# zinger's resto log



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Hey all. Thought I would start a thread for my attempt at restoring our lawn. Bit of background first though. First time home-owners, this will be our 3rd summer in the house. House is 98 years old this year. When we purchased it, it had been owned by an older lady that had lived there for a while. The yard is okay, but very bumpy and uneven. We're a corner lot, which means two "street strips" and lots of edging. Our lot is also raised a bit from the front, which makes for a challenge mowing.

My goal is to aim for something the in "Tier 2" level of lawns. I want to see if I can restore before I attempt to renovate. I was able to snap some winter pics before the snow came this past week:

This is the "back yard" fenced in area. This is the dog's domain. I don't need this to be picture perfect, and as such, I am willing to experiment back here more.


This is the East side street strip. Rather long and sees a lot of road salt in the winter.


This is some of the new sod the city so nicely laid down in late October after tearing up that patch to replace the crosswalk concrete. I have no idea what's in it.


Front-East yard. You can see the initial hill at the beginning of the lawn.


Front-West yard.


I don't have a tight plan yet. I've got the yard log spreadsheet filled out and ready to go. Looking to hit it with pre-em this spring, then go nuts on the Milo. I'm actually going to water instead of relying on the Iowa rains. Also, I'm going to try to smooth this yard out and hopefully take care of some of the unwanted plants like moss, clover, and dandelion.


----------



## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

Hey Zinger!

It sounds like you're planning this right. Def a pre-m app and targeting of the weeds during the summer. I'll let the other more experienced guys comment on if you should use pre-m on the newish sod. I'm not sure there.

Have you had a ph test yet?

Not sure if burnt grass from the dog bothers you in the back. If so, I'd train the dog to go in some mulch or an area it makes sense off your grass. I did that this fall and it was pretty easy to do.

Also, be careful on too strong a pre-m app that might hurt your fall seeding. Some stay in the soil longer so check the label of what you get. Another member helpfully pointed that out to me in my restore thread.

do you know what type of grass you want to grow? Spring and summer think about your irrigation strategy and check out NTEP for Iowa seed suggestions.

Spring is close! Can't wait to get back in the yard! I'll be following your progrsss!


----------



## zeus201 (Aug 30, 2017)

Welcome to the forums from another Iowa member. Where in Iowa are you located? I used dimension on new sod without any issues. I prefer granular dimension from SiteOne as it is easier. One day I'll pony up for one of those nice Champlin pump sprayers and use prodamine.

I'd suggest taking soil samples come spring and send those out to Logan Labs for analysis. You can post results and there are a few member here who could help with amendment plan (if needed). Although, I believe Logan Labs can provide recommendations....cannot remember though. Jar test will also be beneficial to determine soil structure. Grass will grow in some terrible soils, but the better it is, the easier it will be for you and the grass imo.

Ortho Weed B Gon Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis or standard Weed B Gon will take care of common weeds. Grassy weeds can be pesky and require some higher level products or good ole' fashioned Round-up. Leveling the lawn is a multi-season affair, @wardconnor has great videos on Youtube and posts here. The warm season guys also have wealth of info.

On top of MIlo, I like to use grains from local feed store like soybean meal, alfalfa pellets or meal, and cracked corn as my primary source of fertilization and effort to build OM. I'll eventually switch to urea or ammonium sulfate come fall time as prescribed in the aggressive fall nitrogen plan (https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=753).

Either way, look forward to your progress!


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Finally starting to wam up. Thanks @jessehurlburt and @zeus201 for the questions. No soil test yet, but I have it planned. What's the mason jar test? I've run a search, but no real prescribed way of doing it. Is it just some dirt and water or is there a specific ratio? Dog spots don't bother me much. I think I'd like to get some nice bluegrass going. With the grains, what are you trying to put down specifically, starch, fiber, protein? I homebrew and always end up with plenty of spent grain, but its essentially fiber at that point.

Anyone know when cold is too cold to mow? The snow is melting as I type and I've got a decent amount of leaves I couldn't get to last fall. Is it okay to mow and mulch those even if there isn't much growth happening?

Edit: Forgot to mention I'm located in Cedar Rapids, IA


----------



## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

Just wanted to say welcome to another fellow Iowan. I am very new to lawn care but am planning a full restoration in the fall. Very nice people on this forum. My lawn is still frozen as evident of all the standing water on top of the snow. ;good luck;


----------



## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

Go Hawkeyes;


----------



## zeus201 (Aug 30, 2017)

Grains are used as an organic approach to fertilization. The thought process behind grains is you are feeding the microbes within the soil with the proteins and etc. found in the grains, which in turn will feed the grass (soil food web:https://www.google.com/search?q=soi...i59j69i60j0.3975j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8).

With grains you will see people site lb/k instead of the traditional N/k as the nitrogen content is much lower than synthetics. I traditionally target 15-20 lb/k of SBM, alfalfa pellets or cracked corn, but you can go lower or higher if you want. I am not too concerned about the N value as I am trying to build up my organic matter, but I believe 15 lbs of SBM equals 1 pound of N/k. I am a bit aggressive apply twice a month during the growing season, but once a month is more than enough.

The alfalfa pellets are highly visible and people may ask what you are up to....plus they will swell up if or when they get wet, but they do eventually break down. I have to full open my spreader to get the pellets fly out through. Alfalfa meal I find super annoying to apply...super dusty imo not worth the mess. Soybean and alfalfa all have a distinctive smell but goes away pretty quickly. Another disclaimer, sometimes some of the cracked corn will germinate and you will have little baby corn plants growing. After a mow they disappear or you can hand pick them. I am not sure on spent grains from homebrew...you could try in a small test plot and see what happens.

Equal amounts of soil and water will be fine. Dig down 2 inches, remove any roots and etc. fill jar halfway w/soil, add water, shake it up and let it settle for 24 hours. If layers are not visible you can let it sit a longer until you can measure.

Is the turf completely smothered with leaves? If not, I personally would leave the leaves alone until warmer weather comes around. However, if you have a leaf blower, then I'd clean up the area....suppose that wasn't very helpful haha


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Just a March update. No soil test yet, yard hasn't stayed thawed long enough to get one in. Cleaned up part of the yard as time amd weather has permitted. I also got the mower out and ran it a but. Forecast calls for 5 inches of snow this weekend, but it should melt soon.

GDD tracker has me not even close to Pre-Em application time.

I have an older Stihl weed trimmer that I'm getting refurbished. Anyone have any thoughts on how I can use this to edge my sidewalks?


----------



## zeus201 (Aug 30, 2017)

You can turn your trimmer around and edge the sidewalks. Takes some trial / error and lots of practice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6IXbcjYxBs


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Thanks Zeus! I'll have to try that this year.

I was out feeding birds today and noticed the following small patch of green. Last week we had significant snowfall, but it's all melted away now. This is definitely a different green than the rest of my yard and what I'm used to seeing, so I figured it's gotta be something unwanted. Any thoughts as to what it could be?


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Laid down some crabgrass preventer and fert I had leftover from last year. It's the Menards premium here: link

It's 26-0-3, with prodiamine at .20ai/acre. Cleaned up some sticks and excess yard waste. Things are finally getting green!


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

I'd like to re-introduce the backyard, which will be my experimental plot. It's small (~500sqft) and fenced in (out of sight from public) so I can go crazy on it. The size should allow me to hyper-focus on it.



A few weeks ago I did a clean-up mow to pick up leaves from last fall. Did another quick mow today and then dropped some starter fert to get it going. I know and understand it's not the ideal way, but I did overseed last fall with some big-box mix in this area before I knew what I was doing. I did not pre-em this area, and want to give the grass every chance to flourish.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Soil test came in! I realise it's not a Logan Labs or Soil Savvy test, but these guys were fairly local and super friendly on the phone.

Looks like Iron, Zinc, and Phosphorous are high, slightly low on manganese, and a pH of 6.5. They classified organic matter at 3.5%, although im not sure if that's high or low for a lawn.

I suppose plan going forward is to push N based organic fertilizer (Milo or local equivalent). Any other thoughts or comments are helpful!


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

zinger565 said:


> Looks like Iron, Zinc, and Phosphorous are high, slightly low on manganese, and a pH of 6.5. They classified organic matter at 3.5%, although im not sure if that's high or low for a lawn.
> 
> I suppose plan going forward is to push N based organic fertilizer (Milo or local equivalent). Any other thoughts or comments are helpful!


Thanks for posting. Could you make the image bigger? I could barely see the numbers. The report seems to have a spot for their recommendations, but it is not filled out. Maybe they need to know your goal (ie lawn, garden)

3.5% OM is actually good. The only item that seems low is sulfur. Increase iron will make the lawn greener. Check ridgerunner thread on soil analysis in the articles section. I also posted an experiment I did.

In regards to logans/soil savvy, I think you should find a lab that provides you with the services you want at a price you want. I think going local has it advantages. I personally dont recommend a specific lab and only advise to find one that is part of the NAPT program. By the way, the one you found is.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

g-man said:


> zinger565 said:
> 
> 
> > Looks like Iron, Zinc, and Phosphorous are high, slightly low on manganese, and a pH of 6.5. They classified organic matter at 3.5%, although im not sure if that's high or low for a lawn.
> ...


Thanks! Yeah, I saw that too, but I didn't see anywhere on the submission form to mark the intended crop. I might give them a call this week and see what they can do.

Larger image:


----------



## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

FWIW, IMO any issues in establishing a good lawn aren't very likely with your nutrient levels. They look fine to me. It does appear that you have some considerable damage from an invasive species. Have you seen anything tn your yard about 15" tall at the shoulder?


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Ridgerunner said:


> FWIW, IMO any issues in establishing a good lawn aren't very likely with your nutrient levels. They look fine to me. It does appear that you have some considerable damage from an invasive species. Have you seen anything tn your yard about 15" tall at the shoulder?


Haha, thanks. Sometimes I think she does as much mechanical damage as chemical damage. She loves to run and turn hard!

I generally have high hopes, especially for the back experimental area, as the current conditions were achieved with zero input last year. No watering, no fertilizer, and it still came back decently. I figure with some actual care and attention, it could be rocking in no time.


----------



## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

Good looking soil! High CEC! Cool! Probably just using N+K fert with humates would be it.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Suburban Jungle Life said:


> Good looking soil! High CEC! Cool! Probably just using N+K fert with humates would be it.


Excellent. It's nice to hear that!


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

And so the battle begins. Weeds and more! I've got some 2,4-d with dicamba that I'm going to lay down tomorrow.

As a side, I can't figure out if my front lawn is rought bluegrass or fine fescue as talked about in this article: https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/landscaping/maint/ts-selecting-cool-season.htm

Front lawn grass:


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Put down 2,4-d with Dicamba on Monday. Since then, we've gotten 1.26in of rain. The weeds that were around on Monday have visible stress, but now there seems to be 2 to 3 times that many! Not to mention my clover problem has exploded.

Will my Monday application affect the new stuff that's come up, or am I going to have to reapply? I'm going after the clover with cco/triclopyr this afternoon.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Mowed the back "experimental" yard today. The starter fert, combined with the 1.33" of rain we got last week really kicked things into high gear. Looking good, grass is thick in spots, but thin in others. I'm hoping things continue to thicken up in the problem zones.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Well, it's been nearly a week since the last mow. Lots of rain over the past week prevented me from mowing, and as a result, things got a little crazy. Still mowing on the max height with my Toro Super Recycler.

Back Yard:
No photo today, looks just like the last photo 
Laid down 4lbs of cracked corn after mowing. This little area is around 460 sq.ft. and is where the dog spends most of her time. It's also where I can really focus on the grass and take peak care. Ideally I want to bring this area to a consistent Tier 2.

Hell Strip #1:
This is where the battle of the clover and creeping charlie is taking place. Weed-B-Gon CCO concentrate was laid down 10 days ago, going to get another app in tomorrow or Wednesday. It looks stressed, and some has already started to die off.



Hell Strip #2:
The city provided sod from the sidewalk work last year is kicking my "native" grass's ***. Unfortunately, the city only paid for two strips of sod, even though they tore up closer to 4 or 5 "strip widths" worth. As a result, dandelions have taken over.





Main Front Yard:
Tried mowing diagonally this time around. This part of the lawn is significantly higher than the sidewalk due to the house being built near the base of the hill.



Just a quick pic to show the grade difference between the sidewalk and the "flat" part of the yard. This is my least favorite part of the mow.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

So, I put down Milo yesterday, and like a dunce, i mowed today. Hopefully I didn't scatter the Milo too much. I mulch and return the clippings, so it should be there still.

Sharpened and swapped my lawn mower blades yesterday too. My old blade was so dull I don't think it could even cut butter! Also, the brand new blade I got from Toro was pretty dull due to the paint. It shredded grass on a test cut, so I had to clean the edge up before it cut nice.



The back experimental yard (above) is doing quite well! Thick healthy grass is taking over and filling in, I haven't even had to go after weeds yet!

The rest of the yard is doing okay. Dandelions have been defeated, on to the lengthy battle against clover/creeping Charlie. I've also got some real thin bladed grass that just refuses to stand up on it's own.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Last week I laid down some 'pseudo' Milo for Menards. Put down some cracked corn today. It's been hot (94+), but I'm just trying to keep things fed a bit.

I'm struggling with some weed pressure, no idea what some of it is. It should cool off in a or two so I'll apply some 2,4-d and weed-b-gon CCO when that happens.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Well, let's try this again. Due to several factors, heat, work, and personal issues I tended to neglect the yard through July and August. Flooding threats at work took most of my time and attention through September. As a result, the yard, especially the back "experimental" area went a bit backwards. The addition of a second dog has taken it's toll as well.

Plan right now is to attempt to do some spring seeding and continue with a generally organic fertilizer plan, with the exception of starter fertilizer. If work and weather cooperate I look forward to a good season.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Well, sounds like work is going to complicate things. I may be spending Mon-Fri of the next 3-4 months out of town helping out a plant in Milwaukee. Should be an interesting challenge to keep things moving while spending 5 out 7 days away.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Sunday update:



Raked the back area to over seed. Wife helped and was excited to use the spreader. Threw down some Tenacity and pseudo-Milo fert with a dash of starter fert mixed in. Rest of the yard just got some if the pseudo-milo.

First week of being out of town during the week. I guess I'll be a weekend warrior.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

No pictures this week. Didn't touch the back yard at all as it didn't need anything yet.

I did lay down some of the Vigoro Crabgrass preventer and fertilizer in the rest of the lawn. It's 29-0-3, but claims a "slow release" of nitrogen.


----------



## Flying Aces (Jun 7, 2017)

How do you like that Menards milo clone? I saw that last trip to Menards but didn't pull the trigger. Thoughts?


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

@Flying Aces In my experience it's an okay sub for Milo, but it's still relatively pricey. Although I'm debating moving away from it and towards a synthetic source of N. I can get organic matter from cracked corn, which is really cheap around here.


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Attempted to mow the front and side yards today, but about 90% the way through the cable for the blade brake snapped. Damn. Ordered another and should be able to mow by mid-next week.

Clover, wild onion, and dandelions have awoken and started to flower. Crazy considering the amount of dormancy just 2 weeks ago. I put down some 2-4D and CCO today after mowing. Highs this week are the upper 60s/low 70s, perfect weather for killing weeds. 

Back yard is slowly waking up. The tenacity I laid down has turned some of the existing grass "neon". No seedlings yet though. I'll give it another 2 weeks before another tenacity app and weed control will begin.


----------



## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

Nice journal and work! Front looks like fine fescue as you mentioned. Nice thing about that is you can use sethoxydim and some other chemistries to kill all grasses and be safe on the FF. Good luck this year!


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Sunday update: Lawn is doing well, and the weeds that I caught show signs of stress and death.

Back area us starting to fill in. Spring overseed was somewhat successful, and I'm going to let it go for a bit longer before mowing.



I recieved the replacement blade break cable and was able to replace it. However while attaching the last part of the cable to the handle, I broke the fracking plastic nub off. Gorilla tape got me through the mow today, but I'll have to order yet another replacement.

Front corner got a diagonal mow today:


Hell strip is coming in nicely, much thicker than in past years:


----------



## zinger565 (Nov 28, 2017)

Well, it was around 12 days before I was home and able to mow. Lots of rain over that time as well.

Mowed on the highest setting possible, definitely breaking the 1/3 rule:



Back is coming in as well. The grass that is there is super thick and healthy.



Also got a nice "domination line" picture between my yard and the neighbor's:



I'm going to mow again today if the grass dries out. Otherwise my next chance is Thursday.


----------

