Lawn care?

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by hudson, Apr 17, 2015.

  1. TrustyPatches

    TrustyPatches Life is is a bunch of ups and Caleb Downs
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    Also I just wanna say that my pup is a god damn saint
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  2. Randy Bobandi

    Randy Bobandi Well-Known Member
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    Had a bad valve in my sprinkler system. Decided to replace all the non new ones (5 in total). Called an irrigation place they wanted to charge $125 per valve (Rainbird) PLUS labor. Get right there fuck out of here.

    Buddy and I did it in about 2 hours grand total with 2 extra valves was $140.
     
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  3. Jeffrey Lebowski

    Jeffrey Lebowski Obviously you're not a golfer
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    I feel like a kid on Christmas morning.

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  4. The Hebrew Husker

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    Got my sprinkler system turned on yesterday. So far I have a very minor leak at the shutoff valve, the spigot that opens the pipe on the inside is also leaking...now I go out and mow and see it’s wet around my backflow.

    I guess I should expect the whole controller to crash soon.
     
  5. NothingIsOT

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    Anyone use humichar? Recommend it?
     
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  6. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    You're really going to like that.
     
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  7. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    I've seen it recommended by the YouTuber dudes, but i don't see it in big box places or in my feed & supply store. Same with sea kelp.

    I'm not saying i'm skeptical, but I would need more input before I buy and apply.
     
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  8. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    I don't buy anything Doc recommends, or really anything any of them recommend. It's changed on YT from legit tips and tricks to everyone trying to hustle their version of the same product.

    If you believe in humic acid, just buy some and throw it down. There are dozens of things to get right before most people are there IMO; drainage, water, macro/micro nutrients, mowing, fungicides, insecticides.. the list goes on.
     
  9. Jeffrey Lebowski

    Jeffrey Lebowski Obviously you're not a golfer
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    Dethatcher arrives today. Can't wait to go at it. My yard has so much thatch underneath that it's really limiting my new growth.
     
  10. NothingIsOT

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    Greenworks? Was so liberating when I got mine. So much thatch. My Bermuda went from dormant to nice and green within two weeks when I dethatched and applied some starter fertilizer.
     
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  11. NothingIsOT

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    I get that vibe too.

    I try to avoid doc, because I get that vibe too, but he’s the only one that talks specifically on Bermuda. But he rails on the big box fertilizers and I start to question if I’m doing things the wrong way.
     
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  12. Jeffrey Lebowski

    Jeffrey Lebowski Obviously you're not a golfer
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    yep that’s the one. I ordered one from Amazon
     
  13. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    Buy some Urea (46-0-0) and spray it or spread the granular and water in. Cover the turf in sand. Spray some iron. Spray some PGR. Water. Buy a reel and mow like hell and you'll have the nicest yard in your county. Not necessarily all in this order.

    All the organics that you can't quantify, I skip. Maybe it'll amend the soil over the next 15 years, who knows. I have enough earthworms to know my dirt must be doing okay. More organics also lead to increased fungal pressure that are out of your control.

    If you mow Bermuda low and often (and never wait to long and scalp it) you'll be sitting pretty. It's probably the single best thing you can do for it.
     
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  14. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    The SunJoe with the scarifier attachment is pretty awesome. I prefer it over my GW dethatcher. My turf is Zoysia but close enough. Just longer recovery times.
     

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  15. Russellin4885

    Russellin4885 Well-Known Member
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    Damn, that's looking good for middle of May. What state are you in? Really is crazy how much thatching makes a difference. Thatched backyard cause my dog over winter does a decent amount of damage and wanted to get all the dead stuff out. Didn't do front yard. I was being lazy since there's a decent chance I'm selling my house this summer. Backyard is already green and growing/filling in nicely, front yard is still probably 50% dormant. I'm just going to go ahead and thatch it next week cause it's driving me crazy now.
     
  16. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    I live in Charlotte and we've actually had a spring this year with pretty mild temperatures. I'm pretty pleased with how well it has taken off this early in the year. This weekend we'll start seeing some highs in the low 90s with overnight temperatures staying in the 60s - it should really start going bananas then.

    It's amazing how much differently areas that get scalped/Verticut/dethatcher green and thicken up versus those areas that don't. I pulled A LOT of material out.

    First week in June I'm aerating and turning the lawn into a beach to try to level and bit and backfill holes with sand to improve some drainage. Typically has to get ugly before it can get pretty.
    PXL_20210518_002658388.jpg PXL_20210517_181453569.jpg
     
  17. Dale Doback

    Dale Doback Well-Known Member
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    Does anyone use a dedicated edger as opposed to a string trimmer to edge?
     
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  18. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    Yep, everytime.
     
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  19. NothingIsOT

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    Do you do soil tests?
     
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  20. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    Yep. I sent mine to Waypoint Analytical in Wilson, NC. The county does them (definitely used to be free,not sure now) but it's not quite as thorough. Cost me like 30 bucks all in. Helps to know what the dirt actually needs IMO. PH is also critical.
     
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  21. Russellin4885

    Russellin4885 Well-Known Member
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    Wow that looks good. Yea, I'm in Raleigh so very similar weather and like I said, my backyard with the dethatching is 99% green and growing. One big difference between our yards is yours looks to be cut much tighter which would help a lot with the green up. Wish I could cut mine lower but just not nearly level enough, would scalp the shit out of too many areas.
     
  22. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    Thanks man, labor of love. You're right, mine is cut at 5/8".

    I actually used to think the same about being level and realized I really scalp less with my reel than a traditional 4 wheel rotary. The back drum and front roller (26" cut) doesn't really allow for you to lose a wheel down in a rut/undulation. I basically never have scalping issues and I have never actually done any leveling, though that's on the agenda for the first weekend of June. Shitty beer but gives you an idea below. If you're into lawn care, and sounds like you are, a reel mower would change your life. PXL_20210513_204721353.jpg
     
  23. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
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    tmank in here flexing and taking all my likes.
     
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  24. NothingIsOT

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    feels like 99% of people are setup for failure going the big box route. rotary motors and big box fertilizer suck huh?
     
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  25. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    Gimme those likes. I'm a dad of 3 kids under 4, it's about the only thing I do these days.
     
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  26. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    Fertilizer is fertilizer (for the most part...), I'd just avoid the weed and feeds and do those tasks separately.

    I personally wouldn't buy any type of equipment from a big box store. Commerical units, buy once cry once and maintain them. Will last forever.
     
  27. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    What are you buying with a rotary motor in it?
     
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  28. NothingIsOT

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    Im a complete noob. I thought my ryobi battery mower was considered a “rotary motor”. Guess not. What’s the proper nomenclature? Push mower?
     
  29. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    :hilldawg:
    Yea
     
  30. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    But yea, when referring to a horizontal spinning blade mower, it's a 'rotary mower vs a 'reel mower'

    A rotary motor is something completely different
     
  31. Russellin4885

    Russellin4885 Well-Known Member
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    I am but I'm most likely selling my house this year so not willing to put too much time into it. What kind of zoysia and reel mower do you have? If I get the house that I'm trying my hardest to think I'm going to actually go fescue in the front yard and zoysia in the back. Place is completely overgrown with probably 30+ trees that need to come down. Will be one hell of a project.
     
  32. UncleJesse

    UncleJesse Did I invent hip-hop? No, but I was there.
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    Went from a Lowes brand John Deere to a Diesel powered John Deere X758 and it is life changing.
     
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  33. LeVar Burton

    LeVar Burton Knee deep in a dynasty, ROLL TIDE!
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    Let me start off by saying I really appreciate my man Doc. I found him last year around May. I started really following his program around September or October. Do I buy everything he sells? Absolutely not! I have bought a couple bags of humichar and Anderson’s pre emergent. I do firmly believe that if you want a great yard you have to have good soil. Just sent off my soil test this week.



    Between October and April I think I put out 3 bags of Anderson’s pre emergent. Does anyone have a pre emergent that prevented poa?

    I’m interested if any in here had their hands, and yards, full of poa Anna this year? It was awful in my neighborhood. I went thru a couple bottles of image and it was kind of tough on my Bermuda as a result.

    I recently bought a McLane mower. I’ve been feeding my yard with a triple 13 and soon with a 20-4-8 look forward to pushing my yard with these finally warm temps.

    Mint Julep after 2nd ever reel cut. Look forward to getting that tmank87 look
     

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  34. Jeffrey Lebowski

    Jeffrey Lebowski Obviously you're not a golfer
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    [​IMG]
     
  35. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    Gat dam son
     
  36. LeVar Burton

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    My man cant hide it! :rain:
     
  37. UncleJesse

    UncleJesse Did I invent hip-hop? No, but I was there.
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    I bought it used from a John Deere place in town. I know one of the owners and gave her 5,000 in cash which I am sure she pocketed.
     
  38. thunderstruck

    thunderstruck I'm a Boss

    Need pics of this beast

    running a John Deere 925a, 60” deck here. Thing is a beast and I love it
     
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  39. UncleJesse

    UncleJesse Did I invent hip-hop? No, but I was there.
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    I'm going to mow this evening and I'll snap some. I believe mine is a 72 inch deck.
     
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  40. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    Thats cute

    S/
    UncleJesse
     
  41. UncleJesse

    UncleJesse Did I invent hip-hop? No, but I was there.
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    :laugh:
     
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  42. thunderstruck

    thunderstruck I'm a Boss

    Hey, it may not be a diesel but it’s still commercial grade!:crossedarms:
     
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  43. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    I have Palisades Zoysia and Baroness LM66 reel mower.

    I took down about 30 trees in my back yard here. If I had a lot with full sun I think I'd give Bermuda a try, Latitude 36, Celebration, Tif Grand or Tahoma 31. I'd overseed PRG in the fall I think.

    I agree you need good dirt. Primarily I think that means good CEC uptake and good PH. Beyond that, introducing "organics" just gives up control. Some of the best strands are grown on 100% sand bases with essentially no organic material. See a golf green, for example.

    As for your Poa issue, Specticle Flo is a great Pre. I'd be careful with year over year use due to rooting issues but I had absolutely no poa in the areas treated. My neighborhood is full of it. Take a look at Revolver or Katana as a post em for poa. This is my neighbors salad bar for reference

    PXL_20210514_115547399.jpg
     
  44. Russellin4885

    Russellin4885 Well-Known Member
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    now that's a domination strip.
     
  45. dirtybert

    dirtybert Well-Known Member

    Need reel mower recs. Been debating it for a year or so, but I don’t know enough about them to pull that trigger.
     
  46. tmank87

    tmank87 Well-Known Member

    Deere 220 or 260
    Toro GM1000 or 1600
    Baroness LM56 or 66.

    There are also the "homeowner" reels:
    TruCut
    California Trimmer
    McClane
    Swordman

    I used a TruCut about 4 times before switching to my Baroness.
     
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  47. dirtybert

    dirtybert Well-Known Member

    Thanks! How much $ difference are we talking from homeowner version to commercial? And what’s the maintenance look like? Are you taking it to a shop every year for maintenance?
     
  48. LeVar Burton

    LeVar Burton Knee deep in a dynasty, ROLL TIDE!
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    hahahahahhahahahahahahahaha

    :feelsgoodman: :roll::moon:
     
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  49. UncleJesse

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    upload_2021-5-20_19-24-10.jpeg

    Ignore the wasteland of dirt in the background. Just moved a load of dirt in to level out the front.
     
    #1699 UncleJesse, May 20, 2021
    Last edited: May 20, 2021
  50. The Milkman

    The Milkman Send lawyers, guns and money, shit has hit the fan
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    This flexing makes me feel inadequate
     
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