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PostPosted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:26 am 
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This year I have started going organic and am noticing a great difference. However, I am getting confused on all the products to use and when. I have clay soil with Bermuda. I am using the Nature's Guide Fertilizer about every 2 to 3 months. Should I also be putting out Dry Molasses then? Also I read that the fertilizer depletes some of the vitamins in the yard so I put down humate. How often do I do that? I am going to put down lava sand as an amendment to retain water.

With regards to Corn Gluten that is definitely a timing deal which I get wrong most of the time with the funny seasons in Texas.

Also, I have a spot in the yard where the grass isn't as healthy. I think the soil is very dense there. Does this affect it and what do I do?

I know these are alot of questions, but my head is spinning trying to get this right. I read thru the forum and can't quite pin this all down. Thanks :!:


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 12:13 am 
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Sorry for the long delay in getting back to the forum. I've been preoccupied with family matters.

I think you're listening to too many people. Are you familiar with the 1-2-3 of basic lawn care involving watering, mowing, and fertilizer? I think I have posted those here recently. The 1-2-3 is not something I came up with out of the blue. It is the culmination of years of reading Internet lawn forums and listening/arguing with people about their methods. I came to the forums not agreeing with any of what I now call the 1-2-3, but it is being used more and more. You won't find the 1-2-3 in any simpler form anywhere. It really is that simple and inexpensive. If you follow those basic steps, your lawn should improve.

The only fertilizers I've used in the past many years are ordinary corn meal, corn gluten meal, and alfalfa pellets. I usually alternate using one for one year and another the next. That's more of a lazy approach than a scientific one. I believe it would be better to mix the three materials and use the mix every time, but I don't think I could use it all up in one season on my small yard.

I have never noticed any effect from using molasses so I don't talk about it. Other people on this forum claim to have great results. I also did a test using granite (Garden-Ville Volcanite) and got nothing out of that either. So I stick with the basics of watering, mowing, and fertilizing with real fertilizer. Unless you have reason to believe your poorly performing spots have been mistreated in the past, I would go a full month with proper watering and mowing and see how it looks. I would also step up the fertilizing to every month. Bermuda can take all you give it. If you can find soybean meal, that seems to make a better fertilizer due to the high protein content of the soy.

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:10 am 
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Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:13 am
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Thank you for the follow up :)
I can see that doing this every month would be good, but wasn't sure that wasn't overkill.

I have read several of your posts regarding watering. I do have a question regarding deep watering. If I deep water with the clay it just runs down the street. I am trying to do a separate watering at 3 different times during the early morning to give the ground time to soak. Also, this sod was put in last year. Does that make a difference?

Again, thanks for your help.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 6:38 pm 
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When you first pour water onto a dry sponge, the water rolls off. But once the water soaks in, it absorbs it as fast as possible. You are doing the right thing. You water for a short period but stop short of the water rolling off. Let that soak in for 15-30 minutes, then water again for as long as you can before runoff. Then stop to let it soak in. Repeat as necessary to get the water in deep.

Another approach is to use a soaker hose to pre soften the soil. This is a LONG process but it works. Stretch out the soaker and attach it to another hose to the faucet. Turn on the water at the faucet to a trickle. I define a trickle as 1 cup of water per minute dripping out at the faucet. Then connect the hose and let it run day and night for a full week. After a week you should see a fairly obvious wet mark in the grass or soil. Move the soaker to the edge of that wet mark and let it run another week. Continue with that process until you have covered the entire yard. Then start over and repeat. When you finished the second time, repeat a third time. You can see this takes weeks and weeks so you can't forget to water along the way. This is not a substitute for watering normally. This is a method of growing the beneficial fungi that your soil needs to keep it soft like the soft sponge. When I do this every couple of years my soil becomes so soft it feels a little dangerous to walk on. It is as soft as loose beach sand.

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