Lawndress's Shady Nook 2021

Lawndress · Apr 16, 2021

Might as well put in my own.... To

I'm doing 100 percent of my own lawn for the first time this year. I've been more of a gardener only before.

I really want the front yard to shape up this year. The back is probably going to have some septic work soon, and I've finally finished making holes in the front for a new well pump, hydrant, etc.

From the front stoop:

This actually looks a ton better than last year, even though I didn't overseed.

A close up of the current sad state:

That's the worst of the main front yard. The side front yard is worse, though, because the shade is so deep.

This lawn desperately needs leveling. We've had all sorts of digging done out there, and it's left it's mark, along with all the removed trees over the years.

Lawndress · Apr 16, 2021

And today I did the whole paved ditch/gutter that starts one neighbor over and ends one neighbor over. I'm the only one to bother to dig it out, usually. One neighbor is elderly, and the other is kinda having a difficult time right now.

My section just needed a little weeding.

You can see the elderly neighbor's on the charity lawn thread.

The far end was almost totally blocked, though.

Before:

After:

As I said, I'm mostly a gardener. My front bed, which is kinda between blooms:

Some of the driveway bed:

I need a new driveway, but that's not happening until remodeling is totally over.

Lawndress · Apr 19, 2021

Did work around the yard and mowed. Got the pots planted and a bunch of shrubs in the ground.

Lawndress · Apr 20, 2021

Mowed 2 days ago. Watered today. Threw down some fertilizer. Planted 4 shrubs. The tenacity seems to have hurt some of my grass...not sure what type.

Shrubs:

My kid's tomato:

Flowers that were pruned:

Lumalux · Apr 22, 2021

Very pretty yard.

johnklein25 · May 13, 2021

Very nice photos - and best wishes for getting your lawn where you want it. This is for sure the best place on the web for Q&A without the sales pitch. I'm having good luck with SpeedZone herbicide so give that one a try if your find something Tenacity won't kill. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend a soil test. Getting your pH in the right zone ( between 6 to 7) is really important to make sure you're not wasting time and money on fertilizer. Fertilizers are not very effective if your pH is out of that range.

I likegetting soil tests from a local university extension office or https://www.spectrumanalytic.com/ I want accurate results accurate results without the sales pitch... I haven't used spetrum analytic but I don't think they push any name brand products. I used the University of MO this spring... no sales pitch, just the facts.

There are lots of people on the forum who can help interpret the soil test results if needed, however the soil test itself should come with some instructions on how to adjust pH if needed, and how much Phos or Potassium should be applied to optimize your soil for the lawn you want to grow.

Best of luck!

nnnnnate · May 26, 2021

Do you have a background in gardening or has it just been a hobby that you've learned about over the years? I'm jealous of your space and the mature trees. I look forward to seeing more of your yard and the progress you make on the lawn.

kdxkid · May 31, 2021

Ok - any idea what could be wrong. Yes - concur it looks super thin. I was really hoping to not need to cut it down but probably leaning that way now.

Lawndress · Jun 9, 2021

Lumalux said:
Very pretty yard.

Oh thanks! I'm a silly and haven't been checking this at all.

Lawndress · Jun 9, 2021

johnklein25 said:
Very nice photos - and best wishes for getting your lawn where you want it. This is for sure the best place on the web for Q&A without the sales pitch. I'm having good luck with SpeedZone herbicide so give that one a try if your find something Tenacity won't kill. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend a soil test. Getting your pH in the right zone ( between 6 to 7) is really important to make sure you're not wasting time and money on fertilizer. Fertilizers are not very effective if your pH is out of that range.

I likegetting soil tests from a local university extension office or https://www.spectrumanalytic.com/ I want accurate results accurate results without the sales pitch... I haven't used spetrum analytic but I don't think they push any name brand products. I used the University of MO this spring... no sales pitch, just the facts.

There are lots of people on the forum who can help interpret the soil test results if needed, however the soil test itself should come with some instructions on how to adjust pH if needed, and how much Phos or Potassium should be applied to optimize your soil for the lawn you want to grow.

Best of luck!

Thanks! I have done one app of Speedzone already this year and one app of some Bayer stuff I already had that had 3 of the 4 ingredients because I put it up in the wrong place. Lol.

Here is progress now....

I got a soil test a few years ago when I wasn't adding anything and hadn't been and my phosphorus was almost too high. So I avoid anything with it.

Other than that, my soil is super acidic. So a large part of my lawn's struggles has been due to not doing anything about that. Or adding iron, which it desperately needs. And having the menfolk do the lawn work because they hate it and do things that damage it badly quite often and won't mow often enough. And not watering it at all. And not fertilizing it more than once every few years....

I added the annual application of pH correcting stuff (Mag-i-cal) before doing anything else.

You're right--dont want to throw that away!

Pics more like my originals:

Progress is pretty obvious even though I had to stop mid mow today because of the rain.

Lawndress · Jun 9, 2021

nnnnnate said:
Do you have a background in gardening or has it just been a hobby that you've learned about over the years? I'm jealous of your space and the mature trees. I look forward to seeing more of your yard and the progress you make on the lawn.

Weeeell I knew about all the plants that grew in my native central Texas. Then I moved to the high country mountains and had to relearn everything. Then I moved to the Mid-Atlantic and I had to relearn everything again.

My method for learning about new plants and new places is to buy huge numbers of discount plants from the sad racks and just stick them in the ground. Literally nothing beats actually growing stuff!

Lawndress · Jun 9, 2021

And here was the second almost bald view 6 weeks ago or so....

This is the absolute worst area. You can see how much it has filled in since then.

Lawndress · Jun 10, 2021

And approximately the same area as the patchy bit at the top now looks like this:

Slow improvement. No dandelions anymore, btw. Just most of everything else still....

Lawndress · Jun 10, 2021

This is hilarious. Look at the line where the poa supina dominant lawn gives out to the fescues:

Alisonpv · Jun 13, 2021

Lawndress said:
This is hilarious. Look at the line where the poa supina dominant lawn gives out to the fescues:

Hahaha! I love it

go go supina!!!

Lawndress · Jun 13, 2021

Alisonpv said:
Lawndress said:

This is hilarious. Look at the line where the poa supina dominant lawn gives out to the fescues:

Click to expand...

Hahaha! I love it go go supina!!!

Heat is coming...we will see how it goes when I baby it through the summer!

Alisonpv · Jun 13, 2021

Lawndress said:
Alisonpv said:

Lawndress said:

This is hilarious. Look at the line where the poa supina dominant lawn gives out to the fescues:

Click to expand...

Hahaha! I love it go go supina!!!

Click to expand...

Heat is coming...we will see how it goes when I baby it through the summer!

Texas has to be tough. How much/often do you water and fertilize? I'm still getting the hang of it.

Lawndress · Jun 14, 2021

Alisonpv said:
Lawndress said:

Alisonpv said:

Hahaha! I love it go go supina!!!

Click to expand...

Heat is coming...we will see how it goes when I baby it through the summer!

Click to expand...

Texas has to be tough. How much/often do you water and fertilize? I'm still getting the hang of it.

Oh, I'm new Washington, DC now. lol.

Texas was super easy. Had St Augustinegrass and an irrigation system. That's basically cheating. I hand-weeded some obnoxious daisy-like weeds, but other than that, a bright green monostand only requires a bit of fertilizer.

These bunch grasses that take reseeding are like my worst nightmare. I feel like they are constantly trying to die on me! I will freely admit that this is one of the reasons I love the poa supina--anything with stolons or rhizomes is like my best friend in the world.

I've been spoon-feeding fertilizer, and I'm going to take a risk with the supina because it's really hungry and keep going through summer. I got 2#/M down in spring and I'll do another 2#/M in fall and will spoonfeed .5-1 over summer.

I water so that the yard gets a minimum of an inch per week. It's the only thing I use the Scott's lawn app for.

Alisonpv · Jun 14, 2021

Lawndress said:
Alisonpv said:

Lawndress said:

Heat is coming...we will see how it goes when I baby it through the summer!

Click to expand...

Texas has to be tough. How much/often do you water and fertilize? I'm still getting the hang of it.

Click to expand...

Oh, I'm new Washington, DC now. lol.

Texas was super easy. Had St Augustinegrass and an irrigation system. That's basically cheating. I hand-weeded some obnoxious daisy-like weeds, but other than that, a bright green monostand only requires a bit of fertilizer.

These bunch grasses that take reseeding are like my worst nightmare. I feel like they are constantly trying to die on me! I will freely admit that this is one of the reasons I love the poa supina--anything with stolons or rhizomes is like my best friend in the world.

I've been spoon-feeding fertilizer, and I'm going to take a risk with the supina because it's really hungry and keep going through summer. I got 2#/M down in spring and I'll do another 2#/M in fall and will spoonfeed .5-1 over summer.

I water so that the yard gets a minimum of an inch per week. It's the only thing I use the Scott's lawn app for.

Just double checking - 2 pounds per month?

Ok.. I'm on track for .75 every other week and I honestly wasn't sure that was enough.

And yes the self repair, and shade tolerance is why I'm ADORING this grass. Love love.

Lawndress · Jun 15, 2021

Alisonpv said:
Lawndress said:

Alisonpv said:

Texas has to be tough. How much/often do you water and fertilize? I'm still getting the hang of it.

Click to expand...

Oh, I'm new Washington, DC now. lol.

Texas was super easy. Had St Augustinegrass and an irrigation system. That's basically cheating. I hand-weeded some obnoxious daisy-like weeds, but other than that, a bright green monostand only requires a bit of fertilizer.

These bunch grasses that take reseeding are like my worst nightmare. I feel like they are constantly trying to die on me! I will freely admit that this is one of the reasons I love the poa supina--anything with stolons or rhizomes is like my best friend in the world.

I've been spoon-feeding fertilizer, and I'm going to take a risk with the supina because it's really hungry and keep going through summer. I got 2#/M down in spring and I'll do another 2#/M in fall and will spoonfeed .5-1 over summer.

I water so that the yard gets a minimum of an inch per week. It's the only thing I use the Scott's lawn app for.

Click to expand...

Just double checking - 2 pounds per month?

Ok.. I'm on track for .75 every other week and I honestly wasn't sure that was enough.

And yes the self repair, and shade tolerance is why I'm ADORING this grass. Love love.

Nope, 6 pounds for the year is what U of Mich did! 2 pounds it really struggles. 4 is does well. 6 does better. I'm backing off to tiny spoon feeds over the summer, though.

Alisonpv · Jun 15, 2021

Ok so... talking with a few Germans and watching Perfect Green's video .... I'm aiming for 8#. 😬

Lawndress · Apr 11, 2023

I knew I needed a new septic in 2022 so I did nothing except in the bits of the yard untouched by it. In late 2022, I scalped the back hill and threw down rye. Don't ask about the septic field. It's still a catastrophe! So is large parts of the front where the heavy machinery went over too late in the season for the seed to take. Still looks better than 2 years ago! This was extremely thin and mostly weeds and dirt then!

I'll add a front shot tomorrow!

Lawndress · Apr 11, 2023

This is the front across what was the absolute worst in 2021 and mostly bare soil!
The upper is the way the mid-lawn looks, much better than 2 years ago, when it was 1/3 weeds and 1/3 bare.

Lawndress · Apr 12, 2023

I guess I should say what I've done this year! 2 rounds of fert, pre-emergent on most but lawn starter where it's torn up from new septic, with a bit more seed because the septic was done too late in the year for the seed to take last year.

Mag-i-CAL on 30,000 sqft.

Ironite is partly done.

Everything is hand watered cuz I don't have irrigation. I have 2 90'-diameter sprinklers thar I stick on 2 hour timers and move around.

Mulched a fair amount.

Planted about 100, 150 lilies. Will plant 12 peonies. Got in 5 Rhodos and azaleas so far, will have more.

Had a 300' fence put in, and I cleaned up the fence line of brush. Am moving the lawn line a bit and landscaping 500' of fence this year eventually. I just planted 8 roses, 2 purple leaf sand cherries, and some peonies in aid of that.

Did the two 100'- plus driveway beds for spring clean up. Generally did yard spring clean up too.

Have a new dog that just hit 85lbs, so I have poop duty weekly too 😆

Been mowing 2x per week because I've decided to mow at 2" on my big lawn tractor.

Lawndress's Shady Nook 2021

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