Almost hay…..

I like keeping the lawn trimmed up and mow at least once a week, but with this rain, high heat and super high humidity this year I’m finding that twice a week or every five days is better. Until recently. It seems every time I get the inkling to mow the weather sucks or its just too hot and humid or some faction of the family decides they need our presence for some odd event.

This morning I hustled my butt out and got the lawn mowed before anyone or the weather changed the plan. My first pass told me that I almost waited too long. Man the grass was long for a 5 day growth. I generally do a mid-summer application of feed down but have decided to pass on it this year. In early June I put down a couple bags of Milorganite and that has done a super job of keeping the lawn healthy and green. Milorganite as a Milwaukee based product made from hyper-cooked, then dried sludge from Milwaukee’s waste treatment facilities and is high in nitrogen. No odor and spreads great but the real beauty of it is that it feeds gardens and flowers equally as well so a guy doesn’t have to be too particular on applying it. It won’t burn so if a guy stops and the spreader drops a small pile just kick around and keep on spreading.

I hate it when the lawn starts looking like hay and this last growth almost looked like it. Next year I’ll add the Milorganite in May so I won’t have to deal with long grass so much when its hot and humid out.

What do others of you do for mid-summer lawn feeding?

I have had to mow mine about every 3-4 days since May. Normally this time of year its more like about once a week because of the lack or rain and slower grass growth, but like you mentioned, the constant rain and humidity has made it grow just as fast as it would in the spring. I keep my mower at a higher setting than most too whereas some people lower their deck and scalp theirs, thinking it will not grow back as fast.

I usually use the 4 step process by Scotts: Fertilizer + halts (crabgrass preventer), weed n feed, fertilizer, and then a fall winterizer. I have a female dog so I also use lime once a year to help mitigate urine spots on the lawn.

Franky, I prefer to mow it rather than water it. I hate running the sprinklers constantly to keep it looking green – I’d much rather just get consistent rain fall. I live in suburb of the twin cities and my lawn isn’t huge so mowing it takes me about 90 minutes.

I see you are in Rochester, Tom. I think Rochester has received more rain than they’ve ever had at this point in recorded history.

been mowing generally about once a week. but we have been really lacking rain lately so its been over 2 weeks. its on the agenda for tonight however.

i like that milorganite also. especially like it in the garden. i think about once in a while to mix up the fertilizers just allow a little variety. i’ve usually used to 10-10-10 stuff.

Another milorganite user here. Really like that it won’t burn the lawn if you overdo it. I normally apply my last round of fertilizer around July 4th but with how humid it was this year I passed and did an anti fungus spray instead. When everything dried up I did a light dose of milorganite. Another round won’t be put down until the leaves turn.

Right now I’m needing to mow twice a week to keep up, keeping the deck high. I have a female dog and need to water her urine to prevent it from killing spots, going to look into lime as a mitigant as noted above.

Most years I get the July/August reprieve…when it gets warm and dry and my yard quits growing. Then I can park the lawn mower for extended periods of time and focus on important things, like fishing. So far this year I’m out there every 5 days. It’s getting old.

In the past I used to clean up all the leaves in the fall and haul them down to the city compost site. Then I read a report from a study done in Ontario, where they used a lawn mower and mulched all the leaves back into the yard in the fall. They claimed it was faster, lead to a healthier lawn, and significantly reduced the weeds. Three years ago I started doing this. I do find it easier on my poor old back to run around behind the mower and chop all the leaves up. I end up with a pretty good layer of chopped up leave debris by the time the leaves stop falling, but that’s all gone in the spring. This year my yard looks better than it has at any point in the last 38 years that I have lived at this house. And the weeds…..I used to dig out buckets full of Dandelions daily in May and most of June. This year I dug out 15 Dandelions. Not 15 buckets, 15 individual plants. That was it. I’m convinced, and regret not having done this 3 decades ago.

S.R.

If you don’t want to mow it so much, quit fertilizing the damn thing

X2 on mulching the leaves into the yard in the fall. Been doing this for about 5 years now. Lawn looks good and comes back nice in the spring. Sometimes it takes a few passes to mulch them up enough but seems to be worth it.

muskie-tim wrote:

X2 on mulching the leaves into the yard in the fall. Been doing this for about 5 years now. Lawn looks good and comes back nice in the spring. Sometimes it takes a few passes to mulch them up enough but seems to be worth it.

X3. Those long afternoons raking leaves used to suck. Couple passes of the mower and done.

In the late summer thru fall I bag the grass/leaves and store them in 50 gallon construction bags. I’ll be starting that next mowing in fact. I add a handful of compost starter to each bag with a good shot of water off the hose. Tie the bag and set on an un-used area of the garden. When the growing is done and debris taken off the garden I spread this compost on the garden and till it. Neighbors don’t care for the smell, but……

I enjoy mowing for the most part but this year its been something else. And yes we’re wet here….nearly 15″ ahead of the annual average rainfall this time of year. I also mow a section of city park lawn immediately behind us that has a radical hill and city people can’t mow it worth crap without tearing it up so I do this on a voluntary basis. I’ve done this for the last 27 years, but I am not as fussy about the park grass as I am with mine. My doctor says mowing is great exercise for my lungs so I keep on mowing.

I let it grow till I cant take it then hack it down with my mower. Luckily my yard is 60 percent weeds so I only mow every other week. The other days we run it over with our trucks wheelers and dirt bikes.
I hope I never care or complain about a prestine yard. My neighbor complains about my grass. Your life is so bad you have to complain about my yard even. Sorry to hear that

You can use Liquid Chelated Iron in the summer to green up the lawn without promoting growth. Or just dial back on the milorganite in the summer months.

I’m glad you guys like milorganite, keeps me employed

With as much BS coming out of Rochester…I’m surprise we have to buy from Milwaukee (Tom).

Bearcat89 wrote:

I let it grow till I cant take it then hack it down with my mower. Luckily my yard is 60 percent weeds so I only mow every other week. The other days we run it over with our trucks wheelers and dirt bikes.
I hope I never care or complain about a prestine yard. My neighbor complains about my grass. Your life is so bad you have to complain about my yard even. Sorry to hear that

X2

Nice lawn is way, way, way, way, way, way, down on my list. I have bigger fish to fry.

Every minute spent mowing the lawn is a minute lost in the boat

It’s hard to believe, but there’s people out there that actually enjoy mowing the grass…..

Brian Klawitter wrote:

With as much BS coming out of Rochester…I’m surprise we have to buy from Milwaukee (Tom).

What? Are you in Rochester?

Well played Sir!

You guys might have a heart attack if you looked at our yard.

Right now it looks like it needs the clippings raked into wind rows to be bailed. We couldn’t get to it for 2 weeks, and it always grows crazy fast because our water table is so high. The clippings will be mulched up the next time we mow though

If you want to try get a color response without pushing growth you could try a spreadable or liquid iron product. Ironite is usually available at the big box stores. There are cheaper options but if you have a smaller yard its probably fine.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

No odor

Dude. Your nose must be retired. I i spread two bags and my neighbor asked me if I knew what the peculiar smell was.

Tuffy wrote:

I’m glad you guys like milorganite, keeps me employed

Business must be good. Seems like stores in saint paul cant keep the shelves stocked.

Once I find a better solution like maybe an Arizona type rock or Astroturf yard) I’ll feed my lawn with Roundup.

I don’t know why they can’t engineer a short growing dense grass that only needs mowing 3 times a year. That’s about what I manage anyway.

Could get a grant to plant stuff that will help bee’s Mr. HateMe.

Oh, wait. You’re in Wisconsin. Never mind.

BoatsHateMe wrote:

Once I find a better solution like maybe an Arizona type rock or Astroturf yard) I’ll feed my lawn with Roundup.

I don’t know why they can’t engineer a short growing dense grass that only needs mowing 3 times a year. That’s about what I manage anyway.

There are actually a few blends of fine fescue and bentgrass which grow very slow and only need a few mowings a year.

troutbum wrote:

Dude. Your nose must be retired. I i spread two bags and my neighbor asked me if I knew what the peculiar smell was.

Nothing wrong with the sniffer. Are you sure your bags didn’t come from the white house?

Tom Sawvell wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>troutbum wrote:</div>
Dude. Your nose must be retired. I i spread two bags and my neighbor asked me if I knew what the peculiar smell was.

Nothing wrong with the sniffer. Are you sure your bags didn’t come from the white house?

i dont no Tom but the milorganite i get has a definite odor also. maybe it did come from D.C.!!!!!

i have a question for you fellers that mulch our leaves in the fall and leave on your lawn. what type of leaves are you talking about cause i’m very interested in doing this if it helps the grass. where i am planning on doing this i have 2 maple trees, i till them in my garden every year. but i would hesitate to mulch like black walnut or oak leaves as its my understanding they have an acidic makeup. i have plenty of maples leaves though.

All I know about oak tree is if you keep an uncover bait tank under one, the bullheads will be dead the first time it rains. (and my grass dies)

Eelpoutguy wrote:

X2

Nice lawn is way, way, way, way, way, way, down on my list. I have bigger fish to fry.

X3

I also like clean water, and don’t feel the need to spread chemicals everywhere to impress others with how grass looks on my yard. We all play a part in clean freshwater whether small or large scale.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Could get a grant to plant stuff that will help bee’s Mr. HateMe.

I’m getting signed up thru Mpls! Free seed, and less mowing…..score.

I’m mulching Elm, Maple, and Black Walnut. It all breaks down and goes back to earth. I’m using an Arien’s mower. It mulches better if you’re pulling it backwards. I have to run over the leaves a couple of times to get it done.

S.R.

good helpful info. i got a 30 year old craftsman 20 insh with i side shoot that will have to do. running over it a few times isnt a big deal. how thick do you guys let it get???????????