# Help me with my lawn..please



## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

Hi guys...I am out of my compfort zone, so I need your help.

We have been in Vermont the last 5 years and we are finally back in Maine to only be faced with a messed up yard.

We are entering the time of year when we want to give our lawn a chance.

We have some moss, bare patches, acid soil with all the pine trees, Medium sun and great drainage on sandy soil by the lake.

Question...

We have been approached by " Lawn Care " folks who are trying to sell us a program of spraying weekly/monthly.

How do they know what to spray? Do they routinely do soils analysis?

Do I need a landscaper to come in an assess the conditions?

Sorry, these seem to be high pressure sales and I don't want to end up at the end of the year with a ****ty lawn and them saying ....er, well, we just spray stuff.......

Which way would you go?

Your help is always appreciated

Tom


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## nlgutters (Dec 18, 2007)

tcleve4911 said:


> Hi guys...I am out of my compfort zone, so I need your help.
> 
> We have been in Vermont the last 5 years and we are finally back in Maine to only be faced with a messed up yard.
> 
> ...



If bye "high pressure" you mean like Trugreen or one of those bigger fertilization co. I have used one for 3 years and they are great. My lawn was crap and they brought it back.

Every time they spray they will leave a note with recommendations for your lawn.


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## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

Tru green is the one that's on my doorstep.

So what kind of recommendations do they leave you with?

Dear Mr & Mrs Cleveland....

Trade your lawnmower for a dirt bike.....

Don't bother getting that new riding lawnmower.....

Put a sign at the end of the driveway " Cleveland Sand & Gravel"......:laughing::laughing:


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## nlgutters (Dec 18, 2007)

tcleve4911 said:


> Tru green is the one that's on my doorstep.
> 
> So what kind of recommendations do they leave you with?
> 
> ...





They will say hey you should over seed. lime, thatch, aerate. The usual lawn stuff or looks good!

They made a world of diffrence with my lawn. I have 2 acres of lawn that was patchy crabgrass that now looks good. It takes a year or 2 though.

Also i found them to be half of what it cost me to buy everything.


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## buddy110 (Oct 3, 2009)

See if they have an organic program available. It takes a little longer but it's well worth it


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## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

buddy110 said:


> See if they have an organic program available. It takes a little longer but it's well worth it


In what ways would it be better?


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## buddy110 (Oct 3, 2009)

tcleve4911 said:


> In what ways would it be better?


Chemical solutions weaken the soil and the grass becomes dependant on constant feedings of Urea. Urea depleats the soil of most if not all microbiology and nutrients. All chemicals do is "feed the plant"

Organics OTOH feed the soil. The soil is the lifeblood of the root systems.
A typical root system in a chemically fed lawn is 2-4" deep. In a well rounded organic lawn it's 12" deep. Water demands are less and your lawn stays green most of the summer because the roots are protected.

Treating weeds is not as straight forward though so I still use some chemicals to control them, just not very much


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## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

Thanks, Buddy
That was very informative.

That's probably how these spray companies stay in business, no?

Much appreciated

Tom:thumbsup:


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## buddy110 (Oct 3, 2009)

tcleve4911 said:


> Thanks, Buddy
> That was very informative.
> 
> That's probably how these spray companies stay in business, no?
> ...


 
Hard to say, but your lawn gets addicted (so to speak) to the chemical stimulation. Eventually the soil gets worn out and becomes useless. 

look into compost tea or biodymaninc gardening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodynamic_agriculture


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## SLSTech (Sep 13, 2008)

I have to agree with Buddy on the organic - especially by the lake (watch out for the EPA - they are targeting these area's more & more also)

The weeds will be an issue until the lawn fills in - once that's healthy the weeds get choked out


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## PA woodbutcher (Mar 29, 2007)

No danger of my lawn getting addicted:jester: I put a weed and feed on it one year and was mowing twice a week.:laughing: All I wanted to do was get rid of the dandelions.


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## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

PA woodbutcher said:


> No danger of my lawn getting addicted:jester: I put a weed and feed on it one year and was mowing twice a week.:laughing: All I wanted to do was get rid of the dandelions.



bragger...............


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## nlgutters (Dec 18, 2007)

Oh yah i forgot that. Once they start spraying your lawn it can be mowed about 3 times a week.


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## PA woodbutcher (Mar 29, 2007)

tcleve4911 said:


> bragger...............


Just a simple Scotts II with weed control:blink: I live on creek bottom with good gravel underneath. A very flat acre and a half with a couple of shade trees. One big maple that won't let anything grow under it. If it make you fell better I've seeded and planted under it and can't get anything to grow.:laughing:


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## mdvaden (Aug 16, 2004)

tcleve4911 said:


> Hi guys...I am out of my compfort zone, so I need your help.
> 
> We have been in Vermont the last 5 years and we are finally back in Maine to only be faced with a messed up yard.
> 
> ...


Call a local country club or golf course and ask the golf course superintendent who they would trust.

Seriously.

That's where I got into horticulture.

Takes one to know one.

:thumbsup:


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## mrmike (Dec 9, 2008)

Forget about any good lawn underneath those Pine trees, save your money as it would be wasted there-but the surronding areas can be treated with good results.................


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## captain charlie (Mar 26, 2010)

DIY its not that hard, but its handy to have a chemical ticket to buy the good juice.


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

I brought this lawn back from the dead with Scott's 4 Step program. It really needs to be aerated and overseeded, but for a lawn that was over-run with dandelions and crabgrass, it's pretty much weed free and I haven't had crabgrass problems for 4-5 years now. It takes a few years to get a strong, weed free lawn, depending on how bad it is to begin with and how much you want to invest in it.:thumbsup:


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## lucky644 (Jan 16, 2008)

mrmike said:


> Forget about any good lawn underneath those Pine trees, save your money as it would be wasted there-but the surronding areas can be treated with good results.................


Not true, with proper care you CAN retain a beautiful lawn under the biggest of pine trees. We did a project where the owners wanted to keep two very large pines, so what we did is prune them up pretty high to help lessen the needles and allow more sun to get to the lawn.

I swear their lawn still looks as good as the day we laid the sod down.

Although do keep in mind we did install a section of edging around the base of the tree, about 10ft wide and put in mulch, this was due to the roots being so large and poking out of the ground.


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