Lawn Care

[SmokinwithWilly]

On 4/20/2020 at 7:16 PM, MMA said:

That’s the biggest problem for me at the moment. I don’t have a clue what type of grass I have. There looks to be like 3-5 different kind of grass in my yard. I have watched YouTube videos and googled pictures, but still cannot determine them. My closest guess is that I think I have a little bit of really nice fescue. The rest, I can’t tell.

Depending on how your grass was installed (hand seeded, hydroseed, sod) you will typically have 4 -5 different types of grass. Most commercial brands are a blend of ryes, fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass. I'm in the pacific northwest so ours may differ some. Make sure of what you are buying if you are planning on doing any type of seeding. Fescues are hearty but they can be a bitch when they start spreading. They can get super thick and have to be cut short to allow water and nutrients to penetrate. Plus, unless you have really sharp blades on your mower, it doesn't cut very well if that's all you have. Sharp blades are essential. I use an air disc grinder to sharpen mine every 2 mows. Not razor sharp but noticeable edge.

As suggested, take a sample to someone who has some knowledge and they can give you the right info. Knowing what type of grass will also help you know how much water to apply. Don't just put a sprinkler in the middle, put it in the corners shooting towards the middle. When you move it, try to make sure you overlap to get really good coverage (making an irrigation map helps). Proper coverage can reduce how much water you need by a lot. Deep root watering works best. Watering every day will keep roots shallower than every other or every 3 days. 

You can pick up a soil ph tester for 20 bucks at Home Depot. Take a couple samples from different spots in your yard. Then adjust your fertilizer accordingly. I find aerating to be best in spring when its wet or late fall. I buy 500 lbs of chicken poo (im on an acre)every year and spread it on my lawn. The soil really loves it. Again, I'm in PNW and don't have the clay you do. I will say the neighbors hate the smell for a few days.

As far as moles, I've tried everything but I only got results when I plugged all the open tunnels I could find and stuck a dryer vent hose in a tunnel and put the other end on my diesel. Revved the engine for about 5 minutes and no more moles. 

Don't be afraid of farm supply stores either. They generally have far better inventory and way better pricing than your Lowe's or home Depot. I get glysulphate (round up) for $16 a gallon concentrate. Roundup is $100 or more for the same thing. They also have more specific types of weed control than just your typical box stores too.

Also, a quality mower is essential. Power is great but blade speed is very important too. I have a commercial mower with 18k fpm tip speed. The faster the speed the smoother the cut. Also turn direction mowing 45 degrees per week. Grass will learn to lay down if you keep cutting the same direction.

Hope this helps.

[Davidson Deac II]

On 4/14/2020 at 9:34 PM, Shocker said:

How do I get rid of moles?  Destroying my yard which looks terrible now.

I have a skunk living nearby.  Since he moved in, haven't seen a Mole at all.  Of course, I do have to be careful when I go outside, especially at night.  lol