Going to be a long summer(s)

Greetings,

I'm so glad I found the site.  Paul, your lawn article inspired me to do things right. 

Last year, I gave up doing my lawn because of time and paid someone to do lawn maintenance; he would cut it short, dump the clippings in the forest (my property backs into 400+ acres of forest preserve, and 1/4 of my 3/4 acre lot is wild, and 20ft lower grade).  So my back lot has wonderful soil from hundreds of years of leaf litter and last years clippings.  Sigh. 

Lawn looked clean, but the didn't get any feedings (synthetic or otherwise) and I have mostly thin dirt where the lawn grows.

I ordered Rigers today from my neighborhood mom-pop run hardware store (three letter franchise name...) in my suburban chicago village of 4k people; $20 a 25lb bag.  Be here tuesday. 

Going to lose the reel mower for an electric mulching mower.  Got the number of my suburban cook county Illinois extension.  Probably going to need several samples from different parts of the yard for testing. 

I took some pictures of my freshly reel mowed lawn; with purple violets, white clover, bare spots of hard dirt, mixed grasses, moss, and tons of chopped dandelion flowers and seed heads.  I'll post those later.  I have no problem with the lawn looking a bit like pasture, just wish the deer would eat some of it. 

Wish me luck over the coming years! 

Way to go with the pics.  It will be nice to see the before and after.

Here's the pics.  Also put up some from 2004 when we acquired the house.  The back yard especially is 100% better.  The previous owners when they put in the pool, they dumped the dirt into a pile on the lawn.

Click Me For Da Pics

I've been thinking about that soil down the hill in the back 9.  For the really bare spots, I was thinking of digging about half a foot, transporting the dirt down the hill, and hauling up some of the good stuff to fill the holes.

Now for the lazy part:  Do I bother to re-seed, or just leave it.  I don't know if I'll be able to water seedlings consistently. 

Also, for mulch around trees and their drip zones, should I stir it up before laying down a fresh cap layer?  I tested a spot and it seemed pretty much like thatch after the winter.

If the soil is in a bunch of coniferous trees, it could be rather acidic.  You might want to add some lime (really cheap and organic).

I would probably reseed anything bigger than a foot across.  Otherwise, the weeds will move in.

stir it up?  fresh cap layer?

Front yard is split between coniferous and deciduous, the latter being really old oak trees (3-4ft diameter).  Big enough to shade the house during summer sundown.

Around both types are wood chips as mulch.  It was this way when I got the house, and been adding more oak chips each spring.  I'll just loosen the top then put another layer, so the water can get in.  Once the lawn is healthy, I'll look at converting it back over to lawn.

And I'll pick up some tall fescue seed for the replaced soil spots. 

Started a compost pile today with about 2 cu/ft of dandelions I pulled by hand from the front lawn, along with a bunch of leaves I cleaned out earlier.  Dug a shallow 5ft hole, plopped the greens mixed with the leaves, and then the soil from the hole. 

It's a start.

Well, I've mowed the lawn high twice, mostly weeds were whacked.  Pulled a bunch of dandelions as recreation as well as to start the compost pile.  Laid down some Ringers today with my little hand rotary spreader, not too much.  Finally mixed in some topsoil from down the hill onto the patch were the old oak tree once stood.  It's still mostly woodchips, but below is soil with lots and lots of earthworms!

To grow grass I think I'm going to need a lot more dirt.  Wonder if wild flowers would be a better choice for another year while the worms work their magic?  Deer will probably eat them, but maybe a few will survive, not sure. 

Supposed to have T-Stormes tomorrow, but I have my sprinklers at the ready for a mid morning soak if there isn't enough water in sight.

Also saw the funniest thing today.  A squirrel was in one of the pine trees, and all of the sudden its running down the tree, being chased by two Robins.  They were pissed.  Doing alternate dive bombings, as they chased the squirrel about 50 yards.  Then they took up posts making sure the squirrel really was gone.  I think they were protecting their nest.

In the pine tree 10 feet away was a bluejay nest, and the one 25 feet away has a Cardinal nest. 

Also noticed both Robins and Sparrows hunting on my front lawn.  Sparrow seemed to get a grub or caterpillar, greenish and short.  I think this is a good sign.

Been in the house for two years, and never worked in the yard long enough to notice these happenings.  Oh yeah, almost forgot.  Saw my first hummingbird EVER in real life; it was Green.   

Have you tried digging a hole in your lawn to see what the soil looks like?

paul wheaton wrote:
Have you tried digging a hole in your lawn to see what the soil looks like?

Click me for pics from the front lawn

It's raining now.  Whoohoo!

Just had a thought.  You can add to the FAQ on the Lawncare page about Aeration:  "Let the Cicadas do it." 

I thnk your lawn is looking pretty good!

The grass looks pretty short, so you really need to mow higher. 

Fertilize!  Double where you have clover.

Test your pH. 

Thanks! 

Already mow at 3in, just not a whole lot of growing so far.  The rain and fertilizer should definitely help.  Our hot/cold weather here also doesn't help either.

Our local extension doesn't do soil testing (too far from farm areas I suspect).  So it's probably a home test of some kind. 

You can send your soil away for soil tests.  Usually, you put a few tablespoons into a ziplock and stick that in the mail.

Still haven't done the soil tests.  The cicadas should definitely be adding to soil fertility in the next couple weeks as they die off.  Are they loud!

Updated with more pics here:  Current lawn pics

Looks healthy. 

Sure there are some weeds.  Patience will get rid of them.