# davegravy's 2022 lawn log



## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

This year is Project Life Support.

Plan is to tear down the majority of the house come summer, so lawncare falls in priority. Ideally I'll be able to save the back lawn but I'm prepared to re-reno after construction if it makes sense.

We rented a neighbouring property: the back corner behind my shed touches the corner of the rented property. It may be feasible to run a long hose from the rental to mine - the landlord foolishly said he'd pay the water bill :lol: in the hopes I'd keep his lawn as nice as mine. If it works out I'll keep the back in dormancy through the summer but not let it die. I'm sure I'll lose some of it from construction equipment but possibly only the area adjacent the house.

I'll do minimal nitrogen this year - just enough to keep it looking decent. Maybe even just Scotts slow release. No soil testing.

Ran the rotary over the back to pick up debris today, and marked off a few baseball-sized Triv patches. Going to burn them out and then plug fill.

In the front yard I have a ton of Triv which I will try to burn out and then throw some PRG on it for a quick spring germination - keep the weeds to a minimum during construction and have a decent canvas to start from next year.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Cool project... Can wait to see!


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## Marzbar (Aug 2, 2020)

@davegravy what do you mean by burn out? Are you using a torch on the triv?


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Marzbar said:


> @davegravy what do you mean by burn out? Are you using a torch on the triv?


Nope, using glyphosate/roundup. The chemical kind of burn 😉


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Hey welcome back!
I've looked like torched the Triv patch with my Tenacity apps. Trying to find it this year....and it is gone. May come back later, but would surprise me. Good luck with the construction! Will become even richer in estate than before. :lol:


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Worried because I hit this grassy weed with glyphosate a few days ago in a few spots around the yard and everything is dying around it but it seems like it's unscathed :S


Lumber and scaffolding arriving imminently and the contractor needs me to store in the back so the smothering of lawn shall soon commence.


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Is that wild onion? If so it may take a while longer to kill, or multiple apps, since those tend to have a waxy coating that doesn't allow great absorption of herbicides.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

jskierko said:


> Is that wild onion? If so it may take a while longer to kill, or multiple apps, since those tend to have a waxy coating that doesn't allow great absorption of herbicides.


You know, it might be... We have onion varieties growing intentionally in our vegetable garden, if it spreads by seed that could explain it.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Tenacity @ 2oz rate down on the front and back, per this thread just to highlight triv without killing it.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

The tenacity worked really well to light up the Triv in the backyard, not so much in the front for some reason - perhaps it's a different variety? Maybe it just doesn't contrast as well against the lighter coloured nomix, but it's definitely Triv.

Glyphosate went down on all the Triv patches tonight in the backyard, with a good 6" margin around each. I'm strangely looking forward to getting out the pro plugger in a couple weeks.

There's so much of it in the front that I think I'll just leave it and hope I get it all when I reno it next year.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Just sold 20lbs off my precious pure Everest... If I only knew you are going to flip your front...


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Babameca said:


> Just sold 20lbs off my precious pure Everest... If I only knew you are going to flip your front...


Haha, I still have a lot of seed from my first reno that's been in cool dry storage for this purpose. It has Nuglade I think, though probably not quite as good as Everest for shade tolerance.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Gly started doing its thing.



Having trouble focusing on packing to move out and instead working on the lawn that's going to get mangled soon lol


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## Chuuurles (Nov 23, 2020)

Crazy the Colour difference between the reno and the back bit with the fruit trees.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Looks amazing! Those bye bye spots are pretty huge. I would play the reseed game vs plugs, when time comes.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Chuuurles said:


> Crazy the Colour difference between the reno and the back bit with the fruit trees.


Yep, it's exaggerated now with the tenacity app which lit up the nomix a lot more than the reno. Can't wait to make it all the same!


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Babameca said:


> Looks amazing! Those bye bye spots are pretty huge. I would play the reseed game vs plugs, when time comes.


Thanks

I have lots of seed, so I could reseed. Some of the spots are small. I could do a combination, maybe.

Plugs are more work at the start but don't have to baby them after a couple weeks.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)




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## MNLawnGuy1980 (May 10, 2019)

What do you do with the "bad" plugs, are you able to put them back since the triv is all dead? Curious as I have a basketball sized area I will need to do something similar with.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

MNLawnGuy1980 said:


> What do you do with the "bad" plugs, are you able to put them back since the triv is all dead? Curious as I have a basketball sized area I will need to do something similar with.


I haven't decided yet lol. It should be all dead but I'm nervous if not.

An option is to fill the holes with fresh topsoil and let the plugs sit in my shed until they're definitely dead.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Wife tells the neighbors when they ask that I'm making "lawn cookies" lol.

I think I'm gonna backfill with new topsoil, just don't want to risk spreading Triv.

Check out these roots!


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## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

Cant you just separate the dead grass from the plug and put the soil back? Are you worried there are seeds in it?


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

livt0ride said:


> Cant you just separate the dead grass from the plug and put the soil back? Are you worried there are seeds in it?


A bit worried there's seeds but more worried there's still living pieces of stolon/root left in there. No way you could perfectly separate the dirt from all that.

I've seen enough reports of Triv coming back even after multiple rounds of gly, so I'm not taking any chances. It's nasty stuff.

I came up with a quick and painless way to backfill the holes. Use the proplugger! I added a cardboard funnel to make loading it easier. Aims the soil exactly where it needs to go and saves the back. One heaping trowel full of soil fills a hole, once packed down with your foot.



This is taking a lot longer than I expected but it's not hard work... I'm enjoying it.

In the background you can see the lumber for the 2nd storey stacked neatly.


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

It's strangely satisfying working with the plugger. Only issue I ran into was that if I filled the plugger up to the top, the last 1-2 plugs at the bottom require a little push to be removed (my clay soil probably doesn't help the cause). So I just stuck with pulling 5-6 plugs at a time before I dumped them.

Also, I would never reuse plugs pulled from a triv area, you are definitely right about that. Mine went right to the dump!


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

jskierko said:


> It's strangely satisfying working with the plugger. Only issue I ran into was that if I filled the plugger up to the top, the last 1-2 plugs at the bottom require a little push to be removed (my clay soil probably doesn't help the cause). So I just stuck with pulling 5-6 plugs at a time before I dumped them.


I was getting that pretty consistently even just pulling 5-6, unfortunately. Didn't slow me down too much though.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Finally got prodiamine down, plus the first feed of the season - 0.5lb N/k. Now just need some real rain.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks good.. I have a few battle scars that look like yours


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

I read that opening up the bottom of the cedar hedge I have along the back would reduce some of the bugs that seem to live in them and swarm me when I walk past. It didn't help. Unsurprisingly with more light getting to the soil, the weeds are a good bit worse.

I've been spraying small amounts of Killex (2,4-D, dicamba, mecoprop) in there for years and it hasn't seemed to mind. I can generally hit just trunks and weeds without getting much on needles. But I'll need to spray more of the stuff this year - am I playing with fire? Would glyphosate be better? Or should I play it safe and just hand weed (booo!)

Most of what I find online is about using these herbicides to kill pines by drilling holes in them and injecting. Not a lot about the risks of what I'm aiming to do.


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## Marzbar (Aug 2, 2020)

davegravy said:


> livt0ride said:
> 
> 
> > Cant you just separate the dead grass from the plug and put the soil back? Are you worried there are seeds in it?
> ...


That's a good idea. I'm gonna try that. I've been back filling with compost. Is that not a good idea? I thought it would help with my clay soil.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Marzbar said:


> davegravy said:
> 
> 
> > livt0ride said:
> ...


Hmm not too sure tbh, but it may create pockets with different water/nutrient holding capacity.


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## Marzbar (Aug 2, 2020)

davegravy said:


>


Wow. That's a lot of plugs. How long will it take for those areas to fill in?


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Marzbar said:


> davegravy said:
> 
> 
> >
> ...


Haha thanks. I'm expecting the full season. I figure I could have accelerated it if I also seeded some PRG but I was feeling lazy and this season's mostly a write-off anyways.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Some filling in, some dying


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Skip the prodiqmine for those areas and overseed in August. Won't hurt... if, of course you do triple PreM per season, as it always keeps your seeding time slot open &#128521;


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Babameca said:


> Skip the prodiqmine for those areas and overseed in August. Won't hurt... if, of course you do triple PreM per season, as it always keeps your seeding time slot open 😉


I'm on the triple pre-M schedule so yeah this is possible.

The problem is I don't have the irrigation system this season due to the house construction, so I have to move a sprinkler around. I might not have time for that.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

If anyone's bats--- crazy like me and wants to try and maintain their reel low lawn during a major building demolition without killing their reel from nails and other debris, here's my process that's working well so far:


Thoroughly rake debris off the lawn until visually clean
Roll the area of the lawn next to the construction that still has nails you probably missed - traction only, no power to the reel. The idea is to push nails off the top of the grass into the soil where your reel will miss them
Mow normally

If I had a metal detector I'd use it between 1 and 2.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

:shock: :? :shock: :shock:


davegravy said:


> If anyone's bats--- crazy like me and wants to try and maintain their reel low lawn during a major building demolition without killing their reel from nails and other debris, here's my process that's working well so far:
> 
> 
> Thoroughly rake debris off the lawn until visually clean
> ...


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Maybe we should call YOU the Lawn Rebel, or Clint Lawnwood, or Sylvester Stallawn, 'cause you're hard core! :bandit:


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Chris LI said:


> Maybe we should call YOU the Lawn Rebel, or Clint Lawnwood, or Sylvester Stallawn, 'cause you're hard core! :bandit:


 

The yin and the yang (chaos and order):


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Looks amazing! Minus you will be seeding those spots.... rest looks way to good to have this eyesore.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Babameca said:


> Looks amazing! Minus you will be seeding those spots.... rest looks way to good to have this eyesore.


I fixed it up, looks even better now


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## BBLOCK (Jun 8, 2020)

erp theres some debris on the lawn... 

oh wow that's going to be a big change to the house! demolition has started, i'm guessing you're not living there this summer lol.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

You weren't kidding about major renovations...clean cut through the roof shingles and wrecking ball for the rest! :lol:

See if you can save any unbroken block to weigh down a future leveling drag. However, I can't see anything good left in the photo.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Chris LI said:


> See if you can save any unbroken block to weigh down a future leveling drag. However, I can't see anything good left in the photo.


Good call!


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## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

I'm surprised you didn't have tarps or something down to catch the debris on that high value turf.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

livt0ride said:


> I'm surprised you didn't have tarps or something down to catch the debris on that high value turf.


 :lol:

I didn't realize they were taking the full back wall down to be honest, but the new wall will have a lot of window area so in hindsight it makes sense.

As for the lawn, there's gonna be a 12' composite wood deck back there (so I can sit and look at the lawn :lol: ). That section of turf's days were numbered.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

BBLOCK said:


> erp theres some debris on the lawn...
> 
> oh wow that's going to be a big change to the house! demolition has started, i'm guessing you're not living there this summer lol.


Nope, haha. But we got lucky and are renting an adjacent property so it's almost like we're still living there.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@davegravy Here you go. So, so much better now! :lol:. Holy smokes, I was not expecting it to go down to the grown before going up...


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Did you go down within....? Que Onda?


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

I'm still alive. 

Mostly the house is changing not the lawn, so I haven't posted in a while.

I lost a bit more lawn as you can see, but this will be covered anyways by the back deck.

I was away for a while and it got very long so I mowed today with the manual reel. I'll mow with the Flex21 again in a couple days.

I must say, having given the lawn minimal attention this year (a bit of N, water, and semi-regular mowing) the density and colour is 85% of what it was last year when I was doing the full maintenance program, even with construction workers walking all over it! 

The workers are being very respectful. I watched a guy in the excavator do a 10-point turn to avoid pushing more soil over the turf than necessary. Hope I'm not being billed for that, lol!


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Lawn looks amazing. Color is wow.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Babameca said:


> Lawn looks amazing. Color is wow.


^+1
Density looks amazing, too!


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

House is looking great. Do you have a plan or drawing that shows what you are doing to it?


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Stuofsci02 said:


> House is looking great. Do you have a plan or drawing that shows what you are doing to it?


Yup!


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Wow.. what a project. I assume the hidden (dashed) lines are the original house?


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Stuofsci02 said:


> Wow.. what a project. I assume the hidden (dashed) lines are the original house?


A bit ambitious I guess, being right at the height of supply chain madness.

And yeah, dashed is the old house.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

davegravy said:


> Stuofsci02 said:
> 
> 
> > Wow.. what a project. I assume the hidden (dashed) lines are the original house?
> ...


Those are the things you can't control…. Hopefully it is not causing too many delays…


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

The lawn isn't the best it's been but I have some good neighbour domination happening and a new second storey to admire it from.


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## JBC-1 (Apr 5, 2020)

davegravy said:


> The lawn isn't the best it's been but I have some good neighbour domination happening and a new second storey to admire it from.


I would say you have some GREAT neighbor domination happening right now!


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

JBC-1 said:


> davegravy said:
> 
> 
> > The lawn isn't the best it's been but I have some good neighbour domination happening and a new second storey to admire it from.
> ...


Haha thanks! Some stiff competition two doors down but they just laid sod so need to give them time to neglect it


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## 606-Lawn (5 mo ago)

It's looking good


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

https://youtu.be/WTPHsouuGq4


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

How is the construction going? Fall lawn plans? I hope all is well.

I'm afraid to look at that video. I have images in my head of the whole neighborhood burning down from the laser, with the Severe Drought (D2), that we're experiencing. :lol:


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Chris LI said:


> How is the construction going? Fall lawn plans? I hope all is well.
> 
> I'm afraid to look at that video. I have images in my head of the whole neighborhood burning down from the laser, with the Severe Drought (D2), that we're experiencing. :lol:


Sorry to hear about the drought. It's been dry here too but not that bad.

Construction is going well although the roof trusses are delayed so progress has slowed a bit.



Minimal lawn plans this fall, just pushing N to try and fill in the Triv spots. Next year will be more attention back on the lawn (if I'm not broke lol).


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Can you show those triv spots progress. We've had a bet with @Stuofsci02 about how fast plugs help fill in. Lawn looks on point under all circumstances.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Babameca said:


> Can you show those triv spots progress. We've had a bet with @Stuofsci02 about how fast plugs help fill in. Lawn looks on point under all circumstances.


Lol…. You can't even find my spots anymore..


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Babameca said:


> Can you show those triv spots progress. We've had a bet with @Stuofsci02 about how fast plugs help fill in. Lawn looks on point under all circumstances.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Thank you Dave! Looks way better than I was honestly expecting.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Babameca said:


> Thank you Dave! Looks way better than I was honestly expecting.


This was the best of the areas though - some areas had plugs which died and have bigger gaps.

Also, you can maybe see that some of the them are raised and get scalped. I may need to dig some up and reset a bit lower.

Overall I'm happy. It took minimal effort through the season after the large initial effort.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

To add to the proplugging success. There were 5 spots like this in the 2nd to last picture. You can't even find them anymore @Babameca


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)




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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

davegravy said:


> View attachment 733


Great morning for a mow.

Grass won't be as happy unfortunately with the extra shade cast from the 2nd storey, and only going to get worse with the roof going on. Can't have it all!


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Triv spots are fully filled in now. 

Roof got really delayed thanks to supply chain, but it's finally up and ready for shingles. 










Looking forward to tackling a front reno next fall.


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## davegravy (Jul 25, 2019)

Needed another mow. That's not snow, it's styrofoam bits from the styrofoam that goes under the stucco. Maybe will help aerate my soil? 😅


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks great... I am not allowed to mow anymore.....


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