9 Summer Lawn Care Mistakes // Avoid These

[@TurfMechanic]

►►► Want to fix your lawn for the long haul but don't know where to start? I can help! Click here right now and get started today: turfmech.link/dont-know-where-to-start ◄◄◄

[@BigBearBloo]

Thanks! I took notes. Some of these I knew, some were brand new ideas for me!

[@TurfMechanic]

That's cool to hear! I love knowing I'm introducing a few new things to my viewers. Thanks for sharing Starstuff!

[@TurfandStem]

Wait...you do coffee as well?! Other than my family, coffee and lawncare are my two favorite things. Great minds think alike! *runs to Dunkin'*

[@danyf3116]

Great info! I am going uphill right now with my lawn. If you don't mind, I would have a few questions for you, Brian. Last year, my wife and I trashed our front lawn in order to level it. I pulled a box leveler behind my tractor and It tore up the grass very nice. I stopped when I was starting to pass the final layers of roots of the lawn. Other than wanting to level it, I also wanted to remove all or most of the weeds. If you killed the weeds last year in my yard, you'd have removed about 80% of what was giving it its green. LOL The top soil I got to fix the low spots, was supposedly from an old vegetable garden that had been dug up commercially, in case it might be the answer to my question. Once all was as leveled ,as I could (over a septic field so can't add much more weight,) we seeded it with a mixture of Red Fescue, Ryegrass and Kentucky Blue. By Fall, we had a nice lawn and didn't seem too bad for weeds. Fast forward this year. It is as if I have been infested by a herd of Plantain!!!! Where the hell did it come from? Why is this happening now but not last fall? How can I get rid of them keeping in mind that in Canada, every harsh chemicals are mostly banned. Any help will be appreciated. ☺

[@davidgonzales-ec8bo]

Your lawn looks fantastic.

[@TurfMechanic]

Thanks Dave! The camera fibs a bit, I swear it's not as nice as it looks on camera. I don't adjust any settings but the videos do come off more vibrant than they do to my naked eye. Time of day and sun angle make a big difference too but I pretty much only film when the kids give me a chance; I'm not able to time things perfectly just yet. LOL Thanks for the compliment though; always makes me feel good. :)

[@DarkFiredDylan]

Great video!

[@DanTheLawnMan]

This is amazing I learn a lot from cool season turf in these videos. There’s so much good info here.

[@eyeswideopen627]

Lot common sense in this vlog. It's always good to be reminded. thank you, well presented.

[@WheresTheAnyKey1]

thanks for the info! my first season with maintaining a lawn and I gave myself the absolute worst starting point i could lol (scalp + no treatments + heat). hopefully I can sort things out late summer into fall

[@RankUpGamingChannel]

I’m curious what you think of late afternoon syringing. Some areas dry out quicker and I find hitting that with quick shots of water helps cool the turf and soil which I find helps relieve heat/drought stress. When we’re in the 90°s and low 100°s here this week it’s almost mandatory to keep the turf from checking out in some spots

[@TurfMechanic]

I've done it off and on before. Last year we were around 105 in late June and I had to do it a few times then and into July. I think it makes more of a difference for dry climates and not for humid climates...but I've never lived in a humid climate so I've never experimented with it in that environment...When I do it in my climate I either sprinkle a bit in the mid afternoon early enough for the leaves to dry off before evening. For true dry spots between irrigation sessions I don't sprinkle, I do a localized flood irrigation. I just set the hose out in the middle of the dry spot and run it long enough to saturate the ground in the area. This keeps most leaves mostly dry and I lose nothing to the wind. The spot always bounces back quickly the next day. I've considered experimenting with a soaker hose this season for localized dry spot but we haven't had extreme heat yet either.

[@RankUpGamingChannel]

@@TurfMechanic I feel like some of it too is soil composition… we have a sandy loam based soil that dries out quickly here. We do get humid weather but when the sun is beating down all day with no cloud cover it doesn’t really seem to matter as much. Working on improving the new construction soil we were dealt but for now syringing seems to be the only way in the extremely hot summer days to keep it from going dormant. Water is king they say but when Mother Nature doesn’t provide we have to supplement

[@TurfMechanic]

man, compaction is a major problem that most people have even if they don't realize it. Even if the top 4 inches of soil seem loose the under soil is frequently compacted due to construction equipment that pounded it sometimes years prior. Many grass root systems will hapily dig more than a foot into the soil but if it's rock hard at 5 inches in depth the roots simply stay more shallow then we'd like and the drought stress hits the plants earlier than it should. I'm tempted to experiment with something crazy that Jason Seiberlich kzbin.info/door/T-muVytkQXhfS08yw9BCfw did on his channel this Spring. He systematically took very deep cores from his lawn (maybe a foot deep) using a drill auger and filled the cores back in with sand. This would be a way of providing deeper channels into the compacted subsoil for roots to travel. It might be more work than is worth it but the smaller space you have the more likely I'd try it.

[@alceja3522]

Agreed here in northern ca it’s 103 for a week straight very dry, I hace to come out afternoon and syringe my dry spots for a few minutes. Honestly I think my climate is too dry for fungus at the moment lol 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@djratino]

Ok... I got it. Dethatching is very bad. Spike aerating is much better. You don't get plugs everywhere. An early scalping with a bag clean-up may be better. That'll remove most of the old stuff. In Spain people used to burn their lawn in spring. I had a neighbor from Spain that used to do that. Somebody called the firetrucks on her. lol 🐀🐾

[@bfc3342]

Thanks for a helpful video! I have cool season grass but I also have water restrictions. Dry sections are appearing in my dark green lawn. Any suggestions? I was contemplating turf paint...

[@ImStuckInStockton]

I’m starting week 3 of a renovation in central Texas. Put down Arden 15 seed and we have had daily highs over 100 all but maybe 2 days during this project. Grass is coming in great. Some plants had three blades by day 10. I think the key is just tons of water. We will see how it does over winter…

[@TurfMechanic]

That's awesome to hear that you are having seeding success during temps that high! Water is like magic if you can get it. My Bermuda pot is Arden 15 and I've nearly killed it a few times over the past year. When I germinated it in my hot water heater closet that was up in the high 70s day and night I had my first sprouts in 4-5 days. It really came in much faster than I expected. I think it's getting nutrient deficient now though and the roots want to go deeper than my pot allows. I'd love to be able to keep a small plot of it in the land for the experience tending to it but winter here is just too long and harsh to make it worth it. I'm expecting our hottest day of the year on Wednesday...only 84 LOL

[@ImStuckInStockton]

@@TurfMechanic I had a test plot in my back yard before I started this front lawn reno. It went dormant super quickly once I stopped hand watering so I am paranoid and giving it tons of water now. Would love to see more videos on your Arden 15 and deeper dives into different cultivars. Thank you for the videos and I hope you are able to survive Wednesday!! 😄

[@TurfMechanic]

@@ImStuckInStockton lol! Kiddie pool day!

[@Colin.gallagher]

Off topic but would you ever consider doing a test plot of chewings fine fescue mowed low? The U of Minnesota did a study on it for low input putting greens and saw good results

[@davidgonzales-ec8bo]

Dang brian, talk abouta comlete guide. Ty for exceptional content.

[@TurfMechanic]

Dude! You are more than welcome! :D

[@lysawy82]

Great video, as far as grubs go. Spreading granual milk spores when would be ideal time for that...? Thanks in advance...

[@rightbro]

So when we have 100 degree weather everyday for weeks in Houston, what's the best day to water??

[@TurfMechanic]

Lol, never! Seriously though, use your judgment, if you see a day where you are hot and overcast then that's the day, if you have a 102 day next to 105 days then 102 is the day, if you have a day where you expect no wind then that's the day. In your bookend seasons, especially in spring try and push root depth and every year you should see improvement. Make sure watering is finished by dawn, leaf tissues will dry off quickly and as much water as possible should enter the soil as possible. Make sure to fertilize with potassium and trace elements (azomite or Greensand) and the lawn should hold up pretty good compared to your neighbors.

[@malcolmboynton7652]

i'm in southern new hampshire. installed mostly fescue/ryegrass about 10 years ago. did ok but not beautiful. been fall overseeding with bluegrass past three years. milargonite 4 times a year first dose at spring thaw. looking much better. thinking about hitting it with speed zone to knock back tle clover and weeds. bab idea? too late? thoughts? thanks.

[@TurfMechanic]

Southern NH you are probably still good unless temps are getting over 90 for you right now. Do it soon before hard summer weather hits your area. Remember, apply then wait at least 10 days before you start to judge how well the weed kill process goes. Many active ingredients don't look like they are working in the first 10 days because they are hard at work killing off the underground root system first. Don't mow for 4-7 days after application for best results and don't water or do before rain. Good luck!

[@japanesecinema6736]

I dont think it matters what time you water, just get it down. Especially in this hot and humid weather we're having in the south. Every day is hot as of late. Also I am ripping up my whole back yard and planting kentucky blue grass this summer. I know it is ill advised but I think as long as I keep it watered every day I should be okay.

[@jperezgiz27]

I NEED to know about this coffee channel! Post-haste!

[@TurfMechanic]

Lol, it's a channel I only make ocassional videos for mostly comparing keurig machines. Search for "Keurig mistakes" and you'll find my first big video in terms of views I ever made on YT. 😀 topoffmycoffee

[@williamlumpkin8137]

Brian I live in Colorado Springs and Kentucky Blue grass w/rye mix and I have added tall fescue seed. Do you know of a brand of cow manure or other natural/organic fertilizer to recommend? Please advise. Thanks Will

[@TurfMechanic]

Right now I haven't experimented with manure on the lawn. It's probably cheaper but it's very easy to burn. Gardener's I follow love Black Cow but I've never seen the stuff in stores so I've never tried it. I have added some local cow manure to our garden beds in years past but it's not a direction I'm going even there these days. For lawns I have a page on my site on Milorganite alternatives which you could have a look at. I need to work on the page more but there still lots of info there. turfmechanic.com/milorganite-alternatives/ Right now I'm really leaning towards the LawnBox products, their Lawn Luxe product is what I use in late Spring going into summer. Of course I have an affiliate relationship with them lawnbox.com/products/lawn-luxe-2?rfsn=6367456.233f5c&.233f5c but I truly like their products. Cheaper OTC options include Scotts' Naturals which is an 11-2-2 and can probably be found in local big box stores everywhere. The guys at Lawnbright have organic low Nitrogen high biostimulant liquids that look promising but again somewhat expensive. I may be setting up an affiliate relationship with them in the near future but haven't yet. getlawnbright.com I think is their url - subscription only though. Down To Earth products are awesome, usually better suited to gardening but I've used them in the lawn too...and I'm starting to really look closely at Microlife based on the recommendations from some of my trusted regular viewers. Both of those two companies sell on Amazon. That should send you down a few rabbit holes! Hope it helps. :D

[@RichFitzwel]

💪

[@TurfMechanic]

Thanks Daniel :)

[@rubenharris9241]

A channel about coffee? Really Brian? Do tell…..

[@TurfMechanic]

lol, 1st taker! search yt for Keurig Mistakes and you'll easily find me. :) I'm the first result. I'll be making a bit of new content on that channel later this year again before fall sets in but I enjoy making the lawn stuff more so it's been my focus for a while now.

[@rubenharris9241]

@@TurfMechanic impressive that you had the time for an additional content 👍

[@TurfMechanic]

@@rubenharris9241 it was a stretch for sure. I'm hoping that when my third son heads to kindergarten this fall and my youngest is acting a bit more mature I may be able to make a few lighter pieces on content over there. It helps pay the bills in the off season of grass so it's worth the extra bit of effort if a d when I find a bit of free time.

[@kt9495]

I discovered many years ago I’m allergic to something in the plastic in those K cups. Love a good cup of coffee. There’s a company in Massachusetts called Fogbusters that roasts some very special tasting blends if you ever want to experiment. My son in law is in the planning stages down here is S. Texas of opening a coffee shop. We may be heading to Costa Rica soon to do some scouting of sources. Will check out your other channel! Lawn looks great, Brian 🌿

[@edwardd8609]

7:30 Don't dethatch in warm season, dethatch in early summer ... "June-July?" But September's already Fall ... so don't dethatch in August you mean?

[@armyvet8090]

Stop the water shaming. Most places in America have plenty of water.

[@TurfMechanic]

I don't want to water shame but I have to be real, many people who watch my channel (and myself) don't have plenty of water. If you have plenty than adjusting is easy, if you don't have much or have restrictions on water usage (like many of my viewers do) then you have to be very deliberate with its usage and respect it a ton. I've loved seeing you in the comments over the past year and I hope to see you for the coming season but you'll have to get used to the new theme on my channel which I'm sticking to for good reason, many places in this country don't have free access to an excess of water but that doesn't mean they shouldn't have a great lawn. Hope you understand. 👊

[@keithjones6061]

I've noticed in many of your videos children are running around bare foot or in flip-flops while you are using machinery. In this video a child of around 10-12 is playing with an aerator tool, jamming it into the ground, wearing flip-flops. Do yourself a favor, teach your children safe practices. One safe practice is to wear shoes when working in the yard, whether it be mowing, pushing a spreader, or aerating.

[@TurfMechanic]

Wow, amazed that that's what you took from this video. My kids play in the lawn, that's why I keep a great lawn. I'd love for them to wear shoes more often but when kids resist shoes but still want to get involved or spend time playing out there ill rarely stop them. I have zero ZERO reservations about what you saw in my lawn in this video...if the whole thing happened again with a different kid bare foot I'd welcome it with open arms. I want kids to wear shoes in the lawn but for many kids that's an acquired habit no matter how many times dad demands it. You and your opinion are perfect examples of nievity, the only people that can live up to your version of parenthood are those who are lucky. As both a parent of four kids and a youtube personailty talking here - I love my viewers, but you suck in this regard. Thank you Keith for making it crystal clear to other viewers what my opinion is on this type of thought process. I supervise my children and trust them otherwise I wouldn't let them do what I literally watch, film, and publish them doing in my videos. 😒

[@keithjones6061]

@@TurfMechanic Wow, amazed that that's what you took from my comment. "'I've noticed in many of your videos children are running around bare foot or in flip-flops while you are using machinery." WHILE YOU ARE USING MACHINERY I work for an electric utility and I've seen the result of unsafe work practices both in the utility industry and construction industry. The reason most injuries occur on a work site is because people are lax in following safe work practices. It takes one second to go from happy to injured. I hope one of your children never experiences an injury while you are working in your yard, especially if you could have prevented it by following safe work practices. The number one concern should be for your children's safety. "I love my viewers, but you suck in this regard." Remember, people watch your videos for tips on how to grow grass. Its not that hard to find another KZbin channel for tips on how to grow grass. Posting insulting responses to your KZbin viewers not only shows shows a lack of maturity on your part but may result in a reduction of KZbin viewers. And thinking I give a rats ass about your feelings shows you have an over inflated ego. You grow grass, that is what your KZbin channel is all about, growing grass. Remember, your contribution to your KZbin audience is growing grass, that's it, growing grass. Its not that hard to grow grass.

[@TurfMechanic]

@@keithjones6061 Keith, im sure your intention was to help me and my kids stay safe. That's a good thing. I shouldn't have taken it as an insult. I am very comfortable in what I do around my kids, you obviously have other thoughts on that though. You are right, growing grass isn't saving lives amd it doesnt have to be complicated but it's a hobby that lots of people care about. Throw seed on dirt and add water. Done. Its fun though so we go deeper. If you don't like my style then fine, there are others making content about grass you can watch but I don't see my style of doing lawn care around my kids going away anytime soon. When I think something is dangerous for them then they watch me through the windows of the house. I'd rather them be out with me as much as possible though.