# Weirj55's 2021 Lawn Journal



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

A new season, a new journal!

I ordered a brush for my Allett Liberty 43. Should be here any day now. I thought about adding the scarifier/dethatcher, but I already have the SunJoe and I love that thing. It does such great work at what it is supposed to do. I wanted a better way to pick up the debris from that and to pick up leaves in the fall. I think the brush was the obvious tool. Time will tell and I will report back here on that in the future.

I have my preM on hand. This is the first time I've used Prodiamine, but I am looking forward to an application soon. Things were warm the last few days, but will be cooling off for a while. Still hoping for an early green-up this year.

The snow has all melted away. I had a few spots of snow mold, to be expected. Raked that out earlier today. Had a few locals walk by and compliment me on the lawn. They thought mine looked like it was already green. One said, "it looks like a golf course" All great words and I appreciate that people notice I put the time in, but I wouldn't want to golf at my course... just saying. Room for improvement. And it isn't even really growing yet.

I do have a couple of places that actually look like there is growth. This would surprise me as the ground was still frozen two days ago. Being my first winter with the reel short mow, maybe I just haven't seen the growth before and now I do?

I plan to brush as soon as it arrives and I figure out how to install it (I also have to pick up all the winter presents my dog left me). Wish me luck! Current pics post raking today!


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

I bought a cartridge for my Allett Liberty 43. I went with the brush as I already have a dethatcher/scarifier with the SunJoe unit. I figure I can sweep up after the SunJoe with the brush cartridge in. Or I can continue to do it the way I have in the past and break out the old gas rotary mower. Soil temps still pretty low, but I do think I am getting some spots warming up nicely, as I can definitely see some growth and green-up.

I used the brush today to clean up the gravel and leftover fall debris from the yard. I was hoping it would sweep the remnants of snow mold I still had not gotten to with the hand rake, but it really didn't do much in those spots. None-the-less I was pleased with the results and the amount of dead material, leaves, and small twigs the brush cartridge did pick up.

I love this machine, but if it has one fault, it can be difficult to get the material out of the catch bin. I guess that also helps keep the material in the bin. A few shakes this way and that and most of it comes out, so not a major pain by any means. I was also finally able to employ my boy to take some photos of me doing yard work.


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Things are starting to green up. I last mowed around Thanksgiving and will likely need to mow on or before Easter Sunday. This is quite a bit earlier than I had green-up last season.

If the weather could stay consistent. One day it is 60F and the next couple are highs in the low 30s. The forecast is favorable for a drastic warm-up over the next few days with highs nearing 70F. If that hold true, the Allett Liberty 43 will be let loose! Can't wait!

Here are some photos from earlier in the week and things have greened up even more since taking these:


----------



## jrubb42 (Jun 20, 2019)

Hey @weirj55. Things are looking great and it looks like we have some warm weather coming our way. We should really start seeing it green up in the next couple of weeks.

I see you mentioned that you have a sun joe dethatcher...have you used it yet this spring? It looks like you have a lot of dead material matted down inbetween the green blades. If I was you, I'd agressively dethatch this spring. It makes a world of difference. I skipped that step last year and had to go back and do it after I already attempted to go low. Good luck!


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

@jrubb42 I took it out today, the SunJoe, for a little dethatching. I didn't want to do it too early. We have still had freezing temps overnight, but look to be in the clear through the extended forecast now. I don't really have a lot of thatch, but it is always slow in some spots to get going in spring, especially on the north side with the slope away from the sun. I have plans for a reno in that area sometime soon.

Today I dethatched, brushed (to clean up the debris) and mowed at 3/4". I love that first mow. Maybe another round on Easter Sunday? We will see.

Still quite a few brown areas, but lots of green growing grass. It is good to be back in the yard.


----------



## jrubb42 (Jun 20, 2019)

There ya go! Looking really good! Always nice to be able to mow this early in the year.


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

The weather was perfect today. April 5th in WI with temps in the mid 70's and sun. We actually need rain, and there is some in the forecast for later this week. PreM going down tomorrow at my location and at my project lawn (my parents). First time using Prodiamine. I have only ever used granular PreM before. I have sprayed a lot of other things, just never Prodiamine. I may tank mix some N into the Prodiamine - a little to spoon-feed.

Things continue to green up and if we do get some precipitation it will really take off!

Soil tests were sent off Waypoint Analytical today. Excited to see the results and changes from last year to this year on my lawn! Also, it will be interesting to see the differences as compared to my parent's yard across town.

Evening pic so a little different than my normal full sun late afternoon captures, but here is the current status of the overseed and topdress project from last year. (I did the closer half last year and plan to do the further half at the end of summer this season)


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Already on mow 3 of the season! Well, almost. I was interrupted by rain today, so I will need to finish up tomorrow morning. When the rain started, I decided it would be a good time to get some product down.

I mixed my 4 gallon backpack sprayer with Prodiamine and a little Ferromec AC, strapped it up, pumped twice, and broke it. I bought that machine nearly 10 years ago. I am happy it lasted this long. So now I have 4 gallons of product waiting to be transferred to a new machine. I saw a post here that Home Depot was clearing out some Ryobi battery backpack sprayers and went to check it out tonight. A worker told me their location had 3 that morning, but were cleared out by the time I got there. Boo!

So the hunt is on, what is everyone's favorite battery backpack sprayer, preferably 4 gallons?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

I have a my4sons sprayer and I am very impressed it. I will say I don't have any other battery operated sprayers to compare it to, as I was in the same situation as you. Battery lasts all day, adjustable pressure, comes with several nozzles/wands, good price relative to other options out there.


----------



## jrubb42 (Jun 20, 2019)

jskierko said:


> I have a my4sons sprayer and I am very impressed it. I will say I don't have any other battery operated sprayers to compare it to, as I was in the same situation as you. Battery lasts all day, adjustable pressure, comes with several nozzles/wands, good price relative to other options out there.


I was going to say I've had zero issues with my Chapin 24v, but having adjustable pressure would be a game changer. Wish I would've looked into this sprayer before getting mine last year, just because of this option.


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

After researching and checking on availability, I decided on the 4 gallon Ryobi Battery Backpack Sprayer. I will let you know what I think after I have used it a few times. I could not find the previous model at any locations, so I went with the current model and then bought the two-pack. One to be used at my place and the other at my project lawn.

I ran the Allett around for clip number 4 of the season. I have been raising the HOC each mow so far this season, trying to find the place I am most satisfied with. I am at 3/4" today. I think the lawn likes this height, but I do have to say I like it slightly lower. I will keep it at 3/4" for a bit, until the whole lawn is woken up.

You can see my lonely, broken sprayer in my backyard pic. Unfortunately, the preM in there needed to down prior to when my new sprayer will arrive. I saw a few weeds popping up around the yard... handpicked some. I see some Weed-b-Gon apps in my future. I will get the preM down as soon as the new sprayer arrives and the battery is charged. Well... I may run a water test first to get the sprayer dialed in.

Very happy with today's stripes though!


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Already on mow #8 of the season! Burning in East to West double-wide stripes. The first mow in this direction I did singles and then transitioned to doubles and it gave a gradient effect to the stripes. I figured I would get some, but now, even three mows in, I can still see the difference in the original direction of the single stripes in these doubles.

The new sprayer is awesome. Although, I will with-hold a true rating until I can use it a few more times. Not having to worry about pumping and the ensuing shoulder soreness is worth the price of admission. The Ryobi did a great job and I can't wait to use it again.

My soil test came back over the weekend. I had a little snafu with the Illinois Waypoint Analytical having moved offices and my package still being addressed to the old location. But a phone call and a trip to their old mail dropbox got my soil samples back on track. I was pleased to see my soil pH came down a little and everything else was about where I expected it except the Potassium. Wow, that is low. I have a 20-20-20 ordered in a soluble so I can exploit my sprayer some more. The triple 20 will also come in handy as I do some seeding on my project lawn in the next few weeks.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Your sulfur is also low, try to use SOP or AMS to help it.


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

g-man said:


> Your sulfur is also low, try to use SOP or AMS to help it.


It sure is. I am planning to put down some aluminum sulfate in response to both the low sulfur and the high pH. I need to source some yet as places I have checked did not have any in stock. (I haven't looked that hard yet)

Woke up this morning to a blanket of white substance on the lawn about 1/2 inch thick. It has since melted.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Aluminum sulfate is fairly toxic to lawns. Yes it does lower the pH, but i don't recommend it.

Ammonium sulfate is good to use for nitrogen.


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

@g-man Thank you for the suggestion. I am expecting some 20-20-20 soluble to be delivered tomorrow and will get some down asap. For my next N application, I will seek out some Ammonium Sulfate.

Yesterday morning I woke up to a blanket of snow on the lawn. Today it was near 60F. I did a late morning mow, followed by an evening pass on the front yard. My son wanted a checkerboard pattern - so I burned in the stripes a little later this evening. For April, the lawn is really looking nice. Comparing to last season, I was not nearly this far until the end of May. Late season N push, shorter cut, reel mower, and dethatching regularly have greatly improved my lawn. Mostly, I think, gathering intel from this forum has better prepared me and my lawn! Thanks all!


----------



## jrubb42 (Jun 20, 2019)

Look at that edging....whew!

Looking great man!


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Took a look at my lawn maintenance schedule from last season. At this point last year, I had 3 mows in and a scarify. This year, the same amount of scarifies, but 12 mows.

I have a few slow areas on the north side of the house in the shadows that are yet to come in. The backyard continues to frustrate me. I have some areas that are looking very nice. The topdress and overseed project on the south side of the back is filling in nicely, but the north side is thinner and just not appealing. I have over-seed plans back there in the fall, but I am hoping that the grass is lacking nutrients (via soil test), and that feeding it will help it get going.

Today I sprayed some Peters Professional 20-20-20. I used 2.5 lbs in 4 gallons of water, spread over my 5032 sq. ft. That comes to roughly .1 lb of NPK per 1k sq ft. I want to see how the lawn reacts to the Peters for a few days and then hit it with either this dose or more/less depending, likely more. Am I better off going stronger, or using weaker, but more frequent applications?

I originally was going to go with 5 lbs in 4 gallons, but decided to half it for the first application.

Switched stripes the previous mow. I'm itching to try off-axis diamonds next time out, it looks and sounded cool in my head - we will see! Maybe single doubles. I haven't done them yet this season.

@jrubb42 I love a clean edge - thanks for noticing!


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Mow #20 and 21! Wow, the mows are adding up quickly. Good thing I love doing it.

I can tell that my lawn is starting to ask for some more fertilizer. I have had very few noticeable weeds and most I have picked out by hand. There are a few places in the lawn where my old grass has poked through and taken over. I am planning to suffer through until late summer and dig those sections out and seed or plug.

For fertilizer, I am planning another round of Peters 20-20-20. This time I will add Ferromec to the tank. 4lbs of Peters and 10 oz of liquid iron spread over my 5K sq ft.

My project lawn is all renovated. 4k sq ft topdressed, dragged, rolled, raked, seeded and rolled again. Threw starter fert down, sprayed Tenacity. Then like a typical renovation project, the weather did not cooperate. It has been unseasonably cool, but things have been warming up and the forecast is good for some seed germination. I seeded Ryan Knorr's Bluegrass/Perenial Ryegrass mix. I hope to see some PRG sprouting in the next couple days. I have a few pics of the process there I will post in the future.

Tonights, Friday Night Stripes:

I'm getting seedheads already. Some of the lighter green in the front is actually the sun reflecting off the house window.


----------



## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Looking great!


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Been a while since I have posted. Busy life!

Mow 40 happened tonight. It was a hot start to June and areas of my lawn got pretty stressed. I got pretty fortunate, the timing of my feedings helped keep my lawn green with minimal watering. I watered the backyard once and the front (showcase) twice during the record-setting 3 weeks of 90F+ weather. We had no rain for nearly two months and about 7 inches below average for the year.

Now, it has cooled off drastically and the rains have come. It feels like I am living in the Pacific Northwest's general climate suddenly. In the past week, I have had had 3+ inches and more on its way tomorrow. I fed some Peter's Professional 20-20-20 and Feromec AC liquid iron earlier this week. I love coming out of the house the next few mornings, following a fert throw down, to see the transformation the color and health of the lawn takes post-feeding. This one has been great to watch and the added benefit of rain has kept me weather watching for opportunities to sneak in a mow job. It is growing like crazy again.

Of course the cooler, wet and very damp weather means I am seeing an influx of mushrooms. Any pointers on handling those or do I just continue to mow them off? I noticed I have a little dollar spot showing up in the backyard and I will need to take care of that as well. I have been reading up on the different categories of fungicides and the need to alternate treatments for long-term results.

Here are after dusk photos of the front yard from this evening's mow job. Quad stripes with the Allett Liberty 43 - I wanted to try stripes the same width as the sidewalk blocks. I think it looks pretty nice - next mow I will mow perpendicular quad stripes for some big squares.


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

I have developed a Dollar Spot problem. I sprayed Fungicide last week and am at the ready with the follow-up application for this week. The day after spraying the Eagle 20EW I threw down 20lbs of Ammonium Sulfate to help rectify my soil pH, add Sulfur to my soil profile, and get some much-needed Nitrogen down.

My lawn had been looking pretty good until the dollar spot hit. Now I have a few brown, dead-looking patches. The N treatment is helping spring some of those areas back to life. This was my first granular feeding of the year. All my other applications of any kind have been liquid to this point. Spoon feeding my lawn has proven interesting. In the first application, I did the calculations wrong and was applying the amount of product needed for 1000k over my 5000k - duh!!! Now that I have it figured out properly, I have maybe been waiting slightly too long to feed it. I still have not used any PGR and I would like to experiment with that, but maybe not until fall or next season.

I used the impending rainstorm to water in my more recent application, not expecting the 4.75" of rain we received. The weather here has been so wild this mowing season. It is seemingly either 90F+ or 65F-. Then we don't get rain for weeks at a time, but when it does rain it is a deluge.

I had mow #51 of the season today. Single Double Sunday at my house - with crossed patterns in the front.


----------



## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

Considering the crazy weather you been having the lawn looks really good


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Had a little respet from the crazy weather. That has allowed me to get the Ammonium Sulfate down, sprayed the second dose of Fungicide Eagle 20EW and followed that up with a little liquid iron. The lawn is looking much better. I have some weak spots in the backyard and I am planning a topdress project in a few weeks.

I will be working on my project lawn too. Trying to organize equipment rentals so we can aerate both lawns prior to a topdress at both locations, mine and my parents. The spring side yard reno is looking great! I will get some pics of that soon.

Here is my lawn after today's mow:


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Mow 62. Took a week long trip, had a young man maintain my lawn in the meantime. He did great, but the weather didn't cooperate. No rain. Some browning from sun/heat fatigue. Get back and in the 4 past days have had nearly 5 inches.

I have also mowed, dethatched (mostly to stand the longer blades up), mowed again and again in that 4 day span. I had to dodge raindrops yesterday and ended up having to finish the mow this morning.

I noticed mycelium again. The 98% humidity overnight certainly did not help. I will need to acquire a different fungicide.

The lawn is due for it's next spoon feeding, but I wanted to get through this hot/humid spell before applying. The weather pattern looks to break Thursday.

Here is the condition after my morning mow today:


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Conditions are perfect for Pythium Blight. Keep an eye for it.


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Mow 67. Ooh the lawn is loving this cooler weather! It really recovered well since my last post. The extended forecast is favorable, with highs in the low to mid 80s and overnight temps dipping into the upper 50s. It's grow time!

Working on acquiring seed for my project lawn and for a few window contractors to come through. I don't want to start a topdress/overseed project if they are going to need to bring heavy equipment through the yard.

I haven't seen any more mycelium or signs of pythium blight either. The lawn is looking pretty good and healthy all around. Rain, what a thing!

Last night's twilight mow photos:


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Mow 68.

I burned the cross stripes in the front this morning, despite the sun being completely the wrong direction to see what I was doing. Turned out well. I had to share the pic:


----------



## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

:thumbsup: I've been enjoying watching your progress for quite awhile (even before the reel mowing bit you), and figured that I would drop in.


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

So on Mow 74 - my rear roller drive belt failed. 

I await one to be delivered.

I didn't let that slow me down though. I core aerated today at both my and the project lawns. 17,000 sq. ft. of core aeration in about two hours. I forgot the kids had a school preview this evening and then soccer/dance - so I did not finish cleaning up all the cores yet. And of course, there is rain in the forecast overnight. I hope it misses us, but I got the main places cleaned up.

I have 3 yards of topsoil coming on Monday morning and will likely need another 3 yards to finish topdressing the entire lawn. My local landscaper only has a three-yard truck with a dump... I was going to topdress with sand this year, but I have not yet found a reliable source for the product. I haven't looked that hard, but I wanted to have a conversation with the local golf course's head groundskeeper first and it just has not yet happened.


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Mow 76. Allett kindly sent me two belts and they arrived swiftly, unfortunately, there are three belts on the Allett Liberty 43 and I received the two belts that I did not need and not the one that I was in need of. So meanwhile the grass is growing ever taller. I finally removed the rear roller belt to make it into a powered reel push mower. Add the high humidity, extreme temps, torrential rainfall, (8" in 6 days, 4.25" yesterday alone) I was soaked even though I never mowed in the rain. Managed to dodge that.

Cleaning up the cores was a process though. I used a snow shovel to clear the cores off the front yard, clearing about 98%. Then due to laziness (remember hot humid weather), I got the SunJoe dethatcher out to collect the rest of the yard. Emptying that tiny bag every two to four passes was cumbersome, but nothing compared to actually dodging the rain on three different occasions to do the work. By the last pass, things were so muddy, the wheels on the SunJoe looked like a mud runner. I should have taken pictures. I actually kept lowering the level down to offset the height of the mud on the tires.

I have three yards of topsoil coming in the morning and another 3 yards if I so desire after that. We'll see how far I actually get and how much I actually need to level. I have a few spots in the front to raise up. Most of the dirt will hit the ground in my backyard, where the grass is thin and I need to introduce some new soil. I did half the backyard last season, time to equal it out. I am overseeding this year with SS9000! I really would like to do a total reno with that seed, having seen it on multiple projects out there in the socials!

Work ahead of me and hopefully a quickly delivered correct belt for my rear roller. Wish me luck!


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Mow 78. Although this is deceptive now. I am only mowing about 1/6th of my lawn for the next couple of weeks. Topdressed and seed down on August 30th. I didn't have plans to even do as much as I did, but I had extra soil and some thin areas and other spots in need of a leveling. Regret set in about 20 minutes into the project, but I know it will be fine in the long run.

Three yards of topsoil down at my home and 9 yards at my parents this week. Well, almost 9 there. we have about a yard leftover and a couple of sections to finish up. Once again I am regretting not doing a sand level and sourcing a USGA topdressing sand. The so-called "Finish Topsoil" I was delivered has lots of stones in it. I have struck out with that to this point. I was unhappy with last year's product, but I think this year's product is worse. I will have to get pictures of the stone sizes, but I have pulled a few 2 inch long relatively flat stones out. Grrrr.

I was able to source SS9000 for my overseeding and I am looking forward to adding that elite cultivar to my *** SS1100 that I seeded with last fall. I might see sprouts as early as tomorrow! Seed went down Monday afternoon, watering began shortly after seed down. It has been cooler and the dew has been thick in the morning, so I have been able to get away with twice a day waterings to this point. Today we had misty rain almost all day, perfect for keeping the water bills down and the wifey happy! I sprayed 20-20-20 last evening. My plan is to hit it again about 2 weeks after major germination.

My belt arrived today and I will install it tomorrow so I can stop pushing my Allett Liberty 43 around the yard. I am ready for this lawn to be pushed and grow in. I may need to use the old rotary mower or borrow my dad's JD x324 for the first mow.

My lawn process - Wednesday Mowed low with Liberty 43(about 5/8"), Wed. Dethatched in two directions, Thurs. Core aerated (picked up cores with SunJoe dethatcher, so got it again really), let the cored holes sit open over the weekend, Monday three yards of soil pallet dragged and rolled lightly.

Project lawn process - Wednesday mowed low (2 inches), Thurs. Core aerated (left cores on ground), Tuesday mowed low, Wed. mowed lower with walk-behind and bagged clippings, Wed. spread 8 yards of topsoil, seeded and rolled in. Watering begins.

Lots of work, but someone has to have the best lawns in their hood. It may as well be me. All my neighbors and my parents neighbors think I am nuts... they are probably right!

Project lawn pics:
The first six yards of soil


The area prior to much work being done








My lawn:
3 yards being dumped in my drive:


World's greatest helper:


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Well folks (mow #85), I am still operating a powered push reel mower. Glad I am only mowing a portion of the yard. I have been sent three belts, all of which have been the wrong size to drive the Allett Liberty 43 rear roller. This time I am promised that the correct belt is on its way. I hope so.

The topdressed areas are starting to fill in. Some areas will need a little TLC (More seed and peat moss). I will need to cut the topdressed areas soon, as it is approaching 5 to 6 inches in places. I cut a few areas down with the Allett, but I am planning to bag it all up with my Ariens walk-behind. It would be a task to cut it down with the Allett and collect, as I don't have the powered rear roller currently. I would likely have to go over the entire lawn 3 or 4 times with the Allett vs. once or twice with the Ariens. Plus the new seedlings don't really need to be flattened with the reel just yet. Especially with how wet it has been here lately. I haven't watered in 4 or 5 days... today was warm and windy and tomorrow should be much of the same. I hope this will give the ground some time to stiffen up for a nice mow down.

The new seedlings are up around 4 inches, but like I said, some pretty thin spots will need some overseeding before fall sets in. The weather looks to be quite warm next week, which bodes well for success in dropping seed down this late. Look for some before and after mow pics soon!


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Mow 89. I took it down yesterday in the heavy reno area (North and East side of the house). Today raised up the Allett Liberty 43 and took it down even further. There is definitely some room for improvement yet and I hope it will fill in this fall. I will need to throw down some peat moss with more seed this weekend as I have a few larger areas that didn't germinate well. I expected it as I did a few heavy levelings in those areas. I threw down some fertilizer yesterday and rains should be hitting here shortly to get that moving along.

I did another thing today and live-streamed my backyard lawn mowing session to YouTube. I am going to try to do this some more this fall, because... why not! Here is the link if you are interested in watching an absolute idiot low mow his lawn, both way too early and way too low. I will try to improve the quality of the stream over time. Today was a last-second decision to go for it!

https://youtu.be/OoQSNDlmj68


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Mow #99. Holy crap, I can't believe how many times I have mowed the lawn. The next will be the big 100! I should come up with a good stripe pattern. Speaking of stripe patterns, does anyone have a good location for stripe ideas or advanced stripe tutorials? I'm always looking for new ideas.

The topdress/overseed project is really starting to fill in and mature. I had to reseed a few areas and those are all looking pretty good too. I have one spot that is giving me a little trouble that may need to wait until Spring. It is getting pretty late here, but the weather and soil temps are still up. No time left for any KBG seeding, but maybe I'll throw a little more PRG down.

I have a bit of a poa attack in the backyard. I have been meaning to dethatch with the Sun Joe to pick some of that out, but without my rear roller belt on the Allett, I haven't wanted to. Picking up the material becomes a pain having to push the mower around. I could use the Sun Joe bag, but it is so tiny and fills up quickly. Or I could rake, but knowing I have powered tools for this purpose and not being able to utilize them is frustrating. It has been 7 weeks since my belt failed and I finally, finally got the part number to order last week. Now I have to wait for it to ship from the UK to South Carolina and then ultimately to me. Could be next spring before I have a fully operational mower again.

I have a little bit of mower lean happening. I have seen multiple posts on the Allett Liberty 43 having this issue. Mowing lower on the motor side. Some have rectified this by adding weight to the mower opposite the motor. I am debating on trying this, but I don't always have the issue. Allett's suggestions include, resetting the reel cartridge (taking it out and putting it back in), back lapping, or reel sharpening. Obviously tried the reset, but I am thinking about doing a backlap soon.

I will probably break down and dethatch before I get that belt and then you know it will show up the next day!

Today's mow pics:


----------



## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

It looks great! Sorry to hear about the ongoing Allett issues...not a good advertisement for them, but I'll leave it at that.

If you haven't tried striping with the contour of your beds, that's an idea. Maybe, trying concentric circles for the semicircular beds in the front, with practicing around the playground, in case you mess up.

Some of the industry publications have striping tips/contests to get ideas from. Sports Field Management Online may be a resource. If you go through back issues, you may find some useful information. https://sportsfieldmanagementonline.com/

Also, check out Pete from GCI's YT channel for cool striping videos. Some TLF members like @O_Poole have really cool striping, too.


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

107 mows. Tomorrow we are expecting our first overnight freeze for this fall. That is pretty late for my location, but I will take it. The lawn is looking rather good considering the wet weather and the massive amount of worm castings I've dealt with lately. Thank you @Chris LI I tried the stair-step pattern that @O_Poole showed in his, now famous, viral hit! Mind you, I am doing this without my Allett Liberty 43 being a powered walk-behind. It is strictly a push mower at this point. My arms felt it the next day with all those turns! The belt has been mailed and should arrive early next week, yippee!!!



You can see the worm castings flattened out in this pic:


I dethatched the whole yard to break up the worm cast spots. It is filling in slightly, but this late in the season I am destined to have those spots until spring.

I started working on my "Trick or Treat" showcase pattern today so that it is well burned in when the kiddos come traipsing through the lawn. Standard cross-cut pattern N/S and E/W doubles. Sprayed liquid iron on Tuesday and may do one more iron app before the season is over. We will see how the weather cooperates.


----------



## O_Poole (Jun 5, 2018)

@Chris LI Thanks man for the kind words!! @weirj55 You killed them zig zags man!


----------



## weirj55 (Apr 13, 2020)

Mow 110. Cool weather, Mother Nature's PGR. The mows are further between, but still occurring and the lawn is really looking great. We had some more wet and seasonably warmer days the past week and I experienced a few more worm castings. Fortunately, I did receive a replacement belt and was able to use the broom attachment in my Allett Liberty 43 to try to help with those pesky dirt piles. The mower is pretty much working, but now I have had difficulty pushing it when the mower is not on. I can pull it backward, but pushing forward the rear differential does not want to disengage. I end up with one half of the roller moving forward and the other back. I have been rolling it around on the front roller and it is working fine. When the motor is running it will roll forward, only when the power is off completely. Overall, I am happy to have it back in working order and not pushing it around the yard! My biceps will start to size down now too!

Outside of the worm castings the yard is really looking great. I wasn't going to hand out candy for Halloween, but decided (selfishly) that I should. That way I could hear what all the parents said about the grass. A couple of dad's were curious and chatted with me about it. One kid, said, "wait, this grass is real? No way!". All in all it was a great day. Through down stripes early afternoon in prep for the treat looters to come around and admire! I thoroughly enjoy my lawn.













You can really see the worm cast damage in this photo, bottom right:


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Looks great! I don't think you should use "selfishly" to describe your goals. Although I do like to do it for fun and for looks, I enjoy it being a conversation starter with neighbors. There are so many people in my neighborhood that I otherwise would have never talked to if it weren't for my lawn, so I'm glad this gives the opportunity to meet new people and share my passion.


----------

