.


Thanks! I am really worried about winter kill though. Things are going great so far but when the snow melts in the spring I am afraid of what I might find. It's been a great learning experience though!


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

Not much to update. Just mowing and watering. Did one final seeding in some bare spots so I am still watering pretty frequently to get it to germinate. Probably too late to get anything established at this point unless I get lucky with the first frost holding off.

Doing a lot of research on reel mowers. Leaning towards the Allett 43 battery powered one. I only plan on cutting the front low which is about 1800 sqft so the 17 in width shouldn't be an issue.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

Did another spoon feeding two days ago and the lawn is starting to darken up. Felt it was time to bring out the striper and wow I am loving the way they look!


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

The color is really starting to pop! Did another spoon feeding of N today as well as a double cut. Really loving how it's looking at this point! Still keeping it at 2 inches, not sure if I should attempt any lower with the rotary. I feel a reel mower is in my future...


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

Looks fabulous a big fan of PRG with it's quick germination and maturity. It's a perfect seed for a first time renovation. You're going to love the shine and incredible stripes it lays. If you do get winter kill come spring just throw down more PRG seed it's a true throw and grow seed . Just cut short quick light de thatch and toss the seed it's that easy. Sadly PRG doesn't really thrive long term in shade but don't panic let's see what happens over next season it might work out. Keep cutting twice weekly if you can and keep feeding it will tiller, thicken and get more mature. Keep up the good work it's looks great and will look fantastic as it matures.


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

@M32075 Thanks! Glad to hear a spring overseed is an option, I had a feeling that was the case but it's nice to get confirmation. I am having a blast mowing it and I do so every 2 days so I am hoping that really gets it to thicken up.

I have a few bare/thin patches that at this point it is probably pointless to put down more seed since the first frost could be around the corner, right? Just hunker down for the winter and assess things in the spring?


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

Took it down to 1.5in with the rotary and WOW. Never thought I would be able to achieve this kind of look. Can't wait to go ever lower next year!


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

Ok, time for one (probably last of the season) more update and to go over what is doing good, and what is not so good.

First off a nice front shot where you can't see any of of the imperfections:










I've been keeping it at 1.5 in, mowing every other day but I have found that might be a bit too much as some areas were getting mower traffic ruts so I am really trying to vary my patterns and mowing every 3 days (and even longer now that the growth is slowing due to temps dropping quickly). I continued my spoon feeding all the way up until my sprinklers were blown out on 10/17. The final app right before they were blown I went up to .5 lbs N since I figured that could possibly be the last chance to water anything in. We are about to get two days of rain so I went out and put down what I had left which ended up being .4 lbs N. I know this late in the game it probably won't absorb all of it but I had it so I threw it down.

I have quite a few thin areas that I will have to address in the spring:










The worst spot is a slightly sloped area right up near the house:










The thickest areas are the front of the yard that get more sunlight but even there you can spot some of the black dirt underneath:










Finally, the back yard. It's really thickened up and looking great. I do have some areas that some creeping bentgrass has snuck in. I took a thatch rake to it to see if I could rip out its thin roots but I should probably just hit it with tenacity (either now or in the spring if it makes it through the winter). You can see the patch in the bottom left:










Overall still very pleased with how this all turned out. I am going to give the PRG a spring and summer (mostly, since a KBG reno would have to get underway in July) before I decide if I want to stick with it in the front. I am REALLY intrigued by a Mazama KBG monostand but let's keep the crazy talk on the back burner until next year. Thanks everyone for reading and looking forward to 2022!


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## MNLawnGuy1980 (May 10, 2019)

@BilldozerVT I really enjoyed reading this. The renovation turned out great, lawn looked phenomenal heading into the winter. Excited to see what is in store for '22!

ps...love the dock, jealous!


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## BilldozerVT (Sep 17, 2021)

@MNLawnGuy1980 Thanks! I showed my daughter a picture of your duck house last fall (she is obsessed with ducks) and told her maybe we should make one in the spring once the ice melts. Well she remembered.










The lights might be a bit much. I might remove the front two if we actually get some interest from a duck family.









Of course she made me pull it out the next day because she wanted to paint it. The neighborhood kids were more than happy to help.


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## MNLawnGuy1980 (May 10, 2019)

@BilldozerVT, unreal...that is so unbelievably awesome! I love it!


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