Dry Spot Experiment

[MorpheusPA]

It's not LDS, it's merely in a bad location near a rock wall that radiates heat on the southern face of the lawn that's in constant sun and also tilted southward as well.

About fifty square feet just goes incredibly dry long before the rest of the lawn.

So I'm trying something--I put down the equivalent of fifty ounces per K of Dawn dishwashing liquid (I had it with me when I did the windows). And then irrigated in with 1.5" of water.

I'll let you know...

[Jackpine]

50 ounces per K! Kiddies don't try this at home

[MorpheusPA]

50 ounces per K! Kiddies don't try this at home

Tru Dat. However, Cascade 16g would be 1.1 pound per thousand (17 ounces) surfactant at the 7 pounds per K rate. And I'd never recommend this unless watered in very deeply.

Fifty per K is roughly 2.5 times the rate of Cascade 16g, but I don't expect any issues from it. Soap really is pretty mild stuff.

[Jackpine]

I did Gain DW soap (the cheap stuff) at about 8 oz per k for my first app this year then switched to Suave at 4 oz.

[MorpheusPA]

As long as you chose a nice scent. The smell of this reminded me of doing the dishes at my grandfather's place--he didn't have a dishwasher.

My personal favorite was the apple scent in the Suave. I kind of miss that in the BL Soil Conditioner and I keep thinking of adding apple scent to it...

[Jackpine]

I'll have to try Apple, Refreshing Waterfall Mist didn't take me away anywhere.

[MorpheusPA]

Apple will. It's like being in the middle of an orchard when the apples are ripe.

Barring that, try Calgon. That'll take you away, it says so in the ad.

[andy10917]

That's a big improvement over what I have - Milorganite with an undertone of Deer Repellent,

[MorpheusPA]

Call me crazy, but I actually like the smell of Milorganite. It smells like summer to me.

Oddball story there. My grandfather, after he got quite old and a little senile, went to live at a really nice residence facility in the city. One year in April, they were asking the residents what they thought of when they thought of spring.

"Flowers," said one woman and "Robins," was another answer. When they got to my grandfather?

"The smell of horse***." He grew up on a farm.

So I expect that when I get old, my answer will be, "Human crap being applied to the lawn."

[Jackpine]

Rotting carrion on the roadsides after the snows melt and things warmup is my smell of spring.

[andy10917]

Umrelated, but a similar story - years ago.

My son was in Kindergarten. The teacher asked the kids what they knew about Winter.

One kid said "it is cold".

Another said "it gets dark early".

My son chimed in with "don't eat the yellow snow".

The teacher asked us at a parent/teacher conference if we knew where he got that from.

I remained silent.

[MorpheusPA]

I'm surprised it wasn't, "Daddy comes in off the lawn."

But still, good one.

[bpgreen]

Umrelated, but a similar story - years ago.

My son was in Kindergarten. The teacher asked the kids what they knew about Winter.

One kid said "it is cold".

Another said "it gets dark early".

My son chimed in with "don't eat the yellow snow".

The teacher asked us at a parent/teacher conference if we knew where he got that from.

I remained silent.

You shoulda said, "Zappa."

[ Post made via Android ]

[NiciPicki]

I'm looking forward to seeing how this works for you, as I have that exact patch on my lawn as well (blazing sun all day, tilted slightly south). Unfortunately, it also happens to be the front edge of the front lawn, nice and visible.

[ Post made via Android ]

[MorpheusPA]

I'm looking forward to seeing how this works for you, as I have that exact patch on my lawn as well (blazing sun all day, tilted slightly south). Unfortunately, it also happens to be the front edge of the front lawn, nice and visible.

[ Post made via Android ]

I'll have data by the weekend as the temperatures spike again into the high eighties and above. That's warm enough, after several days, to wilt that area and start to send it gray.

So far, eighteen hours after application, no wilting and no problems. We're projected for rain this morning to further wash it in a little.

[John_in_SC]

Temperatures spike into the 80's...
Enough to turn it gray?

Cripes - do you live in the arctic circle?

It's supposed to be 103 here on Saturday.....
and we probably won't see High's in the 80's again till October...

Thanks

[GeorgiaDad]

Ok John, you got me beat. Only going to be 101 here Saturday.

This is interesting. I was just about to search the site for "dry spots" when I ran across this. I just came in from examining the brown spots in my yard. Very unscientific. I pushed my finger down into the soil. The browned out areas seemed very dry. I could move over 2' and the soil seemed cooler and damper. Did this in several places. Same thing green grass= cooler, damper. Brown/dead spots= warmer/dryer. Did the screwdriver test and never hit anything. What causes this?

[MorpheusPA]

Yes, John, come for the reindeer. Stay for the blizzards.

The average high for late June is 83, the average low 61. Highs of near-90 Thursday to Wednesday, with full sun and heat and light reflecting off the rock retaining wall should be enough to start the wilting process. It won't be severe, not like near 100 degrees, but it should show.

Did the screwdriver test and never hit anything. What causes this?

Several things. The soil could differ slightly there, with more sand (mine doesn't). It could have waxy or greasy decay on the soil particles from organic material that broke down that way (mine could, I wouldn't know).

Or it can just be a bad spot. In my case, that's certain. It's the part that directly tilts south, plus has the rock wall reflecting on it and does pick up reflection from the house as well.

[HanLawn]

so how would soap help that retain water?

[NJDave]

Yes, John, come for the reindeer. Stay for the blizzards.

The average high for late June is 83, the average low 61. Highs of near-90 Thursday to Wednesday, with full sun and heat and light reflecting off the rock retaining wall should be enough to start the wilting process. It won't be severe, not like near 100 degrees, but it should show.

Did the screwdriver test and never hit anything. What causes this?

Several things. The soil could differ slightly there, with more sand (mine doesn't). It could have waxy or greasy decay on the soil particles from organic material that broke down that way (mine could, I wouldn't know).

Or it can just be a bad spot. In my case, that's certain. It's the part that directly tilts south, plus has the rock wall reflecting on it and does pick up reflection from the house as well.

Speaking of the screwdriver test. I did some random tests. Most areas, even ones I thought were questionably dry along the sidewalk and a couple other spots, went beyond a foot w/ ease. One area along the walkway went down to 12 inches with ease, then a dead stop. Obviously must be some concrete there. Is this an issue in this area or is the 12" sufficient?