Mowen da lawn

[Scorpio64 5,147]

10 hours ago, Displaced Texan said:

The compound is less than an acre. Push mower. 

Aw jeez, less than an acre.  You need a couple yard goats.  The original robot mower.

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

48 minutes ago, Scorpio64 said:

Aw jeez, less than an acre.  You need a couple yard goats.  The original robot mower.

I lease the grazing rights to a guy who runs cattle. They take care of the other 749 acres. 
 

Now if I could just get the cows to eat cedar trees….

[Scorpio64 5,147]

4 minutes ago, Displaced Texan said:

Now if I could just get the cows to eat cedar trees….

Goats eat cedar.  Jus say'n.

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

19 minutes ago, Scorpio64 said:

Goats eat cedar.  Jus say'n.

I’m well aware. We’ve raised goats before. They will eat ANYTHING. 
 

They can also escape from anything…so it’s difficult keeping them contained. They also require some protection from predators. Otherwise they become coyote turds. 

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

Just cut the grass at the ranch. It was about 12” high in some places. 
About an acre…with a push mower. 
Wouldn’t have sucked if my former hired man had done his job. 
 

That’s why he’s my former hired man. 

 

[Sniper 6,372]

1 hour ago, Displaced Texan said:

It was about 12” high in some places. Wouldn’t have sucked if my former hired man had done his job.

That's why you need some goats, they're more reliable.

1 hour ago, Displaced Texan said:

Just cut the grass at the ranch.

Why didn't you move there instead of the other neighborhood? After all, didn't Zeke get it all fixed up for you..

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

Goats are their own set of problems. We have raised them before, had about 400 head at one time. 
MUCH easier to mow the lawn myself than to deal with ‘goat problems’. 
 

I don’t live at the ranch because it’s a weekend place for me. And, my wife prefers to live closer to civilization. Fair enough. 
Zeke fixed a gate, that he broke first..

[tony357 386]

My grass is still green the wife's rose bush has a rose on it. You can see the cord for christmas decorations on the ground crazy.

[Scorpio64 5,147]

Time to put down early spring weed and feed with a pre-emergent.

[gleninjersey 2,139]

Dropping off my mower blades to get them sharpened.  

Monday's & Tuesday's lows are in the low to mid 20s.  I'm waiting another week or so before dropping the pre-emergent.

Soil temperatures are still a little on the chilly side.  Looks like we had a few days above 50 but then dropped below 50 the past week  .Here's an interesting tool to show your local soil temperatures.  With the upcoming dip back into low to mid-20s the soil temperature will probably drop further.  

But it's definetly getting to be that time of the year again!  Thank goodness.  So done with winter.  And this was a mild winter!

https://www.greencastonline.com/tools/soil-temperature

[gleninjersey 2,139]

@Scorpio64  What do you think of this product for crabgrass prevention:

https://www.domyown.com/crabgrass-control-plus-with-037-prodiamine-herbicide-p-18791.html

[Scorpio64 5,147]

1 hour ago, gleninjersey said:

I'm waiting another week or so before dropping the pre-emergent.

Pre-emergent should go down now.  In fact, it should have been put down two weeks ago.  It lasts at least 60 days.  Once crabgrass has germinated, it is too late to use a pre-emergent.

[Scorpio64 5,147]

1 hour ago, gleninjersey said:

What do you think of this product for crabgrass prevention:

That is more of a crabgrass control than a spring 3 in 1.  The linked product contains no nitrogen at all.  Early spring NPK values should be N=18-25/ P=0-5/ K=0-5, for example, 22-0-5.  NPK values do not need to be exact, just in the ball park of what is appropriate for the purpose and season.  If you are using it strictly for crabgrass control, then by all means use it.  But you will have to put down "weed and feed"  separately. If you do that, use a fertilizer with very low P and K values.

I plucked this from a random site, it gives the basics for what NPK represents and how each helps plant growth and health.

Quote

 

Nitrogen

Nitrogen, the first number referenced in an NPK sequence, plays a key role in a plant's coloring and chlorophyll production, making it an important factor in leaf development. Fertilizers high in nitrogen are often used for grass or other plants where green foliage growth is more important than flowering. At the opposite end of the spectrum, gardeners sometimes encounter the problem of nitrogen depletion—the yellowing of typically green plants often indicates a nitrogen deficiency.

Phosphorus

The middle number in an NPK series refers to the percentage of phosphorous in the fertilizer product. Phosphorus plays a key role in the growth of roots, blooming, and fruiting, which is why it is an essential nutrient for your plants in spring. Phosphorus contributes to many fundamental plant processes, such as rooting and seed formation.

Potassium

The final number in the major ingredients listing gives the percentage of potassium in the product. Potassium contributes to the overall health and vigor of plants. It is known to help strengthen plants' ability to resist disease, assist in the movement of water and nutrients in the plant, and can be especially important in areas that experience cold or dry weather.

 

We use Lesco  Dimension Crabgrass Pre-emergent + Fertilizer at work.  It's NPK is 19-0-7.  Three to four weeks after application, we spray lawns with a broad leaf weed killer.  Lesco products are available at Home Depo

Put down your fertilizer with crabgrass prevention now, then deal with whatever weedlings managed to germinate a few weeks later with a broad leaf weed killer, or wait two months and put down a season appropriate fertilizer with weed killer.

 

 

[10X 3,296]

19 hours ago, Scorpio64 said:

Pre-emergent should go down now.  In fact, it should have been put down two weeks ago.  It lasts at least 60 days.  Once crabgrass has germinated, it is too late to use a pre-emergent.

How important is soil temperature?  I'd always heard that early application of a Halts (pendimethalin) product to control Japanese stilt grass should go down when the surface soil temp had climbed into the 55-60F range, and ideally before a 1/4-1/2" rainfall.   That's a little earlier than needed for just crabgrass control.  

Last year I did apply it a week or two ago, but with the cold spring this year in Morris County, the full-sun part of my lawn is only up to 52F or so, and any place that gets shade is still in the high 40's...so I've been holding off.

[Scorpio64 5,147]

1 hour ago, 10X said:

How important is soil temperature?

Soil temp is very important, it is the catalyst for everything that happens.  That's why Forsythia budding is like a turkey pop-up thermometer, it's a  rule-of-thumb method for knowing soil temp is approaching 50 deg. 

When forsythia are in full bloom, the average daily soil temp is already at 55 deg and seeds are already germinating.  By this time, the efficacy of pre-emergent is greatly diminished.

Think of crabgrass control the same as birth control pills.  They are used BEFORE "germination" to prevent germination.  Pre-emergent protection typically lasts 60 to 90 days, so, if you put it down 30 days before soil temps are in the 50's, it is already there doing its thing.  You don't want to put any granular products down while the ground is still hard.  One heavy rainfall can wash it off your lawn and into the storm drains.

1 hour ago, 10X said:

when the surface soil temp had climbed into the 55-60F range, and ideally before a 1/4-1/2" rainfall.  

Pre-emergents work differently than weed killer in two ways. 

Seeds on and under the soil surface absorb dissolved pre-emergent like a sponge when watered.   That is why you can't put down grass seed the same time pre-emergent is present .  You have to "water in" pre-emergents.

On the other hand, weed killer is absorbed into the entire plant through the leaf of a seedling or mature weed.  Most weed killers are  not absorbed through the root, so watering-in does nothing but wash the herbicide off the plant you are trying to kill.

 

[10X 3,296]

Thanks. Our forsythia is just barely budding (nowhere near flowering) as well, but I’ll go ahead and get product down this week; a little rain is expected by Thursday anyway. 

[gleninjersey 2,139]

@Scorpio64 Thanks.  I'll use that for the crabgrass prevention.  Forsythia near me is only half starting to bud and grow so I should be fine.  And with temps dipping down to low to mid 20s next few days it's going to slow things down even more.  

I'll put down some Milogranite in a few weeks for the feeding part.

What's a good spray with hose weed killer for broadleaf?  I want to spray this year rather than using the granule stuff.

[Scorpio64 5,147]

1 hour ago, gleninjersey said:

What's a good spray with hose weed killer for broadleaf? 

That's a complicated question, but I'll give you a simple answer.  Anything with 2,4-D, or a combo 2,4-D and Dicamba  works well for most weeds.  Wait until the daily temp is reliably >50deg.

Be careful of over spray, the best times to apply are usually morning and evening when the wind is calmest.

1 hour ago, gleninjersey said:

I'll put down some Milogranite in a few weeks for the feeding part.

You can put nitrogen fertilizer down now as long as the P and K values are low or zero.  No need to wait.

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

Now that we have moved to Texas, I no longer have to take care of the yard. Our section of the community is ‘landscape maintained’, as part of our homeowner association fees. 
They do everything. Fertilizer. Cutting/edging/mulching. Tree work. They even replace plants that die. 
 

In my mind, it’s cheap for what they do. 
 

I keep this in mind when I’m push mowing the acre yard at the ranch, so I don’t bitch too much. Lol

 

This is NOT Tex cutting the grass!

[Scorpio64 5,147]

On 3/29/2022 at 4:42 PM, Displaced Texan said:

when I’m push mowing the acre yard at the ranch

You need a garden tractor, Mr Hill.  Hydro drive with front and rear 3pt hitches and hydro controls.  60" mower deck, rototiller, box scraper, front end loader, snow blower ( ha, just kidding), brush hog, aerator, etc.  You need em all.  For god sake man, your an effn Texan, get a tractor already. 

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

31 minutes ago, Scorpio64 said:

You need a garden tractor, Mr Hill.  Hydro drive with front and rear 3pt hitches and hydro controls.  60" mower deck, rototiller, box scraper, front end loader, snow blower ( ha, just kidding), brush hog, aerator, etc.  You need em all.  For god sake man, your an effn Texan, get a tractor already. 

Funny you should say that. I DO have a garden tractor, but I’m having issues with the deck at the moment. 
Working on that, deck should be operational soon. I’ll still need the push mower for around the house and tighter areas the tractor won’t reach. 

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

This little shit is rooting in my flower beds. 
 

[JohnnyB 4,322]

Just now, Displaced Texan said:

This little shit is rooting in my flower beds. 
 

Armor plate!  Be sure to use green tips!

[Scorpio64 5,147]

 

1 hour ago, Displaced Texan said:

This little shit is rooting in my flower beds

Opossum on the half shell.  There's a couple guys on the Marlin forum that talk about how delicious they are and how nobody eats 'em anymore on account of leprocy.

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

My grandfather told me they used to eat them during the Great Depression. Said they were called ‘Hoover Hogs’, as they taste somewhat like pork. 

[gleninjersey 2,139]

Crabgrass Preventer down a few days ago.  Threw down 4 bags of Miogranite today on my lawn and neigbhors back lawn (I mow their lawn and thrown down some fert for for a small nomimal fee).     Supposed to rain the next few days.  Hopefully lawn will be looking good soon!

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

This thread reminds me that for years, Zeke was everywhere.  And then one day he wasn't around here anymore.

He was like the Forest Gump of NJ Gun Forums.

[Displaced Texan 11,731]

5 hours ago, Old Glock guy said:

This thread reminds me that for years, Zeke was everywhere.  And then one day he wasn't around here anymore.

He was like the Forest Gump of NJ Gun Forums.

I talk to him every day. I rather like the Forest Gump analogy….hahahaha

[gleninjersey 2,139]

What is this weed and, more importantly, what do I use to get rid if it?

It's spreading throughout my lawn.

 

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

I'm pretty sure that's Creeping Charlie. You'll have to read up on it as to treatment.