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mdalbke_gw

Need Help with Lawn

mdalbke
11 years ago

I just bought this home in Feb and need help with my lawn. As you can see it is very patchy. There appears to be some dormant grass as well.

Home is in Pasadena MD right near the bay and is under daily attach my a flock of geese.

What can i do to get this to look more uniform and healthy?

Comments (4)

  • mdalbke
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    another photo

    Here is a link that might be useful: album with more pictures

  • grass1950
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm guessing you have an irrigation problem due to rain can't fall up or maybe you live in China?
    Do you know what type of grass you have?
    Consider getting a soil test. That will give you a good idea what the problems may be.

  • mdalbke
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    LOL @ grass1950

    for some reason the photos keep showing up upside down. when you click on them they are right side up.

    i hope to get a soil test this weekend.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Uh, clicking on them doesn't help. Are you playing tricks on us?

    Stupid geese are vegetarians and will take out your lawn. Do you know what kind of grass you have or is it just what's left over?

    Basics of Lawn Care

    After reading numerous books and magazines on lawn care, caring for lawns at seven houses over the years, and reading numerous forums where real people write in to discuss their successes and failures, I have decided to side with the real people and dispense with the book and magazine authors. I don't know what star their planet rotates around but it's not mine. With that in mind, here is the collected wisdom of the Internet savvy homeowners and lawn care professionals summarized in a few words. If you follow the advice here you will have conquered at least 50% of all lawn problems. Once you have these three elements mastered, then you can worry about weeds (if you have any), dog spots, and striping your lawn. But if you are not doing these three things, they will be the first three things suggested for you to correct.

    Watering
    Water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means at least an inch in every zone, all at once. Infrequently means monthly during the cool months and no more than weekly during the hottest part of summer. Do not spread this out and water for 10 minutes every day. If your grass looks dry before the month/week is up, water longer next time. If that does not work, then you might have to water more than once per week during the summer's hottest period. Deep watering grows deep, drought resistant roots. Infrequent watering allows the top layer of soil to dry completely which kills off many shallow rooted weeds.

    You will have to learn to judge when to water your own lawn. If you live in El Paso your watering will be different than if you live in Vermont. Adjust your watering to your type of grass, temperature, humidity, wind, and soil type. It is worth noting that this technique is used successfully by professionals in Phoenix, so...just sayin.' The other factors make a difference. If you normally water 1 inch per week and you get 1/2 inch of rain, then adjust and water only 1/2 inch that week.

    Mowing
    Every week mulch mow at the highest setting on your mower. Most grasses are the most dense when mowed tall. However, bermuda, centipede, and bent grasses will become the most dense when they are mowed at the lowest setting on your mower. In fact there are special mowers that can mow these grasses down to 1/16 inch. Dense grass shades out weeds, keeps the soil cooler, and uses less water than thin grass. Tall grass can feed the deep roots you developed in #1 above. Tall grass does not grow faster than short grass nor does it look shaggy sooner. Once all your grass is at the same height, tall grass just looks plush.

    Fertilizing
    Fertilize regularly. I fertilize 5 times per year using organic fertilizer. Which fertilizer you use is much less important than numbers 1 and 2 above. Follow the directions on the bag and do not overdo it. Too much is better than too little*.

    At this point you do not have to worry about weed and feed products - remember at this point you are just trying to grow grass, not perfect it. Besides once you are doing these three things correctly, your weed problems should go away without herbicide.

    * This used to read, "Too little is better than too much." Recent test results show that you cannot get too much organic fertilizer unless you bury the grass in it.