Spring 2008 yard care thread

Great thread. I bought 2 yards of "Turf Topper" from Geo Growers in Dripping Springs. It is half compost (dairy cow) and half masonry sand. I could only fit 1 yard in the full sized truck at a time (made 2 runs). $47 after tax per yard.

More than enough for a normal suburban sized yard.

Did this on Saturday and Sunday and watered it in. I plan on doing 8-2-4 in 2 weeks. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be but my left arm is a bit sore from carrying the shovel so much.
 
WOW!

Did the Dillo Dirt and aeration deal 2 weeks ago and the results have been amazing. The St. A has greened up nicely, and a lot of the yellowing is gone. Not sure if I posted on this thread or not but the house we moved into last summer had a yard that had been ignored for years. Covered in Bermuda and weeds of all kinds including TONS of crabgrass.

Anyway, Dillor Dirt is now on my permanent schedule 2x a year now for October and April.

Other things I have done:

* Mow to 4 inches. This has been a big help in squeezing out the low growing weeds like clover.
* I have not watered in 2 weeks b.c of all of the rain, but I water deeply only on Sunday AM (1x per week)
* Applied Medina Soil activator to all beds and lawn last week.
* Spray with seaweed solution on the first and 15th day of every month.
* I have used this stuffThe Link on the Crabgrass and it has been AMAZING!!!! You wet the crabgrass with a pump sprayer and then dust this stuff on. The main ingredient is cinnamon and wherever I have put it on the crabgrass is wiped out in 48 hours. Literally shriveled to the ground.

Future:
Mulch beds with Nat Gardner Sylvan formula (anyone used this? Any advantage to trad Texas HW mulch?)
I think I am going to add a 1x/month dose of Natural Gardner Compost Tea on the 10th or 20th of every month.
Since I have shifted to organic, I am going to apply another fertilizer does in mid June and then in Oct and mid March.
Overseed with Winter Rye
Corn Gluten in 1st Feb
 
I use the sylvan around my trees. It seems to be a mulch/compost/nutrients.

The compost tea is good stuff as well, don't know if you need to do it twice a month. You can also spray trees/shrubs/plants with it.
 
GB, what you are doing should is pretty much what I do and my yard is really doing well.

I also use Actinovate, its a fungus control/root builder for the grass that you can get from the natural gardener. Its a powder. Sometimes I throw some of that in a hose end sprayer when I apply soil activator or seaweed.
 
We put in seasonal rye last fall and had a beautiful green lawn all winter and through the spring. Now, it's dying off and the St. Augusting appears to be struggling and coming in patchy. I did the corn meal gluten in February and organic fertilizer in April. Anything else?
 
I have never done the winter rye thing, but does it thatch? Perhaps rent a thatch rake from the depot or lowes.

From what I understand, it is supposed to keep the soil aerated and fertilize as it dies off.
 
hey taco, how often do you apply activinate and with what mechanism? A hose end sprayer?

I am 99% sure I have common Texas St. A and not a SAD/TARR resistant kind like Floritam or Palmetto.
 
So how can you control ivy (or can you)? I just bought a house and the front bed is covered with ivy and it has begun growing up the brick on the front of the house - actually went through the screen on the window. It's a decent ground cover but seems really hard to control. Any advice?
 
GB, I just dump some in a hose end sprayer occasionally when I spray seaweed or soil activator. you can also use a pump sprayer

Lately, I've been mixing soil activator/seaweed/actinovate in the hose end sprayer and spray that every month or two.
 
Anyone know of any good remedies for the Fairy Rings? Got 2 6 foot green rings almost next to each other in the back yard. I had one last year, right before winter so I never did anything about it. I know I read on this thread or another one about putting some nutrients back into the soil, which I am sure is the problem. I am going organic next year, I am done with Scotts.
 
I realize this post is old and I'm sure the original person posting it has long since found someone to aerate his lawn, but just in case someone else like me happens to stumble across this post and needs a good company to aerate, I'd highly recommend Top Choice Lawns. My husband is pretty fanatical about our lawn and has used various lawn companies in the past to aerate. Top Choice is the best of bunch though. They take their time to do a good job and have really nice equipment. Here is their number - (512) 291-7050
 
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