The Secret To A Lush, Green Lawn..........

[Ductape]

OK, the older I get, the more I desire a really nice front lawn. Mine gets sun all day, and I feel like every spring a have to battle with it to get it to stay full and green.

For the guys with beautiful lawns....... what's your secret?

What do you fertilize with?

Do you use any type of pesticide?

Weed killer?

Anyone just use the multi-step Scotts brand stuff?

[JimRB]

Soil test first, weed killer second, lime and fertilizer third as per soil test. Pre-emergent is also another thing in the bag of tricks. If you are lazy you call the local Scotts, JD Landscape or other treatment company for application service. If you see darker green and thicker grass where the dogs peed or pooped then your lawn is probably hungry.

[s219]

Well, it can be a battle, and it's also a commitment, so make sure you know what you're getting into.

In my area of Virginia, we either have to limp a cool season grass (like Fescue) through the summer heat, or plant a warm season grass (like Bermuda) and accept that it will be dormant and brown from October-April. I planted fescue. My chief issue is irrigation, followed second by fungus/mold due to humidity. The rest comes down to having good soil, aerating at least once a year, and using fertilizer and weed killer as needed (I try to use as little as possible). It took about 6 years for my lawn to really establish itself, but it looks great now.

I said all that to make the point that you will want to get information/data on what needs to be properly fixed, corrected, and setup in order to get your grass crop to grow. Under the right conditions, most lawn grasses will thrive without too much trouble. It's setting up those right conditions where all the work comes in!!

As far as fertilizers, I use whatever is a fair deal when I am shopping around. I have used the Scott's stuff with very good results. They do tend to make it easier to understand, and I think their website can give you the proper program for your area and type of grass.

[Carl_NH]

Well ours isnt a perfect lush lawn - it looks decent tho. We used to use a service to fertilize and lime and weed/grub kill for 5 years, then two years ago they wanted $650 a year to do our 1.5 ac of grass so I got a spreader and did lime and fert myself and saved about $350 a year.

Last fall I found grubs in a few spots - got rid of most of them quickly and last year also started to cover the compost pile to get better material faster.

This spring I bought a small used Fuerst manure spreader and got 18yds of horse manure, mixed that with my older compost and some dirt and spread 9 yards of that on the lawn. Well the areas where I spread this "mix" the grass was lush and thick - some that I missed had to spot treat with the FEL and a rake.

I'm still composting the other 9 yds of horse manure along with 12 yds of leaves now and that will go down later in the season once done "cooking" and also used to top dress beds of rhodies. Got the temp of the pile up to 150* for about two weeks, and now its at 125* so the weed seeds should be mostly gone.

Also spot treat with weed killer as needed a few times a season. Its more work doing it this way but with the cost of fertilizer today I think this offsets the work. Plus building up the soil with compost I beleive is a better long term solution for the lawn. I still buy lime and put that down due to the number of pines we have soil tends to the acid side.

BTW, most neighbors here use a service to feed their grass and they have nice lawns too, I just like using what nature provided.

Carl

[bilrus61]

Goodness its just a yard. Lime every year???? We never lime our yard here in Kentucky. Ok are you starting from scratch? Is your yard fill dirt that has come out of your basement? That might be a issue that would need a lime/fertilizer program.

If your yard is already established here is all you have to do. Mow it high and often. NEVER take any clippings off of it. Never mow it lower than 3.5 inches and really 4 is better. The grass will shade out the broadleaf weeds over time. If you don't mind white clover sow some in your yard. Provides N. The big "secret" is to mow it high. Go to lawnsite.com and read what the pros do. If you insist on trying to have a golfing green for a yard you'll have TONS of issues. If you want a lush green healthy lawn, fertilize it just a little, mow it often, mow it high, and in the fall just mow the leaves in. 3 passes will do it.

[smstonypoint]

Never mow it lower than 3.5 inches and really 4 is better.

Good advice for cool-season grasses (e.g., fescue), but not for some warm-season grasses such as bermuda. Lower mowing heights encourage more dense growth.

Steve

Edit: I see the OP is from NH, so warm-season grass issues are not likely to be relevant.

[KennyG]

Goodness its just a yard. Lime every year???? We never lime our yard here in Kentucky.

It's all dependent on the natural acidity of the soil. I've lived places where you have to lime every year to grow any kind of lawn. I've lived other places where lime is unheard of - you couldn't even find it in a garden store.

[greasemonkeyok]

You have a good resource in New Hampshire to help you.
Agricultural Resources - UNH Cooperative Extension

They will you how properly test the soil, and tell you what is needed.

[boomer1025]

As Scotty will tell ya, FEED IT,

[Egon]

Soil test:
Then ph adjust & fertiliser as required. Oversead, rake, removed unwanted geen things and water. Aerating may also be an option.

Keep after the weeds on a daily basis and water well.

Do all this and you are assured of a " Reske" brown lawn. and can stArt all over from scratch. Well almost, some weeds survived.