| www.dirtdoctor.com https://www.dirtdoctor.com/efl/dirtDoctor/ |
|
| Brown lawn https://www.dirtdoctor.com/efl/dirtDoctor/brown-lawn-t7315.html |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | maybeljj [ Tue Aug 15, 2006 6:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Brown lawn |
Too bad brown lawns aren't in vogue! My front yard has been in since late 2003, has Bermuda, and this year is brown. I don't have a sprinkler system, so therefore I water once a week. No more because I live 32 miles one way from work, and that would mean nighttime watering, which I heard is bad for the grass. I called Medina and talked with their expert who suggested that, even though I had already applied Medina Soil Conditioner earlier in June, that I apply it again, this time with liquid molasses and their chicken poop fertilizer. Then I should water it in well. I did all that. Now my yard seems browner. I'm hoping that this condition is due to all the soaring temperatures we've had and that watering more would help. But I just can't water any more than I have. Should I think about putting out more Bermuda sod and/or seeds next spring? I need help - big time! Doesn't say a lot for organics, except that I have no weeds - anywhere! No even on the sides of the house where both those neighbors seem to think that grass just isn't grass without a bunch of weeds! Please - your suggestions/comments. |
|
| Author: | pakin [ Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:15 am ] |
| Post subject: | Watering |
Watering at night is better than no water at all. This drought has everything just about dead. Personally, I think the info to apply more fertilizer was not good unless you water enough. The Dirt Doc doesn't have a problem with night watering--says that it rains at night, doesn't it. Good Luck, pakin |
|
| Author: | Kathe Kitchens [ Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:46 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Watering time |
Yeah, I agree with pakin. I've been watering at night the last month too, and everything seems happier than when I was watering in the morning. Like the man said, it rains at night, after all! And I had the same thing happen to me with the fertilizer issue, same company. Everything went brown and dead-looking. So I figure fall is coming, and a good layer of compost is headed for my yard. Next spring & summer it'll fare better, I predict. Hope I'm right! Kathe 
|
|
| Author: | kgolf [ Thu Aug 17, 2006 9:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
maybeljj - Have you considered buying a timer to attach to your spigot/hose ? If that works, you could water some when you get home, and as soon as you wake up etc. Better in the early morning while the plants are more 'open' to taking up water. Water deep. Make sure the water is really soaking into the ground. Stick your finger into the soil to make sure. I've had plants die because the water looked like it was soaking in, but wasn't. And of course mulch to conserve water and soil temps. I just don't believe we can keep up with the heat using our normal watering schedule. With nighttime temps in the 90's it's just too much. Trees are sucking up all of the water as well. I would think that the next batch of rain will bring some of it back to life ? I'm hoping that most of it is just dormant. Bermuda never dies! At least in my flower beds. 
KKitchens is right - think about applying compost/lava sand/green sand this fall. Then it will have a few months to work it's magic and by Spring, it will be much, much better in the soil. Don't just do this once. Do it at least once/year and give it some time to build up and take effect. The more I learn about this simple technique, the more it makes sense - treat the soil and continue to give it life and the better chance the plants have at surviving these weird temps and fighting diseases etc. Urban landscapes do not get natural replentishing like forests etc get. No method is perfect, but during stressful times like this everything is suffering, even the microbes in the soil. More Native plants and xeriscaping makes sense too. So... this may not help much right now, but hopefully will help prepare for next year. That is what I'm going to have to do as well. |
|
| Author: | maybeljj [ Fri Aug 18, 2006 9:10 am ] |
| Post subject: | Brown lawn |
Thank you! You have all been so very helpful. I really appreciate it. In response to the timer, I would LOVE to be able to do that, but unfortunately we have "wonderful children" (of all ages, unfortunately) who love to play with the water hoses, etc. of others. So that's not an option. Ok, my plan is to water all my front yard (front & sides) on a Saturday morning and just the actual front on Wednesday night. The sides are doing better since the neighbor on the west has sprinklers which he uses about 5 min at a time, several times a week. Those sprinklers tend to water a good deal of my west side. The neighbor on the east - I don't think he knows what sprinklers are for! And I will add those amendments this fall. My backyard grass died (literally), so I'm turning the back into a mini-English garden with gardens as well as a vegetable garden and walkways. That's not a problem (or won't be once it's finished!). Plus my gardens seem to do ok. thank you again for all your advice. I'm the eternal optimist (aren't most gardeners???). Surely next year will be better!!! Thanks again. |
|
| Author: | user_48634 [ Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:45 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
This thread may be dead by now but were you watering for at least an hour at a time? |
|
| Author: | maybeljj [ Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:31 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Thread is NEVER dead! I need all the help I can get. Nope, watered for 30 minutes, but used one of those overhead watering gadgets. Don't have sprinkler systems. But now, after the application of more lava sand, corn gluten meal, cooler weather, rains, and using that new Enviro Raindrops, grass seems to be coming back. Maybe it's my imagination and wanting it to green up so bad that it just seems that way to me! I'll probably never know which of the above caused the grass to green up, but whatever it was, I'm glad. Water must have stayed in the ground pretty good anyway; my front yard slants a bit, and water never ran off onto the walk, even after watering. So it must have soaked up pretty good - or so I tell myself. Hopefully next year things will look greener. See, the eternal optimist of being a gardener!!! Thanks for your input. |
|
| Author: | user_48634 [ Sun Oct 08, 2006 6:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Yeah, all the above helped. You might try even more water than 30 minutes. In the summer I water for 1-3 hours per zone depending on the humidity and heat. And my zones overlap by about 50%. The watering requirement depends on your soil, rain, and the heat/humidity. |
|
| Author: | maybeljj [ Sun Oct 08, 2006 6:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Thank you very much for your reply. I will see if I can afford to water more than 30 minutes at a time next year. Unfortunately, that plays a big part! Thanks though for the reply. I really do appreciate it. |
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC - 6 hours |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group https://www.phpbb.com/ |
|