[DAVES]

Originally Posted by RICH1

Why are some Lawns looking sick this year? Seems like many are having to put dirt and extra soil additives on the lawn.. The professional lawn service guy " thinks" it might be the frost but said he honestly didn't know. His exact words were, " I only spray for lawn bugs and drop fertilizer." He must be keeping the Trade Secrets to himself! Any ideas or suggestions...

Different than last year? I keep meaning to but do not. Would be wise to collect photos and compare one year to the next.

As to lawns looking bad. We are growing warm climate grasses. Some have Empire Zoysia and others have St Augustine. In either case I would look on line for the instructions for whatever grass type you have.

With whatever grass you have it is a matter of doing the right thing at the right time.

Issues with your lawn? The first question is what and as important is why.

Endless debates. First I would get a soil test done. In most of the villages we have sandy clay with a high PH between 7-8. Solution is to improve your soil. There is no shortage of people who will sell you something. Adding organic matter makes sense.
However laying it on top of the grass-top dressing is according to me a waste of time and money. Organic material needs to be stirred into the soil not laid on top and it takes a lot of it to actually improve your soil.

The PH battle. What you want is 6.5 what you have is as above likely 7-8. Organic material will help. Sulfur will help and also prevents fungus you need to be careful not to apply too much and the change is slow-like over a year. It is also kind of expensive.

Lawn? My goal is good enough. If, as too many people do, you apply too much fertilizer, you need to water more, mow more and you will have more fungus and bugs.
The goal is balance at least my goal is balance. I do not put huge amounts of fertilizer.
I refuse to mow twice a week and water every day or two

If, you have Empire Zoysia, it takes the ? winter ? off. Last fertilizer application was in Oct of last year. Now is the time for your first application of this year.

Point, you want to cooperate with nature not fight it. The right thing at the right time.
Read instructions-your lawn cannot read. If, it says 2 lbs per 1,000 sq feet four is not twice as good and it may well burn your lawn.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by jonathanb

Water every day for 10 minutes a zone instead of twice weekly for longer periods. You don’t use anymore water and it keeps the grass nicer. Found a little everyday is better than a lot twice a week.

There is no shortage of opinions. Your grass is lazy. If, you water lightly often, it has no reason to run it's roots deep. Should you due to repair or??? miss a day, it will quickly wilt.

Ten minutes a zone? What you want to do is measure how much water you heads put down in so many minutes. Easy to do with washed cans placed on your lawn.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by GaryKoca

I was thinking that my lawn actually looks greener/better this year than it does most winters. The lawns generally look better up North than in Florida, anyway. Kentucky Blue is better than zoyzia, but Kentucky Blue won't tolerate the heat. But my lawn looks OK.

Also an ex-northerner. Cooperative extension the lecturer asked how many of you are Northerners. His punch line was forget everything you knew. The good news-no dandelions. The bad news. Up North no dollar weed.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by RICH1

Why are some Lawns looking sick this year? Seems like many are having to put dirt and extra soil additives on the lawn.. The professional lawn service guy " thinks" it might be the frost but said he honestly didn't know. His exact words were, " I only spray for lawn bugs and drop fertilizer." He must be keeping the Trade Secrets to himself! Any ideas or suggestions...

I have been told by an excellent hydraulic engineer that if you look at a world globe - at Florida's latitude most other countries have deserts there. Florida is practically an island with water around most sides. That must (?) save Florida from being a desert. However, with Global Warming, US weather patterns are changing - hence, the new term "Global Weirding". The extra weeds may be because weeds are stronger than grass and are more drought-resistant? I doubt that anyone knows for sure. I am just putting forth a Possible (?) theory. I am just a messenger with a theory that is "food for discussion". Please don't shoot at the messenger. What are some other theories?

[Nucky]

I start off during this time of the year watering between 30 minutes and one hour. Usually, by June 1st I turn the sprinklers off for the entire summer. The lawn is beautiful.

[mrf6969]

I watched the Massey rep drive up to my next door neighbors house today, get out of his truck, stick his Massey sign in the yard. He then shuffled some things in his truck bed, then get in his truck and drive off. She has been wondering why her yard is full of weeds and looks terrible.......humm

[Debset]

OMG!! Terrible! Glad I didn't sign up with them. I went with Superior. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by mrf6969

I watched the Massey rep drive up to my next door neighbors house today, get out of his truck, stick his Massey sign in the yard. He then shuffled some things in his truck bed, then get in his truck and drive off. She has been wondering why her yard is full of weeds and looks terrible.......humm

I would hope you told your neighbor so she could contact Massey and have a supervisor come out to see her yard and tell Massey their guy is useless.

We have Massey for several services and they have done a good job.

[spinner1001]

Originally Posted by RICH1

Why are some Lawns looking sick this year? Seems like many are having to put dirt and extra soil additives on the lawn.. The professional lawn service guy " thinks" it might be the frost but said he honestly didn't know. His exact words were, " I only spray for lawn bugs and drop fertilizer." He must be keeping the Trade Secrets to himself! Any ideas or suggestions...

St. Augustine grass wants a lot of water. It looks much better during the rainy season. Winter is generally dry and sprinklers often are not good enough to overcome the lack of rain.

[Garywt]

Originally Posted by jonathanb

Water every day for 10 minutes a zone instead of twice weekly for longer periods. You don’t use anymore water and it keeps the grass nicer. Found a little everyday is better than a lot twice a week.

The twice a week is a requirement by the Villages and the 2 days you can water are listed on you watering clock.

[Garywt]

Originally Posted by spinner1001

St. Augustine grass wants a lot of water. It looks much better during the rainy season. Winter is generally dry and sprinklers often are not good enough to overcome the lack of rain.

If I water my St Augustine grass more than ten minutes my back yard is flooded and the road out front is flooded.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

We do 15 minutes twice a week in the spring, once a week after September. We didn't need to water at all in June, July, August, or the first couple weeks of September because of all the rain. Other than a couple of patches of brown that we inherited from the previous owner (and it was the result of some kind of fungus), our lawn is green. It's St. Augustine.

We have LeeCo come every other week for pesticide/fertilize treatments and we mow/edge the lawn ourselves and I weed/tend to my garden myself.

[yankygrl]

Originally Posted by Garywt

The twice a week is a requirement by the Villages and the 2 days you can water are listed on you watering clock.

It is not the requirement but suggested days. You can water as much or as little as you want YOU PAY THE WATER BILL. Yes if you seem to be over watering you might get a note but they can not turn your water off.

[dadoiron]

Originally Posted by stanley

That's just your "theory"...My lawn looks great at least eight months out of the year...granted it does looks like crap when it goes dormant in the winter months. I am having to deal with more weeds this year than any other also.

Truegreen has been out in mass seeding your lawn for free. With weed seed. Then they come around and say they can fix it. I saw them doing it. They are a criminal organization.

[Bogie Shooter]

Water related information here.
VCDD Utilities/Amenities