# jskierko 2022



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

(End of season photo 20-Nov-2021)

Location: Avon, IN (west side of Indianapolis)

Grass 18k Total: Front 8k (Bewitched Monostand 2020 Reno), Back 10k (6.5k Bewitched 2021 Reno, 3.5k Northern Mix)

Mowers:

Swardman Edwin 2.1

Toro GM1600

Toro Timemaster
Fertilizers:

10-10-10

0-0-50

46-0-0

21-0-0
Fungicides:

Propiconazole

Azoxystrobin

Thiophanate Methyl

Serenade
Herbicides:

Tenacity

Trimec

Dismiss

Prodiamine
Misc:

T-Nex (PGR)

FEature (Iron)

Goals:

Spring reno: converting last 3.5k of Northern Mix to Bewitched monostand

Top dress/level to assist with reel mowing experience


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

A few aerial shots from Feb 24.



Can anyone spot the Northern Mix/area to be renovated in my yard? I am very shocked how well the yard held its color through the winter.




A few areas of damage picture above. A few chunks of sod on the sidewalk that were plowed off the hell strip (one of the downfalls of living at the end of a cul-de-sac). Some footprints between the tree and lightpost, including a very well defined set to and away from the water meter.

Next few weeks will be spent getting the mowers tuned up before the pre-emergent goes down in mid-March. Excited to get things going in 2022!


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Exciting times starting this year's journal. Your color through winter was awesome and the aerial shots really prove it.

I was lucky enough not to get any plow damage, however some of my neighbors' strips got smoked. The footprints are so frustrating. I've got plenty of those and I'm curious how they will recover this spring.


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Love the aerial shots. Bewitched must have crushed the NTEP scores for Spring Green up because yours doesn't even look like it skipped a beat all Winter.


----------



## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Man that looks good.... I still have many, many inches of snow.. I'm afraid of what will be exposed in the next few weeks...


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

JerseyGreens said:


> Love the aerial shots. Bewitched must have crushed the NTEP scores for Spring Green up because yours doesn't even look like it skipped a beat all Winter.


From the 2011 NTEP report it had a mean score of 4.8 (range 4.1-6.4). It seemed to score well, relative to other cultivars, in transition zone areas and score poorly in northern areas. Basically indicating that it does not fair well under prolonged snow cover. Where I am is probably 50 or so miles north of what would be considered the transition zone. We did not have any long periods of snow cover this winter, so it may be variable from year to year. But definitely no complaints with the color. I have some of my thinner reno areas that look pretty rough from the constant freeze/thaw, but nothing a little consistency in weather and feeding won't rectify.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Performed my year beginning engine maintenance today. Changed oil, spark plugs, and air filters on all 3 mowers. All 3 fired up nicely and are running in the pic below.


Couldn't resist taking them for a quick pass in the lawn. First clippings! Still a few weeks away from the first mow.


Next up is blade/reel maintenance. Sharpening blades on the timemaster, giving the GM a backlap, cleaning up bedknives, and doing reel to bedknife adjustments.

Prodiamine will probably go down in about 2 weeks pending the upcoming forecast.


----------



## gregonfire (Sep 18, 2017)

So excited for your journal this year man!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Prodiamine down today at 5 grams per k (3 month rate). Just about to slip into the "optimum" window on MSU GDD tracker, so I figured I'd get it done on a beautiful day. Topped out around 70 degrees today.

A few aerial shots, including showing the massive distribution center fire that is about 5 miles from my house. 




Lillies starting to sprout, spring is on the brink!


A few triv spots to dig up. Luckily they are confined to my drainage area, so I don't mind some unsightly bare spots there until it fills in.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Love that second aerial photo. That fire must have been huge. We had an Amazon distribution center catch fire recently and it was a big one too.

You gonna dig up the triv or hit it with gly?


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

It was a big fire. It showed up in sat images.

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/firefighters-working-to-put-out-fire-at-avon-walmart-distribution-center/531-2f16d5ad-580f-4ad7-84ba-f24e9371f2e5

https://mobile.twitter.com/NWSIndianapolis/status/1504177711559761921?cxt=HHwWgoCjiZjq9N8pAAAA


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Those sky views from February...OH my goodness. Turf Merchants called and they want this as the new Bewitched logo.

I'll be curious how the spring reno goes. I don't think it's as bad as some people make it out to be.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

lbb091919 said:


> I'll be curious how the spring reno goes. I don't think it's as bad as some people make it out to be.


I agree. It's just more of a roll of the dice with mother nature during the spring and the ability to keep the grass healthy through the stress of summer. My reno is confined to one zone of my irrigation, so I'll be able to monitor and irrigate appropriately.



bf7 said:


> You gonna dig up the triv or hit it with gly?


Most likely both. First app is probably about a week away once we get a few warmer days.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

I could not resist! Backlapped the GM1600 this morning and had to give it a test. Probably not the best for the grass, as temps are near freezing (pretty sure it was flurrying during the mow), but I had to give it a spin. HOC? Who knows, didn't even check. Cut was a bit uneven, probably due to substantial rainfall over the last week softening up the ground. Or maybe I wasn't cutting the same on both sides. Possibly both. Felt great to be out there though!









Cleaned up the edges and kept the mowing just to one section of lawn. Grass is growing noticeably faster near the walkways where it has heated up faster.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Dude, your lawn thinks it's October.

Love the DGF attitude on the HOC. Grip it and rip it!


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

&#128562; GREEN AF


----------



## Colinwjholding (Apr 6, 2020)

Nice to follow another reel mower.

What is the goal with the two different reels? Different HOC? Or using the swordman for the attachments?


----------



## 0318 (Dec 7, 2021)

It's only March and already beautiful.
Well done and good luck this season!!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Colinwjholding said:


> Nice to follow another reel mower.
> 
> What is the goal with the two different reels? Different HOC? Or using the swordman for the attachments?


I purchased the GM1600 once I decided to reno my backyard. It's about 10k sq ft, so I figured the wider swath would help maximize efficiency in mowing. I use the Swardman mostly in my front yard, which has a few more undulations, obstacles, and uneven terrain. I will probably continue using it there simply for the maneuverability. I do like the attachments and the ease in changing HOC, but once I get things leveled out I may consider getting rid of the Swardman. It is nice to have a back-up though just in case.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Gave the 2021 reno area a cleanup mow. Still a bit thin around the edges, but that should fill in in a few months. Can still see some areas of washout/erosion from the pop-up emitter in the yard. Planning on doing some sand topdressing and smoothing out later this spring.


----------



## Colinwjholding (Apr 6, 2020)

jskierko said:


> Colinwjholding said:
> 
> 
> > Nice to follow another reel mower.
> ...


Makes complete sense. Always good having a back up. Crazy how reliable the commercial grade stuff i so though. Barely ever have issues with my stuff


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Man I'm jealous I haven't had time to get anything cleaned up yet. Can we talk about your neighbor's backyard? Where did you find him!?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Got a full mow in today and it was glorious. Showed all 3 mowers some love. 


Swardman:


GM1600:


GM1600:


Now for the ugly:

Triv really standing out in the drainage area. Gonna let it grow a bit, then nuking probably next week. May gly, then dig, then transplant some edging from around the landscaping beds. 


Small patch of clover, should be easy to eradicate.


What's left of the Northern Mix. Deteriorating every day, knows its' destiny...


Pulled half a bucket of weeds from last fall's reno. Wasn't able to get a pre-emergent down due to early washouts and re-seeding and it shows. Going to blanket spray with a 3-way sometime in mid-April.


Edges of the reno where it got the least sun in the fall a bit thin. Should fill in with some feeding though.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Glorious is an understatement my dude.

So many patterns, so many mowers, it's a piece of art.


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Man, this is looking amazing this early in the season. It's going to look &#128293; in a few weeks.

I haven't even gotten my first mow in &#128555;


----------



## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

Damn looking so great early! I've been mowing, but I'm still super thin. Going to be seeding again this week to fill in bare spots in my reno.


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Wowsers, that looks good. I guess I'll live vicariously through everyone else as we keep getting snow and cold weather.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Temps a bit cold, but everything is growing now. Gly down! Triv spots on the left had marking dye with the gly, but my sprayer started acting up, so I grabbed a ready to use bottle I had sitting around and finished off the rest of the spots. Northern Mix got first round of nuking as well. It was cold and windy. I had to wait several times for the wind to die down before continuing to spray. Naturally it started raining within an hour of finishing. Not expecting a great kill all things considered, but wanted to get the process started.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Not too many updates, been working a lot and it seems to rain just about every day off of work. Been spending time getting acquainted with the new pup, Remy, a 5 month old Treeing Walker Coonhound. She, along with her dad, is eagerly awaiting the death of the Northern Mix (seen in the background of the 1st pic). First round of gly from 7 days ago seems to have knocked it back, but not out. Lots of areas of yellowing but still more life and growth than I'd like. Absorption likely a bit low due to the colder weather. I'll give it a few more days then hit it with another round. 


Lots of weeds popping up in the reno from last season. Disappointing, but not shocking given the historic performance of this area and lack of pre-emergent in the fall. I have some Crossbow on hand (ester), so I may get that put out in the next week and clear some of them out. 


Poa A rearing its' ugly self in the back as well. Prior to today it had been 12 days since I mowed, so lots of seedheads visible. Spent some time handpulling.


No ferts so far. We are about 10 days behind last year in terms of GDD, but some N is probably on the list within the next 1-2 weeks.


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Last season reno area looks nice and thick. At least the POA is easy to spot. When is seed down?

Congrats on the puppy. Cute!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

bf7 said:


> Last season reno area looks nice and thick. At least the POA is easy to spot. When is seed down?
> 
> Congrats on the puppy. Cute!


Thanks! Honestly this is going to be more of a "fly by the seat of your pants" type of reno. I'll just say seed down is "some day in May". I have a lot of leveling work to do in that area, probably won't do much fallowing. So I'm expecting a nice weed infestation, but I don't mind going out and hand pulling, it's semi-therapeutic for me.


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Fly by the seat Spring Reno. Sign me up - following this! Your third Reno in less than three years. Expert at this point!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

14 days after the first glyphosate app, things are looking pretty crispy. More life than what I'm used to after a glyphosate app, but I have to remind myself that the kill is going to be much slower now as opposed to July when I am used to doing this. I did a 2nd blanket glyphosate spray yesterday and I will attempt to start thinning it out and scalping this weekend. I fired up the irrigation system yesterday, so I'll start giving it supplemental water to spur on any remaining growth if needed.


Dug out a stump from an Eastern Redbud I cut down a few years ago. The rest of the roots were pretty deep and I didn't want to go crazy digging up the yard to get everything. I had transplanted some grass to cover where the stump was and it struggled, as there was very little soil between the grass and the stump. Figured it was best to get it out.


Gave the rest of the yard a quick mow this evening. As evidenced by the last pic, I am leaving quite a few stragglers just doing a single cut so I will have to do some adjustments and see if I can get it cutting cleaner.

Things are finally starting to warm up. Felt safe enough for me to get my seeds down in the garden (just spinach and arugula for the spring). Also put down the first N app of the season tonight. Urea at 0.5 lbs/k (0.23 lbs N per k).


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Sending good weather vibes your way! Good luck on the reno. You know I'll be following along


----------



## gregonfire (Sep 18, 2017)

So awesome man. Can't wait to see how the Reno comes out. And as always the rest of the yard looks fantastic!


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

jskierko said:


> I could not resist! Backlapped the GM1600 this morning and had to give it a test. Probably not the best for the grass, as temps are near freezing (pretty sure it was flurrying during the mow), but I had to give it a spin. HOC? Who knows, didn't even check. Cut was a bit uneven, probably due to substantial rainfall over the last week softening up the ground. Or maybe I wasn't cutting the same on both sides. Possibly both. Felt great to be out there though!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


WOW! Just catching up on everybodys spring posts. Its finally spring in Wisconsin. Dang that fire photo was crazy. Do you know when your soil temps started to hit 50? Ours are just hitting 40. Itching to get the sprinklers working and apply some N!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

steffen707 said:


> Do you know when your soil temps started to hit 50? Ours are just hitting 40. Itching to get the sprinklers working and apply some N!


Our first consistent stretch above 50 was April 11-15. This is about 5 days behind average.

Couldn't help but get out and mow again today. Absolutely beautiful day, PTO day from work, highs in the mid 70s, and the first sunburn of the year.




Triv field is quite decorated. Gonna continue to let it simmer, see what tries to reappear after a few weeks, gly again, then plug and feed in mid May. In all honesty I shouldn't even continue to reel mow this area. It's nearly impossible to cut it cleanly due to the dip and slope. Guess I'm just too type A to be inconsistent.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Testing out my @Wile-inspired collars around the mulch.






Reno update: Had 5 yards of topsoil plus (soil/compost mix) brought in to help raise some areas and do a bit of rough leveling. The edges where I used to turn the riding mower around are pretty sunk down and tend to flood and hold water. I know over time, with how much of this is compost, this will settle, but it is easily spreadable and should make a decent seed bed (assuming it isn't loaded with weed seeds). I plan to sand topdress in the coming seasons as needed when it inevitably settles.


Laid a piece of wood to show the extent of some of the dips. And yes, I do have a bit of green grass still sprinkled in this area.


I have a yard or two left over. I plan to spread it across the reno area and use a homemade drag to smooth it out, picking out some of the larger chunks and sticks over the next few days. Going to fallow and shoot for seed down in about 10 days (less than optimal, but I need to get things moving before the weather gets really hot).


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Oh man! What are you using to cut them? They look great!


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

jskierko said:


> Testing out my @Wile-inspired collars around the mulch.


NICE. What hoc are you using?

Love what I'm seeing so far. @Wile is an evil genius. I think he's starting a legit trend here in the golf course lawn community.

Seed bed is on point! Fallow the heck outta that compost.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

bf7 said:


> NICE. What hoc are you using?
> 
> Love what I'm seeing so far. @Wile is an evil genius. I think he's starting a legit trend here in the golf course lawn community.
> 
> Seed bed is on point! Fallow the heck outta that compost.


I am at 7/8" on the lawn and 1.5" on the collars. My wife says "it just looks like you missed a spot", but I totally dig it. Not to mention I do a half *** job picking up the mulch before I mow anyways, so maybe this will prolong my reel/bedknife lifespan since a lesser amount of mulch will spill out.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Wile said:


> Oh man! What are you using to cut them? They look great!


I am using the swardman. HOC adjustment takes like 3 min tops, so it's an easy switch.


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

jskierko said:


> bf7 said:
> 
> 
> > NICE. What hoc are you using?
> ...


:lol: I got the same response from the wife.

Maybe they'll appreciate it after seeing some aerial shots. Or they'll just think we're more nuts. Probably the latter.


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

I'm digging this collar trend - looks sweet. It's like getting a fade haircut...who gets the same HOC on their haircut any way? &#128118;


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

bf7 said:


> jskierko said:
> 
> 
> > Testing out my @Wile-inspired collars around the mulch.
> ...


----------



## gregonfire (Sep 18, 2017)

Love the collars man. Who cares what the wife thinks LOL.

Can't wait to see more progress on the reno. Lookin extra crispy and almost ready for seed. How hot does it get in your area during peak summer?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Was able to get a mow in today. 5 days since last mow. I probably should be maxing it at 4 days between mows at this point, but the employer disagrees with that sentiment. Front mowed with Swardman at 15/16". Back mowed with GM1600 at 0.8".


Front is starting to seed heavily. Looks like absolute crap in terms of color and consistency. For some reason the front (which faces due north) seeds more heavily than the rest of the stand that was reno'd in 2020. I am definitely going to incorporate a proxy/primo regimen next spring. I had intentions on doing a full sand topdressing this spring, which is the main reason I've held off on any PGR. Plan is to try to fill some low spots this spring, then potentially do an aeration and topdressing in the fall.




Also started cleaning up the edging of the fencelines. With 400+ feet of fence, and doing it inside and outside, this is a long process. I do like being able to add some separation between the mower and fence plus not having to worry about trimming the fenceline frequently is a plus. Having mulch delivered next week to freshen everything up.


The other "usual" shots.






gregonfire said:


> Lookin extra crispy and almost ready for seed. How hot does it get in your area during peak summer?


We usually average mid 80s as highs for most all of July/Aug. We usually have a few bursts of 90 degree days. I am a bit nervous about bringing an infant stand of grass through summer, but I'll take good care of it. I'll just have to stay up on my fungicide regimen, as my irrigation overlaps with my established yard.


----------



## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

I see LOTM for you coming soon.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Bravo.

I'm envious of your fence beds. I have the same fence and I am determined to do it like yours one day.


----------



## rhart (May 7, 2020)

Looking really good!


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

lbb091919 said:


> Bravo.
> 
> I'm envious of your fence beds. I have the same fence and I am determined to do it like yours one day.


I've got a fence line as well. Might need to try this.


----------



## ReelWILawn (Aug 29, 2021)

jskierko said:


> Was able to get a mow in today. 5 days since last mow. I probably should be maxing it at 4 days between mows at this point, but the employer disagrees with that sentiment. Front mowed with Swardman at 15/16". Back mowed with GM1600 at 0.8".
> 
> 
> Front is starting to seed heavily. Looks like absolute crap in terms of color and consistency. For some reason the front (which faces due north) seeds more heavily than the rest of the stand that was reno'd in 2020. I am definitely going to incorporate a proxy/primo regimen next spring. I had intentions on doing a full sand topdressing this spring, which is the main reason I've held off on any PGR. Plan is to try to fill some low spots this spring, then potentially do an aeration and topdressing in the fall.
> ...


Wow this is awesome!


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Love me some double wide-singles.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Seed is down on the reno! Just in time for some near 90 degree days. Going to monitor moisture closely. With how windy it's been and how hot it's going to be I have a feeling I'll be running at least 6 irrigation cycles a day at a shorter duration.

Yesterday I was able to finish up prep work which involved raising a sprinkler valve box to make it level with the ground and rolling the area with the GM1600.




This morning I used the scarifier on the swardman to lightly rough up the surface. 


Seed down followed with 8 lbs of Bewitched (2.6 lbs/K). Lightly raked, then rolled again with the GM. Followed it up with 1.65 tsp of tenacity (0.55 tsp/K).


Spread the peat moss and gave it a healthy dose of water to soak through. Next good chance of rain is on Saturday, which is day 5 (the same washout day as my previous reno).


----------



## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

Looking good. Nice work!


----------



## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Spring reno... Subscribed.. It's going to be a nailbiter..


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

Crossing my fingers for you buddy.

My first ever reno was a spring 80% kbg and 20% rye on about maybe 200-300sf area. I had no idea about the stuff I do now and it turned out just fine. You'll do well.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

Are those red plastic adirondak chairs next to a gorilla brand playset?


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Yea buddy! The last bit of your property to hit the restart button. I'm pulling for you man!

On the temps...Spring just doesn't exist any more, I've come to realize that...

Ya got any more energy left in the tank from that hard work? If yes...I'd recommend getting some Azoxy down as a safety net for the next three weeks (then a Propi app)...Fungal pressure is low across the North right now but that can change as quick as Winter disappeared.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

steffen707 said:


> Are those red plastic adirondak chairs next to a gorilla brand playset?


Those are polyurethane coated wood, a mother's day present to the wife. So brand new which is why they look shiny and plastic. We'll see how they withstand the elements. 


steffen707 said:


> Crossing my fingers for you buddy.
> 
> My first ever reno was a spring 80% kbg and 20% rye on about maybe 200-300sf area. I had no idea about the stuff I do now and it turned out just fine. You'll do well.


I reno'd some areas a few seasons ago in the spring. Established great. Didn't maintain watering and they were dead again by the end of the summer. Lessons always learned.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

JerseyGreens said:


> Yea buddy! The last bit of your property to hit the restart button. I'm pulling for you man!
> 
> On the temps...Spring just doesn't exist any more, I've come to realize that...
> 
> Ya got any more energy left in the tank from that hard work? If yes...I'd recommend getting some Azoxy down as a safety net for the next three weeks (then a Propi app)...Fungal pressure is low across the North right now but that can change as quick as Winter disappeared.


Yeah it's kinda wild how it just flips a switch and basically goes from highs in the 50s to highs in the 80s. And that is a great call on the azoxy. I'm already seeing a bit of fungal pressure (see foreground in pic below) so I need to get rolling on my regimen throughout the yard.


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Dang that looks sweet!! I don't see any fungal issues in this picture - those patches could be remnants from winter related carnage.

Your back is probably sore and legs feeling like jello - get it down tomorrow.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Good luck with the reno! It's crazy how fast the fungal pressure shows up, I've dropped my action threshold because of it


----------



## BBLOCK (Jun 8, 2020)

Godspeed little grass babies you can do it. Your daddy is a seasoned vet so you'll be in great hands. We'll see you in the fall all grown up.


----------



## gregonfire (Sep 18, 2017)

Amazing work man. Not worried at all about this spring reno. You know your stuff and it looks like the prep is top notch. I'm super excited to see how this looks in a month or two.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I missed the opportunity to spray azoxy. The backyard is not looking good right now.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Still waiting on the first visible germination in the reno. About 2 more days and I'll start to sweat. The established yard is looking decent, seedheads starting to wind down a bit which has helped the color bounce back.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

How's the backyard recovering?


----------



## rhart (May 7, 2020)

Looking great! You will have germination soon in the reno.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Day 7 and we are finally starting to breathe a sigh of relief. Germination appears wide-spread. Hard to tell for sure since the entire area is fenced off to keep the dogs out. First pic might have an area of overcrowding, but at least it makes me feel better seeing some sprouts. Both previous renos with my Bewitched had germination on Day 5, so I was starting to feel anxious. Tenacity doing its' thing and bleaching the weeds that have surfaced. Next few days should give me a good idea of any trouble areas that will need some TLC.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Congrats on the green babies. Sit back, relax, crack a cold one and watch them go. You got this!


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Looks terrible. Please roll up your sod and mail to me. Jk. New &#128081; in town!


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

jskierko said:


> Day 7 and we are finally starting to breathe a sigh of relief. Germination appears wide-spread. Hard to tell for sure since the entire area is fenced off to keep the dogs out. First pic might have an area of overcrowding, but at least it makes me feel better seeing some sprouts. Both previous renos with my Bewitched had germination on Day 5, so I was starting to feel anxious. Tenacity doing its' thing and bleaching the weeds that have surfaced. Next few days should give me a good idea of any trouble areas that will need some TLC.


So does this mean you're a grass daddy again? Eh whatever, glad it's working out man. Fingers crossed for light rains and no wicked downpours!


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

We have liftoff. Existing turf looking sharp too.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Day off of work, naturally it's raining. Took the opportunity to move some plugs (101 in total, not all pictured) to my killed off triv area. Will update periodically and see what kind of spreading we get. Backfilled donor spots with sand. Still have hopes of doing an aeration and sand topdressing to the entire yard this fall.


----------



## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

Oddly that looks really cool. almost like a cheetah pattern or something.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

jskierko said:


> Day off of work, naturally it's raining. Took the opportunity to move some plugs (101 in total, not all pictured) to my killed off triv area. Will update periodically and see what kind of spreading we get. Backfilled donor spots with sand. Still have hopes of doing an aeration and sand topdressing to the entire yard this fall.


please please please, take a weekly photo from that same spot, same zoom, standing in same spot, ect., then make a flipbook thing at the end of fall. That would look awesome and really showcase how plugging can be successful. 

Is that about a 6" spacing?


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

jskierko said:


> Day off of work, naturally it's raining. Took the opportunity to move some plugs (101 in total, not all pictured) to my killed off triv area. Will update periodically and see what kind of spreading we get. Backfilled donor spots with sand. Still have hopes of doing an aeration and sand topdressing to the entire yard this fall.


Any special watering schedule you use for the plugs?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

steffen707 said:


> Any special watering schedule you use for the plugs?


Nothing special, just treating it as a normal part of the yard and letting it do its' thing. As I mentioned, it was raining when I did it, so some of the holes and plugs swelled up upon collecting rainfall, so I literally had to jam some of the plugs back in place. Always some challenge that arises. 


steffen707 said:


> please please please, take a weekly photo from that same spot, same zoom, standing in same spot, ect., then make a flipbook thing at the end of fall. That would look awesome and really showcase how plugging can be successful.
> 
> Is that about a 6" spacing?


The plugs are an average of 6-8" apart. And yes, I do plan on doing routine pics from the same spot. I love seeing how things progress and will probably devote an album in my camera roll to it so I can quickly scroll through and hopefully dump here at the end of the season.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Applied the following tonight (spotted someone trying to catch an aerial view while spraying):

Urea at 1 lb per K (0.46 lbs/N per K) granular

Feature at 2oz/K in the front

Ferromec AC at 4oz/K in the back

T-Nex at 0.3 oz/K (was at 272/280 GDD and was seeing some areas coming out of regulation from the last app, guess my spraying was a bit out of practice)

Dismiss at 0.15 oz/K (this app was on June 14 last year, but for whatever reason I have been seeing sedge appear earlier this season throughout the lawn)

Total app cost: $55.31 (YTD apps: $165.88)


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Some bonus pics of some flowers around the property including my absolutely massive rosebush in the first pic.


Clematis on the outside of the reno area with the slight green haze in the background. 


Thought I caught a UFO above the clematis out front. Upon zooming I think it's just a fly mid-flight.


----------



## Jeff_MI84 (Sep 28, 2020)

@jskierko those flowers are on point. I envy any person who can grow roses. Did you have to do anything to the soil or use a specific kind?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Jeff_MI84 said:


> @jskierko those flowers are on point. I envy any person who can grow roses. Did you have to do anything to the soil or use a specific kind?


It's been a lot of trial and error. For some reason, our yellow and white roses don't perform nearly as well as the pink ones. I even have a rotation of pink/white in the back, so no obvious difference in soil or location, but the white ones just do not perform as well. The one pictured I did not even cut back at the end of the year or beginning of this year and it has just exploded. I historically have used nothing but Bayer Advanced rose fertilizer every few weeks, but its been au naturel this year.


----------



## Jeff_MI84 (Sep 28, 2020)

@jskierko oh okay. I might try knockout roses.


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Flowers look awesome. Also big fan of the Feature in the front, ferromec in the back approach. Clean concrete is part of the curb appeal too!


----------



## Alowan (May 25, 2021)

Those flowers are amazing. Especially that rose bush.. enjoying following along in 2022


----------



## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

@jskierko Your flowers look great. Makes the turf POP when there is some contrast like that.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Looks like a beautiful weekend for the 500 in Central Indiana! Had to lay the checkerboard down to show the support.


----------



## Biggylawns (Jul 8, 2019)

That is looking fantastic. How's the reno coming along?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Biggylawns said:


> That is looking fantastic. How's the reno coming along?


Slow and substantially behind my previous renos at this stage, but I see germination in just about every area, so I know it will eventually grow and fill in. Pics below are from days 11 and 20 from seeding. (Not sure why the day 20 pics are so hazy... time of day or maybe dirty lens, who knows)


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

So how much of the lawn is going to be Bewitched now? 100% or do you still have northern salad in some parts?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

steffen707 said:


> So how much of the lawn is going to be Bewitched now? 100% or do you still have northern salad in some parts?


100% in terms of "my lawn". I have a few passes outside of my backyard fence that technically is "mine" but I only mow it every 1-2 weeks to maintain it.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

jskierko said:


> steffen707 said:
> 
> 
> > So how much of the lawn is going to be Bewitched now? 100% or do you still have northern salad in some parts?
> ...


You gotta change your signature then! :mrgreen:


----------



## Biggylawns (Jul 8, 2019)

It's looking good and will fill in this year. Your privacy trees are very nice. How long did it take for them to grow that height?


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

How do you keep the woodchips in the playground area. Doesn't even look like you have much of a lip. Also, so jealous of your play area not having 13 pine trees around it. I gave up on trying to keep the needles out of the wood chips.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Biggylawns said:


> It's looking good and will fill in this year. Your privacy trees are very nice. How long did it take for them to grow that height?


Those were planted by the neighbors before we moved in. Based on how tall they were when we moved in, I'd guess they have been there for about 12-13 years (we have lived here for 10).

Things around here slowly starting to transition into summer mode. Plan to hold HOC steady at 1" for the next few months.




Speaking of summer, less than 0.5" of precipitation in the last 2 weeks here coupled with some temps in the mid 80s have led to some drought stress. At certain angles you can definitely see some darker grayish-black spots, especially close to the driveway. I have only run irrigation 3 times, which were only half cycles to water in various applications. I will run a full cycle overnight to restore some vigor to the struggling areas.




Reno update: Day 20 vs Day 26. Chug chug chug. Still watering 4 times a day (cut from 6 times) and hand watering certain spots. Dropped 0.23 lbs of N per k via urea on 6/1.


----------



## Chuuurles (Nov 23, 2020)

Sir, this is looking simply incredible! You went thru some crazy washouts last year right ??


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

Sweet stripes. Why do you irrigate so infrequently? Just cuz you can?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

steffen707 said:


> Sweet stripes. Why do you irrigate so infrequently? Just cuz you can?


I would say the answer is multifaceted. Mostly because I am cheap and hold my breath during the summer months when I open my water bill. Also, the beginning of May we received quite a bit of precipitation here. I think we had at least a week or two of 2+" of rain, so I figured I'd ride it out until it got dry around here. I definitely need to do a better job of monitoring ET and acting on any deficits.



Chuuurles said:


> Sir, this is looking simply incredible! You went thru some crazy washouts last year right ??


I did, but this area pictured was from my 2020 reno. I will try to get some pics of the reno from last fall tomorrow. It has a few thin areas around the edges, but has filled in a good bit this spring.


----------



## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Looking great! There are so many questions to ask, things to point out, but I'll just trouble you with a few.
-Those roses look great! I love perennials and we have a few that help set off the lawn/landscape nicely. 
-I really like the camouflage trellis you built on the downspout for the Clematis. Not sure if many noticed that, but it's a cool idea. We have a Clematis and enjoy it every year. 
-Being near the ocean, we're behind you growth/season-wise since the water is still cold, but I get to live vicariously through you.
-I like your watering strategy...letting the lawn stress a little before irrigating will help encourage deeper rooting, by training the roots to dive deeper for water. This will pay dividends when the neighbor's lawns are all burned out, but yours is hanging in there for the Dog days of Summer. 
-Your checkerboard rocks! I like lawn guys that are also motorheads or appreciate cars/racing 
-Are you doing anything special to crutch the Bewitched seed through the Summer?
-Reminder to self, I need to use my stash of FeATURE, be patient, and take the time to measure it out.

I need to stop now, but obviously, I'm impressed. Good luck on the reno!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

@Chuuurles, here is what I reno'd last fall. I included some shots of the areas where it is still thin around the edges and where I had the worst washout. It has filled in a lot in the spring, but still probably won't be 100% filled in by the end of the year.


----------



## JBC-1 (Apr 5, 2020)

Wow...super impressed here! Your lawn looks amazing. Reading through your journals gives me hope that I can eventually get to this level one day.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

ET is 0.18in per day. Don't look at the water bill.


----------



## Chuuurles (Nov 23, 2020)

jskierko said:


> @Chuuurles, here is what I reno'd last fall. I included some shots of the areas where it is still thin around the edges and where I had the worst washout. It has filled in a lot in the spring, but still probably won't be 100% filled in by the end of the year.


Thanks for taking the time to post this ! I am even more impressed with these pictures than the previous batch, knowing what u went through 💪


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Chris LI said:


> Looking great! There are so many questions to ask, things to point out, but I'll just trouble you with a few.
> -Those roses look great! I love perennials and we have a few that help set off the lawn/landscape nicely.
> -I really like the camouflage trellis you built on the downspout for the Clematis. Not sure if many noticed that, but it's a cool idea. We have a Clematis and enjoy it every year.
> -Being near the ocean, we're behind you growth/season-wise since the water is still cold, but I get to live vicariously through you.
> ...


Thanks @Chris LI! The trellis on the downspout has worked great. It was just part of a chicken wire fence that I had sitting around, just trimmed it and spray painted it. Occasionally the clematis gets a little top heavy and I have to tie it up with fishing line, but for the most part it climbs well. For the new Bewitched area I plan to handwater throughout the summer. It's just under 3k and I can hit just about all of it with a hose from my back porch. Right now I have irrigation running on it, but it overlaps with some of the established grass and keeping that wet all day is just a recipe for disaster (it's already showing some fungal pressure areas so I've really had to stay on top of it).

Today I applied the following:
Prodiamine at 5g/k
FEature at 2oz/k in the front
Ferromec at 4oz/k in the back
T-Nex at 10ml/k

App cost: $18.21

Bonus pics of Remy, the Treeing Walker Coonhound we got in April. Her urine is absolutely torching many spots in the back, so I may have to looking into solutions.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

Awwww. We had a Treeing Walker Coonhound named Maddie. Such a sweet dog. I believe her pee nuked the spot just south of our back deck. never could get anything growing there.


----------



## BBLOCK (Jun 8, 2020)

the first go of the day is the worst, i at least finally have my dogs trained to go off the side of the driveway where it's not maintained for their first order of business, then they do pee on the fescue but i haven't seen them go on the kbg which is bonus.

keep bringing her to a mulch area or wtvr esp that first one of the day and try to train her to go in one area.


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Love the doggo and kid pics you guys. Do you have a pro-plugger? Also, I did not notice the trellis, but that is brilliant.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Wile said:


> Do you have a pro-plugger?


I do. Is it worth my time to be plugging the spots where she's killing the grass?

Mowed a section post 2100 tonight, just to see how it would be. Definitely won't make a habit of it, very hard to see my lines even with the headlights.


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Nice! Lovin' the yard beers/drinks. I think it's worth trying the plugger out on those spots, but mine eventually fill in. They just take too long and are in the front where people walk their dogs. If the plugger doesn't work maybe try a gypsum flush.


----------



## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Following - amazing work @jskierko ! Wish you were a bit closer to Carmel, I'm visiting some friends out there in July, would have totally intruded! How often do you generally apply Iron? Is it mainly based on what the plants are telling you or do you follow something more specific?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

joec-ct said:


> Wish you were a bit closer to Carmel, I'm visiting some friends out there in July, would have totally intruded! How often do you generally apply Iron? Is it mainly based on what the plants are telling you or do you follow something more specific?


Carmel isn't too far, maybe 30 minutes. If you are flying I am basically on the way to the airport from there. In regards to the iron, I usually just incorporate it into every T-Nex application I do, so every 2-3 weeks. Checked my notes, and I made 9 applications in 2021.

---
Double cut the back at 1". Liking the balance of color and feel at this height. Feel like it loses a lot in terms of color once I get below 7/8". Definitely looking forward to the day where I can "unfence" the reno, as the dogs have worn a bit of a path in front of it (in addition to the pee kill spots).






Day 26 vs Day 31 (June 9): Lots of tillering happening, helping it fill in quite a bit. Hoping to give it a first mow around Day 40.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Next week is the real challenge for the Reno. Keep an eye for fungus.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

g-man said:


> Next week is the real challenge for the Reno. Keep an eye for fungus.


Worked all weekend, so I threw down DiseaseEx at preventative rate over entire lawn on 6/12 (20k coverage over 18k lawn). Haven't had time for any spray apps. Watered in via quick irrigation and some pop-up showers throughout the day. Dollar spot model goes over 50% here in the next few days, T-Nex set to expire on 6/18, and I'm going out of town until the weekend. Mowed a damp yard tonight because it was my only opportunity, finished in near darkness. Going to hold my breath and hope I don't return to an overgrown, disease-ridden jungle when I return.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Starting to think I may need to do a HOC reset after the seedhead flush. Noticed that my front yard was not shedding a lot of the dried out seedheads and stalks. Decided to do a test scalp on 5/26 in one area. Here is a pic from 3 weeks later. The area that I scalped down looks way better in terms of color. This may be slightly dramatized due to the fact that I mowed at 3/4" instead of 1" since I'm going on vacay and that scalped area is more "accustomed" to a lower HOC. But even at a higher HOC the front still shows signs of struggling/evidence of old material. I did put some sand down in the area that I scalped, but I don't think it would improve the cut quality to the extent that shows such a difference in color.


----------



## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Very interesting...following. Can you think of any other related factors? (i.e. flush growth resurgence after scalp, PGR effects, potential fungal activity at higher HOC in front, anything else?) I know Bermuda farmers scalp in the spring for a reset. Could mid spring scalp help kbg? It sounds counterintuitive, but interesting. Thanks for trying this.


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

This is cool. I still have a ton of seedheads sticking around in the long cut grass. Kind of wish I had done a scalp earlier in the spring. The weather is too hot now and don't want to stress it out.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

bf7 said:


> This is cool. I still have a ton of seedheads sticking around in the long cut grass. Kind of wish I had done a scalp earlier in the spring. The weather is too hot now and don't want to stress it out.


Does scalping in early spring with kbg eliminate seed heads? 
Wouldn't you need to scalp when the seed heads are present? Are they present in early spring, but just take a long time to grow tall?


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

steffen707 said:


> bf7 said:
> 
> 
> > This is cool. I still have a ton of seedheads sticking around in the long cut grass. Kind of wish I had done a scalp earlier in the spring. The weather is too hot now and don't want to stress it out.
> ...


I meant mow lower when the seedheads were most active (post flush). For me that was mid-May. Maybe not necessarily a scalp but just enough to get rid of the heads. But...I'm liking the results from @jskierko's aggressive scalp experiment.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Got to mow today after 6 days off. Things really didn't look too bad. I did not even mow the front. Maybe the PGR was still holding it in check, maybe the 90 degree temps put the grass in "survival mode" to conserve energy and nutrients, or maybe the flock that was greeting me when I returned kept the lawn in shape. Starting a new job (WFH, holla!) in a week and I guess this was a "going away present" of sorts from my co-workers.











One of my neighbors down the street sent me this drone shot after today's mow. He maintains a Bewitched monostand, but keeps it at a higher HOC (3+ in). It's nice to see that it does well mowed low or high. You can see from the surrounding yards that things are starting to check out for the summer. More heat this coming week (mid 90s for a few days) should only add to the fun.



Reno update: first mow was today (6/19) with the GM1600. Took the fence down to give the dogs their yard back. Day 31 vs Day 41 pics below. Doesn't look like the needle has moved much in terms of filling in, but giving it a mow exposes a lot of bare areas. I had half a bag of scotts starter fert with meso sitting in the garage, so I threw that down and will water in tomorrow AM.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

The reno is looking good. Love the flamingos!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

steffen707 said:


> The reno is looking good. Love the flamingos!


Thanks! I would say it's about 80-90% of where I thought it would be at this stage. Weather hasn't been optimal, really just skipped spring and went straight to summer this year, so it has taken a beating in the heat. I will just try to mow frequently to promote spreading and spoon feed at very low doses (0.1-0.2 lbs/N) as temps allow.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

3in hoc bewitched mono, where is the picture of that?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Some different views of the reno area on Day 49 (6/27). Thin around the edges, but otherwise filling in nicely with minimal feeding and the color is looking pretty good. Trying to hand-pull weeds about twice a week. Seeing mostly spurge and some crabgrass in the bare areas.




Other shots from today's mow. Happy with how things look considering the weather we've had. Only 0.3" of rain in the last 2 weeks and 1" over the last month. Also have scaled back on the ferts this year relative to last year. 1.15 lbs of N this year compared to 1.9 lbs at this time last year. I was so caught up with pushing N last spring to push the reno to fill in and it ended up causing lots of fungal pressure in late summer/early fall.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

8th driest June on record in Indianapolis. Fighting to keep some of the edges and hell strip from burning up. Ran irrigation 3 times over the past week trying to keep up and been hand watering problem spots as I see them. I have Revolution in the arsenal, but never got around to putting any down this year and figure that ship has sailed. I may do some spot treatments with it just to see if it has any added benefit.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

I think everyone in the midwest feels your pain man. It's nuts over here too.

I guess the silver lining is you have full control of the watering the reno is getting and havent had washout issues!


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

lbb091919 said:


> I think everyone in the midwest feels your pain man. It's nuts over here too.
> 
> I guess the silver lining is you have full control of the watering the reno is getting and havent had washout issues!


Your reno burned up, but don't worry, it didn't wash away.......

Nahhh just teasing. I hope the reno is going well @jskierko .


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Why didn't you put down the Revolution earlier?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

bf7 said:


> Why didn't you put down the Revolution earlier?


Honestly I've been trying to minimize inputs and see how self sustaining things can be. As the kiddo gets more involved with school, sports, and other activities I know I won't be able to devote as much time to the lawn as I have in previous seasons.

Happy Independence Day to all my fellow Yankees! Things have been absolutely bone dry here... PGR has expired and my need to mow really hasn't been that high. I am basically mowing every 4-5 days just to tidy things up. Areas around the larger trees are struggling as they are competing for water supplied by irrigation. The slowdown has allowed me lots of pool time though, so that's a small consolation. 




Reno Progress over the last 2 weeks.... well, not a whole lot of progress, but the grass is thickening up a bit and maturing. Some spots showing some yellowing/nutrient deficiency, but been too hot to test out any feedings. Everything should fill in just fine though once I start the fall N blitz.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

Renovation is looking good for such dry weather.
My new cultivars at 1.5" are rocking compared to my old lawn salad at 2.5-3".


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Basically a photo dump. Nothing fancy happening. Just trying to maintain through the heat and dryness that this summer has brought. Just 0.67" of rain in the last 4 weeks.

Back yard, with the reno at far left of photo. Reno looks good at eye level. Was able to drop 0.25 lbs of N a few nights ago when temps cooled off a bit. 


A few pics of the front yard, which was mowed today with the Swardman at 1.25". I had not mowed this section in *13 days*!




Side yard is showing some drought stress at the edges of driveway and along property line. Edge of property is dry and compacted. I need to go out there with a pitchfork and try to help relieve some compaction and allow water to soak in (any water here usually just runs down into my drainage area where I had killed off the triv).


A few bonus drone shots from 1400 and 1900 today. Gives a good idea of how dry it has been.


----------



## BburgLawn (Apr 11, 2021)

I never had a doubt that your lawn was the best looking around, but the drone shots definitely make that obvious. Excellent work!

The lack of rain has been brutal. I'm dreading the water bill for June!

Based on the second picture from the bottom, your neighbor to the east(?) has something interesting going on - Kentucky-fried crispy in the front and most of the sides/back, but the 'back 40' is barely hanging on. Maybe a different species/cultivar there?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

BburgLawn said:


> I never had a doubt that your lawn was the best looking around, but the drone shots definitely make that obvious. Excellent work!
> 
> The lack of rain has been brutal. I'm dreading the water bill for June!
> 
> Based on the second picture from the bottom, your neighbor to the east(?) has something interesting going on - Kentucky-fried crispy in the front and most of the sides/back, but the 'back 40' is barely hanging on. Maybe a different species/cultivar there?


Thanks! I did just look at the water bill and Yikes! We are running a 5.34" moisture deficit over the last month (only 0.68" of precipitation), so it's been tough trying to keep everything alive and kicking. As of 7/12, we are in the "moderate drought" category. And yes, the shot of the neighbors lawn is pretty interesting. Based on historic pictures (they moved in before we did) I believe their front yard was sodded, while the back was seeded. The section furthest to the back... maybe it doesn't get as much heat radiating off the brick, so it stays cooler than the areas closer to the house. That's really my only conjecture.



Noticed some mycelium in the lawn yesterday, but no visible damage yet. With the dollar spot model above 40% for the next few days I wanted to get a preventative fungicide down. Last app was 29-Jun, so it was due. I applied the following:

*Azoxy @ 0.38 oz/k*- I really should be using PPZ for dollar spot prevention as azoxy offers no protection against DS, but I didn't want to put it down at the same time as T-Nex, so that will be my next app. I have already done multiple apps of Clearys, so I didn't want to tank mix that. Hoping the azoxy prevents any brown/summer patch. Reno area only got Azoxy and no other treatments. Hoping to be able to spoonfeed some more N, as reno looks hungry. 
*T-Nex @ 10 mL/k*- I had let previous app expire and thought I'd be fine to ride it out, but once I got over 500 GDD (perhaps I had some accumulation from over applying) it started to rebound quite a bit, so I decided to reel it (no pun intended) back in.
*Imidacloprid @ 0.5 oz/k*- Haven't seen any definitive damage, but a lot of areas around the landscape beds and property lines are dry and seem to pull up with very little attached roots. I pulled and cleaned a few plugs, and didn't see anything but I've seen a lot of billbug damage in the area lately and I have a lot of Japanese beetles on the property. I did a foliar Bifen spray on the rosebushes this week and it has helped a ton.
*Feature @ 2 oz/k* in front and *Ferromec @ 4oz/k* in the back.

*Total app cost: $73.26*


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

After some much needed rain yesterday (~1"), things perked up a bit. Double mowed the back. Probably due for a grind on the reel, at least a backlap.








Reno is starting to fill in nicely. Probably to the point where I can deem it a successful spring reno. Been a tough summer from a weather perspective for a new reno, but it has held its' own. Weed pressure has been pretty low which shocks me given the timing of things. Pulled maybe a dozen crabgrass plants, some sedge growing in there too. Most impressive is the bermuda plant below which was rooted to a depth of a foot. It had spread quite a bit and was shooting runners out a foot in each direction. Hope I can nip it in the bud and don't see any more of that.





Bonus shot of the TWC, who prides herself in tight cornering and quick stops while sprinting, tearing up small sections. Not to mention the scorching urine (been trying to hose off areas when I see her go).


----------



## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

Reno is looking great! Great job with all this heat.


----------



## ReelWILawn (Aug 29, 2021)

jskierko said:


> Bonus shot of the TWC, who prides herself in tight cornering and quick stops while sprinting, tearing up small sections. Not to mention the scorching urine (been trying to hose off areas when I see her go).


 :lol: :lol: :lol: I can totally relate to this! Sounds identical to one of our Great Danes. Hard to get too upset when they are having too much fun. She is mostly trained to go in the landscape rocks, but our other one is too stubborn and lazy. Our process is to place (if they are nearby) a rock or toss it in their general direction as a marker and then sprint like crazy for the hose to douse the contaminated area.


----------



## TLowe (9 mo ago)

I'm down in Terre Haute just south of you. 
Your lawn looks amazing. 18,000 feet too is quite impressive. 
I like how your 1st journal page is laid out I think I'm going to copy it. 
Take care ✌


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Took advantage of some cooler temps the past few days to do some verticutting. The lawn is hella thick and any time I try to drop HOC the mower floats in certain areas and cuts pretty uneven. Hoping thinning it out allows me to cut a bit lower in the fall (in addition to the better penetration of water and nutrients). Started by mowing it down to 0.8", then ran the verticutter at 0.5" in two directions. Temps heating up again next week, but it is out of regulation and it will get some full irrigation cycles and a light dose of fert to kick it back into gear.

Things are looking good for late July. You can see across the driveway in the area I hadn't verticut yet and the color has been great.








After the cleanup with the Timemaster.


The cleanup pile (along with some green grass from my biweekly scalp down behind my back fence).


Updated reno shot.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Are you using the swordman to verticut? I used the 220E last weekend but i set it 0in and did 4 passes.


----------



## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

Looks like fun! I need to start looking into getting a verticutter. Did you rent or you have a cartridge for the Swardman?


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

livt0ride said:


> Looks like fun! I need to start looking into getting a verticutter. Did you rent or you have a cartridge for the Swardman?





g-man said:


> Are you using the swordman to verticut? I used the 220E last weekend but i set it 0in and did 4 passes.


I bought the Swardman cartridge used from a TLF member. I couldn't justify buying it new for how few times I would use it. The HOC was set to 0.5" on the Swardman, but it has a larger diameter than the reel, so it was definitely cutting lower. In my areas where I plugged earlier this season my passes were just barely scratching the dirt, and it definitely would have hit the concrete if I had it running on there. 4 passes though with how close the tines are on the JD groomer, that's aggressive! I can't even imagine how much stuff that brought up.


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

It was choking the machine and faulting it. I did not use the catcher, so all the stuff is still there. The rain pushed it into the canopy. Eventually it will decompose.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

g-man said:


> It was choking the machine and faulting it. I did not use the catcher, so all the stuff is still there. The rain pushed it into the canopy. Eventually it will decompose.


Yeah definitely not worth the stress of emptying the grass catcher every 2 passes. I used the rotary on the lowest setting to vacuum mine up. This also served to help me identify spots that are in dire need of leveling.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

looking great @jskierko! man that spring reno is looking darn good. Love the TWC photos. ever try those pee rocks that you're supposed to put in their water dish? we use to do that with our TWC, I never really noticed if it helped or not because she peed in the same spot all the time so I just let it go to dirt. That's where our new deck will be so yay!

Just wondering, why don't you use the verticutter more often? I think Euro folks use it often. Something about standing the poa up and other weeds so you can get them cut down more frequently. I dunno.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

steffen707 said:


> looking great @jskierko! man that spring reno is looking darn good. Love the TWC photos. ever try those pee rocks that you're supposed to put in their water dish? we use to do that with our TWC, I never really noticed if it helped or not because she peed in the same spot all the time so I just let it go to dirt. That's where our new deck will be so yay!
> 
> Just wondering, why don't you use the verticutter more often? I think Euro folks use it often. Something about standing the poa up and other weeds so you can get them cut down more frequently. I dunno.


I haven't tried those pee rocks, but I will definitely look into it! I am hoping with the blitz those spots fill back in and I can find a solution during that time. It does take away a bit of the uniformity of the lawn, but it is what it is.

And for the verticutter, I have read that a lot of areas overseas use it every 4-6 weeks during the growing season, but they tend to have a lot more mild climates and lack the extremes in temperatures that we see here. So recovery for our lawns in June, July, August is going to be a lot more challenging than it is for their lawns.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Days are getting shorter, temps have been leveling off, and we have had a few significant rainfall events over the last few weeks. All those things are bringing the grass back to form (not just in my lawn, but most lawns around here have bounced back). Planning another app of propiconazole and feature tomorrow. Fungal risk is dropping, but we are definitely not out of the woods yet. Fall N blitz set to kick off in about 3 weeks. I'm at 1.4 lbs of N for the season, which I found to be a good balance between pushing growth in the spring and mitigating fungal risk later in the year. Hoping for about 3 more lbs of N from now until the end of the season.


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Bring on that N this is ready for liftoff...

Thinning this out took a lot of work but it will pay off big time. Its no secret that I was over the top with thinning out my reno last year... its paying back dividends now.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

JerseyGreens said:


> Bring on that N this is ready for liftoff...
> 
> Thinning this out took a lot of work but it will pay off big time. Its no secret that I was over the top with thinning out my reno last year... its paying back dividends now.


Why does thinning out your lawn help the lawn? Healthier, Greener?


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

@steffen707 - for KBG If you have too many "mother plants" in one area they just fight for nutrients and the plant never fully matures. Usually thinner blades, not as resilient/healthy, inconsistent color throughout the yard.

Once you thin it out the sky is the limit...spreads more easily and nearly everything mentioned above disappears.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

I wonder if that's why mine hasn't spread into the over salted driveway killed edge I have.

Is there a "best way to thin out"? Verticutting, heavy scarifying?


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Looks mighty fine! What's the height? Any plans to sand level this year?


----------



## 606-Lawn (5 mo ago)

jskierko said:


> Days are getting shorter, temps have been leveling off, and we have had a few significant rainfall events over the last few weeks. All those things are bringing the grass back to form (not just in my lawn, but most lawns around here have bounced back). Planning another app of propiconazole and feature tomorrow. Fungal risk is dropping, but we are definitely not out of the woods yet. Fall N blitz set to kick off in about 3 weeks. I'm at 1.4 lbs of N for the season, which I found to be a good balance between pushing growth in the spring and mitigating fungal risk later in the year. Hoping for about 3 more lbs of N from now until the end of the season.


Looks amazing


----------



## TLowe (9 mo ago)

jskierko said:


> Days are getting shorter, temps have been leveling off, and we have had a few significant rainfall events over the last few weeks. All those things are bringing the grass back to form (not just in my lawn, but most lawns around here have bounced back). Planning another app of propiconazole and feature tomorrow. Fungal risk is dropping, but we are definitely not out of the woods yet. Fall N blitz set to kick off in about 3 weeks. I'm at 1.4 lbs of N for the season, which I found to be a good balance between pushing growth in the spring and mitigating fungal risk later in the year. Hoping for about 3 more lbs of N from now until the end of the season.


Looks great ! 👍👍


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

bf7 said:


> Looks mighty fine! What's the height? Any plans to sand level this year?


Thanks all! I am at 0.875". May work it down to 0.75" sometime after Labor Day. I may just bring in a few yards to raise up and smooth out some obvious ruts/dips. I have been known to change my mind and act on impulse though, so we'll see how I'm feeling in a few weeks.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

How it started vs how it's going. Been in this house for 10 years exactly and thought it'd be fun to compare pics from Aug 2012.









Neighbor sent me an updated drone photo this afternoon. Brown patches in the middle of the backyard is collateral damage from spraying out some patches of clover, it'll bounce back in no time.



And a few more shots from ground level for good measure. Color is bouncing back and old stripes (diagonal) almost not visible any longer.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

What a transformation! That back porch is a sweet addition.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

steffen707 said:


> What a transformation! That back porch is a sweet addition.


Yeah the stoop held its own for a while, but after a few years it distanced itself from the house (literally- probably close to an inch separation), so it was time for an upgrade!


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

That's nothing, millennium tower is tilting at 6" at the top and sank 16".
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Tower_(San_Francisco)

However it's much easier to replace your stoop than a sky scraper.


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

The before and after are awesome. How are the collars working for you?


----------



## joec-ct (Aug 6, 2021)

Love the before and after. The maturity of the landscaping is really cool to see, including your sunporch(?) addition and more beds in the back. Being in a new const. home and having beds less than a year old, my shrubs are so tiny! Awesome job all around, this is one of the few journals I keep alerts set on and one of my personal favorites on TLF.


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Love the 10 year before/after pictures. Beautiful house, and thoughtful landscaping...pretty nice turf too. &#128521;


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Wile said:


> The before and after are awesome. How are the collars working for you?


Collars are fun and functional. I like the look of them and they do a good job of catching any mulch during heavy rains. They are definitely a lot of work. I use my rotary scissors to cut them and man that is a good forearm workout, those things are heavy! I should do a better job of staying on top of it, really only trim them every 7-10 days so they get a bit rugged looking, but when they are cleaned up I love them.



joec-ct said:


> Love the before and after. The maturity of the landscaping is really cool to see, including your sunporch(?) addition and more beds in the back. Being in a new const. home and having beds less than a year old, my shrubs are so tiny! Awesome job all around, this is one of the few journals I keep alerts set on and one of my personal favorites on TLF.


Thanks! It is fun to flip through pics from previous years and see how much things have progressed and developed. You will look at old pics and be super judgmental of yourself on decisions you made, but that's part of the fun of the project.


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Awesome! Glad they are working out. I had to do the same with my string trimmer a week ago and my back almost went out from all the rotating and probably spent more time than mowing to whack 'em down so I could cut them with the manual reel. I'm looking for battery ryobi mower to help me when the reel is too much work.


----------



## 606-Lawn (5 mo ago)

Looks awesome


----------



## JBC-1 (Apr 5, 2020)

Looks amazing!


----------



## ReelWILawn (Aug 29, 2021)

The 10 year before and after photos are amazing, thanks for sharing! You and the family have done a great job with the property. A little work and persistence goes a long way over time.


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Agree, I especially like the back porch addition!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Wow, fall must be on the brink. Almost 2 full pages of unread journal updates when I hopped on here. Lots of renos, nice to just sit back and watch on this go around. Grass has definitely kicked into high gear here lately and could realistically be mowed every 2 days, but I don't have enough time in the day to reel mow 18k. Put it back under regulation yesterday applying 0.35 oz/k T-Nex. Also put down Clearys at 4oz/k and 10-10-10 at a rate to give roughly 0.2 lbs of N-P-K per k.

Photo dump from today's mow. Able to get out and do some during lunch, finished up in the evening.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Looks so good as always man


----------



## ReelWILawn (Aug 29, 2021)

:thumbup: are you 100% using the 1600 now or is the Swardman still apart of the fleet?


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Congrats man! Long overdue!!


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Congrats your grace!


----------



## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Congratulations on LOTM buddy!


----------



## Wiley (Dec 2, 2019)

We'll deserved LOTM! Congrats @jskierko


----------



## BDalton (Dec 11, 2019)

Congrats on LOTM, looks amazing!


----------



## WillyT (Jun 26, 2019)

Well deserved! Congrats on LOTM!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

ReelWILawn said:


> :thumbup: are you 100% using the 1600 now or is the Swardman still apart of the fleet?


100% GM1600. Swardman is still in the fleet, but probably/hopefully offloading it soon.

@bf7, @Wile, @JerseyGreens, @BDalton, @WillyT: Thanks for the congrats and support! I have taken a lot of advice and inspiration from you all! Wile and Willy T will both be back next month and I think ReelWI will join them. All are worthy winners. I rarely venture over to the warm season side, but WillyT's lawn looks like a tabletop with how smooth it is, impressive stuff!


----------



## BBLOCK (Jun 8, 2020)

Way to go! Lawn is looking amazing


----------



## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Awesome! Congrats!!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Lowered HOC slightly to 0.75". Color is still holding pretty good with the lower height. Probably won't go any lower unless I get ambitious and want to do some sand leveling this fall. Even at 0.75" you can see where I have some dips. PGR expiring today and need to get prodiamine down, but rain is in the forecast so I'll have to wait for a better window. Hopefully by midweek at the latest.


----------



## lawn-wolverine (Aug 15, 2021)

I, I, I, ah…amazing!!&#128525;


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

jskierko said:


> Lowered HOC slightly to 0.75". Color is still holding pretty good with the lower height. Probably won't go any lower unless I get ambitious and want to do some sand leveling this fall. Even at 0.75" you can see where I have some dips. PGR expiring today and need to get prodiamine down, but rain is in the forecast so I'll have to wait for a better window. Hopefully by midweek at the latest.


 :shock: :shock: Congrats on LOTM! I think if I stop by your thread enough, something will rub off. =)


----------



## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

steffen707 said:


> :shock: :shock: Congrats on LOTM! I think if I stop by your thread enough, something will rub off. =)


^+1 Ditto 100% Great lawn and great journal! I'm living vicariously and enjoying this beautiful lawn, as I learn and plan for the future.


----------



## ReelWILawn (Aug 29, 2021)

a little late, but congratulations on LOTM! Well deserved


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Backyard is looking awfully polka-dotty from the dog urine spots. I may try to clear some of those spots and move some plugs in the next week or so to get them to fill in. The arrow marks the line of the reno. Everything to the left of the arrow was seeded in May. I am quite pleased with the spring reno results, even if it did take quite a bit of nursing to get it through the hot, dry summer. On 9/10 I dropped 100 lbs of 10-10-10 over the whole yard, enough to give just over 0.5 lbs/k of NPK. This is the start of my fall blitz. I will transition over to AMS for the duration of the fall. Currently at 2.15 lbs N, 1 lb P, 1 lb K for the year with the intent to get total N to 4-5 lbs/k.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

OMG, can't even tell where that line would be without your arrow. Fantastic! I think i'm going to do spring seeding in problem spots every year until I have no problem spots.

Are you putting Glyphosate in your dogs water dish? :mrgreen:


----------



## ReelWILawn (Aug 29, 2021)

fantastic! Reality of having dogs, thanks for showing. Honestly, when the lawn looks that good the dog spots dont even look that bad.


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

The reno looks even darker than the other side. Incredible.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Got one part of the yard down to 0.7" today. Probably the lowest I'll be able to take it. You can definitely see the unevenness (lines) in the yard the lower I go. We did get a good bit of rain overnight, so that doesn't help with the mower sinking down in places. Applied PGR and Clearys (you can definitely see a whitish tint on the blades up close, maybe not visible in the pics) last night, watered in by nature in the morning. Maybe 2 more fungicide apps for the year as things start to cool off and settle down. High of 91 on Wednesday followed up by a high of 67 on Thursday. Crazy swing in the weather upcoming!


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Reno looks awesome. I think your yard is a candidate for triplex. Are you planning on top dressing? I need to mine, but I need to find one of those top dresser/spreaders before I tackle it.


----------



## ReelWILawn (Aug 29, 2021)

Wile said:


> Reno looks awesome. I think your yard is a candidate for triplex.


second on the triplex!


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

ReelWILawn said:


> Wile said:
> 
> 
> > Reno looks awesome. I think your yard is a candidate for triplex.
> ...





Wile said:


> Reno looks awesome. I think your yard is a candidate for triplex. Are you planning on top dressing? I need to mine, but I need to find one of those top dresser/spreaders before I tackle it.


I would like a triplex for sure simply for the sake of saving time. The next month or so is usually when I desire it the most, when I'm throwing down N and mowing twice a week doesn't even feel like enough. I need the exercise though! I doubt it's in the plans (especially not in the budget). I do plan on top dressing, but likely will wait until next spring. I wanted the reno to fill in and get to full strength before smothering some areas. I'll shoot for early to mid May, although I'll probably find a reason to put it off again.

Busy lawn day today. GM has been having some issues with surging, so I gave the carburetor some cleaner and cleaned out the bowl. Seemed to have done the trick, as the surging has subsided and its running really smooth.

Then I decided to plug a bunch of the dog pee spots ahead of really getting into the fall N blitz. Pulled and placed roughly 50 plugs after scraping the dead grass out. Gave the back a double mow. Plan is to drop a 50 lb bag of AMS over the entire 18k tonight, giving 0.58 lbs of N/k.


----------



## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks great…. Looks like lots of work !


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

did you use the dog pee soil plugs to fill in the plugged areas, or did you use sand/fresh dirt? I guess i'm just curious if the soil below the dead grass is saturated with somthing that will make it more difficult for grass to fill in.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

steffen707 said:


> did you use the dog pee soil plugs to fill in the plugged areas, or did you use sand/fresh dirt? I guess i'm just curious if the soil below the dead grass is saturated with somthing that will make it more difficult for grass to fill in.


I did just use the pee soil plugs to backfill. I hadn't really thought of it being an issue until you mentioned that. But I figure since they recommend hosing off the spots where your dog pees to prevent damage to the grass (essentially washing the offending agent into the soil), I figured anything "bad" from the dog urine would eventually leach through the soil.

Woke up this morning to a light frost on the collars in the yard. The final countdown to the end of the season is on!









Despite battling Covid and waking up with a 101 F fever, I had to suck it up and take advantage of what will be one of the last weekends in the yard. HOC steady at 0.75", planning to get another round of AMS down tomorrow along with T-Nex (last planned app). I had been trying to scale back on irrigation, but it has been so dry here in the last month (0.27" of rain in the last 30 days) so I pushed a few extra cycles and have seen some rust popping up in areas that really get limited sun at this time of year. So I'm going to add an app of azoxy tomorrow as well. Pics from after today's mow:


----------



## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

Feel better and I hope you have a speedy recovery.


----------



## rhart (May 7, 2020)

That color is incredible! Hope you get to feeling better.


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

imagine the color you'ld have in that lawn if you didn't have COVID.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Cold snap coming in for the next few nights (lows forecasted below 30). Blew the sprinklers out yesterday. It's supposed to get back up to the mid 70s by next weekend and no rain in the forecast. If I feel super motivated I may turn the irrigation back on, but I'll probably just see how it fares. Blowing it out is easy, just time consuming. You can tell by the drone shot just how dry its been in the area. Stretching to probably 5 days between mows now, although I could probably push it to a week if I really wanted/needed to.


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Lawn looks sweet in that drone shot. Do any of your neighbors have an irrigation system?


----------



## gatorguy146 (5 mo ago)

Hoping this means you are feeling better, my friend. Beautiful property, I am very jealous


----------



## steffen707 (Apr 9, 2021)

jskierko said:


> View attachment 1921


That's such a great drone shot.  Nice neighborhood, pretty trees. I love the fall.

Other than you rule a love lawn care, what do you suspect is the reason your lawn looks so much greener at this time of the year than your neighbors? Did they blow their sprinklers out weeks ago? All the applications you do throughout the year? Cultivar?

Obviously this question is impossible to answer correctly as there are tons of contributing factors, just curious.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

Today marks the official end of the season for me. Winterizer app went down today. Had an open bag of urea (43 lbs), so decided to dump it all, enough to give 1.1 lbs N/k. Totals for the year: N= 5.0 lbs, P= 1.0 lb, K= 1.0 lb. Below lists my application cost for the year, which is up slightly from last year. This was expected as I had more high input areas after finalizing the monostand. I fully expect these prices to go up for next year, as I depleted supply of a lot of items and I'm sure product prices have gone up.









A few pics from the week of Thanksgiving (very small pile of snow hanging around from the 2.5" snowfall on 11/12 between the raised garden bed and playset- that area gets 0 sun this time of year):


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

I’m not sure what is more impressive, your commitment to work in the yard while sick, or these unreal drone shots. Hope you’re feeling better!


----------

