# BUTTER 2021



## Butter

Happy New Year! 
New year, new lawn journal, same old lawn.
I had a good lawn year in 2020 and spring can't get here soon enough for me. I'm not really a big fan of winter. However winter just started. 6-8" of snow today to start the new year.


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## Ware

Butter said:


> Happy New Year!


Happy New Year! Excited to follow your progress - you always have a great lawn! :thumbsup:


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## Butter

@Ware Thanks for your kind words and thanks for TLF!


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## Butter

The snow from New Year's Day has mostly melted. We had some rain mid week that helped melt it. I'm sure the neighbors had a good laugh today watching me move the pile of remaining snow from the turf to the driveway.

I also repaired teen driver damage along the street by heaving the turf with a pitch fork. This is oddly satisfying to me (not constantly fixing damage but the heaving with the pitch fork is kinda fun). Also blew rock chips, gravel and salt back into the street.


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## Butter

After a mild January winter has arrived. We are expecting a long stretch of very cold weather. Spring seems so far away.


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## Green

The Japanese Maple looks good. I see the buds starting. Same deal here with the weather, except more snow.


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## Butter




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## Butter

Saturday's low was negative zero which is kinda funny but this mornings low is no joke!


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## Wiley

That's cold!! Traditionally when does your season ramp-up so you can lay down those laser straight stripes?


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## Butter

@Wiley I still have a ways to go. It can very a lot from year to year. I usually mow a couple times toward the end of March, mostly for me rather than the lawn. First stripes not till the first couple weeks of April. I'm envious of your mild winters.
Also had a few inches of snow to go with the record low temps. It's supposed to be in the 40's by the weekend and into the 50's next week.


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## Jfarm_13

How about that weather yesterday. Sure gave me the itch to get started. 92 degree difference from one week prior.


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## Butter

@Jfarm_13 Amazing weather the last couple days and it looks to be at least normal for the near future. As bad as the last few weeks were I would be happy with winter always being just a few weeks in February. Heck even all of February would be fine with me. Yesterday I blew rocks, sand and salt back into the street. Also fluffed up some areas matted down by vehicle and foot traffic. I am ready to get going!


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## Butter

Today I dormant seeded the area of my front yard that I dug up last fall for some sewer repair. Lots of extra seed and a heavy layer of peat moss.


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## Butter

The weather the last few weeks has been amazing! High temps in the 60's and 70's. One day last week hit 80. I haven't had a chance get in my first mow even though it is actually growing. This weekend it rained 2.5-3" since Friday morning. I'll try to mow this week or by the weekend for sure.

I have the slightest bit of germination in the area I dormant seeded.


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## ksturfguy

It's almost go time!


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## Butter

First day of spring! First mow! I'd like to say I planned it that way but it just happened. 
Spring escalated quickly. I went from wanting to mow to remove the dead top to it actually growing, I need to mow. HOC 3" and I probably mowed off 1.5-2" in places. Every spring I'm so excited to mow but then always a little disappointed with the results. Things will change a lot in the next 10 days. Overall it looks pretty good coming out of winter. I have some winter damage but I think it will fill in for the most part. I expect to have a successful lawn year. I also applied some Andersons Humic DG today. The dormant seeded area is germinating more everyday.


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## Butter

Second mow first stripes! It's growing like crazy and I broke the 1/3 rule. I've changed the angle of the stripes from what I've done the last several years so I'm searching for the right spot to take pics. The dormant seed is filling in nicely.

I had a flat tire on the beast. The good thing about having old junky equipment is I have spare parts.


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## Butter

Work is crazy, family life is busy and I'm trying to build a storage/garden shed. Hasn't left a lot of time for the lawn. I'm barely getting it mowed once a week. Just the third mow of the season and I'm already at my max HOC. I still haven't mowed the backyard.
What I thought was winter damage from foot traffic I now believe is dead Poa trivialis that I treated last fall. So I owe my mail carrier an apology, sorry Ruth.
I'm not entirely sold on the new stripe angle but I've decided to stick with it at least until I mow the complementary stripes. Also I'm starting to think I'm getting too old to mow the single/doubles or maybe I'm just out of shape coming out of winter.


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## KansasJayhawk

I like those double singles. And the seeding seems to have gone well.

It looks like another great start to the year for you Butter.


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## Butter

Thanks @KansasJayhawk 
The dormant seeding really could not have gone any better. The only problem is mowing around it messes up my stripes.
I mowed this morning. Today was one of those extra photosynthesis days!


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## Butter

I mowed the complementary set of stripes today. Thursday is my favorite day of the week to mow.


I love the look of my Japanese Maple as it leafs out.


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## Vtx531

Nice - hoping to get my "tall" mowed lawn looking as good as yours this year. We have a Japanese maple at the side of our house and I really like it. Tall and skinny one though. I guess they come in different forms or maybe we just trim them differently?


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## Butter

@Vtx531 Thanks. Your lawn always looks nice as well. Us "tall" lawn guys gotta stick together. There are different forms of Japanese Maple. Mine is a weeping, lace leaf variety called Tamukeyama.


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## Chris LI

Wow! Looking great, Butter! I really have missed a bit. The mini reno is catching up, the Beast had a minor setback and was quickly back in top form, and I'm loving the stripes! Happy Spring!


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## Butter

@Chris LI Thanks!
I have also been having problems with the drive system on the Beast for awhile now. It basically wasn't self propelled and I'm getting too old for that especially mowing double/single stripes. I replaced some parts from a donor mower and put a new belt on. I'm ready to go again. I also expect my quality of cut to improve as the struggling drive was robbing blade speed. I'll have to wait to find out.
This morning it snowed!


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## Butter

The picture above was 6:30am. 
The picture below was 5:30pm.

We are supposed to have a hard freeze tonight. I covered my Japanese Maple.


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## Butter

Between weather and work and life I haven't really been able to keep up with spring this year.
Today I had a good day in the lawn. I mowed for the first time in nine days. It was pretty shaggy so I double cut. The double/single squares don't really seem to pop like the double/single diamonds that I've done in the past but the turf is strong and thick and healthy.


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## Butter

I mowed today.


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## Butter

Despite feeling kinda cruddy from my 2nd shot I managed to get a few things accomplished in the yard today.
I plugged about 15 plugs of TTTF from the backyard to bare spots in the front. I know that TTTF doesn't spread like KBG but I've had good luck filling in spots this way.

I also cleaned up the edges of the front landscape a bit.
Fertilized the dormant seed with starter fertilizer.
Fertilized the front with Carbon X. .7lbsN/K. This is the first fert for the season.
The Maples are dropping samaras like crazy.
This is probably the 3rd year in a row with very heavy seeds. I'm kinda amazed that the entire planet is not covered with Silver Maples!


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## Butter

The best way to end the weekend is a mow followed by a beer! I'm trying to work though some quality of cut issues with the ol Snapper so I dropped the front a notch.


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## Butter

I mowed this evening. We haven't had any measurable rain for awhile. Things are getting dry. There is a chance for some storms tonight and tomorrow. The grass is starting to get stemmy and hard to cut. Also my old Snapper seems to be struggling more and more this spring.


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## ksturfguy

Looks good. Maybe time to upgrade to a commercial walk behind mower lol.


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## Budstl

Fantastic @Butter. I agree with @ksturfguy. I love my 36" ferris. Stripes amazingly.


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## Butter

Thanks.@ksturfguy and @Budstl 
Maybe it is time to upgrade. I got a very used 30" Exmark for the backyard. It just seems like a lot for the front. I like 21" in the front and I love my old Snapper but it's just struggling. The biggest issue is torn blades. The day after I mow it looks like I mowed with a old piece of rebar even with a sharp blade. I suppose it has a lot to do with blade speed. Thoughts?
We had some storms last night and 1" of rain.
It's amazing how the lawn responds to thunder storms and rain almost instantly.


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## Vtx531

I think the torn blades issue is just the time of year. Seedhead stalks and the grass seems to really toughen up right now. Got my 21" at 3300rpm and freshly sharpened blade- still does it. No problem until about a week or two ago. But I have a lot of rye grass in my lawn. Is this a new issue for you?


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## Chris LI

Since you mentioned that it has been very dry, maybe that is the cause of the torn blades. What do you think?


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## Butter

@Chris LI @Vtx531 I totally agree. It is the time of year. Every year I cry about it and every year I try to blame it on something. Equipment, frequency of cut, height of cut, the 1/3 rule, moisture, the weather, my lawn is too thick, etc. You are correct, it really does come down to this time of year. The turf grass is getting stemmy and hardening off and trying to seed in preparation for summer. I do think that thicker well maintained turf suffers from this more or is at least more noticeable. Anyway, next year when I'm whining about torn, white tips please remind me that its just the time of year.
How do you measure the RPM of your mower? Is that the engine RPM or the blade?


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## Vtx531

Agree on the thicker turf being more noticeable. Thinking about raising up my hoc so I am looking for a way to "fix" this as well but probably not possible. Are you still at 3"?

Rpm of the motor and blade should be the same for a 21" with the blade fixed on the motor crankshaft. I use a little hour meter that wraps around the spark plug wire and it has an rpm feature on it. Not permanently attached, just use it to check and adjust rpm.


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## Butter

@Vtx531 I'm currently mowing at 3 1/4". If you find a fix or something that helps, even a little bit, please share.


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## Chris LI

This situation really got me thinking about using foliar applications of fertilizer to increase the turfgrass plant's ability to repair mowing injury. I could not exactly find an industry or university article that covers this subject. However, my gut tells me it is out there. If you keep the plant healthy with enough fertilizer without causing flush growth, it should help it repair the grass blade tip more quickly (and presumably suffer a little less damage when mowed).

That being said, I found something in the ballpark that may be worth considering. I was a granular only guy for many years and started incorporating foliar sprays the last few years into my program, and believe they have been helpful. Please check out this link. Also, I screenshot the relevant portion which kind of supports my line of thinking. Now, I just need to find a relevant study to that might support my assertion.
https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/article/gci1112-foliar-fertilizers-benefits/


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## Butter

@Chris LI Very interesting. Too bad my spray game is weak. I tend to be heavy handed. How have you used both granular and spray in your program?

In other news. I went onto the roof tonight to clean the Silver Maple helicopters out of the gutters. I should have did this before it rained over the weekend. I made a huge mess. 
Anyway, while I was on the roof I took some pics.


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## Chris LI

Yes, mostly granular with some sprays. Time is limited, so sprays are few and far between (granular is much faster for me to apply), but worth it. I started pump spraying a couple of years ago with melting urea 46-0-0 and last year with Simple Lawn Solutions 15-0-15 and 0-0-25, and also Growth Products 0-0-25. I also sprayed NeXT Products Compaction Cure. Previously, I hose-end sprayed various organics during the heat of the summer and FeATURE.


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## Vtx531

I went back to your 2020 journal and it was like a carbon copy of my issues so far this year!

My pattern:
1. Comes out of dormancy, looks great for a couple weeks
2. Starts to get offcolor in May and brown/white tips for a month or two so I try to raise up the cut to fix this
3. Then we go into the summer heat and drought where it further suffers for another couple months. Then I'm left with taller but less dense grass not looking good.
4. I cut it down lower to try to get it looking better which doesn't really help.
5. I try to raise the hoc back up to undo the damage from mowing it shorter in hot weather. The weather cools down and we get some consistent rain, lawn finally looks good from Sep to the end of the year.


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## Butter

Tonight I mowed. Raised the HOC back up to 3.5". I've really struggled this spring to get on a regular twice a week mowing schedule. The temps have been cooler than normal all week.


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## Butter

RAIN!
1" Friday 
2.5" Saturday 
1.5" Sunday 
The next week plus looks like more of the same.


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## Butter

Despite good chances of rain yesterday and today the rain hasn't amounted to much since Sunday. Things really need to dry out but I was able to mow tonight. It was very tall. The 1/3 rule was more than violated. The fescue is stemmy and stalky and seeding.

After weeks of mowing through my dormant seed today I actually cut a little bit off. 
Seeded February 26.


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## Chris LI

Color looks great!

I went back through your journal looking to see what fertilizer you applied so far, and saw the CX. In the process, I realized that I didn't fully answer your question relating to incorporating foliar fertilizer sprays into my program. I left out the granular info. In the spring, I usually put corn gluten down in the front (and sometimes backyard) and I usually put some Bioplex 5-3-1 down front and back. I will sometimes put a summer app of the 5-3-1 down. Around Labor Day another shot of the 5-3-1, and it's urea for the fall N blitz after that. 5-3-1 usually goes down at .5 lbs N. So far, I only put .21 lbs N of AS. 
Sorry for the omission.


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## Butter

@Chris LI Thanks. I am not always happy with the color. It seems to have so much to do do with lighting and sun angle. 
Thanks for the info on your granular program. 
How much N do you try to apply for the year?
I'll soon be out of CX and will be looking for something new. I think I will try to find something simple that is available local.
It has pretty much rained, at least some, for an entire week straight. I got another 1" today. Over 6" in a week and more on the way. I really need some sun!


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## Chris LI

I try for 4-5 lbs of N per year, with 1/3 in in the spring and 2/3 in the fall. However, with using corn gluten as an organic PreM, it pushes me 6+ lbs. N, due to the recommended rate (20 lbs/1000 at 9% =1.8 lbs N. This year, I missed the PreM window and was going to use Prodiamine, anyway. I think I will use it as my summer app, since I only have one 40 lb bag anyway. I'm going a little lower on N this year, but don't have an exact number.

FYI-check out Yard Mastery for a replacement for CX. They don't have an exact replacement, but they partnered with Andersons for a product called Soil Mastery 5-0-0, which has biochar, humic acid and some urea coated with humic acid to act as a slow release urea. It seems to be a product that was created to fill the gap CE left. It looks like they created somewhat of a blend between CX and Soil X. I'm thinking about it for the biochar, but I'm already using N-Ext products for that. I would have been interested in trying CX this year from hearing all the good results on TLF, and the good results I had from Stress X last year. I might try YM's similar version from Sunniland, Stress Blend 7-0-20. It has a little bit of biosolids in it and I am still trying to bring my K up. They also have another one you might be interested in, Double Dark 16-0-0 with iron, mircos, 25% slow release and a little bit of biosolids. Some are on sale, now. Allyn Hane is filling niches in the lawn community with these products, especially for granular guys like you.


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## Butter

@Chris LI Thanks. I've been right at or just above 5lbs N the last few years.

So it pretty much rains every day. Not always a lot, 1/8" 1/4" 1/2", but rain every day and very little sun. I've stopped counting.
I rarely post about my backyard but yesterday I mowed. It needed mowed 10 days ago when the rain started. The water sits back there so I was sloshing around mowing tall grass in the rain with my new backyard mower, The Dirty 30.

Today I mowed the front and applied fungicide.
If it ever stops raining the fungus is gonna explode.


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## Vtx531

Nice mower there


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## Butter

@Vtx531 Thanks. It's a monster. Kinda quirky and not very user friendly. After several cuts I'm getting used to it. It will cover some ground and cuts pretty nice.


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## Butter

We're expecting storms and rain tonight and tomorrow. So I mowed. It's been hot and humid. I'm seeing some fungus. Cooler weather is on the other side of the storms.


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## gravely G20 pro

Really like your Stipe pattern very nice. What hoc?


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## Butter

@gravely G20 pro Thanks! HOC is 3.75". Thats about all I can get out of my junkie old Snapper.


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## Butter

It's been cool and dry the last few days. Still not much sun. For the health of my turf and for myself I could really use some sun. Today I mowed.


My favorite spot in the world!


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## Butter

I am so glad May is over. I had over 9" of rain and only 2 sunny days for the month. My turf looks bad from too much water and lack of sun. Lots of dead stems throughout the yard. I don't know that it is fungus but it has an overall unhealthy look. Also I'm still not getting a good clean cut. Lots of white tips. I tried a different, new blade last mow. I sharpened it with a file just enough to get the paint off. I'll try to get it sharper before the next mow. All these things, among others, have turned my lawn season into a disappointment so far. Sometimes I wonder why I even put myself through all this. 
Anyway, June is starting off dryer and sunnier. Yesterday I applied Carbon X at .5lbs N/K and Essentials+ at 4oz/K.


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## gravely G20 pro

Even though your disappointed I think your yard looks nice


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## ksturfguy

Looks great to me


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## Butter

@gravely G20 pro 
@ksturfguy 
Thanks. It does look better today with some sun.
It wouldn't be a normal lawn year without me flipping out and over reacting at least a few times.


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## ksturfguy

@Butter haha late July is usually when I'm at that point. Then August I start dreaming up renovation ideas and boom I'm back.


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## Butter

I mowed tonight. Photo is at dusk from the bed of my pickup.


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## gravely G20 pro

Looking good


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## Butter

@gravely G20 pro Thanks.
I mowed last night. The temperature is starting to heat up. After a month of rain it kinda has that feeling like it might not rain again for awhile.


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## Wiley

@Butter looking great as always! The seeded patch has filled in nicely.


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## Butter

@Wiley Thanks! The seeded patch is some of the nicest grass in the yard. Not to bad for my first dormant seed. I think I got lucky. Hopefully I can keep it alive through summer.
The weather has turned hot, humid and dry.
Tuesday I applied Acelyprn 0-0-7 at 4lbs/k for grubs. I was thinking I might be late and maybe I am but it is the same date I applied it last year.
I turned on the irrigation system for the first time.
No major problems. I need to raise and straighten some heads but that will have to wait for now. Watered Wednesday morning. .5-.75"
I am resisting the urge to mow with it being so hot. 
Lastly my neighbor, Ed, passed away this week at 81 years old. He was an ornery old fart but was always a good neighbor and friend. I will miss him.
He always told me he seeded Dandelions in my yard and look what popped up this week!


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## Butter

Yesterday afternoon we had some thunderstorms in the area. I got 3/4" of rain. 
Cooled things down but not for long. 
Today I mowed.


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## SEKBrian

Is that a home made striper or was that built for that lawn mower?


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## Butter

@SEKBrian Yes the striper is homemade. I made it for the mower. It is rough, in both design and fabrication, but it is very effective.


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## Butter

I applied a second round of fungicide tonight.
I'm a few days late but that's how things worked out.
It is hot and steamy!


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## ksturfguy

Monday can't get here fast enough


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## Butter

I hope everyone had a good Father's Day! 
As expected it was HOT this week!
Yesterday I bought a new mower. 
Toro Super Recycler with a Honda engine.
I've never owned a new mower before so it's kind of a big deal for me.
Today I mowed. New Father's Day tradition: the family watches me mow. 
I gotta say this mower is awesome. I'm really gonna like it.
Storms rolled in this afternoon with some much needed rain and cooler temps.


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## Chris LI

Congratulations on the new mower! The lawn looks great after the maiden voyage! Happy Father's Day!

I think the SRs go to 4.25" HOC, correct? It will be interesting how the lawn handles the heat/drought at a higher HOC?


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## JerseyGreens

Alright so I have to ask - do you use a lazer for getting such straight stripes? What's the secret!?


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## Butter

@Chris LI Thanks and Happy Fathers Day to you!
The SR does mow 4.25". This first mow was at 3.75" That is 1/2" taller than the highest setting on my Snapper. Taller HOC was one of the main reasons I wanted to try something new. I still love the old Snapper but the BEAST's future is uncertain with limited storage space.

@JerseyGreens I use a string line for the first mow of each set of stripes. After that first mow I'm all set. My family, friends and neighbors all laugh but I struggle to mow a straight line without it. Lazers would be cool though!


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## SEKBrian

I always thought it was cool you used that old snapper. I use an old John Deere 14sb thats a year older than I am. Starts on the first pull and has a screw on oil. Something about old engines firing up and still putting in work is just cool to me. Butttt I'm also a sucker for all black haha. My Dad has had and SR for 12 years. He loves it and I'm sure you will too.


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## Butter

@SEKBrian Shucks man, you're making me feel bad about replacing the old Snapper. You're right, there is something cool and charming about old equipment and I'm proud of what I've done with my old junk but there's also something to be said for new. It was time for me to try something new. It helped that I sold a couple junky old mopeds and the cash was burning a hole in my pocket!
I would also like to point out that all the credit for above stripes belong to the Snapper and my home made roller. We will see what the Toro SR and big league roller can do.


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## JDgreen18

Man those stripes are kickin....looks awesome


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## Butter

@JDgreen18 Thanks!


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## M32075

Get a coat of wax on the new black beauty. All kidding aside lawn looks fantastic and enjoy the new ride. Don't forget to do your first oil change soon it's usually after a few cuts to flush out any metal shavings or grit. Check your manual it's usually after 5 hours of use.


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## MNLawnGuy1980

Congrats on the new mower @Butter, I got a kick out of the new family tradition of the family coming out to watch you mow for Fathers Day, love that!

Yard looks great btw!


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## Butter

@M32075 @MNLawnGuy1980 Thanks! I really can't wait to mow again!


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## Butter

Thursday is my favorite day to mow. Second mow with the Toro Super Recycler today. The first mow I bagged and it did awesome. Today I mulched and it did awesome. I'm really happy with El Toro after two mows.
I missed out on rain this morning but hopefully more is on the way.


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## Liquidstone

Grats on the mower. I've been eyeing one hard. Always dig your nice straight stripes!


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## ksturfguy

Looks like your new mower stripes just as good as your old one!


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## Butter

@Liquidstone Thanks!
@ksturfguy Thanks, so far its just following in the wheel tracks of the Snapper. I'll be adding a roller soon.


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## Wiley

@Butter congrats on the new mower! Hopefully it serves you as well as the Snapper did. I'll be interested to hear your review/experience with the big league lawn roller.


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## Butter

@Wiley I have a used big league roller that I picked up for el Toro. I just need to get some bolts to get it installed. I did buy a new big league roller for my backyard mower, The Dirty Thirty. It works really good.

Plenty of rain the last several days and really comfortable temps. I mowed last yesterday.

With the rain there's all kinds of mushrooms and crazy stuff appearing the lawn. I noticed this tonight. Good thing its in the back yard otherwise I might have to move! I have no idea what it is.


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## Butter

The above weird fungus looks like this, this morning. Does anybody know what this is?


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## Jfarm_13

Slime mold. No cause of concern. It will go away on its own


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## Butter

@Jfarm_13 You are correct. Slime mold and it did go away.

Yesterday I mowed. Still no roller on el Toro and I didn't mow in the old stripes. I mowed north and south. I really don't feel like myself not rolling stripes but it's time to give the grass a break and let these fade.
I also applied fungicide yesterday. Four days late and it shows. I have quite a bit of brown patch.



Happy 4th of July!


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## Vtx531

Still looks pretty good though! Happy 4th. What is the idea of those PVC pipe flag poles shaped like that?


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## Butter

@Vtx531 The pvc flagpole slides over rebar stuck in the ground. I guess the idea is that it can spin around. My neighbor made it for me last year. He recently passed away so I fly it for him and Mrs. Butter likes it. 
In all honesty I'd rather have a flagpole on the house.


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## Butter

My turf has some brown patch and a general crappy summer look. In an attempt to make the lawn and myself feel better I applied some micronutrients and biostimulants. I want to believe in these kind of products but I've really never seen much of a response in my lawn. Anyway it couldn't hurt right?
I was weeding landscape beds in the back and pulled a few clumps of fescue. I don't know if these are rhizomes or just side shoots but it's kind of interesting.


Last but not least, the security staff.


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## Butter

I mowed tonight. East/west. It's looking rough.


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## Butter

Storms rolled through early this morning with a bunch of rain, cooler temps and less humidity.


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## M32075

That's some serious rain we probably had the same amount. Plenty of friends and neighbors took some water in there basement's I lucked out just a overflowing pool. I will say your lawn looks fantastic even with the dog days of summer upon us


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## ksturfguy

Damn you got a lot of rain. We got 0.65" but I'll take it. We have missed a lot of the heavy rains


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## Butter

The only crabgrass I have is in the area that I dormant seeded. I sprayed it once but didn't get it all. Yesterday I spent some time pulling it.

The weather has been good for mid July. Plenty of rain, below average temps and lower humidity. Brown patch areas seem to be recovering nicely. Tonight I mowed, north/south. Still no roller. The old stripes are slowly fading.


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## Butter

We got 2" of rain Thursday. Saturday I mowed. I really enjoy mowing with the Toro.
I applied Headway G fungicide and soybean meal. The SBM may have been a mistake with conditions ideal for fungus. I am often my own enemy. The turf is looking strong for this time of year. Most of the areas with brown patch have recovered well. 

I noticed some spots near the street that I thought might be from dog pee but this morning I noticed mycelium. Is this dollar spot?

There is some weird stuff that pops up this time of year. I assume this one is called dog pecker mushroom?


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## Green

Butter said:


> My turf has some brown patch and a general crappy summer look. In an attempt to make the lawn and myself feel better I applied some micronutrients and biostimulants. I want to believe in these kind of products but I've really never seen much of a response in my lawn. Anyway it couldn't hurt right?
> I was weeding landscape beds in the back and pulled a few clumps of fescue. I don't know if these are rhizomes or just side shoots but it's kind of interesting.
> 
> 
> Last but not least, the security staff.


Hard to tell. With Fescue, the line is often blurry between tillers and rhizomes. If they're a few cm away and have their own roots, you could probably call them rhizomes.


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## g-man

Yes to the mushroom. And that's a fungus, but I dont think it is DS. It can be BP or PB. Most likely BP.


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## Butter

@Green I kinda figured tillers.
I found a rhizome in my front yard a couple years ago. Like you said further from the mother plant with its own roots.

@g-man That's funny. I was kinda being a smarta$$ about the mushroom. I had no idea that's really what it's called. What else could they name it? Right.
Hopefully the Headway stops or slows the BP.


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## Vtx531

Glad to see you are enjoying the Toro. I recently starting side discharging with the optional bagging blade and it is working really well. I would recommend trying that out - I think you would like it!


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## Butter

As a general rule I don't usually like leaving Kansas but the family talked me into going to Colorado to the mountains for a few days. It was nice. Busy at work so I could be gone and being gone resulted in me not mowing for ten days.
When I got back yesterday the lawn was very tall and shaggy. I installed my used big league lawn roller with hardware that big league sent me, thanks Pedro. I raised el Toro to the highest setting, 4.25", and mowed.

It is hot, humid and dry! I have some fungus and some drought stress but overall not bad for this time of year. The turf has really really responded to the soybean meal application. My turf loves SBM! I have never had a better response from any single product than I get from SBM. Next year I would like to base my fert program around SBM.
The real star this time of year is the Hydrangea paniculata. If you're a plant nerd you need at least one of these!


----------



## Chris LI

Looking great for the Dog days of Summer! :thumbup: How is the color vs. growth with the SBM? I liked a product with it (POP Lawn Food 10-0-2) when I tried it a couple of years ago. However, I'm looking to try to reduce vertical growth, but improve color, and improve lateral growth. How has it performed in those areas?

Your Hydrangea really pops, to set the lawn off nicely. I have one in partial bloom and am waiting for the other two to bloom.


----------



## Butter

@Chris LI Thanks. It seems like the SBM mostly gives a color response. A really good color response. There is some top growth but seems less than when I've used synthetic fertilizer in the summer. The only downfall I see is increased fungus but I think that would happen with any fert. this time of year. The fungus pressure has been very high for me the last three years.


----------



## Chris LI

Thanks! I might try Purely Organic Lawn Food 10-0-2, again next year in light doses. I can't get straight SBM, but it's a major component of the 10-0-2. I only have time to mow 1x per week, in the summer, so I'm trying to get my color junkie fix without pushing too much topgrowth (no PGR for me, yet).


----------



## Butter

This week was absolutely brutal! Three days at 99 degrees, one day at 101 or 102, the rest in the 90's and oppressive humidity to go with the temps. Then about 7 pm tonight the temperature dropped 10+ degrees and the humidity just went away. Of course I mowed this afternoon when it was still hot.
This is my second mow at 4.25". I'm not sure I like this height but it's been good for the hot weather. Also the second mow with the big league roller. I don't think that the stripes are as sharp as with my homemade roller. I think I need to do a little tweaking or a modification.
I have some fairly serious fungus damage even though I have stuck to my fungicide plan pretty good. Also have some drought and heat stress even though I've been watering aggressively.
Anyway here it is. Not the worst it's looked this time of year.


----------



## Butter

Tonight I sprayed Main Event Iron at 2oz/k. My spray game is weak at best. I lack confidence in my equipment and my skill. So I split the rate and sprayed two directions. I expect life changing results.

I'm starting to think that conventional synthetic fungicides are not the way to go for me. I've stuck to my plan but still have damage. Percentage wise the damage is small but it's highly visible. Thoughts?


----------



## ksturfguy

That is crazy how well defined it is. I guess it helps when you keep your lawn so dark green. I got fungus just my lawn isn't as dark as yours right now so not as visible lol


----------



## uts

Most of the damage is closer to the sides, could it just be stress from the heat of the concrete/road? Or some stones from construction in that area?

Actually went through last years journal and the damage seems more or less identical.

This is from a similar time last year..


----------



## g-man

Is there a pipe underneath that area?


----------



## Chris LI

This gets me thinking of three possibilities:

1. Screwdriver test to check for obstacles (debris, pipe as mentioned) 
2. Heat related stress weakens turf - susceptible to fungus
3. #1 and #2

I remembered you seeding damage ~ 12" from the road edge, last September. Even with you digging down and replacing road base/debris with new soil, maybe the heat from the road was still too much for the turf. However, the damage along the road is less this year, so it looks like it definitely helped.

Not to give you additional work, but there might be a work around. What if you took a 4'x8' sheet of R-10 foam insulation board (2" thick), cut it lengthwise into 6" strips (8 strips, 8' long), and trenched 2" wide along the road edge and slipped in as a border? You could get 64' linear feet out of one foam board. This might insulate the roots from the road a bit better, and reduce heat stress. My turf always has trouble with heat stress along the curb and sidewalk (hellstrip is called that for a reason). If you cap the board with a couple of inches of topsoil, the turf should cover it ok. It sounds a little crazy, but it might help.

Also, there is a slight depression a couple feet off the road edge (presumably for road drainage). Maybe this keeps the area moist, creating conditions promoting fungus. Maybe a "drill and fill" with sand along the bad spots can help. I tried a 3/4", 12"-13" long masonry bit and filled with dry masonry sand through Norway maple dense roots to help the turf roots spread. It was tedious, but I think it helped some. Using Rgs and Air-8 (Compaction Cure) helped even more. I presume it helped the roots to "dive deeper", as claimed by N-Ext Products.

Since you're sharpening your "Spray Game" skills with the Main Event, maybe you could try some Rgs and Air-8?


----------



## Butter

Thanks for the replies.
@ksturfguy Mine is never dark enough! Except that one time I turned it black!
@uts You are correct. Most of the damage is near the street and in the ditch. Some of it is defiantly heat stress from the street but some of it is from disease. Even the disease damage can probably be attributed to shallow roots in poor soil. Last summer I dug out a bunch of crap soil along the street and replaced it with good soil and reseeded. It was tough to go deep enough. I think it is better this year. Thanks for reminding me to look at past years journals. I don't refer to them nearly enough.
@g-man No pipe. The tubes end at each driveway.
@Chris LI I do need to poke around with a screwdriver some more. I think you are right the street is just too hot. Undoubtedly I wasn't able to replace the soil deep enough. 
I had a similar thought as you have with the insulation. I thought I could create a heat sink by making a trench, fulling it with peat moss and compacting. Either way seems like a lot of work for a snow plow to destroy the first snow.
I have some Air-8 and a product very similar to RGS. What rates and frequency would you recommend? Should get started now or wait until I reseed in September?


----------



## Chris LI

I go with the max rates:
Rgs 6 oz/gallon/M
Air-8 9 oz/gallon/M

Rgs label states don't exceed 3 oz over at temps over 85*. I didn't see anything about temp warnings for Air-8, but I treat it the same way and wait until it's below 85*, so I can use the max rates. I try to wait until it's 80* or below, if I can. I would try to get some down now, if temps allow. If not, wait until they are favorable. I usually spray it in the evening and let it set a few hours and then water it in. Part of this is because I usually tank mix a foliar app of fertilizer. I did apply just the two as it started to rain one time, which I believe was good timing.

Your TTTF looks great, but it also came to mind about adding some kbg to your seed mix that _might_ survive the summer, for its spreading habit. Right next to the road is probably the worst spot to try it, but maybe a test plot in an inconspicuous area with an NTEP rated cultivar for your general region (if it exists), might be an interesting experiment. Since you mow high, it might actually survive. Sometimes, my kbg does better than my TTTF. Go figure.


----------



## Butter

@Chris LI Thanks.
It's supposed to be hot for the next couple weeks but I'll figure out a way to get an app in.
I have a few areas with some KBG that was in TTTF sod that I patched in. Some that gets mostly shade has spread very aggressively. 
Maybe someday I'll try a test plot.
I was kinda thinking of Buffalograss out by the street. That stuff will grow in any soil and loves the heat. 
Tonight I mowed. I always thought it might be cool to use two different width mowers to mow perpendicular stripes. This spring I got a 30" Exmark to mow my backyard. So tonight I mowed north/south with the 21" Toro and east/west with the 30" Exmark both with big league striper. It's not as dramatic as I would have liked but it's the first stripes with the Exmark and it was fun.


----------



## Butter

Warning: Mostly non lawn related post.
I spent the weekend in St. Louis for my son's bachelor party. So I was trying to keep up with six guys in their early 20's. I not only kept up sometimes I set the pace!
We went to the arch. They have a really big arch in St. Louis! Biggest one I've ever seen! I saw my neighbor there which was kinda funny.

We went to the Anheuser Busch brewery which was awesome! Despite the fact that I've done my part over the years to keep the lights on they didn't know me by name.

Went to Busch Stadium to watch the Cardinals defeat my beloved Royals. Busch Stadium is beautiful and such a different experience then the K in Kansas City. The turf looks amazing! I would love to see the fungicide program.

We drank a bunch of beer but the highlight was spending time with lil Butter and his friends. I feel fortunate that we have a relationship that he wanted me there.
In lawn news, I got an inch of much needed rain while I was away and the lawn looks good! I hope to mow tomorrow.


----------



## ksturfguy

Awesome trip!


----------



## Butter

There have been some area lawns devastated by armyworms in the last few days. Sure enough when I get home from work today I notice an area in the backyard suffering. Armyworms!


Luckily this is the backyard. I treated the front with Acelypren in June and don't see any activity up there. I might have to take the next few days off work to monitor the situation. Where do these little ba$tards come from?


----------



## ksturfguy

@Butter I saw Premiere Farm and Home male a Facebook post about them tonight. I better keep a close eye on my lawn.


----------



## Chris LI

Ouch! Go get those buggers! Nice photos from your trip. Did the Main Event help with color?


----------



## Butter

@Chris LI The Main Event darkened my turf up very nice. It's not only darker but seems healthier. I suppose the micro nutrients helped. Now I just need to experiment with rates and frequency.


----------



## Butter

It's been hot this week. Upper 90's. Maybe 100 today. Too hot to mow. So I mowed. It had been eight days. Thursday is my favorite day to mow.
With the exception of a few spots, my lawn looks the best it's ever looked this time of year. The color is outstanding in big part to Main Event Iron. I am a big fan.


Armyworms have destroyed area lawns this week including my backyard. Thanks to the Acelepryn that I applied in June I'm good in the front yard. So far.


----------



## ksturfguy

I'm jealous. Looks amazing for this time of year.


----------



## Lust4Lawn

Looks thick! What is your current HOC?


----------



## Butter

@ksturfguy Thanks!
@Lust4Lawn Thanks!
HOC is 4.25". Probably not my ideal height but it's where I'm at right now and it's been hot so I'm not lowering it.
Some storms rolled through early this morning.
3.5" of rain and cooler temps.


----------



## ksturfguy

Damn you guys got a lot. We got 0.4". I think we up to maybe 1.5" or so since Sat night. Just enough to keep the lawn looking decent besides the large area the armyworms destroyed.


----------



## Butter

I wasn't going to mow today but I'm trying to establish the east/west 30" stripes and they were fading. I have other stuff to do but 
Mrs. Butter was not home to keep me focused. So I mowed and drank beer.
Applied my last(hopefully)fungicide app today.
I took a bunch of pictures. None of them really capture the true color. I am rarely happy with the color but I am right now. It's nice! Especially for mid August.


----------



## Butter

I mowed tonight. I mow up through the ditch into the street and almost got hit by a couple kids in a pickup truck. I'm glad they were watching me because I was lining up the next stripe. I looked up and they were stopped in the the street and laughing.


----------



## Butter

Storms rolled through overnight Friday. We got 1" of rain. Saturday was really nice. Lower temp and lower humidity. I pulled the BEAST out of retirement to clean up armyworm damage in the backyard. I had the backyard looking pretty good. Dang armyworms!

Today the high temps are back and so is the humidity. I mowed. Lowered el Toro one notch and bagged the clippings. Maybe a mistake cutting shorter we'll see. It is really holding up very well for August. This week the temps are gonna be high.


----------



## Chris LI

Yes!!! You broke out the Thatcherizer!!! Nice!!! I've always wanted to see one in action. How does it hook into your mower? I'm curious as to whether it will fit newer models. I've thought about picking up from eBay, but shied away because I wasn't sure about compatibility.

You're lawn pulled through the Summer well. I think you're right on schedule for some dethatching. I started hand raking out the thatch and dead stuff today, after work.


----------



## Butter

@Chris LI The thatcherizer has some brackets that clamp onto the front axle. Like many things Snapper it's simple and complicated at the same time. I think it should fit all years of hivac. I'll send you a picture. It works pretty good but it's a lot of work. I'm not sure I've ever had it adjusted properly.

It's been very hot all week. Upper 90's with plenty of humidity. I've been watering a lot. The turf is still holding up well. It's showing some summer look but not bad. It's supposed to be cooler starting tomorrow with a chance of rain Sunday.
Tonight I mowed.

The neighbors Bermuda is creeping in on the west property line. That first stripe is actually on the neighbors. It's kinda like a buffer zone.


----------



## ksturfguy

Oh God sell your house lol in all seriousness we looked at a house this Spring and I noticed the neighbors had a patch of Bermuda in their lawn. So I ran ran other direction. In the end it wasn't a big factor in why we didn't make an offer on the house but it did make me think about it for awhile lol


----------



## Butter

@ksturfguy lol Bermuda is something I've always just had to deal with. I usually let it go for a couple years and deal with it when it really pisses me off.


----------



## Chris LI

Got it! Thanks for the explanation and photos.


----------



## Robs92k

Screw army worms…not enough to take that down…looks awesome considering temps. Wow.


----------



## Butter

@Robs92k Thanks! So far still no armyworms in the front yard. I did see a few suspicious moths tonight.

August is over. It was a brutal month. I had a few nice rains early in the month but other than that it was hot, humid and dry. Although I gave the lawn plenty of additional irrigation the turf has a tired look to it. I'm glad August is over. Bring on September!
Tonight I mowed. First north/south with the 21" Toro then east/west with the 30" Exmark. It's kind of a silly idea with the two different mowers and I'll probably abandon it soon. It's really a pain and doesn't look as cool as I thought it might.
I applied 1/2 a bag of soybean meal. .3-.4 lbs of N per K. Also applied Main Event Iron at 2oz/K.
Irrigation set to water everything in over night.


----------



## Butter

I hope everybody had a nice Labor Day weekend!
Thursday night/Friday morning we had some nice thunderstorms roll through that brought 3" of rain. Friday night/Saturday morning got another 1.5" of rain. I'm always amazed how the turf responds to rain so much better than irrigation water. Temps are much better, in the 80's with lower humidity. The lawn is in a very good place coming out of summer heading into fall.
Today I mowed. It was tall and shaggy.

I got on the roof to "clean the gutters". Poor mans drone shot. I want to offer to clean the neighbors gutters so I can take pictures from their roof but Mrs Butter doesn't think that's a good idea.


----------



## Chris LI

The outstretched arms will phone shadow is priceless. It makes the stripes appear enormous!


----------



## Butter

@Chris LI lol Reach for the stripes!


----------



## Butter

Today I mowed.


----------



## Robs92k

^+1 that looks really cool, great pic!


----------



## ksturfguy

Amazing like always Butter. Good work


----------



## Butter

@Robs92k and @ksturfguy Thanks!
Yesterday and today I spent some time getting my old truck running.


----------



## Wiley

@Butter beautiful lawn, beautiful truck!


----------



## Butter

@Wiley Thanks!

My neighbor mowed today.


----------



## ksturfguy

&#128562; awesome domination line


----------



## M32075

Butter said:


> @Robs92k and @ksturfguy Thanks!
> Yesterday and today I spent some time getting my old truck running.


How about a little history on that fine truck. Has to be a story behind it.


----------



## Chris LI

ksturfguy said:


> 😲 awesome domination line


It looks like your neighbor dominated himself with his HOC. ardon:

I'm jumping on the curiosity bandwagon of that nice old truck. If you ever help someone out with mowing their lawn, you just have to pull up to their house with that old reliable Snapper in the bed. :nod:


----------



## Butter

@ksturfguy @M32075 @Chris LI 
Mow REAL low, small town Kansas style!
My history with the truck is brief relative to its age. I bought it 20 years ago the old fashioned way, classified ad in the newspaper. I thought I could make it run, I couldn't. I put a different engine in it, fixed the brakes, rewired it. I don't drive it nearly enough. Its rough but I thinks its cool and people love the old beater.
Chris you may be on to something. Vintage Lawns by Butter!


----------



## M32075

I need a few more pictures of that vintage truck I don't see any in my neck of the woods.


----------



## Butter

@M32075 Here ya go.
1950 Ford F1. Flathead V8. 3 Speed column shift.
Ol Red.


----------



## Butter

I got some things done in the yard tonight. I'm tired of the north/south single stripes. They don't really pop in my lawn like I think they should. So I started a new mowing pattern. My favorite, go to pattern. Single/double diagonal. Northeast to southwest. As always it's gonna take some time for the old stripes to fade. 
I also applied 25 pounds of soybean meal.
There is something very satisfying about how the SBM spreads with my rotary spreader. It just kinda fogs out. Hard to explain but it's very cool.


----------



## Butter

I mowed today. Second mow for the diagonal single double.

From the right angle the north south single stripes compliment the single doubles really nice.


----------



## Chris LI

^+1
I really enjoyed my diagonal doubles with the striper attachment, along with singles north/south without the striper. I like them better than 90* diagonals.


----------



## Butter

Today I overseeded the backyard with a slice seeder. 15K x 2, 20" at a time. I'm kinda tired.
Also spot seeded in the front with seed I had been soaking in water since Thursday. I had sprayed a line a few weeks ago with glyphosate. I'm trying to establish a straight line at the street.


----------



## Butter

Happy Fall everybody! To celebrate the first day of fall I mowed.

Temperatures have been nice. Low in the mid 40's last night but we haven't had any rain for weeks.


----------



## M32075

I'm jealous of the price you pay for SBM it's just not fair. Living in the suburbs of NYC it's highway robbery if you can even find it.


----------



## Chris LI

M32075 said:


> I'm jealous of the price you pay for SBM it's just not fair. Living in the suburbs of NYC it's highway robbery if you can even find it.


^+1


----------



## Butter

@M32075 @Chris LI You two can fly to KC. I'll pick you up at the airport. We can hang out for awhile. You can rent a truck. We'll load it with soybean meal and you can drive back to NY. Anytime, just not this weekend. Little Butter is getting married!


----------



## Chris LI

Butter said:


> @M32075 @Chris LI You two can fly to KC. I'll pick you up at the airport. We can hang out for awhile. You can rent a truck. We'll load it with soybean meal and you can drive back to NY. Anytime, just not this weekend. Little Butter is getting married!


Sounds like a plan! Congratulations to Little Butter, you, and both families! :yahoo: :beer:


----------



## Butter

@Chris LI Thank you very much! It was the most amazing weekend of my life! The wedding was awesome and the reception was a great party. I cried, laughed, hugged, danced and drank my tail off. I'm so happy and proud of my son and his new wife!

When I got home early this evening I was pleasantly surprised to have some nice germination in the spots I seeded a week ago with last years seed that I pre germinated. I haven't really watered it like should have and have been gone since Thursday so I'm really pleased that it has come up.


----------



## Butter

I took today off work to recover from the weekend festivities. So I mowed the complementary set of stripes to complete the double/single diamonds. This is my favorite mowing pattern.
The weather continues to be hot and dry.


----------



## Butter

I got home from work today and dumped out all three drops of rain from my rain gauge!
Because it didn't rain I mowed.
I dropped el Toro one notch to 3.25". I haven't mowed that low for a long time. Because I was taking it down a bit I bagged and double cut.
It took longer than I expected so I had to skip the sides. We are supposed to get some rain over the next few days. We really need it.


----------



## Butter

I got a whopping 3/8" of rain yesterday. The first rain since September 4th.
Today I got in a quick mow.

I applied the first app of my version of the nitrogen blitz. .5 lbs. N/K.
Also sprayed Main Event Iron.


----------



## Robs92k

Man, I would be in heaven if my lawn looked like this at 3.25"…wow. I do love the vintage truck as well.

When do you get first frost in KS?


----------



## Butter

@Robs92k Thanks! First frost is fairly consistent around October 15 but it's usually very light and we have a lot of really nice grass growing weather after that. Usually well into November. However it is Kansas so we never really know.


----------



## ksturfguy

You see they talking mid 80s to low 90s again later in the week?


----------



## Butter

ksturfguy said:


> You see they talking mid 80s to low 90s again later in the week?


And still no rain!


----------



## ksturfguy

Butter said:


> ksturfguy said:
> 
> 
> 
> You see they talking mid 80s to low 90s again later in the week?
> 
> 
> 
> And still no rain!
Click to expand...

Nope we got .2" a couple days ago lol so we now sitting at .2" since Sept 4


----------



## Butter

Like ksturfguy said, pretty much no rain for over a month. I'm watering as I can. The turf is growing steady with the warm days and cool nights and just enough water.
Today I mowed.


----------



## Green

Do you typically have 70s as highs in October? We're usually in the 60s, but this has (thankfully) been a warm October...more an extension of September...with temps into the mid-70s in some cases. Both of us have a roughly October 15th first frost. I get the impression that you get some colder lows in Winter and higher highs in Summer than we do.


----------



## Butter

@Green Yes, high temps in the 70's is typical for this time of year in my area. Things have been fairly normal this year although it's supposed to be in the mid 80's today and mid 90's Saturday. Kansas weather is very volatile. February we had a low of -17 and then a couple days over 100 this summer. This is the second consecutive fall seeding season with no rain but 2019 was near record rainfall.
The forecast for the next couple weeks indicate that we my miss the October 15th first frost date.
I would agree that we are a little colder and a little hotter than where you are.


----------



## Green

@Butter, yeah...you are inland. We aren't too far from the water here, so it moderates the temps. It's rare that we would get to -15 or 100. It happens, but not often. The range of -5 to 95 is more typical. And even then, anything under ~ -2 or above 93 only happens a few times per year in general. I just looked and it says our records were something like -32F (1943 and 1961) and 106F (1916 and 1995) near me.

I'm enjoying the mid 70s today, trying to get the outdoor stuff taken care of.

You lawn looks great.


----------



## Butter

@Green Thanks!
Just for the record -17 was a 30 year low. We don't normally have lows like that.


----------



## Butter

I mowed today.
I've noticed that I mostly post pictures from only a few different spots. So to mix it up and to solidify my lawn craziness I took a picture from my neighbors roof. Mrs. Butter is currently not speaking to me!

My usual post mow pic.

Storms have rolled in and it's raining pretty hard as I type this. Exciting because we've had almost no rain since September 4th.


----------



## Chris LI

Butter said:


> I took a picture from my neighbors roof. Mrs. Butter is currently not speaking to me!


That's a cool photo! I think it was worth it, but don't tell her! She'll probably say that your demented lawn buddies are egging you on! :lol:

I would use it to your advantage, to leverage an Xmas present...a drone. That would be one way to keep you off the neighbor's roof. :nod:


----------



## ksturfguy

Haha awesome pic!. Are those lime green spots poa triv?


----------



## Robs92k

ksturfguy said:


> Haha awesome pic!. Are those lime green spots poa triv?


^I thought it was considered rude to point out someone else's triv? 😂

Barely notice it Butter. 😉


----------



## ksturfguy

Robs92k said:


> ksturfguy said:
> 
> 
> 
> Haha awesome pic!. Are those lime green spots poa triv?
> 
> 
> 
> ^I thought it was considered rude to point out someone else's triv? 😂
> 
> Barely notice it Butter. 😉
Click to expand...

Haha my bad. I've dealt with it the last few years so it sticks out to me. Like you said it's barely noticeable and small so easy to handle


----------



## Butter

@Chris LI A drone would be nice but I think Mrs. Butter is thinking more like sending me to live at a special farm somewhere. She is a very patient, supportive woman but I may have taken things too far.
@ksturfguy No problem. It is Poa triv. I'm not very good at dealing with it. 
@Robs92k Thanks.
Heavy rain all night and this morning. I'm looking forward to checking the rain gauge after work.


----------



## Butter




----------



## Butter

I got another inch of rain Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Today I mowed.
Thursday is my favorite day to mow.

I'd like to throw a big thank you out to October.
Every year you show up and make me forget about all the other months, especially August.
Thanks October!


----------



## M32075

Congrats on the wedding and the rain both blessings from heaven. Lawn looks fantastic


----------



## TulsaFan

Butter said:


> I got another inch of rain Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Today I mowed.
> Thursday is my favorite day to mow.
> 
> I'd like to throw a big thank you out to October.
> Every year you show up and make me forget about all the other months, especially August.
> Thanks October!


Looks amazing!!! I need neighbors like you. 👍


----------



## Butter

@M32075 Thanks!
@TulsaFan Thanks!
We could be neighbors. The house next door is for sale. I wouldn't even want on the roof because it's way too tall!


----------



## Chris LI

Butter said:


> @M32075 Thanks!
> @TulsaFan Thanks!
> We could be neighbors. The house next door is for sale. I wouldn't even want on the roof because it's way too tall!


Hmmmm, trying to get back into good graces with Mrs. Butter? :lol:

Seriously, I really like October too! September is relief and recovery month, and the lawn kicks into overdrive with growth and deepening of color in October.


----------



## Butter

@Chris LI I'm working that drone angle so stay tuned but don't hold your breath.

Today I mowed. Applied AMS at .5lbs N/k and Main Event Iron at 2oz/k.


----------



## Chris LI

I'm cautiously optimistic. 

The lawn looks great, as usual. That angle shows HOW much darker than all of your neighbors. :thumbup:


----------



## Butter

@Chris LI Thanks!

Forgot to mention the weather is absolutely perfect! Sunny days in the 60's and 70's. Cool nights in the 40's and 50's.


----------



## bf7

Butter said:


> @Chris LI I'm working that drone angle so stay tuned but don't hold your breath.
> 
> Today I mowed. Applied AMS at .5lbs N/k and Main Event Iron at 2oz/k.


Love those stripes you are laying down!

The shrub is very nice too. Is that a Japanese maple?


----------



## Butter

@bf7 Thanks! Yes it is a Japanese Maple. Tamukeyama is the variety.


----------



## Butter

Today I mowed.

I always seem to struggle taking pictures with my iPhone. It seems like if I think the lawn looks good in person it looks bad in the pics. If it looks bad in person the pics make it look better. I just want to take pictures that are true to what I'm seeing. My daughter showed me how to adjust the sun looking thing next to the focus box thing but I didn't know if that's cheating, is that cheating? As you can tell I'm not really very techy. Does anybody have tips for taking lawn pics with the iPhone12?

Anyway the weather is perfect and the lawn is loving it!


----------



## Green

You can adjust the exposure...the camera is doing the same thing, but sometimes gets fooled. There is no right or wrong exposure...only what makes the photo look "right". In photography, we have entire books dedicated to the topic: https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509

Personally, I would say the best exposure for this situation was in between the two, but only you know for sure because you were there in person.


----------



## Butter

@Green Thanks.


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## ksturfguy

I'm not a photography expert but I always think your lawn looks great. But I do hear ya. Anytime I think my lawn looks great, I'll go take a few pics and then go inside and review them and am never impressed.


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## Chris LI

Lighting and exposure are definitely factors. I also need to make some adjustments in settings, in order to get a true representation of color. The auto exposure on my phone allows a little too much light in, which is helpful when I take photos after sunset, but washes out the darkness of the green during the day (especially sunny days). I would suggest snapping multiple photos while changing only one setting at a time between them and immediately review them on-site, to compare them, to get an accurate representation of color. I need to do the same. FWIW, I tend to get a better replication of what my eye is seeing on overcast days. I believe the filtered light helps.


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## Butter

@ksturfguy Thanks.
@Chris LI Thanks. I'll try some of those things. I agree that overcast days make for good pics. Also mid day full sun is good for me.

Today was a bad day on the football field but a good day in the lawn. I redefined the edge at the street using a string line and half moon edger. Then I used my stick edger after I mowed.
I find it difficult to freehand that straight line with the edger.

The weather continues to be awesome!
We got some rain overnight. I didn't have my gauge out but I guess maybe 3/4".
I mowed this afternoon.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love when the leaves turn and the grass is green.


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## Butter

Rained all day Wednesday and all day Thursday. Nice steady, soaking rain. 1.5"
This evening I mowed.


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## Butter

First frost. Fifteen days behind schedule.


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## Chris LI

Oh, wow! The beginning of the end. It looks pretty, though. We're due for ours today-tomorrow, but we're also behind. I've been enjoying the warmer temps, and so has the lawn. I seem to remember the color darkening noticeably at first frost. I always think of that as a consolation prize.


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## Butter

@Chris LI I always love how the turf gets darker as the temps get lower but you're right, it's merely a consolation prize.
Today I applied another app of AMS. My spreader was malfunctioning and wouldn't completely shut off. So we'll see if I make some fert stripes. I kind of doubt it as late as it is and it's already all hopped up on nitrogen.
Weather this week is cold. Highs in the 40's and 50's. Lows in the 30's. It's supposed to be in the mid to upper 60's by the weekend.
The turf is dark except for the Poa triv. It's been a good fall so far. I've given up on trying to adjust the exposure on my photos. Seems like I could never get it right. I just take a bunch of pics and post the best one.


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## Stuofsci02

Wow.... Your first frost is two weeks late and still 3 days earlier than mine. We just barely had a frost last night and soil temps were 57 yesterday. Crazy year....


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## Butter

@Stuofsci02 I'm hoping that a late first frost means a long fall, a mild winter and an early spring!

In an attempt to squeeze every bit of goodness out of my lawn this season I made an application of Main Event last night.


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## Butter

I had an awesome day in the lawn today!
It's shaping up to be a nice long fall. Haven't had anymore frost. High today was almost 70. I double cut the lawn to mulch up leaves. The turf is growing and strong. Maybe the best it's ever looked.

Mrs. Butter: All you ever wanna do is mow the yard and drink beer.
Me: Seems better than never mowing the yard and doing heroine.
Mrs. Butter: Maybe.


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## Chris LI

Awesome lawn! Awesome dialogue!


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## Butter

@Chris LI Thanks!

Another beautiful day!
I cleaned up the vegetable garden and took Hank for a ride in the old truck. He loves ol Red!

I also hand pulled some Poa triv.
Has anyone had good luck pulling triv? Or does that just piss it off?


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## Green

Pulling up Triv works best when it's in a defined area and you get it all out. When it starts to spread like yours above, it's tough to get it all. But maybe in the Spring you'll get the rest of it out if any was left behind at the periphery accidentally this time.


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## Butter

@Green Thanks. In 2022 I am going to war with the triv. We have had small battles in the past, which I have mostly lost, but next year it's priority. Nuclear warfare. Gorilla and guerrilla warfare. Nothing is off the table. The Cold War is over!


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## ksturfguy

Looking great Butter.


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## Butter

@ksturfguy Thanks!

Thunderstorms and rain rolled through yesterday. It seemed like summer storms rather than fall rain. I got 3/4".
Its a nice time of year to get rain. Lows at and below freezing expected this weekend.


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## Butter

Overnight was 23°. That has been the only low below freezing so far this fall. Temps continue to be up and down. After the frost cleared I mowed. Double cut. First cut mulching, second cut bagging. Lots of leaves. The turf is holding strong. My Japanese Maple is coloring up nice. I'm not ready for the season to end.


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## bf7

Holding strong is an understatement. Color still looks fantastic!


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## Butter

@bf7 Thanks! Nitrogen+Iron+Fall is all coming together.

We got a little bit of rain last night. Not much, maybe 1/8-1/4". Another beautiful fall day today. High of 59°. I made my last nitrogen app.


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## Wiley

Dang @Butter! You had a great season and it's looking great as always. How do you feel the toro performed compared to your ol' snapper?


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## Butter

@Wiley Thank you very much!
It's tough to compare el Toro to the BEAST. It's like comparing a 1988 Chevy PU to a 2021 Ford PU. Both are cool. I loved the old Snapper but the new Toro is smoother, lighter, quieter, more maneuverable. The Snapper is better at bagging, the Toro is better at mulching. I think I'm a Toro man now. The Personal Pace system is awesome! My only concern is I'm not sure how the Toro is gonna do mulching in the spring when the grass is growing strong and succulent. We will see.


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## Wiley

Butter said:


> @Wiley Thank you very much!
> It's tough to compare el Toro to the BEAST. It's like comparing a 1988 Chevy PU to a 2021 Ford PU. Both are cool. I loved the old Snapper but the new Toro is smoother, lighter, quieter, more maneuverable. The Snapper is better at bagging, the Toro is better at mulching. I think I'm a Toro man now. The Personal Pace system is awesome! My only concern is I'm not sure how the Toro is gonna do mulching in the spring when the grass is growing strong and succulent. We will see.


Good analogy and thanks for the report. Following along this season the quality of cut has looked great and I'm happy to hear it's serving you well.


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## Vtx531

Glad you are happy with the toro - Should be no problem in the spring if you mow more than once per week


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## Butter

@Vtx531 The Toro is great. One problem. When I first got it I told my son that when he gets a house he could have it and I'd buy me another new one. I was thinking a couple years. Well, he closes on a house in January. There may be a vintage Snapper in Little Butters future.


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## Butter

Another wonderful fall day today. 60°
The lawn really didn't grow much from last week.
It probably didn't need mowed. So I mowed it…twice. First direction mulch. Second direction bag. Took off an inch or less. Maybe the last cut of the year. Maybe not. Probably not. I hope not.

el Toro, Super Recycling!


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## Chris LI

Fantastic!


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## Butter

@Chris LI Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Like every year I have a lot to be thankful for.

The lawn is starting to fade. Still has decent color in the right light but slowly fading.


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## Jeff_MI84

@Butter it's still looking good.


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## Butter

@Jeff_MI84 Thanks!

I mowed today. The turf hasn't really grown since the last mow. I was just chomping up leaves and keeping the stripes sharp. Pretty good chance this is the last mow. With temps above freezing I'm going to run my irrigation tonight. It's really dry. Lighting was much better in today's pic compared to yesterday's Thanksgiving pic.


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## Butter

Winterized the irrigation on Tuesday. I probably should have watered one last time but I didn't.
Today was a record high temperature. 74° 
Previous high was 70° in 1889.
The color is holding on but the fescue is not growing, the Poa triv is growing but the fescue is not. No pics. It was nearly dark when I got home from work.


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## Butter

I have always wanted to mow in December so today I did. I dropped el Toro one notch, 2.75", and mowed. The last mow of the season.


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## bf7

&#128562; still looks incredible! I did my first ever December cut today. Definitely no regrets. I'll go for it every year now.


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## mowww

@Butter hot dang!


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## Butter

@bf7 @mowww Thanks!
I'm not ready for the season to be over.


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## Butter

Last mow, again!

Temps have been up and down. Nothing too cold yet and some really nice highs. No rain for over a month.


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## Butter

Crazy day of weather yesterday. Seemed like June rather than December. Record high temp of 75. Strong winds all day. 40-50mph sustained winds with gusts up to 70mph from the south. It's Kansas so we are used to wind but this was a lot. Early evening the wind shifted to the west and brought a thunderstorm that produced a little bit of rain. Maybe 1/2", hard to know for sure because it was raining sideways. The air smells like cheap cigars from fires to the west. More seasonal weather today.


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## Butter

First day of winter. It's gotta start before it can end. Temps have been more winter like lately but still not too bad. The color has really taken a hit in the last week and a half.

This the third year that I've given lawn calendars to my family for Christmas. It started as a joke and now they expect them. Anyway they arrived today so I'm reliving better lawn days.


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## Butter

Merry Christmas! Record high Christmas Eve.
73°. Previous high was 68° in 1889. The weatherman said there are a lot of similarities between December 1889 and December 2021.
This is the third record high this fall/winter. Two have been from 1889. So I guess we're on a 132 year cycle. Anyway I mowed. No growth, just chopping up leaves. It's pretty cool to mow on Christmas Eve!


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## jskierko

Love the lawn calendar and may put this on my list for next year! Do you choose seasonally appropriate pics for the month (i.e. snow-covered lawn in the winter, leaves on the lawn for Oct/Nov, etc) or do you just put a collection of your best together?


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## Butter

@jskierko All the pictures are from this year and from the month they represent. Snow cover for January and February. Flag for July. Most months I just use the best pic. I take a lot of pictures so I use the best for each month. And of course I have some lawn selfies for some months. It's been a fun thing to do for the last few years. It's my way of sharing my lawn craziness with my family!


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## Butter

2021 was a good lawn year for me. Now that it's over here is the wrap up post.
Weather
Low temp. -17° on February 15th. Probably the scariest night of my adult life. Other than that winter wasn't too bad. 5 or 6 days with lows at or below 0°.
High temp. 103° on August 12th. 6 days with highs 100° or above. Countless days mid to upper 90's.
48.5" of rain. 36" is average.
12.5" of snow.
12.5" of irrigation.
Nutrition 
4 lbs of N/k. That's down more than a pound from last year. Carbon X, soybean meal and Ammonia Sulphate.
Also micro nutrients and humic.
I started using Main Event Iron with good results.
Mowed 52 times between March 20 and December 24.
I got a new mower on Father's Day. Toro super Recycler, el Toro.
I dormant seeded for the first time this year. It was very successful. February 27th.
I only had to spot seed about 5 or 10 sq. ft. this fall. I pre germinated the seed. First time doing that.
I managed to get by with very little damage from drought and fungus.
Also by dumb luck I avoided armyworm damage that was bad in my area. I had lots of damage in the backyard that I don't treat but none in the front.
Over all it's been a pretty good lawn year. I only freaked out publicly a couple times.
Big thanks to everyone that makes TLF possible. I learn something new here every day.
I'm happy to have my little part of TLF and thanks to anyone whose followed along this year. I'm sure I'm forgetting something I wanted to say but I've rambled on enough.

See ya next year!


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