Phil's Lawn Care...In Progress.

DCiFound

SEAHAWKS!!
Moved this thread, to get more activity from members here.
Other thread is deleted ;)

Just a timeline to see if i can bring this dead yard back to life, without doing a overhaul. I sent a soil sample to a lab to get tested. The results will take a couple weeks to know if i need to add lime, potash, phosphorus, iron, etc. While im waiting, i plan to add seeds and starter fertilizer to get some grass growing. The other day, i pulled all the weeds out of the front and back yard. I would say, there was about a thousand weeds total. There were weeds under weeds with different roots going to more weeds. My body is feeling all that 7 hours of hard ass work.

Earlier this spring, I tried to reduce the germination of weeds, by mowing high and adding pre and post emergent. I didnt pull any weeds, since i didnt have grass seeds to fill in the holes. I just added fertilizer with weed and feed to help slow them down. We had a drought this summer and the grass went dormant. Now that the weather is cooling down, i plan to lay seeds and put top soil over it. I plan to use starter fertilizer to kick in the germination. Then a final application of winterizer until spring. Im getting ahead of myself here and let the pic speak of what i am working with.

I did the front before i started taking pics. This is the aftermath.
08/26/2015







The bin is full with just the front yard weeds and some sod from the garden strips


Had to borrow the neighbors bin to finish the back yard :)


The backyard shows you how it was in the front. I ran out of light to take pics of the backyard after it was pulled. Refer to front yard pics.
All the green is weeds, not grass





 
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DCiFound

SEAHAWKS!!
Progress was at a halt, due to rain and a wind storm we had for the past week. Then the sky opened up and i took the chance to do more yard work prepping. Plus, the yard waste is being picked up this friday, so i want to fill the bins as full as i can get them.

The clouds leaving. Bye Bye
9/2/2015



After hand picking the branches off the ground.



Front Yard, and that is green grass. I didnt add any grass seeds yet, since the yard still needs a lot more prep. Im hoping to have seeds down by this weekend. According to the weather, its supposed to be in the mid 70s and dry.



HORRIBLE!! This is what you call a dead yard that weeds thrive on



After pulling Dandelions a week ago, they came back. UGH!!! :guns:
I didnt bother pulling those out by hand. I plan to rent a power rake to remove thatch that has built up over decades. Im not ready to see what it will look like afterwards




Back Yard, and that green is actually weeds.



Close up of the weeds




I raked the yard to encourage the grass blades to reach up. Then my lawn mower will shake their hands bwahahaha
Before


After



I raked a lot of dead grass and moss. Yup, this lawn has that too :smackself I couldve pulled most of the moss out, but i couldnt see myself breaking my back, when i am just going to use a power rake anyways
After i started raking



I used a plastic rake, but a metal rake would be better for scarring the ground. I dont use metal rakes since i have this thatching rake. The thatching rakes are great, but wont do s*** to this yard though. So, i must rent a tool that will be faster and easier, like a power rake lol



I ended up with a lot of deadness in multiple piles; 6 to be exact. Picked up more branches with the rake.
Here are the 2 biggest piles. One from the back and one from the front.




My bin was already full from last week. I jumped in to try and crush it down.



Im only a buck fifty and this is all i was able to do lol. Damn, gotta ask the neighbors again to use theirs



I left them some room though



I found my weed problem :rolf:



Rain clouds started lurking overhead again. Didnt get a chance to mow the grass. Hopefully this weekend, if the weather holds up.



Enjoy the last time we see brown grass






Couldnt have a pic without Tenacious in it :naughty:



Oh, almost forgot. Started a log book
 

DCiFound

SEAHAWKS!!
Yeah, me too. It wouldve never gotten this far. Im reviving it for my parents house. Im bored and this is the only thing i can think of, to keep my mind occupied. Or else, i would be spending money on car parts :lol:
 

DCiFound

SEAHAWKS!!
The weather is promising for this weekend. Dry for the most part and temp is perfect for cool season grass seeds to germinate. The temp should be no higher than 75* during the day, and no lower than 55* at night for seeds to grow. WATER WATER WATER, twice a day to keep the soil moist. Dry soil kills the seeds from germinating.

Nothing major for today. All i did was mow the grass, to have it ready for tomorrow. Just want to bring more knowledge of setting the mower to the proper height, according to the season, and never scalp your lawn.

First, i want to show you guys that i use a regular push mower. Nothing special and no magic to my trick. Its rear wheel drive and helps me on certain parts where i cant push it from behind.
9/4/2015



This is where the mower should always be set at. This mower is set one notch below the highest settings. Each mower is different and always measure. 3.5" during hot and drought season. Nothing lower, unless its the rainy season, then you can cut it no shorter than 2.5". The rain will promote growth, so its ok to mow this low. Use a hard flat surface to do the measuring. Never measure on grass, since it wont give you an accurate reading.



This is going to contradict my previous statement. I never mow this low and the only reason why, because i am power raking and aerating the lawn, and will be planting grass seeds. This helps bring light to the soil and helps germinate the seeds. If the grass is tall, it will shade the seeds and you will not get the results you should. Once i was done cutting the grass, i brought the mower back to 3.5", so its ready for the next time i cut ;)



The yard waste was picked up today, but already filled it up 3/4's full of grass. Ugh, im going to get another yard waste bin from the city, so i dont keep borrowing my neighbors :kickass:



This is why you should never mow your grass lower than 2.5". If you are scalping your yard, STOP!!! Hire a landscaper or raise your lawn mower so it doesnt do this. Scalping promotes weed growth and you will never win, unless you like weeds. Then continue scalping...
The yard is bumpy and has a couple small humps/hills that i caught the ground with the blade.




Its hard to tell, but this is where the blade caught the ground and pulled up the grass.




After this weekend, i will have more updates and pics.
 

Aussie

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