Spring lawn care

[Link_Crim]

Hey guys,

pretty much new to everything related to lawn care...in the past all I've been doing is pretty much mowing and watering. this year, I actually want to start taking care of it and greening it up for real lol. Just need some advice as to what I should be doing at around this time so that I can have a healthy lawn in the summer. Right now the lawn looks pretty bad, with small patches green here and there, I've started raking (hard), and picked up all those dead grass. What else should I be doing? I'm assuming spreading seeds and applying fertilizers? How is this actually done, and which fertilizer/grass seed should I be using. I'm also thinking of aerating, manually, my lawn is not that big how and when should this be done? sry for all the questions, but any suggestions would be great. Thanks all! ;)

[TrevorK]

Here's a link that may be of interest:
http://www.cityline.ca/homeandgarden/gardening/index.asp?articleID=1547&topicID=4&categoryID=43&categoryName=Lawns

When trying to grow grass I am told that you can do it before summer, because the extremely warm temperature may cause problems with it drying out.

[Grassgreen]

Good link already posted.

Make sure that you aerate your lawn, and overseed it in the spring.

[joshmxpx]

what about corn gluton and stuff like that? when should that be applied?

[almostfreeman]

what about corn gluton and stuff like that? when should that be applied?

As soon as the snow melts. I put some gluton on last week. The spring application will prevent dandelion and crabgrass seeds from sprouting as well as fertilizing the lawn.

[ashio]

I've been looking for this. Where can can you buy corn gluton?

[inntents]

As soon as the snow melts. I put some gluton on last week. The spring application will prevent dandelion and crabgrass seeds from sprouting as well as fertilizing the lawn.


I've been looking for this. Where can can you buy corn gluton?

Corn Gluten Meal is hit-and-miss to find stores that carry it. I got mine at a farm feed-supply store in Aylmer - it is used as livestock feed. I checked a few places like Crappy Tire and TSC stores, but none carried CGM. I didn't bother checking gardening centres, 'cause I usually find you pay more for smaller amounts, but they may well carry it. I think once more people start asking about it, more places will carry it.

As for application, you're supposed to put it down when "the forsythias are in bloom", which could be anywhere from mid-April to mid-May. For crabgrass, anyway, the idea is to apply CGM just when the crabrass seeds are starting to germinate, which apparently happens while the forsythias blooms are out. Now, if I could only figure out who has a forsythia bush near me that I could spy on........:rolleyes:

I think snowmelt might have been a bit early to apply CGM, but maybe it works on different weeds then........:confused:

[almostfreeman]

I've been looking for this. Where can can you buy corn gluton?

CT now has CGM products but if you live near a livestock feed store it is about half the cost.

[Rembrandt100]

As for application, you're supposed to put it down when "the forsythias are in bloom", which could be anywhere from mid-April to mid-May. For crabgrass, anyway, the idea is to apply CGM just when the crabrass seeds are starting to germinate, which apparently happens while the forsythias blooms are out. Now, if I could only figure out who has a forsythia bush near me that I could spy on........:rolleyes:

Forsythias do not need to be "in bloom" but it must be applied before they lose the bloom. CGM it touted as a seed germination surpressant. This also includes grass seed. Crabgrass does not germinate until very late June if it is hot enough but mostly not untill July. If you had it last year you would have seen it turn purple and die back when the temps drop in late Sept. early Oct.

So if you reseeded or overseeded your lawn you need to wait till those seeds germinate before applying CGM

Dave

[inntents]

Forsythias do not need to be "in bloom" but it must be applied before they lose the bloom. CGM it touted as a seed germination surpressant. This also includes grass seed. Crabgrass does not germinate until very late June if it is hot enough but mostly not untill July. If you had it last year you would have seen it turn purple and die back when the temps drop in late Sept. early Oct.

So if you reseeded or overseeded your lawn you need to wait till those seeds germinate before applying CGM

Dave

Maybe I'm an idiot (OK, OK, probably), but if CGM must be applied before forsythias lose their bloom, doesn't that mean that they are "in bloom"? As in, before the flower falls off, isn't it still on? Everything I've read says that timing is crucial, so I thought that CGM had to be applied while the flowers were open, on the branches - not before, not after. If you can apply it any time after the snow melts, until late June or July when the crabgrass seeds are germinating, then a 4 month window hardly sounds like "crucial timing". If experts are only talking about not applying CGM around grass seed germination, I'd think that they would specify that that is the "crucial timing" they are all referring to. Those last two possibilities sound fishy to me.........

[Rembrandt100]

Maybe I'm an idiot (OK, OK, probably), but if CGM must be applied before forsythias lose their bloom, doesn't that mean that they are "in bloom"? As in, before the flower falls off, isn't it still on? Everything I've read says that timing is crucial, so I thought that CGM had to be applied while the flowers were open, on the branches - not before, not after. If you can apply it any time after the snow melts, until late June or July when the crabgrass seeds are germinating, then a 4 month window hardly sounds like "crucial timing". If experts are only talking about not applying CGM around grass seed germination, I'd think that they would specify that that is the "crucial timing" they are all referring to. Those last two possibilities sound fishy to me.........

I certainly do not think you are an idiot but I do think that you read incorrectly. I did not say you can apply CGM till June or July. I said that it must be applied before the forsythia loses its bloom. But that does not mean that you can not put it down a week before bloom. The only thing I said about June or July is that then is the time that the crabgrass begins to grow and is noticable. I overseeded a few places this week and will wait untill the last week of bloom to apply CGM.

Dave

[M_Matt]

I picked up a 9L pail of CGM at Terra Greenhouses for $19.99 (regularly $31.99).

Thanks for the pointer on the correct order of applying CGM and over-seeding. The guy at the store said I could CGM, wait three weeks, and then over-seed. Your thoughts?

[Rembrandt100]

I picked up a 9L pail of CGM at Terra Greenhouses for $19.99 (regularly $31.99).

Thanks for the pointer on the correct order of applying CGM and over-seeding. The guy at the store said I could CGM, wait three weeks, and then over-seed. Your thoughts?


Lets think about this for a minute or two. The official booklet from the city of Toronto says and I quote:

" CGM a by product of corn that prevents the germination of dandelion and crabgrass seed. Does not control estabilished weeds"

If that is so, and we know that we only apply CGM once per season, then how is your grass seed going to germinate if you apply it after you apply CGM?

Unless your application of CGM is only good for three weeks, or someone tells me that CGM can tell the difference between crabgrass and good grass, how does this make sense?

BTW I am not ragging on you but I am going at "the guy in the store"

Dave

[M_Matt]

Thanks for the response. I'm just new to this CGM stuff; I did ask him how it works with respect to weeds and his response was evasive, so I knew right then he didn't know.

[inntents]

I certainly do not think you are an idiot but I do think that you read incorrectly. I did not say you can apply CGM till June or July. I said that it must be applied before the forsythia loses its bloom. But that does not mean that you can not put it down a week before bloom. The only thing I said about June or July is that then is the time that the crabgrass begins to grow and is noticable. I overseeded a few places this week and will wait untill the last week of bloom to apply CGM.

Dave

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. Lots of "ballpark" info on many sites, but hard to pin down the best, most accurate info. I think I've got it sorted out now!

[caribou]

Corn Gluten Meal (CGM)
CGM is a byproduct of corn that has pre-emergent herbicidal effects from a protein that inhibits root formation on ALL newly germinated seeds (weed and grass seeds included). It also depletes phosphorous in the upper layer of grass and is a source of nitrogen fertilizer as it breaks down over time. You can get it in a fine powdery form from most feed stores (usually at a lower price) or you can buy the more expensive, pelleted product at garden centres. Some people like pellets as they are easier to apply using your spreader and are effective up to 6 weeks. The finer granules are harder to spread and, as they break down faster, aren't as effective as long. I use the powdery granules because I like the lower cost and I have more to apply.

Apply CGM three times a year: from mid-April to mid-May to control the germination of weed seeds from the previous fall, in mid-August to mid-September to control the weed seeds that blow in late May and in mid-September to late October to prevent weed root systems from establishing before winter.

There’s a lot of references out there that says you should not use CGM after the forsythia blooms, however, only use this guide if you are trying to control crab grass. You can still use CGM until mid-May to control dandelion seeds though it is better to get the CGM down on your lawn sooner as it becomes more effective as is decomposes. And CGM is not effective against established weeds, only seeds from those weeds. Once you've started to put down CGM, you're stemming the flow of new weeds which allows you to start removing the mature weeds with a dandelion puller and reduce the amount of weeds in your lawn overall.

Core Aeration
If your grass is growing, you don’t need to core-aerate. However, if you want to core-aerate in spring, it’s best to do it in early May. Be sure to rake up the cores of you will have a lumpy lawn. You will need to top-dress the lawn with compost ASAP so that the grass roots don’t dry out. Make sure the layer of compost is no thicker than your little finger or you’ll suffocate the grass. It’s better to core-aerate in the fall when the days are warm and the nights are cool. This way, you can wait a weekend before you top-dress.

Grass Seeding
Grass seeds like to germinate when the days are warm and the nights are cool, so preferably in fall. If you have to put it down earlier, do it in spring. Buy premium grass seed and check to see if there is a weed count (1% or more is no good). After you’ve spread the grass seed, press it down into the lawn with a board to ensure good contact between the seed and the soil or you can use a roller. Grass seed takes three weeks to grow.

Rye grass germinates quicker than Kentucky Bluegrass. Kentucky Bluegrass is actually from Mongolia and turns blue as it goes dormant.

Don’t over-seed a healthy lawn.

For deep watering in the spring and fall, water the grass 1″ once a week. Use a soaker hose spread horizontally halfway down your lawn from your house. Turn the hose on a low flow at night before you go to bed and remember to turn it off in the morning. Be sure that no water has drained off the end of your property - if it has, reduce the flow of water. Using a trowel, dig down into the end of your property to see if the lawn has been watered at least 1″. Adjust your low-flow accordingly.

In the summer, use an oscillating sprinkler at the highest heat of the day and water 1/8″ to ¼” to drop the temperature of the grass blades so the grass won’t go dormant.

The shorter you cut the grass, the shorter the grass roots will be.

Fertilizer
Used coffee grinds are also a good fertilizing treatment for your lawn. It has an NPK rating of 4-1-3 and you can call your local coffee shop to pick them up in bulk. Starbucks has a Grinds For Your Garden program that is a great way to get free, used coffee grinds. Just take them home, smoosh up the discs of grinds and fling them out over your lawn.

There's more info on CGM my blog (http://iwetmyplants.com/?s=cgm) if you're interested. You may want to check to see if your city offers free seminars on how to keep your lawn healthy without the use of pesticides. Here is a list for the ones in Ottawa (http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/healthy_lawns/lawns/seminars_en.html).

Last year I spread CGM twice (one in the spring, forgot in the summer, and again in the fall), had my lawn aerated in early spring and spread coffee grinds throughout the season (except for three weeks after the two CGM applications). I also sharpened the lawnmower blade, let the grass grow to about 4" in between mowings and set the mowing blade to a height of 3". My lawn was lush, tolerated drought and was a deep, dark green for most of the summer. I didn't have to water it at all. My only problem is an area near the road that has a lot of dandelions and I'm slowly working on it each year with CGM applications and my trusty Fiskar's weeder.

Good luck!

Kathy

[deal_12]

Here's a link that may be of interest:
http://www.cityline.ca/homeandgarden/gardening/index.asp?articleID=1547&topicID=4&categoryID=43&categoryName=Lawns

When trying to grow grass I am told that you can do it before summer, because the extremely warm temperature may cause problems with it drying out.

Does anyone know where to get vemriculite? I have no idea what it is but the cityline show talks about it. Google shows it is a soil conditioner...Any idea what is the best place to buy it. I will need a larger than usual quantity (100X100 Lot).

[joshmxpx]

thanks for the great advice, caribou.

i picked up some cgm and manure the other day.

should the manure be applied before or after the cgm? when should i start watering?

thanks

[caribou]

should the manure be applied before or after the cgm? when should i start watering?

I've never used manure on my lawn so I haven't looked into when I should have been putting down in relation to CGM. I put down used coffee grinds, which has an NPK value of 4-1-3, around the same time as I put down CGM as the grinds won't affect the effects of CGM.

There might be some useful information on watering here (http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/healthy_lawns/lawns/maintain/index_en.html) and on corn gluten meal here (http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/healthy_lawns/lawns/maintain/corn_en.html).

Or you can go and talk to the guys at the Environmental Factor (http://www.environmentalfactor.com/) on 133 Taunton Road West Unit #8 in Oshawa.

[Azxster]

Has anyone tried the Fat Grass Recipe?

My girlfriend thought it would be a better idea to spread the peat moss over the lawn, then spread vermiculite instead of mixing it on the driveway. That did not seem to work since you can easily see I have vermiculite all over the lawn. Five more weeks until to judge however I noticed a difference as I can easily flood the lawn which I guess it seems to be retaining a lot more water than before.

[inntents]

Has anyone tried the Fat Grass Recipe?

My girlfriend thought it would be a better idea to spread the peat moss over the lawn, then spread vermiculite instead of mixing it on the driveway. That did not seem to work since you can easily see I have vermiculite all over the lawn. Five more weeks until to judge however I noticed a difference as I can easily flood the lawn which I guess it seems to be retaining a lot more water than before.

Putting peat moss on the lawn WILL help it retain more water, because peat moss retains a lot of water. You have to be careful with peat moss though, which I think is why you were supposed to mix stuff up on your driveway BEFORE applying it to the lawn. Peat moss is sterile, in terms of life and organisms that are beneficial to your lawn (which are, ultimately, what you want your lawn to be FULL of - living organisms). Putting down peat moss is like laying a blanket over your soil or lawn, depending on how thick you lay it down. It will smother things and do more harm than good. Trust me, I found that out the hard way! ;)

[Azxster]

How can I fix it? I shouldn't have listened to my gf.

[seb33]

If you have a small yard and the weeds aren't too bad, get a Weed Hound from Canadian Tire or similar store. Great for removing dandelions and does a good job aerating as well. I used mine a little too well last year and this year I am having trouble finding any dandelions to pull so I ended up doing my neighbours yard instead. Soybean meal works great as a fertilizer and can be applied anytime. I get a 90 lb bag of soybean meal for $20 and it lasts me the entire summer. I apply about 20 lbs per 1000 sq ft about once a month or so. I get mine from North York Farmers feed store in Newmarket On.

[pkguy]

The Weed Hound is an excellent tool. I got one for Christmas two years ago and loved using it. So much that I ran out of dandelions to pull and was doing the neighbors LOL They ended up buying one as well as a few others on the street after trying it out. It's not often that a garden gadget works so well.

[nameht]

I think I am going to try the Fat Grass recipe, I have found everything except the 7-21-7 fertilizer at Home Depot

Where can I get the fertilizer from?

[Azxster]

My experience with the recipe has been great. It has only been 3 weeks and my grass is thick and green. Do not be lazy like me and spread peat moss over the lawn, then vermiculite. Results would have been better but nonetheless, I am impressed that I saved my 4 year neglected front lawn.

Vermiculite is cheap at Sheridan Nurseries, 4 cu.ft. for $20.
Peat moss is cheap at Walmart, 3.8 cu.ft. for $6.

I just used Scott's TurfBuilder and Premium Grass Seed from Costco.

[nameht]

What where the ratio's for the TurfBuilder that you used

Thanks for the help

[s1301950]

The Weed Hound is an excellent tool. I got one for Christmas two years ago and loved using it. So much that I ran out of dandelions to pull and was doing the neighbors LOL They ended up buying one as well as a few others on the street after trying it out. It's not often that a garden gadget works so well.

'm not sure if i like the weedhound that much, 'cause they leave holes in my lawn. but they do pull out quite nicely.

[s1301950]

What where the ratio's for the TurfBuilder that you used

Thanks for the help

The turf builder from costco is 31 as nitrogen (first #), but if you're repairing lawn, there's a scott's lawn starter, with 29 as nitrogen. Scotts website says the lawn starter is good for growing roots of new grass.... they recommend feeding the regular turf builder after a month or so.

Take that as a grain of salt :) they just want you to buy every possible product from them

[bangan]

My experience with the recipe has been great. It has only been 3 weeks and my grass is thick and green. Do not be lazy like me and spread peat moss over the lawn, then vermiculite. Results would have been better but nonetheless, I am impressed that I saved my 4 year neglected front lawn.

Vermiculite is cheap at Sheridan Nurseries, 4 cu.ft. for $20.
Peat moss is cheap at Walmart, 3.8 cu.ft. for $6.

I just used Scott's TurfBuilder and Premium Grass Seed from Costco.

Azxster, what fertilizer did you use? In article they recoment using 7-21-7 but i could not find such ratio at local HD. What other closest fertilizer I can use? Please specify type and brand you have used or good to use. Thanks.

[Azxster]

I just use this, available at Costco

http://www.scotts.com/media/media/images/productGuide/packagedGood/CAN_2STBLF.jpg

My lawn is not perfect, but after 4 years of abuse (no watering, driving over it to park), it is is very green and fairly thick. My lawn sucks to begin with since there is <1" of soil, the rest is clay.