Consider organic lawn care. The chemicals you put in your yard and on your lawn go affect our drinking water and wildlife.
By Susan - Everett, WA
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I am on a very limited budget. How can I get a nice green lawn. I've planted grass seed, but it never seems to grow, but the weeds sure do. The location is hot and sunny. If there aren't weeds growing there, then it is hard baked earth. Any suggestions would be helpful. My zone is 4.
We do have a nice sod lawn which was put in about 10 years ago. It started to die in parts. My husband bought a metal aerator for about $20 which we used to poke 2 inch deep holes all over the lawn.
Before you put grass seed down, make sure to rake the area you are treating. Also, you need to weed and feed your yard. You can buy a product that does both that attaches to your garden hose, but I like to use the dry granular "stages" fertilizer. I use the store brand. It is much cheaper, and does just as good as a job.
I read somewhere on the internet that Epsom Salts may be used as a fertiliser. I suggest you google: Uses for Epsom Salts or Uses for Epsom Salts in the Garden and check the results.
Be sure to rake the ground you are going to put seed on. Then,buy Canada Green grass seed,it grows very quickly and it kills out the weeds as it is maturing. I just made sure to water it at least 3 times a day for the first couple of weeks,then only once or twice a day since.
Here's an article out of Las Vegas, everyone there swears by it! Hope it helps.
Vegas homeowner swears by miracle lawn tonic
June 26, 2006 01:36 PM
There are people in Las Vegas making their neighbors green with envy. They've got the nicest lawns on the block and you might not believe what they're feeding their grass to make it green.
We first showed viewers this a couple of years ago, but Dana Wagner found a local guy making it work. We talked about an amazing lawn tonic that was working to keep lawns green in Denver, where they're also fighting a drought. Well, we found a guy here in Vegas that swears by it.
"I did everything. I put the turf builder on it, the seed and it wasn't getting green. It was nice, but it wasn't the golf course green you want to see, right?
Vietnam veteran Bob Palochick was ready to try just about anything when he heard about a goofy lawn tonic on Channel 3 , using soda, beer, mouthwash, dish washing liquid, and ammonia. But to Bob, it just didn't add up.
"I mean, put ammonia on your grass? Beer? Dish washing liquid? A can of soda? No way!"
But Bob was desperate, so he gave it try. He turned from skeptic to believer when his lawn turned lush. "People stop me and say 'man is your grass doing great.' We use it religiously. I tell people about it and they tell me I'm crazy, but it works. I'm proof. You can come to my house. You can see it. It's great, I love it," says Bob.
Bob says his lawn used to look brown and spotty in places. He had weeds. Now he's got the best lawn on the block.
The pop and beer are food for grass. Ammonia promotes growth and turns the lawn green. The soap is a wetting agent, allowing the formula to penetrate to the roots. And the mouthwash kills bugs, plus it makes your lawn minty fresh.
Put it all into a hose end sprayer that you can pick up at Lowe's or Home Depot and apply every three weeks. Then, water as usual. And your blades should never look better.
This lawn tonic may also save you some water this summer. While you can water your lawn any day under current rules, Bob only waters three days a week and he says his lawn has never looked better. So if you're lawn is having trouble you might give it a try.
www.kvbc.com/
Sounds like Bob has found a gold mine. Does anyone know how much to measure out for each ingredient ? And what kind of ammonia should be used ?
cokie
Need recipe for, Goofy Lawn Tonic
consist of soda, beer, mouthwash, dish soap & ammonica.
Thanks Colleen
The Miracle Lawn Tonic Recipe
Recipe:
One can of soda - not diet
One can of beer - not light
1/2 cup liquid dishwashing soap (don't use anti-bacterial soap!)
1/2 cup mouthwash
1/2 cup household ammonia
Mixed in a 10 gallon hose end sprayer
*Apply every 3 weeks
Mow lawn in evening then make application
Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I have heard about Bob and forgot about his suggestions. I do have one other question though. Where do I find the Canada Green Grass Seed. Is there a catalog that sells it or a particular store?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Amelia
Dont worry about the weeds. They'll stay nice and green.
Are you sure you're not cutting the grass too short? The grass shades seeds of weeds and prevents them from growing.
Look for writings by Jerry Baker. You can find him online.
Dont spend a lot of money on your grass. Grass is over rated. (rofl)
Good luck
Do you mix any water with the Miracle Lawn Tonic?
The thing that give me a clue that the correct preparation of the soil prior to seeding has not been done is when you state that the only place the weeds don't grow is where it is 'hard baked earth'. Good soil preparation and the correct seed mix for your needs is the key for a successful lawn.
I accidentally used herbicide instead of fertilizer, my grass is beginning to yellow. Is there any way to reverse the effects?
By Don
Yikes! I don't think anything can be done, besides hoping that your herbicide isn't too effective. Why don't you look up your local county extension office and give them a call? It should be easy to find online.
A big oops. You have killed your lawn, and there isn't anything you can do beside water the bejeeburs out of the areas you've sprayed in hopes of flushing any residual herbicide out of the soil. You'll have bare spots everywhere you sprayed, and you shouldn't try to replant anytime soon. After everything is finished dying, treat the areas with a good compost, digging it to at least 18". Do that two or three times a week apart, then sow with some kind of 'green manure' type grass seed like rye.
Let those blades get about three-five inches long, then till the grass into the soil. Give it a couple of weeks to break down completely in the soil, and feed the soil with nitrogen in the process. Then replant with your preferred grass, for the best results.
These kinds of accidents happen in the home garden when chemicals are transferred from the commercial container to an old mayonnaise (or similar) jar. Never transfer a chemical from it's commercial and properly marked container to a recycled container-it is next to impossible to mark that recycled container reliably. Someone could spill the chemical, and cause the marking to be washed away. Someone could pull the homemade masking tape label off.
At the very least, by transferring chemical to an unmarked, recycled container, you have lost the vital emergency information printed by law on the original container. Or when a home sprayer is used-some folks leave the leftover chemical in the sprayer, then forget what is in it, then use it days later thinking it's what they need at the moment. It very rarely is. And it's hard to reliably recall what you did last in the garden with that sprayer.
Never leave leftover chemical in a home sprayer-it breaks down to a useless state, or becomes something different and potentially toxic to your garden, and you. Worse, some of the 'cides out there, if left in the sprayer, will etch and permeate the plastic of the sprayer. You'll be left with a sprayer you can only use for that particular 'cide. This is such a common occurence many landscape maintenance companies have different sprayers for each type of 'cide and other chemicals (feeds, etc).
Always read the directions every time you use any pesticide product! If you have the original label, it may tell you how long to wait to replant. Otherwise, you get to have a spotty looking lawn until fall when you should be able to re-seed. Expensive lesson in "oops".
Are there any lawn and garden aficionados that can help this city girl keep up with the Jones'? I'm losing my grass to weeds. It seems to have stopped its summer growth, or at least slowed down in the last few weeks. I found a missing (unopened) bag of lawn food / weed killer in the garage. If I sprinkle some on now, will my poor neglected lawn suffer, or be better for it? The temp right now is mid 70's - high 60's. Would I be better off waiting till early spring?
Try putting some lime down now for making your soil sweet. I also read to put down regular granulated sugar a week or so later just before a hard rain or you have to water it in. I'm assuming that it discourages ants-they would have a good time in that sugar. I use 5# per every 5,000 sq. ft. These 2 procedures are supposed to sweeten your soil & feed the good micro-organisms that feed on weed roots. This is only my second time with the sugar so I can't guarantee it works but it can't hurt. I did this in the spring & did it again this fall. Good luck!
At your local garden center there are WINTERIZER fertilizers with a weed preventer. They are cheap but be sure to use the correct amount. You will most likely need a spreader. (maybe borrow one?) They all have settings on them that allow you to distibute just the right amount. The back of the fertilizer bag will tell you what to put the setting on. Don't wait too late, the weather gets too cold quickly for fertilzer and you don't want active growing in the winter either.
Yes, winterizer is a must. But in the spring you must start regularly treating your lawn if you want its health to improve. Scott's 4-step program is very good. If you have a lot of crabgrass you must put crabgrass preventer down early in the spring to prevent it from germinating when it gets warm.
I sprayed too much weed killer on my lawn, now my lawn is a mess to look at.
By Elaine D
Water it really well, mow it short, and wait it out! With any luck, the grass will outgrow the weed killer. And, next time, read the directions first?
boiselawncare.net would say the same :) Been over this a few times in the last year on three separate lawns, 2 of which were from the same neighborhood!
What type of grass is this and what height should I mow it at? Thank you very much for your time and effort in this matter. Hopefully you help me out.
If I want to level my lawn during the winter by adding soil on top. Will it kill or harm the grass?
By S Lewis
I assume you mean because you are adding the soil on top of existing grass? It all depends on how deep you are putting the soil. An inch or two, the grass will come through. But much deeper and you will want to reseed the lawn. Winter is actually a good time to see a lawn, especially during or right before a snow. The snow fall protects it from birds, and helps pull it down into the soil from the weight and melting action, as well as waters it.
Does anyone have a tried and true recipe for getting your lawns green?
By Bobbie
Only certain formulations of weed killers will work to kill weeds but not your lawn. This is a page about weed killer that won't kill grass.
Small lawns may actually need more consideration when it comes to landscaping. Too many plantings can make them look cluttered. This page contains advice for working with small lawns.
It can be easy to mix up different lawn applications. This page talks about what to do if you applied winterizer instead of fertilizer to lawn.
This is a page about growing green and healthy grass. A beautiful green, healthy lawn is quite attractive. However, this is not achieved without some work on your part.
This is a page about re-establishing a lawn. Insect damage and weed infestation can require that you re-establish a healthy lawn.
This is a page about fertilized lawn turned brown. Fertilizing your lawn is supposed to help it grow better and green up. It is confusing when a newly fertilized lawn turns brown.
This is a page about spring lawn care. After a long winter your lawn could probably use some loving care to spruce it up in the spring.
This is a page about chemical free lawn care. Children and pets play on our lawns, making it important to many homeowners to use safe lawn care products on their lawn.
This is a page about growing a lawn in the shade. A soil test will help you know if your shady soil needs amending to grow nice grass.
This is a page about fall lawn care. For a healthy lawn next spring there are some things you can do in the fall to get a head start.
This is a page about filling bare spots in a lawn. Bare spots can ruin the overall appearance of your lawn. Luckily there are several remedies for improving and getting rid of these unsightly patches.
