My lawn isn’t looking great, I am on the road most of the summer and the boy child is doing the mowing, trimming. I have a lot of weeds poking up and thin grass, my guess is the crab will fill in LOl.
I mow about 2 acres what do you to your lawn?
I thought this topic was gonna be way more controversial based on the title, haha.
Honestly though: have you considered alternatives to keeping 2 acres of lawn fertilized, watered, and weeded? Wild flowers, diverse gardens with plants, herbs, fruits, and vegetables etc can look great and they’ll benefit your family AND the environment. There’s still maintenance but at least your acres do something other than look pretty.
The British did a lot of neat things for the world. You can probably tell I don’t find “lawns” to be one of those things. 
There is a product called 4speed that works great on most weeds and pretty simple to dilute and spray. You’ll need to do a separate crabgrass control & fertilizer.
I prefer a blend of bluegrass, not all. By having a variety, you benitifit from the different attributes each species has
I finally gave up and hired a guy, he took over the fertilizing last year. At first I only hired him to grind 20 oak stumps and put sod down, but he told me he could really make my lawn nice. I bit. He did 2 treatments and also put down some “food” for the winter… when the snow melted, my grass was already green. I have the best lawn I have had since moving in 14 years ago. He just did a fertilizer and crabgrass control last week. I only mow about 3/4 of an acre, but lots of trimming. I figure once he gets it nice, it should be easier for me to maintain. 
I say just legalize it…..
I was close to starting a similar thread as well… I have 1.5 acres, our lawn isn’t horrible, isn’t great. Crabgrass and weeds are already starting to emerge, and I also think I just need to put some seed over a lot of the yard to fill in spots too.
I have a 25 gallon sprayer I can pull behind the ATV, does anybody know of any products that I can mix and spray for fertilizer, crabgrass, weeds?
What is the difference between a weed n feed vs. fertilizer and weed spray?
I was close to starting a similar thread as well… I have 1.5 acres, our lawn isn’t horrible, isn’t great. Crabgrass and weeds are already starting to emerge, and I also think I just need to put some seed over a lot of the yard to fill in spots too.
I have a 25 gallon sprayer I can pull behind the ATV, does anybody know of any products that I can mix and spray for fertilizer, crabgrass, weeds?
What is the difference between a weed n feed vs. fertilizer and weed spray?
4Speed is ideal for weed control in your application. It is NOT a fertilizer, just a herbicide.
What is the difference between a weed n feed vs. fertilizer and weed spray? Nothing
4Speed is ideal for weed control in your application. It is NOT a fertilizer, just a herbicide.
What is the difference between a weed n feed vs. fertilizer and weed spray? Nothing
Thanks Randy. So in my scenario, I think I will do a weed n feed because I already have some bought. Then also spray for crabgrass. And overlay with some new grass seed in areas that are thin. What would be ideal order to do all of this?
Thanks Randy. So in my scenario, I think I will do a weed n feed because I already have some bought. Then also spray for crabgrass. And overlay with some new grass seed in areas that are thin. What would be ideal order to do all of this?
I would be careful about doing in the order you mentioned above. All the crab grass preventers I’ve used say to wait 3 months before trying to seed after application. The crabgrass preventer basically prevents the seed from germinating. It wouldn’t be good to spend money on seed and not see it grow. You can’t just spread the crabgrass preventer around these bare spots either as the next rain will push it into the bare areas thus preventing germination in these areas.
If you have a garden center around your area I would stop in and see what they say as I’m not an expert, I just stayed in a Holiday Inn last night. I’m also going by what the bags have always said on the 4 step plans that I’ve used.
You either need to overseed or apply the crabgrass preventer. The key word there is preventer, it doesn’t work for existing growing crabgrass. So if you already see it starting to come up, overseed. Not sure what your weather has been like in the SE, but it might be too late already for the crabgrass option. If you have thin spots, I’d probably say to power rake your lawn or do a heavy dethatching, overseed and fertilize this year and hopefully the new grass will choke out the crabgrass some and then apply the crabgrass preventer late, right before freeze so it’s in the ground come spring and also keeping any seed droppings from the crabgrass that’s existing from germinating and preparing for spring.
The key word there is preventer, it doesn’t work for existing growing crabgrass. So if you already see it starting to come up, overseed. Not sure what your weather has been like in the SE, but it might be too late already for the crabgrass option.
That’s what I was afraid of, I’m already seeing it. So my next question then, is there not a crabgrass killer out there? Or just a preventer that needs to be used before they germinate?
melorganite is your lawn’s friend, cheap and does a great job, just stinks the first few days you put it down…
Honestly though: have you considered alternatives to keeping 2 acres of lawn fertilized, watered, and weeded? Wild flowers, diverse gardens with plants, herbs, fruits, and vegetables etc can look great and they’ll benefit your family AND the environment. There’s still maintenance but at least your acres do something other than look pretty.
The British did a lot of neat things for the world. You can probably tell I don’t find “lawns” to be one of those things.
This…I’m not sure when we took the hard left and decided everyone wants to stare out into a field of flat 3/4″ straight green grass
I would think stewards of the land could find something better than applying mass amounts of pesticides/herbicides for a “yard”
Happy 4/20!
Exactly, @Skinnywater. I have always felt that being an outdoorsman is so much more than hunting and fishing. How do you claim to care deeply about our natural resources and then willfully poison them in the name of aesthetics? We’re better than that. It’s up to us as individuals to make sure our actions are helping and not hurting.
Obviously this is not a super popular opinion and I’m not going to beat a dead horse. But for those with an interest in learning more about what you can do on a very practical, individual level to turn the tables and make your land have a positive impact instead of a negative one, here’s a good read on Flowering Yards from the U of MN’s Bee Lab.
Spending so much time, sweat, and money on a well maintained lawn is one thing I never understood and probably never will. I’m with pool2fool, if you have land get something useful out of it, but that’s just me.
Exactly, @skinnywater. I have always felt that being an outdoorsman is so much more than hunting and fishing. How do you claim to care deeply about our natural resources and then willfully poison them in the name of aesthetics? We’re better than that. It’s up to us as individuals to make sure our actions are helping and not hurting.
Obviously this is not a super popular opinion and I’m not going to beat a dead horse. But for those with an interest in learning more about what you can do on a very practical, individual level to turn the tables and make your land have a positive impact instead of a negative one, here’s a good read on Flowering Yards from the U of MN’s Bee Lab.
I’m a happy fisherman when my lawn turns brown and stops growing. 
-J.
Early spring = Fertilize with crabgrass preventer — Do not seed after this is down.
early summer – fertilize and apply broad leaf herbicide (sometimes together in same product)
early – mid summer – spray with quinclorac to kill crabgrass that exists.
fall = aerate and overseed and fertilize
The above is what I would do if you have some bare spots to seed. Fall is always best.
To get rid of crabgrass completely (doesn’t ever 100% happen). you NEED to have preventer down every year for 5 years.
So if you care to have a decent lawn (key word is care). you should at least do those 4 steps (don’t have to overseed if not needed) every year.
So what I found is for my 1.5 acre lawn I can barely buy the products for what it costs for Green Care to come and do it for me for the whole year. ($325)
So i decided to not buy a sprayer and let them do it so I can fish in my spare time.
Early spring = Fertilize with crabgrass preventer — Do not seed after this is down.
early summer – fertilize and apply broad leaf herbicide (sometimes together in same product)early – mid summer – spray with quinclorac to kill crabgrass that exists.
fall = aerate and overseed and fertilize
The above is what I would do if you have some bare spots to seed. Fall is always best.
To get rid of crabgrass completely (doesn’t ever 100% happen). you NEED to have preventer down every year for 5 years.
So if you care to have a decent lawn (key word is care). you should at least do those 4 steps (don’t have to overseed if not needed) every year.
So what I found is for my 1.5 acre lawn I can barely buy the products for what it costs for Green Care to come and do it for me for the whole year. ($325)
So i decided to not buy a sprayer and let them do it so I can fish in my spare time.
I agree 100% with everything you have said here!! 
I also like the idea of adding gardens whether it be rock gardens, flower, vegatable or other. I have 4 of them in my lawn. Less grass to mow, gives the lawn a nice break of landscape, and it keeps the wife out of my hair maintaining her gardens:)
I have never broadcast herbicides in my yards other than one treatment of crabgrass preventer with fertilizer in the spring. Only fertilizer.
Once you have thick healthy grass it takes care of itself with an occasional week to be hand plucked or sprayed with weed killer. This approach has worked well for me with small suburban yards.
i have 2 acres. i only deal with 3/4 of an acre of lawn treatment. I have a tow behind sprayer. i spray Trimec (24D as well as Creeping Charlie stuff) in the middle of April. the first week of may i seed and then do liquid fertilizer. Thats it. Outside of mowing, i invest aproximately 2 extra hours to lawn stuff a year. weeds are kept at bay for the most part.(i don’t mind a few here or there) and the grass is nice and green.
common yard grass = the most prolific invasive specie of all time!
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>pool2fool wrote:</div>
Exactly, @skinnywater. I have always felt that being an outdoorsman is so much more than hunting and fishing. How do you claim to care deeply about our natural resources and then willfully poison them in the name of aesthetics? We’re better than that. It’s up to us as individuals to make sure our actions are helping and not hurting.Obviously this is not a super popular opinion and I’m not going to beat a dead horse. But for those with an interest in learning more about what you can do on a very practical, individual level to turn the tables and make your land have a positive impact instead of a negative one, here’s a good read on Flowering Yards from the U of MN’s Bee Lab.
x2
Exactly, @skinnywater. I have always felt that being an outdoorsman is so much more than hunting and fishing. How do you claim to care deeply about our natural resources and then willfully poison them in the name of aesthetics? We’re better than that. It’s up to us as individuals to make sure our actions are helping and not hurting.
Obviously this is not a super popular opinion and I’m not going to beat a dead horse. But for those with an interest in learning more about what you can do on a very practical, individual level to turn the tables and make your land have a positive impact instead of a negative one, here’s a good read on Flowering Yards from the U of MN’s Bee Lab.
With fall pretty much here, I am going to bring this thread back to life quick. I’ve got 1.5 acres that I mow, most of it is in good shape. Few patches of creeping Charlie that sure is starting to creep in.. and some spotty crabgrass. What should I do this fall?
Fertilize and overseed a few areas?
Spray 2-4D on the creeping Charlie areas, fertilize, overseed? I worry that if I kill off the Charlie, then get left with bare spots, I’ll get other weeds back up- so I think I need to get grass seed down.
Fertilize and crabgrass preventer so it’s ready for spring? Or is that just an early spring application?
Leave it long, dont water it and smoke it often. Then let nature take its course. Grass is one of the dumbest things that society has us thinking we need to do to fit in and be normal. I dont have enough time to go fishing every weekend I sure as heck ain’t going to waste precious time, money and energy to maintain it. Leave the grass to the golf course and let nature have the rest.
Leave it long, dont water it and smoke it often. Then let nature take its course. Grass is one of the dumbest things that society has us thinking we need to do to fit in and be normal. I dont have enough time to go fishing every weekend I sure as heck ain’t going to waste precious time, money and energy to maintain it. Leave the grass to the golf course and let nature have the rest.
Amen. 
Fertilize and overseed. Your weed killing days are pretty well over for the year. Its all about establishing next years turf now. I like late September for the last fert application and seeding. If Kentucky Bluegrass is on the menu, it will allow enough time for germination.
It’s a great time to throw some 22-0-7-6 down the ammonium sulfate really kicks in for root growth so it comes up thicker next year I wouldn’t worry too much about seeding now I would rather do that in the spring. With the pre emergent I sell you can seed a week after it is applied just make sure you have about 3/4 inch of rain or irrigation.
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