Lawn question

[AndyL]

Trying to sort out my front lawn... Looks like there was an older sod replacement (1 strip up the length) up the side of the driveway; and it's just never taken... That section is really thin - relatively bare; just not picking up... No thatch to speak of, dirt and patches of grass...

Got 2 passes over that area with the aerator this spring; Topdressed and overseeded; Lawn was fertilized with Corn Gluten Meal, and a liquid kelp treatment.

Did a spot treatment with a ~ 3-0-2 mix of liquid fert, and hydroponics CTEM mix (chelated trace element mix) on monday to try to give the grass seedlings a boost and kick up the recovery a notch - Maybe need to redo that application - was a bit weak on the N side but didn't want to hit those young grass seedlings too hard, especially with the CGM/Kelp having more of a time release component to them...

When it hasn't been raining - have been hitting the overseeded areas with water daily to keep it damp.

Rest of the front lawn is doing pretty good - except under the evergreens, at a bit of a loss as to why the heck this re-sodded area won't take off...

Back lawn's gone absolutely crazy receiving the same treatments - having to mow every other day to keep it under control... Kinda at a loss as to why this front lawn isn't improving radically.

[freshprince1]

Soounds like it might be soil nutrient deficiencies. Is it an older home? i.e. has the lawn been in place for decades?

I woud ditch the seed idea. Seeding grass is hard and requires meticulous care. I would tear out the existing grass in a nice square pattern, incluing a couple feet into the healthy grass. Then take out some of the soil and replace with some new top soil (not a "garden Mix" or any other bagged soil...find some real topsoil somewhere). I would then mix in some good high-nitrogen level fertilizer with the soil, let it sit for a week or so. Mix up the soil again and re-apply a light fertilizer on the top of the soil, then lay down some new sod. You want to extend the resodded area out past the area that is having trouble because laying new sod on refreshed soil will create a strong root base and give it a basic thatch layer. The weaker areas will gain some strength from the stronger areas, especially if the root layers are all interconnected (i.e. new sod).

Good old Scott's Turf Builder works good. All the organic stuff is twice the price and works half as good.

Is this area overly shaded? Close to a Pine tree? The needles on the pines anf firs are acidic and when left on the ground will kill the grass.

Or build a rock garden and be done with the area.

Good luck.

[AndyL]

Lots of evergreens, a ~10' mugo, 16-18' ??? pine (5 needles/cluster, odd growth pattern, wider at the top than bottom), a cedar, junipers up the arse...

But none near this bad patch - partly why I topdressed/overseeded this summer, it's done wonders for the areas around the evergreens, nothing for this strip up the side of the driveway...

Got to be careful with the chemicals - got an econazi neighbour...

[freshprince1]

Originally posted by AndyL

Got to be careful with the chemicals - got an econazi neighbour...

Sounds like a good way to piss them off then;)


That's the biggest thing I have againt the arbitrary hippies lobbying against fertilizer...most of it isn't even chemicals. It's Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphates. It's like taking vitamin supplaments for your grass. The Herbicide is the chemicals...and even then, when mixed correctly are not harmful.

I've seen some people use baking soda under pine trees to counter the acidity. Some have seen success, some see no difference.

Good luck with the yard.

[AndyL]

I don't need to try to piss them off - I'm really good at it just living life :) My use of a chainsaw last week sent him over the top; ok so it was a bit of overkill for knocking down suckers - but damn there was a ton of em, and a few finishing touches to earlier pruning / recent snow damage.

I've got lots of CaCO3 kicking around if I ever decide to deal with soil acidity (but really, it's not going to do much about the turpentines from the junipers/cedar).

What confuses me most is this is the one area that should be going like gangbusters - most heat, most runoff, furthest from the evergreens... Yet none of the grass is taking off - partly why I hit it with the CTEM - figuring it's gotta be a nutrient deficiency...

Really weary of hitting it with something like scotts right now, just too strong for a lawn that's not recovering from the winter like it should...

Hrm, wonder if it's a salt issue...

[AndyL]

Actually... While I've got a thread open in here... What the heck is my "unknown pine"?

5 needles per cluster; ~1.25" needles; triangular cross section.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i277/cgyreefer/001_800x600.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i277/cgyreefer/002_800x600.jpg

[freshprince1]

That is one funny looking Pine. Unfortunately I don't know what it is.

I couldn't tell for sure from the picture, but you might have a bit of Spruce Gall on your pines. If you see dead brown swollen tips, it's from a small bug that nests in the branch through the winter. If they make it through a winter it spreads pretty quick and can stunt growth on parts or all of the tree. Just pull them off and toss them in the fire pit.

I hate suckers. They are usually a sign that the tree is under stress...so it's trying to branch out to make up for it. But sometimes they just come up. You can use a standard selective broadleaf herbicide to slow them down. I do that, and weed-whack them to keep them under control.

[AndyL]

No signs of spruce gall so far - seen that many times before, not so far in this yard...

Might be the pine cones you're seeing - they're a funky purple.

[freshprince1]

Nice. Sounds like you know what you're doing.

[AndyL]

Have a bit of knowledge, few years of landscraping and a CCHT landscape maintenance course under my belt. And the chemistry is easy compared to the aquarium and hydroponics stuff :)