The Home Ownership Thread

[RedLantern]

Yeah, i'll have to do some looking into it. Both weedy and mossy

 

[texas_jack]

wow, I haven't seen my lawn in months with the snow

 

[RedLantern]

It doesn't really snow in Seattle, so our lawns are green all winter, but don't really grow. Summer is dry enough that the lawn will die if you don't water it.

 

[Ataturk]

If your grass is green over the winter it's something we don't have down here (without overseeding in the fall, anyway).

First step is to figure out exactly what kind of grass you've got. Then ID the weeds and find something that kills them and not the grass. If you can use preemergents (keep seeds from germinating; usually you can if you don't have to overseed your grass), then you should. But you need to know exactly when to apply them. Everyone wants to sell you fertilizer with preemergent in it -- that's a really terrible idea most of the time. Here you apply the spring preemergent in late February or early March--why would you also apply nitorgen-heavy fertilizer? To feed your winter weeds? To feed a fungus to kill your grass when it warms up? Maybe you can use it in late spring to extend the preemergent, but you probably shouldn't.

 

[otc]

So many unnecessary chemicals...a few weeds never hurt anybody.

 

[Ataturk]

Indeed. But the various herbicides pale in comparison to the inch or so of the notorious chemical dihydrogen monoxide I put on my lawn every week. I love the stuff so much I bathe in it.

Edit: every year dihydrogen monoxide kills almost 4000 people in the US alone, compared to...0....for residential herbicides. http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/water-safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html

 

[FtRoyalty]

In addition to IDing grass, test your soil at your local extension office.

You'll probably need to apply some lime for the moss.

 

[upthewazzu]

Most residential lawns in the NW started as a variety of about 6 different types of grass seed. It's the only way the stuff will grow consistently up here due to the immense amount of rain/snow/vampires/ice/drought the region gets on a yearly basis.

If anyone can tell me how to nuke the patches of wild mushrooms that sprout up in my backyard every Spring, I'm all ears.

 

[Medwed]

So what kind of lawnmowers do you guys prefer?
Discuss.

 

[texas_jack]

42 inch Husqvarna riding mower

 

[Ataturk]

It just depends on how much grass you have to cut. For my typical suburban lawn I like a lightweight push mower that doesn't compact the soil. Skipping the self-drive feature makes saves weight, money, and makes it more reliable.

Also you should get one with a mulching blade--beats raking leaves in the fall, and bagging clippings is for chumps (unless it's for weed or disease control).

 

[jbarwick]

The previous homeowners who did not live in our place for 2 years let leaves lay on the yard for quite a while so I am hoping grass comes back. We also have a pretty rocky/gravely yard so once grass does take a shot at growing I will have to figure out how to cut it. I don't want to shoot pebbles a break windows or damage something else.

 

[Ataturk]

Great thing about mulching mowers is that they don't have that ejection chute that shoots rocks. They just pull stuff up, chop it into fine pieces, and push it back down between the blades of grass. Clippings and leaves seem to just disappear when you run over them.

 

[Douglas]

I've been advised not to use mulching mowers as the clippings mat down and prevent healthy grass growth. I've been bagging; it's not that big a deal. But I have an exceptionally ****** lawn so what do I know?

 

[Ataturk]

Bagging clippings has gone the way of mulch volcanos and power attic ventilators, at least among people in the know, that I know. But with lawns I guess a lot depends on where you are and what kind of grass you have.