The 2011-???? Renovator's Toolkit

[andy10917]

A lot has changed in the past year that relates to the basic tools that are available and might be recommended for the 2011 Renovator. I thought that starting a Thread on what a Renovator might want to think about gathering up now would be a good idea - I just hate reading the panicked postings on August 10th about "I desperately need <product name> and need it NOW"...

So, what are the products, tools, etc. that should be in the toolkit? Please specify whether you believe the product is a requirement or a nice-to-have, and explain why.

[MorpheusPA]

For northern lawns. anyway.

Soil test--requirement--to determine any shortages in the soil and correct them. Best done months before renovation to give time to adjust things.

Tenacity--requirement--to control P. annua and P. trivialis sprout in the new lawn, plus provide a short-term pre-emergent benefit for a few other weeds.

Peat moss--nice to have--top-dressing 1/4" to retain water. Compost can also be used.

Watering system--nice to have--to automatically water 3 times per day. Orbit four spigot manifold systems are cheap and work adequately well.

[simpson]

I think the nice to have item would be tenacity. You can spray it on new seedlings at four weeks. It will help with poa problems early before most can even tell they have a problem. I think its less harsh on the lawn then weed-b-gone.

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[simpson]

Sorry Morph beat me to it.

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[mike_44012]

How about Hydrogel? It's relatively inexpensive. Andy can speak much more to it as per his testing but I think it's a very cool product!

Edit: I think it would be very useful for those that do not have automated irrigation systems.

[clay&crabgrass]

8' bed pickup truck.

[andy10917]

How about Hydrogel? It's relatively inexpensive. Andy can speak much more to it as per his testing but I think it's a very cool product!

I think it would be very useful for those that do not have automated irrigation systems.

I agree - as a "nice-to-have". It may be a "requirement" someday for those without irrigation. The SoilMoist For Seeding product is a $7.50 investment that I'm beginning to swear by. I had 20% germination/emergence at 8 days, and 50% (today) at 9 days (for Moonlight SLT/America). Mix with seed and then top with peat moss at 1/8" - 1/4". The peat moss has an entirely different personality with this - all for the positive.

I will never seed or overseed without this again, but that's one man's opinion. I see it like an insurance policy.

[PJD]

Watering system--nice to have--to automatically water 3 times per day. Orbit four spigot manifold systems are cheap and work adequately well.

Just a note for this. If you don't have an irrigation system and will be using hoses and sprinklers, it may be best to buy the stuff now. A lot of stores aren't restocking hose manifolds and the like when you're looking for them mid/late august. I know a few things i wanted were not available and i had to settle.

[eriocaulon]

It may be a "requirement" someday for those without irrigation. The SoilMoist For Seeding product is a $7.50 investment that I'm beginning to swear by.

The concept is good to be sure, but how does the stuff stick to the seed? Sounds like you just mix it dry. How do the particles stick to the seed when it's broadcast? Or is it like powder where it sticks on like a powdered donut.

[Hotrod]

My personal two favorites, Rigid Landscaper Rake and any wide Push Broom

[HanLawn]

That rake is GREAT for spreading topdressings on established lawns

[andy10917]

The concept is good to be sure, but how does the stuff stick to the seed? Sounds like you just mix it dry. How do the particles stick to the seed when it's broadcast? Or is it like powder where it sticks on like a powdered donut.

I don't think it sticks all that much. It's on the soil with the seed. From 6' 6" above it, the Hydrogel grain looks like a water droplet. The peat moss goes above it. When the peat moss begins to dry out, the 1/16" drops give back the moisture and shrinks. Effectively, what touches the gel stays moist longer.

I think the "seed coating" name is a misnomer, but the overall concept works.

[TheWags]

Taking notes and raiding the kids' piggy banks.

[MorpheusPA]

Taking notes and raiding the kids' piggy banks.

Oddly, the kids' piggy banks came from the change every male on the planet seems to dump on their bedside table, so you're just reclaiming your own. If they didn't take the change, eventually the table would collapse, an issue I'm seriously thinking we're about to have. Somebody Who Shall Remain Nameless just dumps it in the drawer, which now weighs approximately 400 pounds.

I was thinking about this posting earlier:

Burlap -- nice to have -- You can cover those thin areas during heavy rains, or areas where you habitually get runoff during thunderstorms. Fabric stores have it cheaper than Home Depot, and larger amounts can be purchased online.

Milorganite or Other Fertilizer -- nice to have/borderline necessity -- Milorganite at the time of seeding really helps things out. High-N synthetics aren't necessary at first, but if you require starter fertilizer, this is a great time to add it.

Spot-spraying Device -- nice to have -- For that one patch that never sprouts as fast because somehow the sprinkler doesn't hit it very well (or it's hot and sunny there). I used a modified 0.500" dripline hose with spaghetti tubing running to micro-sprinklers, and that corrected the issue. A standard hand-held hose end sprayer on mist would be fine.

Good Sprayer -- necessity! -- for spraying Round Up. I used an Ortho hose-end. I hate those things, I really do. Gilmour and Chapin both make nice sprayers.

Garbage Bags -- necessity! -- You're going to have to scalp and mow the dead stuff up, and this was one thing I ran short of when I did it. For 9,000 square feet of lawn, I needed 25 bags (if memory serves).

Round Up -- necessity! -- Buy twice as much as you think you'll need from a place that will let you return it.

Seed -- necessity! -- It seems obvious. But really, order early because you may have to go looking for what you want, or mix it yourself, or delivery could be delayed. August fifteenth isn't the time to be playing with this, and I stockpiled mine in June.

Hat and/or Sweatband -- nice to have -- this is not a fun task in August. I wore a sweatband and hat and thought I was going to get sunstroke.

Jewelry, card, candy, flowers -- nice to have -- Your spouse is seriously thinking that this is of dubious merit and is considering abolishing you to the couch for the duration, if not the funny farm (but do they have elite bluegrass there?). (S)He is not going to be happy with mud. Plan on cleaning your own floors for a while.

[jglongisland]

Some things that came to me:

+1 on the Round Up - I nearly ran out. Have an extra bottle handy, just in case (you might spill it on the driveway).

PennMulch is a good alternative to straw/peat for top dressing. The peat does repel water so it is really important to seed into a moist/wet seedbed.

Seeding blankets - if you have any kind of slope they are worth the money. Lowe's carries both Pennington and DuPont; the latter is uglier but much stronger.

[GaryCinChicago]

A water filled roller for me.

[southerncalpal]

Time.

Ordering seeds and receiving them takes more time than you think. I would suggest start getting quotes this week in fact. If something falls through, you will be able to come up with a plan-B before your seeding date comes and goes.

Scalping the lawn after you kill off the old one takes more time than you think.

Fallowing takes more time than you think, at least it should. I wish I would of done 3 or even 4 weeks of fallowing, but perhaps Tenacity could alleviate some of this. (2011 will be an interesting class; this is a new weapon).

Spreading seed, rolling (or walking it down), covering with peat moss (or similar) takes more time than you think. Heck, picking up peat moss in a SUV might require a few trips.

Explaining to the wife what you're doing (it sounds CRAZY to most people) is going to take more time than you think. I suggest starting your applications of very small bribes NOW.

[kickflip]

This has been mentioned somewhere else but for those with in ground irrigation, make sure you know your systems coverage well. Know how to do easy stuff like changing out nozzles and adjusting the arc ,etc. Some contractors who install systems may not be aware of matched precipitation rates, so you may need to change nozzles where the arc is different (90 vs 180 vs 360)

One of my zones should have had an additional rotor but I didn't notice it until it was too late.

Also for those in colder climates, know when your irrigation company winterizes your system if you don't do it yourself. Most will delay if asked but you may still need to water after your system is off


Since it gets cold early where I live, I had to use a hunter rotor on a stake connected to my outdoor hose bib to water when my system was shut down

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[CTShoreGuy]

PATIENCE!!! especially for KBG

[CTShoreGuy]

+1 to Morph on bags, sweatband and heatstroke
Just carrying those bags to the curb was a backbreaker and I had to tip my garbage guys extra at x-mas!
Get the biggest jug of water you have, fill it 70% ice, 30% water and keep re-filling it

Oh and don't even think about going out the night after you fill those bags, you will sleep VERY well, and be careful getting out of bed the next morning!