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jskierko 2021

76K views 330 replies 34 participants last post by  jskierko 
#1 ·


Location: Avon, IN (west side of Indianapolis)

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

Mowers:
  • Toro Timemaster
  • Swardman Edwin 2.1
Products:
  • Tenacity- Herbicide
  • Trimec- Herbicide
  • SedgeHammer- Herbicide
  • Serenade- Fungicide (Preventative)
  • Headway (Propi/Azoxy) Granules- Fungicide
  • Propiconazole 14.3- Fungicide
  • Prodiamine 65 WDG- Pre-Emergent
  • T-Nex- PGR
  • Ferromec AC 15-0-0- Fertilizer
  • Milorganite- Fertilizer
  • 10-10-10- Fertilizer
  • 0-0-50- Fertilizer
  • 46-0-0- Fertilizer
Goals:
  • Lower soil pH, working toward optimum range (8.3 on 2020 soil test)- acquire sulfur or change N apps to 21-0-0
  • Top dress/level to assist with reel mowing experience
  • Improve irrigation accuracy, measuring individual zone outputs
  • Landscape/Mulch around obstacles in yard (electrical box, raised garden bed, swingset, fence line) to make mowing and trimming more efficient and less time consuming
  • KBG plug property line/reno area where germination was most sparse
  • Monitor 5 test plots (Barenbrug RPR, Bewitched/Award KBG, SS Sunny Mix, Bewitched KBG/Slugger PR, SS KBG Mix) in back yard to plan for potential back yard reno

 
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#303 ·
After several wet days, the stars aligned for me on my day off and I got a beautiful day for mowing. Experimented a bit and took the reno down to 0.5", keeping the rest of the Bewitched at 0.75". The loss of color definitely shows in the pictures, especially next to the northern mix at 2.25" in the backyard. Like the height, may experiment with some Main Event to try to give it some color, although I know it will be darker next season once it matures. Cleaned up the edges of the walks and beds and a bit of the fence line. Probably one of the last days of the season for me to invest several hours in the yard, so I soaked it up.









 
#306 ·
livt0ride said:
Just an amazing yard. Looking great!
Thanks! I've enjoyed following your green install. I grew up both playing and working on a golf course so I have a natural affinity for low cut turf. A putting green would be the icing on the cake, but, like Stu, might have to table that idea until I have more time on my hands.

Stuofsci02 said:
@jskierko …. Pretty sweet…. Your mature bewitched has amazing color.. I like the 1/2".. with more time at that height it will get pretty dark.. I can't wait to see this next fall. My hat's off to you..
Thanks Stu! The color has really popped over the last month or so once it cooled down. Hoping I can just sit on the sidelines next fall and watch another nice backyard reno (yours, obviously). Your drone shots are phenomenal. Even your northern mix looks elite!
 
#308 ·
jskierko said:
After several wet days, the stars aligned for me on my day off and I got a beautiful day for mowing. Experimented a bit and took the reno down to 0.5", keeping the rest of the Bewitched at 0.75". The loss of color definitely shows in the pictures, especially next to the northern mix at 2.25" in the backyard. Like the height, may experiment with some Main Event to try to give it some color, although I know it will be darker next season once it matures. Cleaned up the edges of the walks and beds and a bit of the fence line. Probably one of the last days of the season for me to invest several hours in the yard, so I soaked it up.

1/2" is fun, and I get a much cleaner cut at that height. But the color difference is no joke. Perhaps 5/8" offers the best of both worlds..

How do you capture these cool pics of the sky? I don't think this is the first one you've posted.
 
#309 ·
bf7 said:
1/2" is fun, and I get a much cleaner cut at that height. But the color difference is no joke. Perhaps 5/8" offers the best of both worlds..

How do you capture these cool pics of the sky? I don't think this is the first one you've posted.
Yeah it's crazy how much cleaner it cuts at that height (given that its flat enough). 5/8" was exactly what I had in mind though to maintain some color and lessen the mowing frequency burden. And I also thought the sky was pretty cool in that pic. I go out on my roof above my garage to get a nice aerial shot. Add another one to the "neighbors think I'm nuts" list.
 
#314 ·
Jeff_MI84 said:
@jskierko, mowing in costume, did you a lose a bet? Very funny.
Haha, nope. Just wanted to be in the spirit and ensure that nobody was going to challenge me any time soon for "craziest person on the block"
Chris LI said:
Happy Halloween! I dare you to swap out your avatar photo for that one! :lol:
Done!
 
#319 ·
Seeing a lot of these pics here in the last day or two. Been a cold start to the month of November with frost each of the first 4 days around Indy. Lots of annuals need to be pulled and trashed after a hard frost this morning.




We received about 4" of rain the week before Halloween and not much sun. It has left me with a few gnarly looking areas, the worst of which are pictured below. It is way more evident to me now as I dropped HOC to 0.625" in most areas. I had been dealing with areas of rust for a few weeks, but I think I've got some leaf spot mixed in there now too. I put down azoxy at 0.77oz/k today. With a slight warmup coming this weekend, I'm hoping the treatment and new growth will clear it up. Next year I need to push my preventative fungicide regimen deeper into the year.






A few decent pics of the side and the reno to make myself feel better.




And here is a prime example of why I would never put straw down during a reno. The bale is trying to put out its own monostand.


Finally, the swardman suffered its first casualty. Drive timing belt snapped mid mow. Based on some of the other horror stories I've heard, I'm lucky that's the first mishap for the Edwin. I also am pretty tough on the belts, mowing up some aggressive slopes. I had ordered replacements of all belts just to have on hand. Naturally the replacement belt I got is 10mm longer so it was slipping off. A replacement to the replacement should be here tomorrow though.
 
#320 ·
Shutting down the journal for the season. Only mowed twice in November so far and each mow only produced 0.25" or so clippings. It really slowed down fast this year compared to years past. Might have 1 more mow left, mostly just for cleanup. Will probably put the winterizer N (planning 1 lb of N per k via urea) the week after Thanksgiving.

Total inputs 2021 (before winterizer):
N- 4.7 lbs
P- 1.1 lbs
K- 2.1 lbs

Total application costs 2021:






 
#324 ·
jskierko said:
Shutting down the journal for the season. Only mowed twice in November so far and each mow only produced 0.25" or so clippings. It really slowed down fast this year compared to years past. Might have 1 more mow left, mostly just for cleanup. Will probably put the winterizer N (planning 1 lb of N per k via urea) the week after Thanksgiving.

Total inputs 2021 (before winterizer):
N- 4.7 lbs
P- 1.1 lbs
K- 2.1 lbs

Total application costs 2021:
That's really great to see how much money goes into having an elite lawn. Planning mine out for next year and it's already looking similar in cost. Are you targeting a certain amount of N or go by what it looks like it needs more?
 
#325 ·
Wile said:
That's really great to see how much money goes into having an elite lawn. Planning mine out for next year and it's already looking similar in cost. Are you targeting a certain amount of N or go by what it looks like it needs more?
I usually try to stick with a minimum of 4 lbs N annually and at least 2 lbs of N from Labor Day until the end of the season. I probably could have pushed it more at different times of the year, but keeping up with mowing gets tough for me as I usually have a max of 3 days per week that I have the ability to mow (I work retail, so varying and often later and longer hours) and I need cooperation with the weather. So I tread lightly on really pushing top growth. Next year, however, I plan on a sand topdressing so I'm sure I will be throwing it down big time to aid in recovery. Essentially, I feed as I see the need in spring and summer, then try to get a structured application of 0.25 lbs N weekly in the fall.
 
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