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PostPosted: Tue May 29, 2007 4:14 am 
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Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 7:19 am
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Location: OKLAHOMA CITY,OKLAHOMA
Hello all...

As stated in the subject, I'm brand new to real lawncare and found this forum through another one which dchall posts in. My first home was in a rural area and had a yard that was basically 75% goathead stickers :evil: and the rest various weeds, so I just cut it every so often to keep the stickers at bay. And all my neighbors had and did the same.

Now I've moved into the city where the yards are kept up fairly well and I don't want to be the eye-sore of the neighborhood. My problem is that my Bermuda is shaded by a large tree in the middle of a shrub bed, which takes up the majority of my yard. So I've decided to resod the yard with Zoysia as it's a little more shade tolerant, and it still has that dense, putting-green look of Bermuda.

Now heres where my questions/dilema starts... I know that tilling is not the way to go because of leveling, etc... So I was wondering which would be a better way to go; using a sod-cutter to remove an inch or two of the old sod? Or just scalping the dead grass(I used Round Up on it), and using a power rake to loosen up the top 1/4" of topsoil and adding 40lbs of worm castings(BTW, it's 1k sq ft of lawn). My preference is the latter because I don't want to lower the level of my yard, but I also want to assure good root contact.

Now after the sod is lain, I'm going to be as organic as possible, i.e. alfalfa pellets, ACT, and soybean meal. How soon after the install can I start adding these? :?: :?: I apologize if this is a rambling, disjointed, mess of a post but like I said, I'm a n00b and am thirsty for knowledge. Thank you in advance for all of your responses/help.


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 1:57 am 
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Location: OKLAHOMA CITY,OKLAHOMA
Wow... I believe I picked the wrong forum. I thought this was a place where those less capable came and had questions/problems addressed by those in-the-know. My bad.

Thanks to those who did view the post. I went with the power rake idea and it scratched the ground up pretty good, so hopefully when the sod gets here Tuesday, I'll be able to get good root contact. I put down the castings and am now brewing my first batch of ACT, so the prep-work is all done.

As far as the grains go, the few feed stores around here that do carry SBM, etc... have no idea about using it as fertilizer, so I guess it'll be trial & error learning that, which is how I taught myself to build/repair computers. So I guess thats not a bad thing.

I have no idea why I'm posting this... I guess it's akin to thinking out loud. But I do hope that the $25 registration fee goes to further the Organic Gardening cause. Since I've been researching this lawn care stuff, I've come to believe that it is the right thing to do.

Again, thanks for looking. :D


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:34 am 
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 7:33 am
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Location: Plano & land at Dodd City,TEXAS
Well, I certainly feel badly that no one answered your post. Perhaps b/c most are in TX & are not too savvy about OKC soil, weather, etc.

Then again maybe it's b/c you admitted to using (GASP) round-up! Seriously, go to 'library' on the left on the home page & then to 'R' and read the blurb on round-up. (Many of us have used it in the past.)

I think you've done great things for the lawn. Here we tend to go w/ bermuda or buffalo if possible but I think that's due to our climate.

If you didn't use the sod cutter, probably scraping the old grass as close as you can is good. If your soil needs amendments, lava sand, molasses, green sand, maybe some humates, all would be beneficial. There's areas back in the 'library' to tell you more. I think the rate is about 50 lbs per 5000 sq ft. It's certainly a good idea to top dress w/compost but not too thick. The compost teas are wonderful.

Stay w/us. I don't have an excuse for why the 'specialists' have not responded-sometimes work, vacations take precidence.

Patty

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 11:27 pm 
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Location: OKLAHOMA CITY,OKLAHOMA
Thanks Grama for answering my post. After re-reading it, I don't beleive that my attempt at sarcasm/wit came through as clearly as I first thought, so I hope no one has taken offense. If so I do apologize.

Thanks for the tip RE: the library. I haven't done alot of exploring on the site other than the mag, so I'll check that out. And RU is the only thing that will kill Bermuda, and then only after 2-3 apps. I had to do it because of the shade issue. I love the look of a low-cut, dense Bermuda turf. And I wish I could have developed mine, but where there was grass it was sparse, and everywhere else it was just bare dirt.

Yeah, that power rake cut about 1/4" into the dirt in most places and I mixed the worm castings into that loosened soil. My soil is kind of clayish so I'm gonna check into that sand to help loosen it. One ? I have that I haven't seen answered is with new sod; do I put the grains down before or after I lay it?

Well, thanks again for responding.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 7:42 am 
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Location: Plano & land at Dodd City,TEXAS
I 'heard' the wit, hope you did in my post too. :)

I'll try to answer your ? re: amendments b/4 or after sodding. I'm going by HG's book-"Texas Gardening the Natural Way". Sod should be laid after fertilizing W/100% organic fertilizer at 20 lbs per 1000 sq ft. Compost call be filled b/w the joints for a finished look. The best mix of organic fertilizer is 55% wheat bran, 45% HORTICULTURAL cornmeal, & 10% dry molasses. (Alliance milling has this)

Someplace on this forum I've seen it recommended to llightly top dress w/compost. Sort of sweep it in.

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:35 am 
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Location: Weatherford,TX
To keep "a72cutlas" from looking all over for Alliance Milling; they are out of business. Someone bought the parent company and discontinued the garden type products. There are other companies making some or all of the products that alliance made although I don't know who they are.

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 7:21 pm 
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Location: OKLAHOMA CITY,OKLAHOMA
Thanks all for the help. I've seen Texas Tee touted as the best organic available, but somewhat expensive. How does this compare to the Alliance milling products? My sod will be ready for p/u on Tuesday afternoon, so my decision time is basically gone as far as getting something shipped in before hand.

I'd found a link to a product called ZeoPro that was supposedly developed by NASA, but the distributor they had listed for OK had no idea what I was talking about. If you were listening to that conversation you'd have sworn that is was I trying to sell him the product!
:shock: :evil: :shock:
Is there anything I can put down, i.e., seaweed extract that will help stimulate rooting? I've read so much info on this site it's all starting to mix me up as to what, when, and how much to apply.

I thank you both for helping me, and I promise that once I learn this stuff, I will return the favor to the next batch of me's that come through. :lol:


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:19 am 
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Ok, I think what youre saying now is that you can't find the lava sand, dry molasses or whatever to spread b/4 the sod goes down? Do you have a Calloways in OKC? They have those products here...also some of the Home Depots do. Maybe the best bet would be to call the feed stores. I get everything from a feed store near me.

If all else fails, you could make your own compost tea from a good compost like 'Black Cow'. In a 55 gal bucket of water, put an old pair of panyhose full of compost. (well, 1/2 full) Dunk it every so often like you would a tea bag.

This is not too scientific so I'd say use your own judgment on how strong it is & how much to dilute it. If you have access to fish scraps maybe from a restaurant that would be excellent to add. I'd spray the dirt then spray the sod after it's down.

Look up Cap't Compost on this site-he's the expert-PM him.

Patty

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:07 am 
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Yes, beleive it or not, There are no feed stores within a 30 mile radius that carries green sand, lava sand, etc... It's as if I was speaking a foreign language! :x

Out of the 15 or so I called, only 3 even carried Soybean Meal, and they didn't have any in stock, I have to wait till Monday and hope they got some in. There is one that had Seaweed Extract for $25/gallon, which is why I asked the additional question RE: that product. I seem to remember reading a post where somebody mentioned using Seaweed to aid in rooting sod.

And too bad for me, Calloway's is a strictly Texas institution. Though if I weren't working this weekend, I would've made a trip down to the Denton store to stock up on some things. I haven't checked the HD's or other big-boxes, just figured if the feed stores didn't know what I was talking about, some summer temp employee wouldn't either.

I did build one of the 5 gallon Texas Tea Brewers by Duelly(?). Made my first batch with some worm castings ordered from Hall's Wormery there in Texas(Do all things organic come from TX? :lol: ) Turned out pretty good, smelled very yeasty, but it took a lonnnng time to apply due to the small pump I have. Can I use a hose-end sprayer for this or will that dilute it too much?

Thanks again for the rapport. You've helped me more than you know.


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 2:45 pm 
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I just noticed in my earlier post that I said use a 55 gal bucket...wow. Guess you realized that was a typo. :shock:

I KNOW I didn't pay that much for liq seaweed!

I think if you get the compost tea down, the sod down, then more tea, you'll be in good shape. It's too bad you have to travel to another state to get organics!

The Home Depot here has been good about ordering stuff I've asked for & so has Lowe's. Have you tried there?

Patty

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:41 am 
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I beleive I'll ask Lowes if they would order/start carrying some more organic products. I see on they're site that they do carry the "Black Kow" compost/topsoil combo, so maybe there's hope yet.! :) I just wish I could get my hands on some of that green/lava sand to help break-up my clayish soil, but I gues the tea over time will draw the worms which will then aerate it for me.

A follow-up to previous question... how do you apply your ACT? Does a hose-end sprayer dilute it too much? Maybe I could use a watering can w/the holes to pour along the ground, though that might put too much on at once. Well thanks again.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:40 am 
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I have an ordinary 'pump' sprayer. Kind of a pain to walk & carry it all over the yard but I have NO clue how to use the hose end kind. :(

Patty

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:23 pm 
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Location: Weatherford,TX
Any sprayer will work as long as the soil amendment product is diluted enough. Don't worry about diluting too much as long as you are getting the required amount on the square footage suggested (in other words, if product calls for 2 Oz's. per 100 sq. ft., keep spraying the 100 sq. ft. area until all of the 2 oz. mixture is on it). If you are using any pesticide, fungicide or bug inhibiting spray, you probably need to be fairly accurate. For this I would use a pump-up sprayer or a Trombone sprayer.

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 Post subject: ACT ratios?
PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:08 am 
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Location: OKLAHOMA CITY,OKLAHOMA
Thanks KHWOZ, but I don't believe I've ever seen a recommended ratio for ACT. For my first batch I used the Duelly's brewer, which makes 4 gallons by the directions. I put all of it on my 1k sqft lawn using the equivalent of a hand sprayer. My complaint with it is the output is such a fine mist that it takes forever to wet the ground, let alone drench it, thus the question RE: hose-end sprayers.

My ill-informed guess is that the dilution won't matter as long as the microbes & fungi get into the soil. The water is just the means to that end, right? Or am I missing something? I know these may seem like irrelevant questions, but this is how I learn.
Be glad you weren't one of my school teachers :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks again for all replies.


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:16 am 
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Location: Plano & land at Dodd City,TEXAS
KHWOZ said it so much better than me, doesn't really matter about the ratio so much, just get it down. I suppose you could burn the yard if stuff was too strong tho.

Patty

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