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Powhatan's 2021 Lawn Journal

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#1 ·
2020 Journal
2021 Lawn Plan
Objectives: biodiverse, reduced inputs, non-irrigated, heat and drought tolerant

Mid/Late Winter:

  • Hand-pull weeds.
  • Virginia Tech soil sample test.
  • Sow shady and deer resistant native plant seed mixes.
  • Dormant overseed fescue and shade grass seed - DLF Pickseed coated KY-31, LESCO All Pro Transition Tall Fescue Seed Blend (TTTF), and Scotts coated Dense Shade Mix (TTTF, CRF, KBG).

Spring:

  • Lite overseed white & strawberry clover areas if needed.
  • Hand-pull or spot spray weeds with Mirimichi Green PRO Weed Control.
  • Spray glyphosate on poa trivialis patches as needed, re-seed dead patches.
  • Garden Safe organic Neem Oil Extract - spot treat grass fungus & garden pests.
  • Lime - (if soil test recommended) to raise pH.
  • LESCO CarbonPro-G soil improver.
  • Scotts Foundation Soil Improver.
  • LESCO Acelepryn (chlorantraniliprole 0.067%) 0-0-7 SOP Insecticide - same active ingredient as Scotts GrubEX.
  • Safer Brand Lawn Restore 9-0-2 & Scotts Natural Lawn Food 11-2-2 slow release organic fertilize.
  • LESCO 0-0-45 PCSOP - (if soil test recommended) improves overall plant health going into Summer stress.
  • Mulch mow grass @ HOC 3.25" (bag mow HOC 3.25" for more airflow if disease present).

Summer:

  • Hand-pull or spot spray weeds with Mirimichi Green PRO Weed Control.
  • Garden Safe organic Neem Oil Extract - spot treat grass fungus & garden pests.
  • EcoLogic organic Lawn & Yard Insect Killer granular - house foundation & lawn perimeter treatment.
  • Safer Brand Lawn Restore 9-0-2 & Scotts Natural Lawn Food 11-2-2 slow release organic fertilize.
  • Mulch mow grass @ HOC 3.25" (bag mow HOC 3.25" for more airflow if disease present).

Early Fall:

  • Hand-pull or spot spray weeds with Mirimichi Green PRO Weed Control.
  • Lime - (if soil test recommended) to raise pH.
  • LESCO CarbonPro-G soil improver.
  • Maintenance overseed fescue and shade grass seed - DLF Pickseed coated KY-31, LESCO All Pro Transition Tall Fescue Seed Blend (TTTF), and LESCO Shady Select (CRF, Chewings, Hard, PRG, KBG)
  • LESCO Starter 14-20-4 fertilize.
  • Mulch mow grass & leaves @ HOC 3.25".

Mid Fall:

  • Hand-pull weeds.
  • LESCO 30-0-10 split app Oct/Nov fertilize.
  • Mulch mow grass & leaves @ HOC 3.25".
 
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#2 ·
Tasks Completed

Jan:

  • Soil sample.

Feb:

  • Hand-pulled poa trivialis, mouse-ear chickweed, and hairy bittercress weeds.

  • Broadcasted 50# fast-acting calcitic lime, 50# DLF Pickseed KY-31, 10# LESCO All Pro Transition TTTF, and 3# Scotts dense shade TTTF/KBG/CRF mix.
  • Broadcasted 0.50# white & strawberry clover seed mix over select areas of the lawn.
  • Sowed native wildflowers seed mixes, combined the seed mixes with sphagnum peat moss filler material and hand-broadcasted over several prepared beds bordering the lawn.

Mar:

  • Hand-pulled poa trivialis, orchardgrass, mouse-ear chickweed, poa annua, and hairy bittercress weeds.
  • Spot sprayed Mirimichi Green Weed Control Concentrate @ 13% mix rate on mouse-ear chickweed and hairy bittercress weeds bordering the lawn. I also sprayed moss growing around the house perimeter.

Apr:

  • Hand-pulled poa trivialis, orchardgrass, poa annua, and hairy bittercress weeds.
  • Spot sprayed Mirimichi Green Weed Control Concentrate @ 13% mix rate on various weeds.
  • String trimmed grass high tops around the house perimeter.
  • Sprayed N-Ext RGS @ 6oz/M rate.
  • Broadcasted 50# Nutrients Plus Whole Shebang 6-2-4 hybrid fertilizer and 80# LESCO CarbonPro-G soil improver.
  • Mulch mowed @ HOC 3.50", going down to 3.00".
  • Mulch mowed @ HOC 3.25". Sprayed Ortho Nutsedge Killer on suspect sedge plants.
  • Soil temps 65F+ now. Broadcasted 50# Safer Brand Lawn Restore 9-0-2 organic fertilizer.
  • Broadcasted 50# LESCO Acelepryn (chlorantraniliprole - GrubEx) 0-0-7 and 25# LESCO (prodiamine 0.68%) preM 0-0-7.

May:

  • Hand-pulled poa trivialis, orchardgrass, marestail, lespedeza, and dogfennel weeds.
  • Mulch mowed @ 3.25".
  • Sprayed N-Ext RGS @ 6oz/M rate.

Jun:

  • Hand-pulled orchardgrass weeds.
  • Mulch/Bagged mowed @ HOC 3.25".
  • Broadcasted 30# EcoLogic organic Lawn & Yard Insect Killer granular.
  • Sprayed neem oil concentrate at 2 oz/GL mix rate on fungal disease dark areas.
  • Broadcasted 50# Scotts Foundation Soil Improver.
  • Broadcasted 55# Scotts Natural Lawn Food & Safer Brand Lawn Restore organic fertilizers mixed.
  • Broadcasted Scotts DiseaseEx granular (azoxystrobin) @ 4#/M curative rate on pythium blight and brown patch fungal disease areas.
  • Broadcasted BioAdvanced Fungus Control granular (propiconazole) @ 2.75#/M precur (median) rate.
  • Spot sprayed Mirimichi Green Weed Control Concentrate @ 13% mix rate on various lawn border weeds.

Jul:

  • Hand-pulled poa trivialis, orchardgrass, dogfennel, lespedeza, and crabgrass weeds.
  • Mulch mowed @ HOC 3.25".
  • Broadcasted 30# EcoLogic organic Lawn & Yard Insect Killer granular.
  • Broadcasted Scotts DiseaseEx granular (azoxystrobin) @ 2#/M preventative rate.
  • Sprayed neem oil concentrate at 2 oz/GL mix rate on fungal disease mycelium areas and ornamental bushes.
  • Sprayed Ortho Nutsedge Killer (R-T-S) on young sedges boarding the lawn and in areas known to produce sedges.
  • Broadcasted 54# Jonathan Green Love Your Soil.

Aug:

  • Hand-pulled poa trivialis, crabgrass, dogfennel and orchardgrass weeds.
  • Mulch/Bagged mowed @ HOC 3.25".
  • Spot sprayed non-selective organic Mirimichi Green Weed Control Concentrate @ 13% mix rate on various lawn border weeds.
  • Broadcasted 30# EcoLogic organic Lawn & Yard Insect Killer granular.
  • Broadcasted 15# Jonathan Green Fungus Control granular (thiophanate-methyl) at 1.5#/M preventative rate.
  • Broadcasted 50# fast-acting LimeLight Pro-Cal Enhanced Pelletized Granular Calcitic Lime.
  • Broadcasted 55# Scotts Natural Lawn Food & Safer Brand Lawn Restore organic fertilizers mixed.
  • Broadcasted Scotts DiseaseEx granular (azoxystrobin) @ 4#/M curative rate.

Sep:

  • Mulch mowed @ HOC 3.25".
  • Broadcasted BioAdvanced Fungus Control granular (propiconazole) @ 2#/M preventative rate.
  • Broadcasted 80# LESCO CarbonPro-G soil improver.
  • Broadcasted 50# Safer Brand Lawn Restore organic fertilizer.
  • Broadcasted KY-31/TTTF/FF/KBG/PRG maintenance overseed.

Oct:

  • Mulch mowed @ HOC 3.25".
  • Broadcasted 50# LESCO 14-20-4 starter fertilizer.
  • Sprayed N-Ext RGS @ 6oz/M rate.
  • Mulch mowed fallen leaves.

Nov:

  • Mulch mowed @ HOC 3.25".
  • Broadcasted 50# LESCO 30-0-10 fertilizer.
  • Broadcasted 25# LESCO (prodiamine 0.68%) preM 0-0-7.
  • Mulch mowed fallen leaves.
 
#5 ·
Interesting results. What type of Lime will you use since the Calcium is high and Magnesium sort of high?
 
#6 ·
Green said:
Interesting results. What type of Lime will you use since the Calcium is high and Magnesium sort of high?
The Calcium and Magnesium are actually coming down from very high (VH) 2019 report to high (H) 2021 report; I didn't put down any lime this past two years. Three to four years ago I probably put down too much dolomitic lime along with fast acting trying to target recommended 100#/M 2017 report.

This time I'll use LimeLight Pro-Cal Enhanced Pelletized Granular Calcitic Lime from SiteOne, $15.00 for a 50 lb bag. The CCE is slightly higher in LimeLight than Pennington Fast Acting Lime. Pennington recommends 12#/M rate for the high 5-6 pH range adjustment. So for LimeLight I'll use 5#/M in the spring and another 5#/M in the fall this year. Hopefully 10#/M will be sufficient for a scientific wild-*** guess (SWAG). :wink:
 
#10 ·
Soil temp 37F @ 2" depth. Hand-pulled poa trivialis clumps.

Warmer ~50F air temps and rains forecasted within next two weeks; I plan to broadcast fast acting pelletized calcitic lime first, then dormant grass & wildflower seeds soon thereafter. Anticipate beginning emergence by late next month when soil temps warming to mid-50sF.
 
#11 ·
Noticed different animals this winter either foraging or passing through the lawn area: deer, rabbit, opossum, squirrel, coyote, raccoon, and fox. I also saw one river otter, but I think that was during late fall. The beavers are in the fresh water lake.

Soil temp near house 43F and away 39F @ 2" depth. Hand-pulled some marestail weeds and one poa annua weed.

Soil feels water spongy to the touch due to melting snow and rains, needs to dry some before I broadcast lime so the lime will be absorbed into the soil profile instead of being washed off.

Moss species are beginning to show spore seta (stalk) growth. Time is nearing for me to broadcast seeds.
 
#12 ·
Lots of robins, blackbirds, and cardinals were on the lawn yesterday afternoon feeding on earthworms.

I was hoping the ground was dry enough to broadcast lime today, but the weather dropping snow had other plans. So I wait again for another opportunity ...
 
#13 ·
Soil temp 42F @ 2" depth. All the ~3" snow cover that fell yesterday melted away by this morning. The soil felt slightly moist at noon today, not spongy like it was on Friday. Extended weather forecast air temps 40sF/20sF with snow/ice/rain chance almost every other day, good timing for dormant seeding.

Broadcasted 50# fast-acting calcitic lime, 50# DLF Pickseed KY-31, 10# LESCO TTTF, and 3# Scotts dense shade TTTF/KBG/CRF mix. I then rode the riding lawn mower over the sown grass seeds to push them down for good seed to soil contact.
 
#16 ·
Wiley said:
@Powhatan are the wildflowers perennials, annuals, or a mix? Do you rely on rainfall for water/germination? I've planted a couple of small areas this season but plan on doing much more in the future.
@Wiley the shady and deer resistant seed mixes are mostly perennials with some annuals. I usually rely on rainfall, but may have to lug the garden hose or watering can around to the various wildflower seed beds if the soil starts to dry out.

There are zillons of shady trees surrounding my lawn/woods and ferns are the most abundant "ornamentals" along with various weeds. I planted some native plants a few years ago, but the animals ate most of those, so I'm trying something different. I don't expect all the various wildflower mix components I'm sowing to survive the growing conditions in my area; hopefully, there will be strong survivors that will adapt.
 
#18 ·
I'm a newbie
I live in Yorktown and I'm sending the soil test to VA tech Friday to see if I have to put lime.
Do you recommend I detach in March before applying Pre Em? I also wanted to seed in the backyard next month do you think is a good Idea? I do have a sprinkler system.
Thank You
 
#19 ·
ccarlos19 said:
I'm a newbie
I live in Yorktown and I'm sending the soil test to VA tech Friday to see if I have to put lime.
Do you recommend I detach in March before applying Pre Em? I also wanted to seed in the backyard next month do you think is a good Idea? I do have a sprinkler system.
Thank You
@ccarlos19 two years ago I sent in a soil sample to VaTech mid-Feb and received my report a month later. I found out that time of year the farmer's samples have priority processing, so your sample reporting might also be delayed.

With TTTF you normally don't need to dethach, but if your turf layer has a noticeable un-decomposed build up then it would be beneficial to dethach. My lawn is ~5 years old and I've never dethached.

Overseeding cool season grass in spring, especially in the transition zone, is not the preferred time to do it ... but each lawn has it's own unique growing conditions so it may work for you. It's just another tool in the tool box. Starting late May through summer months air temps & humidity levels rise thus consequently turf fungal disease pressure increases so that is something to be aware when also irrigating.
 
#21 ·
ccarlos19 said:
@Powhatan
Thanks for the help.
When you apply the Pre- Em. I was thinking the beginning or mid March.
@ccarlos19 yes 50-55F average soil temperatures mid March in Yorktown according to the web GreenCast soil temp tool. That would be a good time to put down preM.

I'm giving the turf a break this year skipping preM. I hand-pull weeds throughout the year manually keeping weed pressure to a minimum.
 
#26 ·
Soil temp 41F @ 2" depth. All the snow and ice from last weekend's storm melted. Today and tomorrow sun/cloudy days, then colder snow/ice/rain again same as last week. Good timing to sow the native wildflowers seed mixes. I combined the seed mixes with sphagnum peat moss filler material and hand-broadcasted over several prepared beds bordering the lawn, then gently back side raked the beds.
 
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