Quote:
Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand
What would you recommend for the homeowner who wishes to maintain his/her own lawn? What products would you recommend be applied by a non professional to have and keep a great looking lawn?
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1. Get a soil test.
2. Get a soil test.
3. Get a soil test.
4. Get your calcium and pH dialed in (can take from 0 to 2 years depending on where soil is now). Don't just buy the cheap dolomitic lime in big box and think it's the right one. You may need calcitic lime (which most people need but don't buy because it's more money)
4. Don't put down synthetic fertilizer after June 1st or before late August. Based on soil test (determines if you need Phosphorus) put down fert in late April and Sept. If you want you can put it down the last week of October as well. The hardheads never listen to this and will fertilizer right in the middle of summer.
5. You can get preemergent with no fert and put it down as soon as the buds are set on the Forsythia. This is the crabgrass defense as the seed heads from last year are what germinate THIS year.
6. Other weeds are case by case as they all have difference lifecycles.
And note that NONE of this aligns with the "4-step". So my plan is the same four "efforts" but you end up with a better lawn and grass and you use LESS fertilizer.
And I will say this again, any homeowner who hires a contractor without insurance (yes, that includes the HS kid fro next door) is taking a risk. That kids father may be your friend but when junior gets hurt and he need to money to get his kid back to health or has a permanent injury, you are scah-rewed.