Search found 3679 matches

by bpgreen
August 23rd, 2009, 1:27 am
Forum: Soil management and compost forum
Topic: When Is Compost Done?
Replies: 9
Views: 670

Re: When Is Compost Done?

After my last post, I remembered a comment somebody once made about spreading compost on the lawn--Throw it and mow it.
by bpgreen
August 22nd, 2009, 5:31 pm
Forum: Soil management and compost forum
Topic: When Is Compost Done?
Replies: 9
Views: 670

Re: When Is Compost Done?

If you're using it for top dressing, I think you can go ahead and use it any time. Anything that isn't broken down completely will finish soon and the mower will break up any chunks there may be. When I topdress the lawn, I run it through a homemade screen. I used 1x4s and hardware cloth. I used 1/4...
by bpgreen
August 22nd, 2009, 1:25 pm
Forum: Soil management and compost forum
Topic: When Is Compost Done?
Replies: 9
Views: 670

Re: When Is Compost Done?

If you posted this on the GW soils forum, it could hit 100 posts because there are so many interpretations of done. If it's still above ambient temperature, I don't really consider it done. I usually wait for it to be at ambient temperature for about a week. Some will let it get to that stage, then ...
by bpgreen
August 22nd, 2009, 2:56 am
Forum: Cool-season grasses
Topic: Eddie Baker's Seed soak method
Replies: 11
Views: 1733

Re: Eddie Baker's Seed soak method

I wouldn't think it would work with KBG tho. Did you hear of putting seeds in the freezer before seeding? I read about it on LS last year. I've done that, too. Repeatedly. Freeze/thaw/freeze/thaw. Some seeds improve germination if they go through a freeze/thaw cycle. Some (especially native seeds) ...
by bpgreen
August 22nd, 2009, 12:08 am
Forum: Cool-season grasses
Topic: urea application
Replies: 12
Views: 714

Re: urea application

Are you talking about using it on the grass you just seeded? I'd be careful with it because it would be very easy to burn the seedlings. It's easy to burn established grass with urea because it only takes about 2 lbs to get enough urea for 1000 sq ft. You can use it as long as you're aware and caref...
by bpgreen
August 21st, 2009, 11:59 pm
Forum: Cool-season grasses
Topic: Eddie Baker's Seed soak method
Replies: 11
Views: 1733

Re: Eddie Baker's Seed soak method

The way I did it, the seeds were wet and I didn't even try to use a spreader. The seeds in question were streambank wheatgrass seeds, which are huge. They're aptly named because they look like grains of wheat. I think there are around 100K to 115K seeds per pound. I have enough trouble using a sprea...
by bpgreen
August 21st, 2009, 1:22 pm
Forum: Organic lawn care
Topic: Buncha questions about brewing compost tea
Replies: 28
Views: 1093

Re: Buncha questions about brewing compost tea

That makes more sense.
by bpgreen
August 21st, 2009, 12:06 pm
Forum: Cool-season grasses
Topic: Looking for shade tolerant KBG choices
Replies: 7
Views: 460

Re: Looking for shade tolerant KBG choices

Fine fescue is tough, but it doesn't seem to do well in heat. It's very drought tolerant, but not very heat tolerant. It may not be dead, though. It may just be dormant.
by bpgreen
August 21st, 2009, 12:04 pm
Forum: Cool-season grasses
Topic: Eddie Baker's Seed soak method
Replies: 11
Views: 1733

Re: Eddie Baker's Seed soak method

I've never read Eddie Baker's book, but I once took 5 lbs of seeds and soaked them for 24 hours, then drained them and flung them around the lawn. The seeds sprouted sooner when I did that, but I don't remember how much faster the germination was. I also seemed to get better germination when I did t...
by bpgreen
August 21st, 2009, 3:21 am
Forum: Cool-season grasses
Topic: Emblem ELITE KBG *Groupbuy*
Replies: 27
Views: 2146

Re: Emblem ELITE KBG *Groupbuy*

If you water deeply and infrequently, the KBG will develop deeper roots. It may be more difficult to get the water to penetrate deeply if you have really heavy clay, but it can be done. Root length in grass is determined partly by genetics (KBG will never develop roots like the grasses I'm growing) ...
by bpgreen
August 21st, 2009, 3:10 am
Forum: Lawn Renovations
Topic: Ground Zero - My Lawn Renovation
Replies: 253
Views: 8323

Re: Ground Zero - My Lawn Renovation

To paraphrase the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, It's more of a guideline than an actual rule. If you store the seeds in a 65 degree basement, they're almost certain to be fine. Morpheus probably lost some germination. The longer you store seeds in suboptimal conditions the more the germination ra...
by bpgreen
August 21st, 2009, 3:05 am
Forum: Organic lawn care
Topic: Buncha questions about brewing compost tea
Replies: 28
Views: 1093

Re: Buncha questions about brewing compost tea

I'm kinda curious how there could be a pond next door and you didn't notice.
by bpgreen
August 20th, 2009, 12:09 pm
Forum: Lawn Renovations
Topic: Ground Zero - My Lawn Renovation
Replies: 253
Views: 8323

Re: Ground Zero - My Lawn Renovation

One guideline I read on seed storage is that you want to keep the combined relative humidity + temperature in degrees F below 100. So if you store it in the garage and it's 80 degrees and 25% relative humidity, you're at 105 and losing viability. Since it's so dry here, I could store it in the garag...
by bpgreen
August 19th, 2009, 3:22 pm
Forum: Lawn Renovations
Topic: Ground Zero - My Lawn Renovation
Replies: 253
Views: 8323

Re: Ground Zero - My Lawn Renovation

" I'm still leaning towards seeding myself" I would seed the lawn instead. I think it'll look funny growing on you. I know that's not what you meant, but that's the way my mind works sometimes. I'm with Morpheus and Bestlawn. Set the spreader on a low setting and make many passes. I do the same thin...
by bpgreen
August 18th, 2009, 5:35 pm
Forum: Cool-season grasses
Topic: Ryegrass Overseed
Replies: 5
Views: 401

Re: Ryegrass Overseed

"6. Water religiously."

Kind of depends on how religious you are. Christmas and Easter wouldn't be enough. The 5 times a day prayer calls are probably a little too often, but closer to the 3x a day you'll want until the seeds have germinated. After that, you can start to gradually back off.
by bpgreen
August 18th, 2009, 5:32 pm
Forum: Cool-season grasses
Topic: Native lawn update
Replies: 6
Views: 343

Re: Native lawn update

I guess you could call it invading, even though it's intentional. Right now, almost all of the grass I've added has been native. I've overseeded with various natives several times, and they're now starting to dominate. Of the natives, two (blue grama and sheep fescue) are bunch grasses. Both will sp...
by bpgreen
August 18th, 2009, 5:18 pm
Forum: Other/Misc
Topic: Creating the Ultimate Drought-Resistant Lawn/Pasture Grass
Replies: 4
Views: 340

Re: Creating the Ultimate Drought-Resistant Lawn/Pasture Grass

Dchall_San_Antonio wrote:What the heck is Texas bluegrass???
It's a close relative of Kentucky bluegrass. Here is the USDA page on it
by bpgreen
August 17th, 2009, 3:54 pm
Forum: Warm-season grasses
Topic: Bermuda grass growing in New Jersey
Replies: 6
Views: 2395

Re: Is this Bermuda?

I don't think it's a problem that it can't grow there, but that it can't thrive there. The problem is that it's only going to be green for a few months a year and some will likely die during the winter. But at least some will live and/or some of the rhizomes will live. And then, when it warms up, it...
by bpgreen
August 16th, 2009, 7:38 pm
Forum: Warm-season grasses
Topic: Mr. Hall, 3 Mos update
Replies: 11
Views: 557

Re: Mr. Hall, 3 Mos update

Ok, but since that takes too long to type, I'll just be calling you Tak Mot Sad.
by bpgreen
August 16th, 2009, 1:15 pm
Forum: Warm-season grasses
Topic: Bermuda grass growing in New Jersey
Replies: 6
Views: 2395

Re: Is this Bermuda?

I'm not a warm season grass guy either, but that certainly looks like Bermuda from pictures I've seen.