***Best DIY Lawn Advice***

[zeitgeist57]

Guys, please put your best advice on growing a great lawn, and what it takes to keep one looking good for minimal money here in Central Ohio. I don't mind putting in weekly effort to take care of my lawn.

 

All of the professional lawn care companies are coming around UA, but I still want to understand how I can have a crabgrass-free, green lawn all summer long without having to pay someone $400 a year to do so. Thanks!!!

 

Questions I have:

Is there a better fertilizer than Scotts?

Do I need to pH test my soil?

[im faster]

doing it yourself you will pay more than 400 if you actually want a nice lawn

[vitamincj]

From experience in Lewis Center(heavyish clay content in soil where I am) just watering the grass(KY Blue Grass) 3-4 times a week kept it very green. YMMV Edited March 27, 2011 by vitamincj
...

[Buckeye1647545503]

Pave it and paint in green

[LJ]

http://www.fieldturf.com/

[wnaplay1647545503]

First thing clay is you need to understand what soil type you have and where it is lacking or overfilled with nutrients. Take a sample to agricultural dept and they will tell you. Everything would be based off this analysis.

[Spidey2721]

if your going to take samples dont take just one. take several in different areas of the lawn. mark them so you know whats what. there is a lot to look into. well beyond soil types. i could sit here and type 5000 words on "DIY Lawn Advice." i would suggest you have a professional come out and look at your lot and do a assessment. you can go from there. far as crab grass goes... if you havent already you need to put down a crabgrass pre-emergent herbicide. that should have been done before the ground thawed.

[Bam]

I typically rake the dead grass out/dethatch the yard in the spring, then aerate it and overseed/ferterlize/weed feed. Couple that with occasional watering has turned my yard from a mud pit into a pretty good thick yard over the past few years.

[blown86lx]

I work for the Scotts fertalizer plant in Marysville. I am no lawn expert but I can get good discounts and help you in anyway possible. Pm me if you want my number.

[KillJoy]

If you don't water.... it will never be what it can. That is all of my input....

 

KillJoy

[Major_golf]

Pave it and paint in green

 

this

[Flybye]

If you want some advice pm me with your number or you can shoot me a call. I work for a lawn care company that specializes in Ohio lawns and treats the clay soil.

[Flybye]

Also if your dead set on treating yourself I can give you some info from OSU horticulture and crop science that will come in handy. The main issue with treating yourself out here is finding the right fertilizer. Most of what you buy from the store is a high content fast release nitrogen product. That combined with our rock and clay soil will always give mediocre results. Putting down some lime and iron in the spring along with a better grade fertilizer is the first step to a better lawn. It isn't rocket science, but can take some time and labor.

[mrs.cos]

Preen. Water, spot treat for weeds.

Water in the mornings, so as to not get fungus growth from overnight watering)

My FIL was a VP for a major lawn care company and won Ohio Turfgrass man of the year award a few years ago( which i reallize means nothing to most of you, but it's a big deal in the agronomy world) He maintains our yard, that's the basic just of what does for us. If your yard is shoddy now, it can take a few years to make it really nice. Figure out your problem areas areas and focus on those this year, IMHO.

 

He suggested preen over Scotts because it's same chemicals, cheaper price.

Root depth is important too, remember that as long as your grass is, is as long as it's roots are, so if you mow on the shortest height, your roots have no length, and therefore need much more waterings during dry months. We mow once a week, during mowing season, on the highest setting.

We spottreat with a chemical that get at meijers that's specific to dandelions.

Edited March 28, 2011 by damreds

[smokinHawk1647545499]

if you have crab grass, go buy crabgrass killer fertilizer combo now and put it down now.

just water it and fertilize it every so often that you feel you need, not that hard, mine looks good when i do that junk.

[Casper]

I just use Scott's fertilizer. This week I'll be putting down the spring feed with crabgrass killer. In the summer (usually August) I'll put down the high heat/low water stuff. Then in October I put down the fall/winter feed. Works great.

[blown86lx]

We have a high nitrogen fertilizer that is time released with 2% iron. Scotts makes every kind of fertilizer u can think of. Anyone else on here need a hookup let me know. Our products are high priced but worth it. We have made fertilizer for other company's you wouldn't believe what kind of shit they put in them for" fillers" to ad weight. Scotts products are 100% fetilizer nothing else.

[Flybye]

We have a high nitrogen fertilizer that is time released with 2% iron. Scotts makes every kind of fertilizer u can think of. Anyone else on here need a hookup let me know. Our products are high priced but worth it. We have made fertilizer for other company's you wouldn't believe what kind of shit they put in them for" fillers" to ad weight. Scotts products are 100% fetilizer nothing else.

 

You say high nitrogen like its a good thing? Also what do you mean by 100% fertilizer?

 

Scott's is just your average lower grade universal fertilizer imo. Although it does work if you maintain the lawn properly. Anything can essentially work to be honest. We personally use and believe Lesco products are the best out there. We also have a few other things that we do that no other company around here does.

[XChris1632X]

I work for the Scotts fertalizer plant in Marysville. I am no lawn expert but I can get good discounts and help you in anyway possible. Pm me if you want my number.

 

 

How do you even get into that place to work? I heard that you have to know someone special to get into that place.

 

 

 

I am hoping put a bit of effort and love into my grass this year. The problem is that I have 4 acres and it seems like it will be difficult to increase quality without a lot of money and time.

[BrianZ06]

Guys, please put your best advice on growing a great lawn, and what it takes to keep one looking good for minimal money here in Central Ohio. I don't mind putting in weekly effort to take care of my lawn.

 

All of the professional lawn care companies are coming around UA, but I still want to understand how I can have a crabgrass-free, green lawn all summer long without having to pay someone $400 a year to do so. Thanks!!!

 

Questions I have:

Is there a better fertilizer than Scotts?

Do I need to pH test my soil?

 

This year I expanded my business to include lawn fertilizing. I have a 5 app program. All products are Lesco Brand. Many of the larger companies are now pushing 6 even 7 apps to get your money. 5 is all you need. 400.00 a year puts you at a pretty big yard around 18,500 -19,000 sq ft x 5 = roughly 400 bucks with my price estimates. Is you yard that large. One thing I tell my customers that are concerned about their grass color and condition is that their are a many varieties of grass and they all respond in a different way to the weather and soil type. So you its hard to compare your yard to your neighbors yard down the block. This is my program. Depending on your yard this might be altered.

 

 

1. First Application - Early Spring includes a dry slow release fertilizer 19-0-6with Deminsion crabgrass preventer. Weed control if needed.

 

2. Second Application - Late Spring includes a dry slow release fertilizer with weed control.

 

3. Third Application - Early Summer includes a dry slow release fertilizer with insect control (includes grubs) and weed control.

 

4. Fourth Application - Late Summer includes dry slow release fertilizer and weed control.

 

5. Fifth Application - Fall includes a slow release winterizing fertilizer

[blown86lx]

You say high nitrogen like its a good thing? Also what do you mean by 100% fertilizer?

 

Scott's is just your average lower grade universal fertilizer imo. Although it does work if you maintain the lawn properly. Anything can essentially work to be honest. We personally use and believe Lesco products are the best out there. We also have a few other things that we do that no other company around here does.

 

Scotts is the only feltalizer plant in the world to make fertilizer where we melt down nitrogen to make it into a resin to spray on to make it time released. We also melt down 2-4d and mccp to make our own blend of solution for tb+2weed control. I'm I dont know much about lesco but I know we have made fertilizer for at least 6 other company's. They use limestione for wieght crushed up corn cobs to fill the bag along with plastic pellets to fill the bag. So would I want to use a product that is 100% of what it says is in the bag? Or would you rather put down limestone (rocks) and plastic pellets and crushed corn cobs in your yard. I think its a no brainer. Scotts wouldn't have a $3 million dollar lab that checks our products every 2 hours to make sure it is on spec if we were "low grade". If you notice also scotts fertilizer is all the same size it gets screened over 20 times before it gets to the consumer. We run over 3 million pounds of fertilizer per day almost year round so we must be doing something right . Next time you get your non scotts fertilizer check and see if there are any fillers in it check for limestone and crushed corn cobs and little plastic balls.

[blown86lx]

How do you even get into that place to work? I heard that you have to know someone special to get into that place.

 

 

I am hoping put a bit of effort and love into my grass this year. The problem is that I have 4 acres and it seems like it will be difficult to increase quality without a lot of money and time.

 

Yeah its pretty hard to get in here. The starting pay is awsome and the benifits are great. My dad started here in 94 and became a team leader in 99. That helped me get in. I was here 1.5 years and I got a team leader position also. You have to be very mechanical to get in and have excellent references. I know people who have been temps here for 4 years still holding out hope they will get on. Its a good job!!

[Flybye]

Yeah its pretty hard to get in here. The starting pay is awsome and the benifits are great. My dad started here in 94 and became a team leader in 99. That helped me get in. I was here 1.5 years and I got a team leader position also. You have to be very mechanical to get in and have excellent references. I know people who have been temps here for 4 years still holding out hope they will get on. Its a good job!!

 

Well I rarely see the results out on the lawns. So with that being said.....I thank you guys for the business you get me everyday. Actually I just got 7 customers coming from Scott's today.

[blown86lx]

Well I rarely see the results out on the lawns. So with that being said.....I thank you guys for the business you get me everyday. Actually I just got 7 customers coming from Scott's today.

 

After doing a little reaserch into Lesco I just found out who they buy all there sulfer coated urea from, guess who that might be?? US!! So if you keep buying from Lesco you are still buying from Scotts, if u buy Schultz you are buying from Scotts if you buy Expert Gardner you are buying from Scotts we make all of it. So thank you!!