Goals for 2021:
- Continue to reduce my inputs (aka move more into maintenance)
- Use a wetting agent for the summer drought
- Redo the front the of house landscape
- Maybe renovate the front right section, but I doubt it with work travel picking up.
Winter
It was a mild winter. We started with it being warmer and then had 10in of snow. The color seems to be greener than previous years.
We had a warm weekend (55F) so I was able to do a quick survey of the backyard while I was grilling.
Observations:
1) there was some growth after my last mow. I can see some longer leaves with a purple tip to them. The cold growth likely made them purple.
2) I have a fungus. I think it is yellow patch again. It looks to be more in the areas that stay wet. I think it started in December with the warmer period. In hindsight I should do an application of azoxy in late November.
3) it is so warm that I could mow, but I think we have a fake early spring. I'm sure if I mow, I will then get another 10in of snow.
On my to do list:
- order reel/bedknife to replace on the 220E.
- I have plenty of XGRN, but I need to do an inventory of what else I need to buy
- take soil samples
- finish the regulator valve connections for the spray tank
- get gas
It has been warm, I'm keeping an eye on soil temps.. I want to make sure I get my pre-em down in time this year, and that I start fertilizing and give my yard a good few months before summer to grow.
Have you given any thought to when you are going to drop the first fertilizer of the year, it looks like this warmth is going to stick around - it just drops into the 20's at night.
When are you planning to get your pre-emergent down? I am torn, looking at the GDD we are right at the optimum window. Alot of rain forecasted in our area over the next 10 days...of course the forecast can always change, thinking of getting it down Monday to catch the rain this week and get it watered in (a little concerned maybe too heavy a rain on Thursday). I also think there is a good window next weekend but the GDD might show it being late then!
I am over in Carmel, so I follow some of your application timings pretty closely.
@MachoManMooch I plan to apply today or tomorrow. The wind is too much right now. Yes there is risk of rain. As long as the one of Tuesday is minor, we should be ok. Prodiamine bounds to the soil pretty good once it gets there.
It was a nice weekend for yard work. I tried to take full advantage of it while also taking the kids to the park and grilling. The short list of things done:
Mounted a hose reel to the sprayer. I still need to test the setup.
Mowed , edge, ect
Lifted some edges around the concrete to add soil and get the lawn slightly higher than the sidewalk.
Started to reshape the mulch beds
Adjusted some edge pavers by the mailbox
Inventory check of what ferts I need to buy
Sampled the soil
Dropped some sand in the front yard
Clean up some grass from the mulch beds in the backyard
Pruned the trees
3lb/ksqft of XGRN 8-1-8 to the areas with fungus to aid in recovery
Is the XGRN 8-1-8 what you have left over from last year or did you find some this spring? Wanted to use it for the first time this year, but I thought I read they went out of business and are trying to form another company to produce it.
I have it from last year, but there is still some available at local companies. I think there is one in Columbus that might have it. I can't recall the name.
Happy Spring @g-man - just wanted to drop in and say Thank you for all of your help on my Reno last Fall.
Your quick replies, guidance and whimsical responses helped me from jumping off the ledge. I won't forget it but you told me to skip town for a few days and that was a great turning point in my Reno. Everything was looking good after that point.
It's sad to see XGRN go...I believe your recommendation on using that on my Reno paid dividends. Are you going to stock up via leftovers from local suppliers or just wait for Martin/Knorr to release something similar?
@g-man I still have a few bags of it from last year. I talked to Craig last week and he said they are out of Carbon Earth now and suggested the EarthWorks as a replacement. He actually said " we switched our fertilizer to earthworks for organic carbon based products."
@g-man I still have a few bags of it from last year. I talked to Craig last week and he said they are out of Carbon Earth now and suggested the EarthWorks as a replacement. He actually said " we switched our fertilizer to earthworks for organic carbon based products."
We had a great spring day yesterday followed by some straight line winds that managed to move the metal chairs from the back of the house to the front.
Lots of yard work plus bike rides and time at the playground. I started to spot spray the mulch beds with gly and I'm out of gly. Hand picked some poa a too.
Looking fantastic... you are so much further along greening up then I am... amazing what a couple hundred miles North does..
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