# SNOWBOB11's Lawn Journal 2020



## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Time to start my journal for the year. This is a continuation from my last year journal.

No pics of the lawn just yet as it's still just starting to grow out of dormancy.

Spent some time today going over the 220E. Changed oil and plug. Greased all the fittings and cleaned filter. I then adjusted the reel to bed knife to make sure it was within the recommended range .001 gap. After that I *********** and cleaned the mower so it will be ready for the season.

Here's a picture of it being worked on and the QA5 off the unit



And here's a picture after it's all nice and clean



I also installed the rotary scissors on my trimmer. Looking forward to trying that out when the grass actually starts growing.

The areas I dug triv our last year and seeded late are pretty bare. I moved some plugs and I'm going to seed them this spring again. I've had success with seeding in spring last year so we will see.

I was going to give the lawn a cut even though it doesn't really need it yet but it got too late so that will be another day.

Back reno is also coming along well. Slow but it's also coming out of dormancy. I'm going to start spoon feeding it as well as the front this spring.

Will get some pics up soon.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Here's my soil test for the front and backyard.





Front soil is coming along and the Potassium level is getting close to optimum.

Back Soil is way too high on phosphorus and low on potassium. I'll address that this year with more SOP.

Not sure exactly why my ph was lower this year than last two years. Front was 7.8 last year and 7.6 this year. Could be a snafu with the test results but the back was also low so not sure. Maybe the added AMS I've been using has helped? Either way it's still high so I'll be using main event iron this year to get some green color.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

It's been so cold and the grass has been so slow in getting going this spring but today I got in the first reel mow of the season. I did a couple clean up mows with the rotary but before today not much to cut to be honest.

I started two weeks ago with weekly apps of AMS in the front lawn and back reno. I need to get the back reno to start moving along as it's been even slower than the front.

A couple weeks ago I also seeded the large area I dug out triv last fall but with the very cold temperatures I haven't seen any germination as yet. It's funny though as the seeding I did last year looked like it wasn't going to come back this spring but a lot of grass is growing there so maybe we can get some coverage before summer.

Here's a from the driveway pic after today's mow.

7/8" HOC


I ran into a issue last year where after I put the pavers down the driveway the grade of the grass ended up being a bit too high. I rented a 12" sod cutter and cut out the grass in 2 sections along the driveway. I lowered the grade and put the sod I dug up back.



This is after putting the grass back and added a bit of soil around the joints. Looks pretty bad.



This is it today. Getting much better. Will need more levelling this year probably with sand. It is way better to have the grass just above the pavers instead of a large drop from grass to the driveway.


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

I bet it felt good to finally get the reel mower out. The warm weather can't come soon enough!


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Lookin good considering the weather has been crap. The JD looks nice and clean!


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Happy you are back! Following closely...


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

@Pete1313 It felt great to be mowing again. Hopefully with the warmer temperature on the way we can get some real spring growth going now. By the way your killing me with the last picture you posted in your journal. Next level grass there. My lawn goals are to get my lawn looking like that. Don't be surprised if you see me copying more of your methods this year because they clearly work.

@Stuofsci02 This weather has been just terrible for growth. Worst part is you know we are going to go straight into summer heat before too long.

@Babameca Thanks.


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## Trogdor (Jan 13, 2019)

Nice to see your journal.

Lookin good there Bob, hella good for the conditions we have had! Lots of work at the start of the year, that mower is pristine! I am keen to see see how your bewitched continues to come along with the warmer temps on the way.

Interested to see what your back looks like as you were able to seed down in advance of me, as mine was patchy and bare in a few spots (my dormant seed is actually showing a bit of germination).

Throw up a few pics of the back when you can.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

@SNOWBOB11 ...

This weekend appears to be the end of winter and start of summer 🤔. I got a cut in tonight, which was the first in a week. Only took off about 1/4". I guess the grass doesn't grow much when it's snowing 🌬


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

@Trogdor Here's the back reno and how it's progressing. It's been so slow to start growing this season but it's finally getting underway. Definitely a few areas that need to fill in but for the most part it's not doing too bad.

Same HOC 7/8" as the front


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

Good stuff, @SNOWBOB11 !

I have the same problem along my driveway. I'd love to fix it with a sod cutter too!

Looking good!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> Good stuff, @SNOWBOB11 !
> 
> I have the same problem along my driveway. I'd love to fix it with a sod cutter too!
> 
> Looking good!


Thanks. It worked out better than I thought. Will need to be levelled again this year as it settles but it's not too bad. I'd like to sand level the entire lawn at some point this year but still have to find a supplier with the right stuff near me.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

SNOWBOB11 said:


> HoosierLawnGnome said:
> 
> 
> > Good stuff, @SNOWBOB11 !
> ...


Do you think Hardco would have the right sand? That was where I was going to look.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Stuofsci02 said:


> SNOWBOB11 said:
> 
> 
> > HoosierLawnGnome said:
> ...


I'm hoping to get mason or washed sand and I don't think they have it. I know they sell brick sand which is what I mixed with soil last year to fill in low areas before seed down in the back yard.

I guess you can use brick sand but I don't think it's really what you'd see used at golf courses. I think mason sand is a bit finer. I'm going to spend some time looking into where best to get it soon. Hopefully I can find somewhere not too far.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

SNOWBOB11 said:


> Stuofsci02 said:
> 
> 
> > SNOWBOB11 said:
> ...


I just checked online and they have brick sand which is described as fine and washed.

"Brick Sand. A fine washed sand that is great to add to concrete mixtures but it can also be used underneath pool liners or in a child's sand box."


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Stuofsci02 said:


> SNOWBOB11 said:
> 
> 
> > Stuofsci02 said:
> ...


Most landscape places that sell aggregates should have brick sand being you use it for the base under pavers. It did work fine for me last year when I used it mixed with soil. I'm honestly just not sure if it's 100 percent the right stuff for levelling when using it straight.


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## Trogdor (Jan 13, 2019)

SNOWBOB11 said:


> @Trogdor Here's the back reno and how it's progressing. It's been so slow to start growing this season but it's finally getting underway. Definitely a few areas that need to fill in but for the most part it's not doing too bad.
> 
> Same HOC 7/8" as the front


Snap! That's looking so good Bob. Great catch.

How are you finding the landscape blade?

Would Arnts carry the levelling sand?

I spoke to a BY rep and he suggested to look at porous ceramics as an alternative, dunno if anyone on here uses them, think that shindoman has used something similar.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

@Trogdor Thanks. The LB is great. I can't say enough how much I like it. It does a great job and such a clean cut. I know some people have said you can't cut right up to fence line and borders but I've found it works fine for me. Not to mention the edging along the curb is quick and super clean.

Arnts does sell brick sand but again I haven't done enough reading yet to confirm it's the best sand to be using. I might ask on the discord as I know there are several people that level with sand there.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Here's a pic from this evenings mow. The areas I dug out triv last year are starting to fill in and the seeds I planted have finally started to germinate so hopefully I can get some coverage going into summer.



Here's the area beside the driveway and how it's filling in this week.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@Stuofsci02 @SNOWBOB11 I found a supplier of USGA sand and any mix rate of sand/peat. It is right at the border of ON/QC and it looks like he delivers in ON. Probably worth checking. I am waiting on a quote. What is your app rate guys, tonnes/M? My HOC is 7/8 as well.
https://soltekagregats.com/en/sporting-fields/


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

@Babameca .. That is good to know, but I am going to have to find something local. No way I am paying to ship sand from 4 hours away. I am probably ok with the fine/washed brick sand....


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## Matix99def (Jul 15, 2019)

What size is that @Stuofsci02? I see everyone say 2mm and under. Which is play sand than I see people say don't use playsand.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Matix99def said:


> What size is that @Stuofsci02? I see everyone say 2mm and under. Which is play sand than I see people say don't use playsand.


I am not sure. I am going to have to call them or drive up there. They are only about 10 min from my office, but not sure if they are open to the public right now anyhow..


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Applied AMS to front and back yard again this week. This will be the last app for the front for a while. I was applying trying to fill in some areas and it's been working. Grass is thickening up. Back reno will probably get a couple more apps.

I don't want to be pushing growth too much but the front did need filling in so I decided on the extra N this spring. I will watch closely for any fungal issues that might crop up. Temps are rising so need to keep a close eye.

Growth has really got going now and the grass could use mowing every other day. Again partly because of added N.

It needs PGR. I should apply some time next week.

Seed heads are starting here as well.

Bad pictures with the sun out but the color this spring in very nice.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Grass is currently growing extremely fast. This has mainly to do with the N I've added this spring. Currently at about 1.25 lb N/M for the season so far. That's more than I would ideally like for spring but it's done a great job of filling in areas that needed it from last year.

The rest of the N for this season until fall will be from foliar and alfalfa/kelp meal. At least that's the plan. Things can always change.

I need to put down the first PGR/iron app of the season. I have main event iron to try this season. Will be interesting to see how it compares to feature that I used last year.

Mowed last Saturday and then not again until yesterday evening. Grass was way too tall. It needs mowing every other day. I threw on the basket and had to empty 4 full baskets on 3000 sq ft.

Pics from this morning







It can be challenging to use the basket on a smaller lawn with obstacles but it looks so clean when you do use it.

Quick update on the area I dug out triv last season. The plugs and seeds I planted are doing well. It's filling in and from far it's not too noticeable now. The over view is a different story but it's getting there.


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Looking good! Love the straight down pic. Good density. Whats the HOC?


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

Great density! I have to get on my first PGR + iron this week. Trying to fit that in with the kids always in the lawn is a struggle.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Lookin Nice... I am going to have to do an incognito drive by to see it with my own eyes.....


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

@Pete1313 Currently at 7/8" HOC. 1/8" lower than last season. I think I like this HOC slightly better. No real difference in color either.

@Harts Thanks. The density has improved from last season. Things are growing fast now so yeah it's definitely time to start PGR in our area.

@Stuofsci02 Not until I get mulch in the beds. They look bad right now lol.


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

I've been at 7/8" since last year and love that height. I also have an 11 blade reel, but it handles that height much better than 1". It's also still soft on the bare feet.


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## cfinden (Aug 7, 2018)

@SNOWBOB11 Looks great, that density is impressive. Following your new journal.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Mowed, edged and sprayed t-nex + main event iron yesterday. Rates were .16 fl oz t-nex and 1 oz main event per k.

PGR will help with slowing the top growth which had been out of control recently.

I also sprayed propiconazole and triclopyr on the neighbours lawn as I saw a bit of fungal pressure possibly leaf spot developing. Also wanted to get some of there clover. Most of it is gone from last year but a few areas have some clover that came back.

Anyway here's some pics from today.





The area I used the sod cutter on beside the driveway has blended very well. It's hardly noticeable now.



Here's the back reno.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looking great! Are you ordering your fungicide in Canada or getting it from the US?


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Stuofsci02 said:


> Looking great! Are you ordering your fungicide in Canada or getting it from the US?


Got it from my good friend seed ranch. I need to get some azoxy to keep on hand along with the propi.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

SNOWBOB11 said:


> Stuofsci02 said:
> 
> 
> > Looking great! Are you ordering your fungicide in Canada or getting it from the US?
> ...


I got quinclorac from there and got dinged pretty hard with duty. Been a little trigger shy since. Might have to give it another go.


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## Trogdor (Jan 13, 2019)

@SNOWBOB11, you're killin it! Really looking lush, the backyard is impressive!!! If you're in a pinch and having a struggle PM me, I'm not far from you and in the opposite situation, have azoxy but no propi.

@Stuofsci02, have had varied success, my last order was Quinclorac too and didn't get dinged (go figure)... Always set it up to go USPS and pay more, they always ship UPS... it's a gamble. My worst was when they split a large shipment, the cheaper stuff went through fine and the other costly items got sizeable duties. Wish they had a standard approach so it could be better predicted... Don't mind paying duties, but having the heads up certainly helps.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Trogdor said:


> @SNOWBOB11, you're killin it! Really looking lush, the backyard is impressive!!! If you're in a pinch and having a struggle PM me, I'm not far from you and in the opposite situation, have azoxy but no propi.
> 
> @Stuofsci02, have had varied success, my last order was Quinclorac too and didn't get dinged (go figure)... Always set it up to go USPS and pay more, they always ship UPS... it's a gamble. My worst was when they split a large shipment, the cheaper stuff went through fine and the other costly items got sizeable duties. Wish they had a standard approach so it could be better predicted... Don't mind paying duties, but having the heads up certainly helps.


Yeah I don't mind paying some duties either but it is the inconsistency that ticks me off. On my Quinclorac I paid like $60 in duties/clearance/taxes for $120 of stuff.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Got in a mow today. Grass really needed it. Had not got around to mowing for a few days and it had got too tall. 2 1/2" I'd say in some areas. Not good when your cutting at 7/8".

This morning I noticed a area beside the tree in the front that was off color. At first look it seemed like drought but it had rained and got enough water. It wasn't like that yesterday. I believe it could be fungal development.

I didn't take any chances and quickly sprayed the lawn with propi at just over 1 fl oz per k. We'll see how it looks tomorrow.



Here's the lawn after the mow today.



Also had some issues with the 220E recently. Last week I was mowing and right before I finished it started running terrible. Popping back and sparking out the muffler. Running very rough and dirty. I took apart the carb and cleaned out all the jets. Put everything back together and it was a bit better but it started surging and the governor wouldn't stay still. I knew it was a imbalance in air fuel but after cleaning the carb and it not fixing the issue I ordered a new carb from the John Deere dealer I bought the mower from. I put on the new carb and it's running great now. Honestly even better than it ever has. At the end of the day sometime these small engines just like to get a new carburetor.


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## gatorguy (Mar 13, 2020)

Oh boy, that must have been a pretty expensive carburetor going OEM on it. Did you try adjusting the main or needle jets first? Glad you got it fixed though. I would like to pick up either a JD 220 or a Greensmaster at some point this year. I hear more negative things about the JD, but I bleed green and yellow so its a tossup. Other than this no complaints with yours?


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

gatorguy said:


> Oh boy, that must have been a pretty expensive carburetor going OEM on it. Did you try adjusting the main or needle jets first? Glad you got it fixed though. I would like to pick up either a JD 220 or a Greensmaster at some point this year. I hear more negative things about the JD, but I bleed green and yellow so its a tossup. Other than this no complaints with yours?


I love the 220E. Other than this issue it's been great. JD all the way for me.

The carb was only $41 so really not bad at all. I did try over two days when I had time to clean the jets and make sure everything was adjusted properly but it was still running bad. The GX120 motor is used on other things too and from a quick search I did see the surging issue seems to crop up on that motor. For $41 I can't really complain.


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## jrubb42 (Jun 20, 2019)

Grass is looking really good @SNOWBOB11! Can't wait to get my density close to yours. As far as main event goes, did you notice a difference from FEature now that it's been almost a week?


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

jrubb42 said:


> Grass is looking really good @SNOWBOB11! Can't wait to get my density close to yours. As far as main event goes, did you notice a difference from FEature now that it's been almost a week?


Basically the same response so far as feature. I liked feature last year and really haven't noticed any different in the greening with main event compared to feature in the short time since I put it down. There was definitely a darkening of color since last week.

Thanks for the compliment by the way. :thumbup:


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## gatorguy (Mar 13, 2020)

SNOWBOB11 said:


> gatorguy said:
> 
> 
> > Oh boy, that must have been a pretty expensive carburetor going OEM on it. Did you try adjusting the main or needle jets first? Glad you got it fixed though. I would like to pick up either a JD 220 or a Greensmaster at some point this year. I hear more negative things about the JD, but I bleed green and yellow so its a tossup. Other than this no complaints with yours?
> ...


Oh, for $41 that's a no brainer! Nice🙂


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Got in a mow yesterday. Raised the HOC slightly to about 15/16th".





I also dropped alfalfa/kelp meal fertilizer. Wanted to get some organic fert down and the temps are decent for growing the next few days so I went ahead.

Next t-nex app coming in the next few days. Probably going to keep the rate the same .16 fl oz/k as the suppression was decent without over doing it. I've gone too high with PGR before and it's no fun for the grass.


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## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Beautiful @SNOWBOB11!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Couple updates. Yesterday was T-nex .20 oz/k main event 1.25 oz/k urea .15 lb/k. That's low on the urea but it's hot out and I didn't want to overdo the N.

It's been dry with no rain for a while in many areas in eastern North America and S Ontario has been no exception. I've been running the sprinklers often but still have some dry areas. Hose water doesn't replace rain.

Today if I get a chance I'll put down the second prodiamine app of the spring. It's a little later than I anticipated but it goes that way sometimes.

Lots of mushrooms before yesterdays mow.



Ground level shot after cutting



Update on the area I seeded and plugged this spring because of triv last year. It's filling in well. Still some bare areas but I think it's going to get through the summer just fine. If you zoom in you can see the plugs surrounded by the seeds that came in.


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

Fantastic! I'm a huge fan of your curb edging there. Those kind of lines are what make the huge difference!


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

Love it. Looking good Bob!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Thanks @HoosierLawnGnome and @Harts. Appreciate it. :thumbup:


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Wow, that looks tight! How is the weather prediction looking for you? The Weather Channel is showing the jet stream dropping to bring some cooler air through the area north of me, up into your neck of the woods. We'll be on the line, so we're predicted to stay consistently 86* into next week with only scattered T-storms. Today should be 88*, but it's overcast, so that helps.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Chris LI said:


> Wow, that looks tight! How is the weather prediction looking for you? The Weather Channel is showing the jet stream dropping to bring some cooler air through the area north of me, up into your neck of the woods. We'll be on the line, so we're predicted to stay consistently 86* into next week with only scattered T-storms. Today should be 88*, but it's overcast, so that helps.


The next few days the temperature is going to be cooler than it has been. In the 72-78°F range with overnight lows in the 55-58°F range. Actually right now the temperature is very nice out. Warm but with a light breeze. Looks like next week the heat and humidity starts to get back going again. We did get a bit of rain yesterday so that was welcome to see. Been so dry this spring. Hopefully the pattern changes and everyone that's been dealing with dry conditions can get some more rain over the next while. You can put the sprinklers out but nothing replaces that rain water for the lawn.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Couple pictures from today's double cut. Took a few shots from different areas than I normally do.

HOC 1"







I took this last picture to show how thick the turf has become around the big tree in the front yard. Not always easy to grow thick grass under a big tree but the bluegrass has done a nice job spreading and filling in now in year 3 since I renovated. Having the rotary scissors this year has also been great for this area. The 220 E can't always get right up to the tree so you need to use the trimmer. The RS does a much superior job than a string trimmer in terms of not damaging the blades.



We got a heavy shower from a passing t-storm yesterday evening and it was needed. It's been so dry.

Overall the grass is doing very well. It's difficult to see from the picture but the color This year is really nice. Main event has worked well for me as my primary iron source.

I'm going to do some more foliar N apps along with continuing t-nex and main event.

I feel I could have gone slightly higher with my last t-nex app. It was at .20 oz/M. I'm going to increase a bit for the next app.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Also here's the side yard I don't normally post pictures of. You can see the line between the neighbors lawn in the top left.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Looks great. I gave up battling trying to grow the grass right up to the tree trunks on my side yard. Put small mulch beds around them to try and mitigate the nutrient sucking from a wider area. Its a battle and your definitely winning.


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## gatorguy (Mar 13, 2020)

That's amazing how you have the grass growing so nicely right against the tree trunks. You must have a good deep soil.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

DAM Lawn said:


> Looks great. I gave up battling trying to grow the grass right up to the tree trunks on my side yard. Put small mulch beds around them to try and mitigate the nutrient sucking from a wider area. Its a battle and your definitely winning.


Thanks. It can be a challenge but over time bluegrass will continue to spread. Last year @fusebox7 told me that it took 3 years for his bluegrass to start spreading more in the shade and he was right. It's definitely better this season.



gatorguy said:


> That's amazing how you have the grass growing so nicely right against the tree trunks. You must have a good deep soil.


Thanks man.


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## fusebox7 (Jul 27, 2017)

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Great work being patient - at year 3 it either works or it doesn't. I think we know what side of it you're on :nod:


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Got some rain last night. Finally. Chance for more today.

Other than re applying t-nex/main event/urea and monthly apps of SOP not much else doing with the lawn at this time. Soon enough it will be time to start ramping up the nitrogen as we get into later summer.

Unfortunately I have some areas along the front edge of the lawn that seem to be affected with SP. I saw a little of this last year but wasn't much and didn't apply any preventative fungicide this spring. Reading about SP you need to start applying when soil temps reach 65F. I'll have to do this next year as it looks a bit rough along the edge. Hopefully once it eventually cools down I can get that area to recover.

I also spotted two areas of poa t in the same area I dug out last year. Both are less than a square ft so not bad. To be honest I thought more would have come back this year so not too bad. I'll dig and plug when it cools down.

Overall things aren't doing too bad for how hot it's been.

Here's a couple pics from last week. If you look at the top you can see the discolouration starting where the SP is. It has got a bit worse now. Now that I know it's there I can deal with it preventatively in the future.



Also decided with my neighbors to reno there front lawn. Doing a KBG blend. I don't really have time for doing this but it's only 600 sq ft. I couldn't resist the chance at another reno.

I'll try to post up some pics of the backyard soon. I've been doing some work back there so haven't posted in a while. It's looking ok for the most part.


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

How fun! A 600 sf reno is a fine size. Hand spreader and squirt bottle of tenacity were really handy on my 1k last year.

P.s. looking great btw!!


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Looks very tight!


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

@SNOWBOB11 are you using a trimmer up against those tree trunks? Sheers? Booger hooks?

That turf against the tree is beautiful. Most have no idea how difficult that is!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

@HoosierLawnGnome Thanks. I purchased a landscape blade at the start of the season and I have to say it's made a significant difference in the turf quality around the trees. The 220E can't really cut around that area too well and a string trimmer tends to rip the blades too much. The rotary scissors cuts very clean.

Booger hooks lol :lol:


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

@SNOWBOB11 I cant use mine around the small conifers, it will damage the trunks too much.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> @SNOWBOB11 I cant use mine around the small conifers, it will damage the trunks too much.


I can see how it could damage a small tree trunk and that would be dangerous for a younger tree. The big honey locusts are pretty tough and don't flinch.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Posting this here for easy access in the future.



Pete1313 said:


> SP can be tricky to diagnose as it could just look like heat/drought stress. Keep an eye on it, but there are only a couple things you can do now to get by. Listened to a podcast this morning with Paul Koch, and is expecting a good year for summer patch in my area.
> https://www.turfnet.com/podcasts/rossi/tgh_koch/
> This is a good article I like for summer patch tips.
> https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/arti ... mer-patch/
> ...


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Got a decent amount of rain over the last few days from pop up t-storms. Grass enjoyed the rain.

Here's some morning stripes.





For the most part the grass has handled the heat very well this year. It's unfortunate that I'm having issues with what I suspect as summer patch at the front.



It's brutal to see the grass at the front turn this way. It happened very fast as it went from green to brown in a week basically. Just as fast as it started it has stopped spreading in the last two days.

I applied AMS to the lawn at 1 lb/M before the rain.

Not much I can do now other than wait for fall recovery. Next year I'll be ready with preventative fungicide apps.

On a separate note you can see in the second picture the area I seeded in the spring has basically blended with the existing turf. I'm pleased with that.


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## DAM Lawn (Jan 6, 2020)

Looks really good. I'm in the same vote with a little disease in a couple spots and said the same thing. "I will be prepared next year". Things generally will start bouncing back early to mid Aug. Only 2-3 weeks away.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Summer Patch damage is there from late spring, you just don't see it until it gets hot and the pruned roots can't keep up. It sucks because when you first see it there isn't much you can do to reverse it as the damage is already done. All you can do is wait to see how much will die. Azoxystrobin will stop it from getting worse, but you still have short root systems and any damage from before the fungicide won't be able to grow new roots until fall.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Looks good man, as always. Considering we all got some kind of disease this year (except @Stuofsci02 ) I am curious to see, how powerful the recovery is in fall. It was the most weird season I can remember.
Hopefully fall will bring us a long period of mild temps (as it usually did for the last few years). Then it will be the Pythium fight :lol:


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

Looks great. I always have a fungus amungus somewhere. Part of the hobby. This year it's 100 s.f. of dollar spot and the random spot of who knows what.

My daughter spilled a whole bottle of dawn, kiling the turf in that spot. I had a fert spill and it killed a spot. Then I ran over a bottle of triclopyr and GUD LORT that spot gonna die too.

One day I'll never spill fert, never over spray, have no kids, and it will rain an inch a week and have temps in the 70s all summer, right?????


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@HoosierLawnGnome On the positive side, no dog spots :lol: ?


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## mucknine (Jul 8, 2019)

HoosierLawnGnome said:


> Looks great. I always have a fungus amungus somewhere. Part of the hobby. This year it's 100 s.f. of dollar spot and the random spot of who knows what.
> 
> *My daughter spilled a whole bottle of dawn, kiling the turf in that spot. I had a fert spill and it killed a spot. Then I ran over a bottle of triclopyr and GUD LORT that spot gonna die too.*
> 
> One day I'll never spill fert, never over spray, have no kids, and it will rain an inch a week and have temps in the 70s all summer, right?????


GUD LORT indeed - that's a comedy of errors right there. Did bring a smile to my face though for some reason.


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## HoosierLawnGnome (Sep 28, 2017)

Babameca said:


> @HoosierLawnGnome On the positive side, no dog spots :lol: ?


We are a cat fam!

@mucknine If I didn't laugh, I'd cry sometimes. Only 2 of those happened on the same day.

I need to find a bottle holder I can zip tie to my machine. The bottle fell off and I ran over it without knowing until I turned around to come the other way.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

DAM Lawn said:


> Looks really good. I'm in the same vote with a little disease in a couple spots and said the same thing. "I will be prepared next year". Things generally will start bouncing back early to mid Aug. Only 2-3 weeks away.


Not too much longer and recovery will start. I think with some fall nitrogen we'll be ok.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

bernstem said:


> Summer Patch damage is there from late spring, you just don't see it until it gets hot and the pruned roots can't keep up. It sucks because when you first see it there isn't much you can do to reverse it as the damage is already done. All you can do is wait to see how much will die. Azoxystrobin will stop it from getting worse, but you still have short root systems and any damage from before the fungicide won't be able to grow new roots until fall.


Yeah it's not fun. Unfortunately I didn't have any azoxy on hand but I just ordered and it should be here today. I did spray some propiconazole but not sure that will help. The damage seems to have stopped spreading for now. Hopefully that's close to as bad as it gets. I'll be ready next year.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Babameca said:


> Looks good man, as always. Considering we all got some kind of disease this year (except @Stuofsci02 ) I am curious to see, how powerful the recovery is in fall. It was the most weird season I can remember.
> Hopefully fall will bring us a long period of mild temps (as it usually did for the last few years). Then it will be the Pythium fight :lol:


Yeah I'm interested what this fall will bring with La Niña coming back. We will see.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

@HoosierLawnGnome At least you won't have any clover issues where you drove over the bottle of triclopyr right? :?


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## rob13psu (May 20, 2018)

@SNOWBOB11 the lawn is looking great!


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## capples3 (Sep 17, 2018)

Looking good Bob, I know you and I live fairly close to one another. Just wanted to ask where you are getting your seed from, I'm looking at doing an overseed on my lawn and thicken it up with PRG/*** mix as my backyard took a pounding this year.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

@capples3 You have a few options. For my lawn I bought my bewitched from Brett young. They have several different options and mixes but there only available in large quantities. For my neighbors I purchased Award KBG from OSC seeds and I'm going to custom mix it myself with Pivot and Corsair KBG from Speare seeds.

Speare seeds also has several other KBG cultivar and several PRG to choose from. And you can buy in small amounts and mix yourself or they can mix for you. I think they would be a good choice for you for a KBG/PRG mix.


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## capples3 (Sep 17, 2018)

5 days for a response from Speare seeds is a long time. Do you have a number for them by any chance?


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## capples3 (Sep 17, 2018)

Cancel that! I just found it


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

capples3 said:


> 5 days for a response from Speare seeds is a long time. Do you have a number for them by any chance?


I emailed Christine @ [email protected] and had a response within an hour... Cheers


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Rains have been more consistent over the last while and the grass has responded well. If it wasn't for the SP area at the front the lawn would be looking really good now.

Current HOC is 1"



I did a small levelling try out with sand in the area I used the sod cutter on at the start of the season. It settled and had a bit of a ridge in that spot so it will need a few top dresses to get it level.



I'd like to level a few more areas this season. I'd actually like to do the hole lawn but that might have to wait until next season.

Unfortunately it seems the city has decided to do some water main repairs and they are going to be digging 6'x6' holes in all lawns in the neighborhood. I'll try and see if I can remove the sod first and replace it after there done but I'm not sure it's going to work. It's unfortunate but I guess that's how it goes sometimes.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Was able to get seed down on the neighbors renovation yesterday evening. Also tenacity and a final glyphosate app. Covered in peat moss and give it it's first watering.

These pictures are from this morning. It is dry and the peat moss is at the stage of drying out fast being just put down.



I am using a three way blend of Award Corsair and Pivot KBG. Interested to see how it turns out.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Nice! Another project. Keep it on! I am starting one Sat. Champion GQ on it.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Had germination at day 5 on the neighbors reno. KBG consistently germinates in 5 days when I've used it for my lawn and now my neighbors.

This picture is from this morning. Yesterday evening was 7 days post seed down.



I did the first application of fall nitrogen on my lawn a couple days ago. 2 lb/k AMS.

Recovery from summer patch is now under way. I did re seed the larger area where the grass died from the fungus. The other areas that showed signs of SP are looking better and with the added N they should be fine in a few weeks.

This picture was from yesterday evening 2 days after a mow. I cut again yesterday evening. I'm going to try and mow every other day for the next while.



I also had 2 small areas of triv close to the same areas I had last year. I dug them out. I don't see very much more at the moment but will continue to monitor and make sure if there is more that I find it and deal with it fast before any spreading.


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## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks great.. congrats on the project reno sprouts.. that is my favourite part of any reno...


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Stuofsci02 said:


> congrats on the project reno sprouts.. that is my favourite part of any reno...


Me too :thumbup:


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Mowed and sprayed prodiamine today. It's slightly later than I should have gone for the fall prodiamine app but I did split applications in the spring so I should be ok.

Also adjusted the reel to bed knife on the 220E. I hit a couple pieces of mulch last cut and I think it sent the adjustment off and I noticed it wasn't cutting as clean as normal. The reel had too big a gap to the bed knife. I adjusted it and then backlapped and it's cutting clean again.


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## Sinclair (Jul 25, 2017)

Congrats on the germination. 6 days and still waiting over here!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Sinclair said:


> Congrats on the germination. 6 days and still waiting over here!


How long did it take for germination when you renovated? I'm sure any time now you'll be seeing sprouts.


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## Sinclair (Jul 25, 2017)

SNOWBOB11 said:


> Sinclair said:
> 
> 
> > Congrats on the germination. 6 days and still waiting over here!
> ...


5-6 days in 2017 and 2018.

The seed is 3 years old now - I'll give it another few days, if no signs of life I might have duds and need to change course a little..


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Sinclair said:


> SNOWBOB11 said:
> 
> 
> > Sinclair said:
> ...


That would be surprising. The Bewitched seed for my lawn is 3 years old as well and I just used some and it germinated in the same 5 days. I don't really see any difference in germination rate from the old seed to when it was new. Hopefully you'll be ok.


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## Sinclair (Jul 25, 2017)

Fingers crossed


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Double cut today. HOC is right around 1" currently. Been at that hight for most of this season. I don't normally do cross pattern but I like the look.



Neighbours lawn reno is coming along. We're now at day 17 from seed down. Decent coverage for the most part. There's one area that I believe will need more seed. I will let it do it's spouting thing and then re asses in a few days. Also will start spoon feeding next week.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

mmm checker board. Like that too!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

I've been slacking with updates. I'll get some pictures up tomorrow of my lawn. It is growing too fast now with extra nitrogen. I will need to end the experiment without PRG tomorrow. I can't keep up with the mowing.

I did take a couple pics of the progress on my neighbors lawn. The progress is extremely slow. Slower than my bewitched was by far. Yesterday was 4 weeks from seed down and I haven't cut yet. It's getting close to the first mow though.

I gave it a second app of urea this evening. It should hopefully start to get going soon. A couple hours after we got a downpour so it should have watered in well.





There's good coverage but very slow to grow.

I plan on a app of azoxy tomorrow on both the neighbors lawn and my own.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Mowed sprayed and spread today.

Mix of 1 oz/k main event
.20 oz/k t-nex
.40 oz/k azoxy
Scoop full of urea

Also spread 2 lb/k AMS and watered everything in.





They have put a lot of marker flags on the lawn. Hoping when they start to dig there's not too much damage.


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## jrubb42 (Jun 20, 2019)

Looking good man. I like your "scoop full of urea" calculation. Haha. Looks nice and dark. Edging is on point also!

I'm guessing you have no idea what they're digging up with all of the flags? That's gotta make your stomach drop a little bit...


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

jrubb42 said:


> Looking good man. I like your "scoop full of urea" calculation. Haha. Looks nice and dark. Edging is on point also!
> 
> I'm guessing you have no idea what they're digging up with all of the flags? That's gotta make your stomach drop a little bit...


Thanks. There replacing the main water line in the street. They say there shouldn't be too much damage to each individual lawn but they will most likely dig a hole in each lawn in the neighborhood around the water shutoff.

Yeah I am a bit on edge about what there going to do but we'll see. Not much I can do about it.


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## jrubb42 (Jun 20, 2019)

I think we all know it's "just grass" in the back of our head... and that we can fix whatever issue comes up. But we'd all probably rather not, with how much time, energy, and money we've dumped into it. Keep us updated on the damage. Hopefully it's minimal.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

jrubb42 said:


> I think we all know it's "just grass" in the back of our head... and that we can fix whatever issue comes up. But we'd all probably rather not, with how much time, energy, and money we've dumped into it. Keep us updated on the damage. Hopefully it's minimal.


Very true. Will do. :thumbup:


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Some good grass growing weather recently. Overnight low tonight dropping close to freezing in areas around me. I should stay right around 4C but cooler temperatures are definitely here.

Got in a mow today. I think the color has improved a good bit and is looking pretty good. Now that the grass is in regulation again it's not growing nearly as fast which is much better.





Neighbors reno is coming along





This bluegrass blend is much slower in establishing than bewitched was for me. I planted some bewitched in the area I had summer patch damage and it has filled in well and at a much quicker rate than my neighbors lawn.

I did give it it's first cut on the weekend and it is filling in with the weekly nitrogen. I gave it some more nitrogen today.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Mowed yesterday. Current HOC is still right around a inch. I'm going to leave it there for the end of the season.

Today I spread
1 lb/ksqft urea

Then tank mixed
.20 oz/ksqft T-Nex
2 oz/ksqft Main Event
.20 lb/ksqft urea

That will be it for PGR for the year and probably one of the last spray applications all together. At the start of the season I got the milwaukee switch tank sprayer and I think I finally got accustomed to how fast I need to walk to apply evenly now that the season is ending .

I will squeeze in one more granular app of urea.

It's leaf season now as you can see.



I will take a couple pics from the front of the lawn but I need to do it when the sun is out or they come out weird looking. At this time of year the lawn gets very little sun so you have a small window when a good picture that actually shows how the lawn looks can be taken.

All the summer patch areas are filled in now.

They haven't done any digging for the water main replacement yet but they have started running above ground pipes so I think it's coming but we'll see. Having to mow and move the flags is annoying.


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## SodFace (Jul 17, 2020)

Looking really lush!



SNOWBOB11 said:


> They haven't done any digging for the water main replacement yet but they have started running above ground pipes so I think it's coming but we'll see. Having to mow and move the flags is annoying.


I am in a new development and the flagging has been endless for the past couple years. So many times they come by, flag, then weeks later no work done. I have given up and they get a week or so and the flags get pulled. :twisted:


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## BBLOCK (Jun 8, 2020)

SodFace said:


> Looking really lush!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yeah locates in Ontario are good for 60 days for most things. so they get ordered up and get there when they get there, and have them repainted as needed lol


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

SodFace said:


> Looking really lush!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks. I'm happy with how it's looking this fall.

Yeah it's so time consuming to move the flags and put them back in there place. Plus you have to make sure not to even come close to hitting one with the reel. Even though the steel stake is tiny it could do some serious damage to the reel/bedknife.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Looks awesome man! Best time of the year. Maybe AS vs Urea for last app?


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Babameca said:


> Looks awesome man! Best time of the year. Maybe AS vs Urea for last app?


Thanks. I would have used AMS but I actually ran out after my last app a couple weeks ago. Decided to wait until next season to buy. Urea does better with warmer soil temps but we are still warm enough that it should be no issue.


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## cfinden (Aug 7, 2018)

Last pic looks great, colour is insane!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

cfinden said:


> Last pic looks great, colour is insane!


Thanks man. Mixing Main event/Feature with urea has improved the color.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Mowed this evening and spread final fertilizer app for the season. We are to get rain tomorrow which is good. Don't want to have to put out the sprinkler again.

Temperatures are supposed to drop below freezing Friday night.



Neighbors renovation is now over 2 months since seed down and it has filled in well.

Tenacity bleaching is almost gone.







There are still lots of areas that need filling in but I think for the most part it's looking good and already better than there old no mix they had before.

The color of the bluegrass blend is good for such a young lawn. Will be interesting to see how it looks next year.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

The weather has been outstanding for November here. High temperatures yesterday went up close to 25C (77F) which is unheard of for this month.

I was able to take advantage of the warm temperatures and mowed yesterday. I was behind with leaf clean up so I cleaned up all the leaves as well. There was a lot. I ran the toro recycler over the area with the bag on several times.

After the leaves were gone I cut with the reel. Probably the last cut of the season. Top growth is basically done and it's been that way the last couple weeks.

I also pulled all the annuals and cut the perennials in the gardens a few weeks back.

The grass has definitely lost some color but still not bad considering we had snow last year around this time.







Temperatures are going to be dropping back to more seasonal values over the next week so from here on out all that's left is to clean up any leaves that fall. The big honey locust trees in the yard have dropped all there leaves but there are some maples down the street that are still dropping.

Neighbours yard has filled in well this fall and is looking pretty good going into winter. I think it will look well come spring time.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Those flags are still in the yard? I would remove them by now.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

g-man said:


> Those flags are still in the yard? I would remove them by now.


Funny story about that. Monday morning I was about to leave and a worker came up to me and said on Wednesday they were going to replace the main column that's in our yard. He said they need to dig a 2 m x 2 m hole but looking at the other places they dug it was going to be much bigger than that. He also said they would come back in the spring and re sod the area they dug. I told him I would dig the grass out first and replace when they were done. I think he saw the frustration in my face. Later in the evening he came back and said they had changed plans and are not going to be doing any excavation in my yard and they should be done all work late next week. I'm taking the flags out today.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

So they are going diagonal to another neighbor house? Odd that they no longer need to dig.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

g-man said:


> So they are going diagonal to another neighbor house? Odd that they no longer need to dig.


Yes they are going diagonal across the street on the open area. They also decided to sleeve the inside of some pipes instead of change them. I thought it was really strange as well but I'm not complaining one bit.


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## Pezking7p (May 23, 2020)

SNOWBOB11 said:


> g-man said:
> 
> 
> > So they are going diagonal to another neighbor house? Odd that they no longer need to dig.
> ...


"Hey boss, one of the guys on the dig plan has really nice grass. I talked to him today and I'm afraid if we dig up his grass he might snap. I think it's best if we re-route the pipe."


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Pezking7p said:


> SNOWBOB11 said:
> 
> 
> > g-man said:
> ...


:lol: I think that actually could be what happened lol.


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## BBLOCK (Jun 8, 2020)

lucky!

at my old house, I just finished putting in new sod and a big brick walkway and Rogers comes along and bores under my driveway and walkway, lifting the bricks and the bricked edging/curb which was glued together, and wrecked my new sod around this time of year, they also dropped the edge of a steel plate on my driveway and dented the asphalt too!

i was so not happy!

glad you escaped their wrath!


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

@BBLOCK I'm glad the lawn survived there wrath too.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

I meant to post my fertilizer/herbicide applications for the year in my last end of year post but I forgot so here it is. This is everything I applied to the lawn this season.

April 28th
Ammonium sulfate 1 lb/k front/back
SOP 2 lb/k front/back

May 6th
Ammonium sulfate 1.5 lb/k front/back
Prodiamine .20 oz/k front/back

May 13th
Ammonium sulfate 1 lb/k front/back

May 21st
Ammonium sulfate 1 lb/k front/back

May 30th
SOP 2 lb/k front/back
PGR .16 oz/k front/back
Main event 1 oz/k front/back

June 4th
Propiconazole 1 oz/k front

June 12th
Alfalfa/kelp meal 15 lb/k front/back

June 18th
Sprayed urea .15 lb/k front/back
PGR .20 oz/k front/back
Main event 1.25 oz/k front/back

June 21st
Prodiamine .15 oz/k front/back

July 5th
Sprayed urea .30 lb/k front/back
PGR .20 oz/k front/back
Propiconazole 2 oz/k front/back
Main event 2 oz/k front/back

July 10th
SOP 2 lb/k front/back

July 15th
Ammonium sulfate 1 lb/k front/back

July 31st
Azoxystrobin .77 oz/k front

August 11th
Ammonium sulfate 2 lb/k front/back
SOP 2 lb/k front/back

August 18th
Prodiamine .18 oz/k front/back

August 22nd
Ammonium sulfate 2 lb/k back

August 23rd
Ammonium sulfate 2.5 lb/k front

August 28th
Sprayed urea .30 lb/k front/back
Main event 2 oz/k front/back

September 4th
Ammonium sulfate 2 lb/k front/back
Sprayed urea .10 lb/k front/back
PGR .20 oz/k front/back
Azoxystrobin .40 oz/k front/back
Main event 1 oz/k front/back

September 20th
Ammonium sulfate 2.5 lb/k front
Urea 1 lb/k back
Sprayed urea .20 lb/k front/back
Main event 2 oz/k front/back

October 6th
Urea 1 lb/k front/back
Sprayed urea .20 lb/k front/back
PGR .20 oz/k front/back
Main event 2 oz/k front/back

October 14th
Urea 1 lb/k front/back


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