# GMM's Bewitched KBG Lawn Renovation



## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Hey everyone,

I bought my first home in March while there was still snow on the ground and didn't get a good look at the lawn, that was a mistake. Once the snow melted, I discovered I had a 12k sqft canvas that was going to be a challenge.

Late March 2018, first good look at the lawn, 


So I thought, "Well I can rehab this", and gave it a go. After overseeding twice, watering, fertilizing, soil conditioning (humic acid/kelp extract), twice weekly mowings, pesticides, and insecticides through the entire summer it didn't look too bad.

6/6/18; only good shot I have showing the rehab results


Now I find myself coming to the end of the summer and I considered continuing the rehab, but there are a couple things that bother me about the lawn:

1. *Grass Mix*. Some patches are Tall Fescue, others are Perennial/Annual Rye, some are small sporadic clumps of KBG. It's a standard northern lawn mix, but the distribution is all over the place and I don't like the resulting color variations throughout the yard.

2. *Durability*. The existing grass isn't up to the challenge of handling my five year old and his squad of rebels. I also have a lot of trees and it's not doing so well in the shade.

3. *Level*. The yard has lots of dips and bumps that I would like to resolve in one shot.

So I figured screw it, let's nuke most of it and start anew. Originally I wanted to go with a heavy KBG mix, but point #2 above dissuaded me from that and I decided on going pure Tall Fescue using Titan Ultra. Scratch that, @Pete1313's lawn is just too pretty, Bewitched it is!

*Reno Game Plan*

1. *Glyphosate* - I did my first spray on 7/15 and some areas caved quickly to the pressure, while others I think I'll need a second and perhaps third spray.


2. *Scarify & Clean* - The previous owners essentially used the yard as a trash can and there is all manner of garbage buried in the soil. So as I scarify to wipe out the old grass, I'm going to cleanse this yard of anything that may have been hiding. Did my first small patch of scarifying today in the front yard:


3. *Fallow* - I'm going to start fallowing tomorrow, 7/19/18, and continue straight through to seeding day to make sure no weeds miss this party

4. *Core Aerate* - The underlying soil is not great and I would like to loosen it up a bit before bringing in fresh soil

5. * Soil & Roll* - I'm going to bring in 15 yards of top soil with compost to start and level out the yard and provide assistance to some areas that are so dry they're cracking.

6. *Seed Day* - What it's all about! Titan Ultra seed and Lesco starter fertilizer. Timing wise I'm thinking around 8/27/18.

7. *Tenacity* - While weeds were invited to the glosphate party, their membership at this point is hereby revoked

8. *Water? Water!* - Three times a day; 7AM, 12PM, 4PM

9. *Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming* - Milo, humic acid, kelp, etc.

I'm excited to get started and I'm sure I'm missing something, so feel free to chime in with your experience and advice guys!


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## Shindoman (Apr 22, 2018)

Looks like you have good plan in place. I'd add some sand to the soil mix.


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

Something else to consider is rolling in the seed and using peat moss for a cover.


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## Creel (Jul 2, 2018)

Can't wait to see the results.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Shindoman said:


> Looks like you have good plan in place. I'd add some sand to the soil mix.


The mix I'm getting is 1/3 topsoil, 1/3 sand, and 1/3 compost. There was an area I tried correcting using pure topsoil in the spring and the grass there didn't germinate well at all, I learned my lesson.



iowa jim said:


> Something else to consider is rolling in the seed and using peat moss for a cover.


I'm still working on the seeding plan; I was either going to go this route or rent a slice seeder. Have you tried both? Either one produce better results?



Creel said:


> Can't wait to see the results.


You and me both! My biggest fear is I come out the other side with a weed infested mess.


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

GMM: I haven't tried either method yet, as i am a total rookie. I have done a lot of reading on this site and still learning. I will be doing a full reno on my 12,000sq. this fall with all kbg. I am finding out that it is a lot of work. Would suggest reading some of the reno threads on this forum, there is a lot of knowledge by the guys here and they are very helpful. 
:good luck:


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## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

I would do at least a week of fallowing after spreading the top soil/compost and plan on one last glypho app right before seed down to make sure any weeds in the topsoil/compost mix are smoked.

Edit to add: Check out @Pete1313 reno thread. While he did 100% KBG, the prep work/methods he did is worth reviewing.


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## Creel (Jul 2, 2018)

GMM said:


> The mix I'm getting is 1/3 topsoil, 1/3 sand, and 1/3 compost. There was an area I tried correcting using pure topsoil in the spring and the grass there didn't germinate well at all, I learned my lesson.


I was wanting to do the same and just noticed your in my neck of the woods. What place are you getting yours from? I had found this mix at a place in Harrison but forgot to bookmark it.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Creel said:


> GMM said:
> 
> 
> > The mix I'm getting is 1/3 topsoil, 1/3 sand, and 1/3 compost. There was an area I tried correcting using pure topsoil in the spring and the grass there didn't germinate well at all, I learned my lesson.
> ...


I'm planning to go with the Three-Part Mix from Alvis

http://www.alvismaterials.com/soil/


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## Budstl (Apr 19, 2017)

Mow as low as your mower will go. Bag the clippings if you can. Once your old grass is dead, i would aerate/dethatch asap, put your humic and kelp down since your soil is broken up, then your soil/sand/compost mix. Now you can start to fallow. You have a pretty good plan going forward. Good luck to ya.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Budstl said:


> Mow as low as your mower will go. Bag the clippings if you can. Once your old grass is dead, i would aerate/dethatch asap, put your humic and kelp down since your soil is broken up, then your soil/sand/compost mix. Now you can start to fallow. You have a pretty good plan going forward. Good luck to ya.


Actually just mowed and bagged at 1.5" today


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## Creel (Jul 2, 2018)

GMM said:


> Creel said:
> 
> 
> > GMM said:
> ...


Yes that is the place. Actually drove by them yesterday as well.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Change of plans, I really wanted KBG to begin with and Pete's thread just put me over the edge. I'm going to kill everything and renovate using Bewitched @ 3lb/K


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Sweet. I have bewitched too and it's awesome. You won't be disappointed.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Spent the weekend tearing out four bushes which was a surprising amount of work, those roots are a challenge (went down around 10" after this photo). Only 5 more to go!


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Supplies are slowly arriving


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## goblue4016 (Jul 26, 2018)

looking forward to following as im in the same process you are! good luck!


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## llO0DQLE (Dec 4, 2017)

What's Glosphate?


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

llO0DQLE said:


> What's Glosphate?


It's a new formulation of Glyphosate that's 30% more effective, very exclusive stuff.


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## llO0DQLE (Dec 4, 2017)

LOL


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Carved out some new flower beds, buried some plants, and built a raised garden bed.




Also bought this scalping blade for my lawn mower. I realized my trimmer was perfect for clearing away the dead grass, but no way I'm going to use it on the whole yard.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Had a busy August in the yard, nonstop fallowing and regrading, but I think it'll be worth it in the end.

Installed a catch basin to replace this old teal above ground PVC pipe that was just an eyesore





On 9/1 I threw down my grass seed with a slit seeder and Tenacity. Instead of using the hopper I broadcasted the seed in one direction, used the slit seeder empty, and repeated seeding/slitting in the other direction. Also setup my DIY sprinkler system which took waaaay more time to get proper coverage setup then I thought it would.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

I don't know how, but after 5 days there is germination! This popped up quicker then some rye I threw down last year (7 days)


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Congrats on the green babies! :clapping:


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Congrats on the germination. Day 5 seems to be when bewitched likes to start germinating. My reno last year saw the first sprouts on day 5 and this year I seeded a couple bare areas and again saw sprouts after 5 days. Before you know it you'll have a lawn again.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Day 10 and things are starting to look green everywhere. I reseeded a couple of spots that looked like they were missed.


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## LawnSolo (Jul 17, 2018)

Anyone capable to grow KBG is a hero in my book


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

I'm nerding out way too much about this, but the daily progress is incredible! Day 14 it's starting to look like a legitimate lawn again. On day 28 I'm going to throw down my first spoon feeding of nitrogen at .25lb/k and spray Tenacity again.

I've also got a serious ant problem going on in the backyard. Any recommendations for seedling safe insecticide? I looked at Bifenthrin but that looks like it runs the risk of driving the ants inside the house and then Fipronil but that seems to be the nuclear option and not at all appropriate for lawn treatments.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

GMM said:


> I've also got a serious ant problem going on in the backyard. Any recommendations for seedling safe insecticide? I looked at Bifenthrin but that looks like it runs the risk of driving the ants inside the house and then Fipronil but that seems to be the nuclear option and not at all appropriate for lawn treatments.


Almost all (actually all?) insecticides are perfectly safe for seedlings, with the exception of the "spray can" products at the hardware store (the familiar can of Raid, but that's because of the aerosol carriers, not the insecticide iteself). The insecticides kill insects, and almost universally don't affect plants, other than the fact that you don't want to get most of them on your vegetable garden (things you'll eat) or your flower garden (things pollinators will visit).

Wondering why you consider fipronil to be a "nuclear option?" It is _*incredible*_ for ants, but it's not by any means a "kill everything" product. It is even quite safe on pets (well, not fish or some birds) and is a flea-control product applied directly to pets such as dogs and cats. Fipronil is now showing up in all sorts of products intended for turf, including granular formulations. For example, Bayer Topchoice (https://www.backedbybayer.com/~/media/BackedByBayer/Product%20Labels%20-%20pdf/TopChoice.ashx) for fire ant control, for which there is also a generic QualiPro equivalent (Fipronil 0.0143G Broadcast). It may be difficult to find a product that is specifically labeled for homeowner use on ants in turf. However, the difference between the turfgrass products and the termite control products (such as Taurus SC https://www.domyown.com/taurus-sc-termiticide-p-1816.html ) is the carrier and labeling -- the active ingredient is identical.

There's a good article on domyown.com for outdoor ant control: https://www.domyown.com/how-to-get-rid-of-ants-a-462.html

Application of Taurus SC at a rate of 0.8oz per gallon makes a sprayable treatment that can be sprayed on home foundations to kill ants as well as a wide variety of other insect pests including roaches, ticks, and more. It is especially effective on social insects and will wipe out the entire colony of ants, not just those that cross through the sprayed area.

The big issue with fipronil is that it is not safe for most aquatic life. It must NOT be applied near to ponds, lakes, streams, etc. and thus is a product for use by certified applicators. The label provides much more information on these constraints.

PS: Oh, and the _*new Bewitched looks awesome*_!


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

LawnSolo said:


> Anyone capable to grow KBG is a hero in my book


It's not mentally easy. Lol. But this looks fantastic! Can't wait to see more updates.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

ken-n-nancy said:


> GMM said:
> 
> 
> > I've also got a serious ant problem going on in the backyard. Any recommendations for seedling safe insecticide? I looked at Bifenthrin but that looks like it runs the risk of driving the ants inside the house and then Fipronil but that seems to be the nuclear option and not at all appropriate for lawn treatments.
> ...


Ah, that's where my confusion on the Fipronil comes from; I was looking at Taurus SC which has dire warnings against it's usage anywhere but home foundations lest you risk murdering everything (bees included).

I'll pickup some Taurus G Fipronil granules and hopefully put an end to this ant incursion.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

GMM said:


> Ah, that's where my confusion on the Fipronil comes from; I was looking at Taurus SC which has dire warnings against it's usage anywhere but home foundations lest you risk murdering everything (bees included).


Exactly! It would be _*very bad*_ for a homeowner to see ants on their rose bushes, spray fipronil on their roses to get rid of the ants on their roses, and as a result, unintentionally wipe out every bee hive within a mile or more. The way fipronil works, insects that use "social feeding" (like ants and bees) will have their entire colony killed from just a small number of insects that pick up the pesticide. However, the threat to people/kids/pets is extremely low; it merits only a "caution" signal word.



GMM said:


> I'll pickup some Taurus G Fipronil granules and hopefully put an end to this ant incursion.


I wasn't aware of that product before you mentioned it. A less expensive alternative to Topchoice. That will take care of your ant problem.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

ken-n-nancy said:


> ... The way fipronil works, insects that use "social feeding" (like ants and bees) will have their entire colony killed from just a small number of insects that pick up the pesticide.


Ironically, just a couple days after posting this, while mowing the lawn, I discovered a yellowjackets nest (well, more correctly, they made themselves abundantly clear to me by letting me know they weren't happy with me!) in the ground in a hole at the rock border separating the lawn from the flower bed.

I don't know how many yellowjackets were in the nest, as it's underground, but there was an insect entering/exiting the nest about every 10 seconds, so I think there were definitely scores, if not hundreds of them there. I decided to have a go at simply spraying a little bit of the mixed Taurus SC (at 0.8oz/gal) into the hole of the nest for a few seconds, and seeing if that eliminated the problem.

I did so on Monday afternoon. It didn't appear to have had any effect on Monday night, or even Tuesday morning, which was expected, as it is slow-acting. I didn't check Tuesday evening or Wednesday due to rain, but by Thursday afternoon, there was ZERO yellowjacket activity at the entrance of the nest. I think they're all gone. Fipronil really does work great, with very little hassle.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Day 22, did the first cut at 1.5". Consistent coverage everywhere, although my first Tenacity round has worn off and there is crabgrass everywhere and a bit of clover, I'll put down a second round on day 30.









ken-n-nancy said:


> ken-n-nancy said:
> 
> 
> > ... The way fipronil works, insects that use "social feeding" (like ants and bees) will have their entire colony killed from just a small number of insects that pick up the pesticide.
> ...


I threw down the granules on 9/19, by 9/21 I couldn't find an ant in the yard. Fipronil is amazing stuff.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

GMM said:


> Day 22, did the first cut at 1.5". Consistent coverage everywhere...


That looks absolutely awesome! You got much more consistent coverage than I did -- that really does look fantastic for basically 3-week old Bewitched KBG!



GMM said:


> ken-n-nancy said:
> 
> 
> > ... The way fipronil works, insects that use "social feeding" (like ants and bees) will have their entire colony killed from just a small number of insects that pick up the pesticide.
> ...


So glad to hear the granular formation worked for you!

I haven't had a single complaint from my use of fipronil, well, other than it means I still have a half-bottle of what I used to use before I first tried fipronil, and I now have no idea how to dispose of it!


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## gregonfire (Sep 18, 2017)

Wow that looks insane for day 22! Congrats on the great coverage. You're doing everything right.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

This looks great!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Looks great. Just one thing. I believe it's recommended to do your follow up of tenacity 30 days after germination and not seed down. I don't know if anything would happen if you applied it earlier than that but just thought I'd point that out.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

SNOWBOB11 said:


> Looks great. Just one thing. I believe it's recommended to do your follow up of tenacity 30 days after germination and not seed down. I don't know if anything would happen if you applied it earlier than that but just thought I'd point that out.


Oh whew, I misread that when planning. Thanks for the heads up!


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## LawnSolo (Jul 17, 2018)

Looking amazing!


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## Mrotatori (Aug 13, 2018)

great progress for day 22. I am at day 30, and don't have as much coverage, in some areas. It is filling in more slowly. I think it may have to do with having 4 cultivators. It's a slow process


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

Very uniform, i wanted a monostad but to much of a rookie to try it. That sounds better than being to much of a chicken to try a monostad. Your reno is the best I've seen on here for a day 22. Good luck the rest of the way.


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## ChadStokes (Jun 21, 2018)

I was seed down about 2 weeks ahead of you, but had major washout twice! I'm hoping my bewitched comes in full once the rest of the overseed germinates! Your yard is looking great by the way!


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

GMM somehow you managed not to get a washout like the rest of us. It is looking great!


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

g-man said:


> GMM somehow you managed not to get a washout like the rest of us. It is looking great!


Oh I definitely had washout, got 4.5" of rain on days 6 - 7. Had to reseed and top dress quite a few areas, some of which are still thin now.


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## Grasshopper (Nov 12, 2017)

This looks really great. My reno is also on day 22 and yours is looking amazing even with a washout! Couldn't even tell you had one. Great job.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Managed to snag the last Ryobi RM480e from this sale on eBay.

Including the eBay bucks coupon, I got it for $1410 down from $2500 retail. Can't wait to play with it once it arrives, although I'll keep it off the grass until next year.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Day 30 update. Also put together an album of what a mess it was from the summer drought before starting the renovation.

Pre-renovation


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## rob13psu (May 20, 2018)

:shock: This is looking great! Really nice work.




GMM said:


>


Did Shaq come over and dunk on you?  That rim looks spent.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

rob13psu said:


> GMM said:
> 
> 
> >
> ...


 :lol:

I've been meaning to replace that thing since I bought the house, but other projects just keep popping up.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

I'm having a breakout of what looks like dollar spot in the backyard. Threw down some granular Propiconazole and I'll keep an eye on it.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Day 60 Update. The front has darkened up considerably and spread a bit to fill in gaps. The back has a serious case of rust going on that's throwing off the color, also a lot more weeds showed up in the back, but I think it looks good overall for the end of it's first year.


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## NoslracNevok (Jun 12, 2018)

Any update on the lawn? How's the battery Ryobi?


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

NoslracNevok said:


> Any update on the lawn? How's the battery Ryobi?


It's doing pretty well, all of the bare spots have more or less filled in. I've been pulling plugs to fill the gaps that were too large.

I've got a case of what I believe is either yellow patch, or a bad reaction to PGR, not quite sure; but it's starting to clear up either way.

The Ryobi is awesome! It lasts 2+ hours cutting and pretty much all day if you're using it as a cart like my girlfriend does to carry things around the yard for her gardening.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Bewitched is looking great! How about some pics of the Ryobi. That thing is cool.


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> Bewitched is looking great! How about some pics of the Ryobi. That thing is cool.


I've had people driving by as well as multiple neighbors stop to ask me about this thing because it's just so quiet. :lol:

The only thing that could make it better is being a zero turn.

Edit: God dammit, just Googled it and Ryobi recently released an electric zero turn version! https://www.ryobitools.com/outdoor/products/details/100-ah-zero-turn-electric-riding-mower


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

Did a soil test earlier this week and then spent way too long trying to find some 0-0-50 locally to resolve my Potash issue. Managed to find a local turf specialty store that could order me in some as even Site One couldn't help.


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## DonInTheLawn (Sep 10, 2019)

hey, fellow Cincy guy here. Your lawn/reno looks awesome! How did it handle the heat/drought this summer??


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

DonInTheLawn said:


> hey, fellow Cincy guy here. Your lawn/reno looks awesome! How did it handle the heat/drought this summer??


The lack of a sprinkler system really exposed the areas of the lawn that have subpar soil. Those areas didn't retain moisture and by mid-July they were getting scorched. In the process of getting quotes for a proper in ground irrigation system as we speak.

Here's a quick before and after of June vs Now.


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## NoslracNevok (Jun 12, 2018)

How do you like the electric Ryobi a season in?


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## GMM (Jul 18, 2018)

NoslracNevok said:


> How do you like the electric Ryobi a season in?


It's been awesome. No maintenance required and it can be used as a whisper quite cart for hauling things around the yard.


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## psider25 (May 4, 2020)

@GMM ..How's the lawn doing now? I just got 50lbs of Bewitched in the mail for a reno I am starting in Central IL and wondering how things matured for you in Cinci? I just finished a major regrading project ...now conditioning the soil and starting a DIY irrigation project before planning to seed.

Any regrets on going with a monostand?


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