9 Things REGULAR People DON'T Know About Grass

[@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 ◄◄◄

[@ryan.coogler]

After watching lawn videos on the youtubes for three years, I can safely say your content is by far the best for the average home owner looking to make their lawn look good, without going over board. Essentially, you've triaged the things to focus on that give you the best bang for the buck. Even when you present information you've shared many time before, I enjoy how you teach it in a new way. Thank you.

[@TurfMechanic]

I apricate comments like these more than you realize! Thanks so much for your kind words Ryan; I'm always trying to be that guy for regular yard owners like myself

[@shelshele]

So glad to know that changing my focus this spring from pushing it hard with high nitrogen fertilizer. I went with Protene summer blend from GCI turf. Along with that I bought RGS and Humic12. Over the winter I put down Humichar as well. So transitioning to soil health. The yard looks great.! I get compliments all the time and for an old gimpy lady I’m very proud!

[@blueskeleton7744]

We rented a house in Washington and the landlord gave us instructions not to mow it at its lowest cut.. he told us to raise the latches on our mower to cut just the top and leave a 2 inch growth on grass. He says it creates its own watering system from the dew, and gives a healthy thickness of dark green grass for looks and feel ,he was right. Since then weve always cut the grass that way..

[@slippinslidewayz]

Spot on. I do the same in Ohio. It keeps the grass full and green, while preventing most weeds from coming through during the summer.

[@blueskeleton7744]

@@slippinslidewayz he was a stubborn grumpy old man.. but he impacted our lives on old traditions from his teaching and lessons

[@CaptainQueue]

Landlord is correct.

[@bdayo4406]

Excellent point...Feed the soil vs. Fertilize the grass..

[@barbarajansen4912]

Best course on grass I have ever seen. I used to have a landscape company in my old house where I had sod installed in the front yard. Best lawn I ever had. Now that I have a different house it needs different care. I am retired and like to be outdoors so lawn care is important to my health. This video is a keeper!

[@SmoothRiker]

This really helps explain a few spots in my lawn that don't fill in until late May and die off in the winter. I had no idea it was an annual grass!

[@mosessam9929]

Thank you so much for posting this brief but very insightful video, I feel like you've made it precise enough even for novices that aren't really into the care aspect of their lawn. It's really inspirational. I have quick suggestion, break down how to deal with different seasons, showing the process for each. I love my lawn but I find my neighbours do affects me too, so the more we share this information, the better we grow the lawn loving community.

[@CaptainQueue]

Totally agree with cutting the grass at high mower height particularly for warm season lawns like where I live. Additional things that help my bermuda grass lawn are 1) start out the season cutting it very short to near scalping the first two mowings to remove winter kill, and obviously bag those clippings, then work the mower height up every subsequent mow. 2) Also I bag the clippings the first half of the season, and mulch the second half. Between pre-emergent, post-emergent, insect control, and lawn food I apply about 4-5 products a year (plus occasional spot spraying) and you remnded me that I still don't put down enough soil amendments. I wish it would be possible to make only 3 applications of products a year but it is just not the case especially in the longer southern season and aggressive weeds here. Thanks.

[@rick3747]

I live in Eastern PA. I have a Toro Timemaster for my .65 Acre. I do not want a rider at my age of 56. Anyway, I cut my lawn(mainly tall fescue and Perennial Ryegrass) at 3.75" to choke out weeds and to reduce wheel ruts. Yes, I alternate mowing direction each cut. BTW, this video has great advice!

[@jonvansiclen9652]

As a state certified nurseryman and also with a degree in horticulture, it’s nice to see somebody on KZbin. Who’s very informative, knowledgeable and who gives us good advice. Nice job, my man.

[@almostthere100]

Nobody with a "degree" has such ... how do I say... unconventional use of "standard grammar".

[@KarenCarson-dt3pl]

​@@almostthere100Says who?

[@happytobsaved]

Great video ! I'm in SC and use Lime every few months , cut high , let the weather water it , cut 3xs a week , mulch it most times , bag 1 time a month in July & August as it grows the most these 2 months and it avoids thatch. Scott's once in the spring , and yes I'm a fanatic about cutting. Sometimes every other day especially in the humid months of summer. I mow probably 8 months of the year BUT because it's kinda all red clay, irrate ,plug it in the spring and fall. Or it won't spread the roots. Lime- spring, summer and fall. I have the best one in my culdesac and they pay a guy😅 ! When I tell them it's just basically lime and cut often , Sharpe blade , change direction everytime...plug it spring/fall You'll have a great lawn anywhere!

[@galleta_2024]

Lordy me...amazing my lawn is alive. This is an entire course on grass. Extremely interesting and daunting. Went out and took clippings to identify what type of grass came with the house. Not easy. I think it's fescue. Appreciate the info on mower setting and watering. It's summer in Paso Robles, Ca and thought more water is better, however finding my ignorance is expensive and extensive 😞 Will tell friend to cut it higher now that I realize that is important. Thanks a million. Loves your videos including the kids and critters.

[@coryjohnson2486]

You don’t have to go TOO crazy to keep your lawn looking good. Just need to mow correctly, fertilize in the right time frames, and then once you get the lawn looking good, spot great broadleaf weeds (I like Ortho’s Weed B Gone).

[@webmoore4353]

QUESTION - My house was built with pool dirt filling the lawn to get the right level. Since it was finished late in the season, no topsoil was added. So needs lots of fertilizer for the grass plus irrigation system helps. Thought about top dressing but I have half acre. would cost a fortune. Short of a full Reno, any thoughts on improving the soil??? In midwest. Started with KBG plus PRG. I am overseeding with 4th Millennium TTTF, but its predominately KBG. Would love advice on soil improvement

[@SpiritintheSky.]

Very, very good. I thought I knew a lot about lawns until I watched this video. Thank you.

[@CVetteMan1111]

People need to think of their lawns more like a sandwich. You have a slice of bread underneath, the good stuff in the middle, then a slice of bread on top as well. If you don't take care of the bread underneath or on top you aren't going to have the best sandwich. The bread underneath aka the subterranean layer under the grass is almost as important if not more important than the grass layer that people see. The bread on top of the grass is more like environmental among other factors like aeration, air temperature, sun exposure, fertilizer and insecticide use, mowing height and cycle, wet and dry season precipitation and targeted watering, and other things like that. No matter how you build your sandwich everything works together. The insect layer underneath the grass, the worms, the bacteria, microbes, and fungi all work together, and they are equally as important. Great video!

[@arielrodriguez6980]

Great info! Another thing while rare is to dig and look under the soil for debris if you have bare areas or areas that don't thrive or where sod dies off. I am one of those that discovered digging last week I had big rocks, bricks, soda cans and a 3'x10" concrete under the soil that extended from the driveway pour back when my home was built in 2000. I had to get a jackhammer to take it all out only because the builder was lazy and covered up their sloppy work.

[@salvatoredigrigoli3210]

Brother you are an amazing wealth of knowledge thank you for all the help please keep these awesome videos coming

[@TurfMechanic]

always enjoy pat on the back comments like this; thank you and yes, I will keep them coming for a long time to come!

[@samueljaramillo4221]

Fish emulsion and liquid kelp are great to grow healthy roots and feed the soil. It may smell for a while but is a great benefit for the lawn.

[@bobbg9041]

I like to use morgnite but I was thinking of doing a spray on compost tea most granulated fertilizer use salts why im not sure I think its a binding agent. I think a decompose matter adds what soils need and its going to make the microbs happy if you need nitrogen then clover but clovers been treated as a weed its actually very healthy for the lawn. Plus as a ground cover there are some pretty types and flower colors.

[@genebruno7423]

I agree with most of what you said. I consider myself a semi pro for cool season lawn with many years of experience. You left out sharp blades, but not overly sharp. And you left out proper mulching with proper blades and keeping the deck clean after you mow.

[@coryjohnson2486]

I live in NE OHIO, and my little house is in the middle of my little town… so I almost HAVE to bag the clippings. I wonder if I should take them out of the bag afterward and spread them over my small front lawn after mowing 🤔

[@user-ym5io2ul1o]

Recently I bought some Love Your Soil. Happy to know I was on the right track.

[@JTechWP]

I’m looking at getting an Allet Stirling , 6 blade, verticutter and scarifier. Your tips are great 👍 thanks. Plan is to cut more often with a really good cylinder blade

[@DB-xe7tc]

You're on point with accuracy. Great video.

[@Jaytraveler2]

Moving my lawn mower setting to the highest stack, game changer! Appreciate the video👍🏽

[@raybrowning2188]

I’m one click from the lowest setting and I love the look of my lawn. It loves it low

[@midwesternoutdoorsandnatur8272]

Sharp blades (razor sharp) sure help to clip and recut those leaflets to smaller pcs that ultimately ends up in a nicer looking, healthier lawns. Great video!

[@dennishansel9526]

Thank you for a very helpful video. I will stop worrying about the lawn appearing yellow/brown in spots when I mow in the spring and fall. I like to keep it short in the spring because we have plenty of rain and rapid growth. I mow short in late fall for the same reason. We usually have enough rainfall in spring to not water at all. July-October might water once or twice a week, depending on rain. I figure mowing every four or five days saves $40.00 a month on gym membership.

[@Marc-js8rx]

This video would be more advantageous if TM would specify REGIONS-- Northern, Southwest, NW, etc., as each region has varying needs to maintain a good lawn (i.e. Cutting, Watering)

[@gergemall]

Very helpful. I’ve been following some of your videos and using a non motorized push reel lawnmower. It’s thick like carpet and green as well. The weeds are struggling to survive. I didn’t know that the thicker grass crowds out weeds.

[@stevenchalos4829]

I'm a mega turf nerd for many years. Great video and info

[@johnewilde8753]

Ok sounds great. But warm weather like St Augustine in Tampa Florida in many areas has a heavy clay base under minimal soil and the sand how do you fix it? Removal is not an option per HOA.

[@Dhi-fe5eu]

Great video. A lot of information. Hard to imagine watering less is actually better. I water everyday out here in CA. I will definitely cut back.

[@ShiftingDrifter]

Very helpful video! Not to besmirch your valuable advice, but I see by the palm tree in the background that you're not in Central Oklahoma where lawn care is akin to the Southern Lost Cause... doing battle with red dirt & sand, monsoon floods and heavy erosion, weeks of triple-digit heat, ice storms, army worms and plain ole' general entropy. Pay us a visit! lol ;)

[@RhondaWills-o9q]

I'm new here. Less than 2 minutes in, I'm intrigued. I like listening to you educate about grass. That's a first for me. Thank you. Subscribed & Liked.

[@MichaelScrews-zl3ec]

This has been one of the best videos I found to give me some information I was looking for. I would really like to talk to you more about my grass type. I’m looking at changing my lawn up this year but I torn between a few different grasses. Please get back with me if you have time thank you.

[@TurfMechanic]

So glad to hear comments like this. I can offer minor help in comments like this (I do it all the time) but for more substantial assistance I offer paid consults in 20 and 50 min increments. No pressure but the sign up is here: turfmechanic.com/book-a-call/

[@Dhi-fe5eu]

What would you recommend for the soil?

[@louf7178]

Have wondered for a couple of years how to spread top soil over the whole lawn. After leveling out an area once, it stayed very nice for about 3 years. Bought a drop spreader but never tried it.

[@johndasilva8153]

What do you recommend for “feeding the soil”?

[@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555]

I have a question about the soil amendments section. I agree that fertilizing alone is not the answer. But, can someone detail what it means to do "soil amendments" process. To me it means "ADDING" more soil, peat, or something which to me is stating adding more "HEIGHT" to a lawn. Which I have a current problem with the fact that my current yard feels like it's higher all the way aound the house. How do I ADD more stuff to the lawn yet prevent dirt from migrating up my house?

[@1jantheman1]

All great info and to the point. Thanks. I do practice what you have shared and my lawn shows it.

[@kathyfleck2463]

Great video! I’m thinking if we cut higher, water deeply once a week, is that enough during a hot spell? I’m in Oregon

[@Kristina-py6sz]

Listen man ..I'm a regular person.i am in Florida ..I hate to say I didn't know this but you really explained it well.i hope you beat these I hesitate people....hit em hard scalped

[@ivarrtheboneless9104]

Very good video and well presented. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. I would be interested to hear your views about using the mulching attachment that I have with my mower.

[@xpminister]

You mentioned an interesting tip about treating the soil vs fertilizing the grass. Do you have more information about this ?

[@thomasreto2997]

This can apply to pasture management as well. Great information

[@westvalley411]

Dang annual blue! I only identified it with my local UC master gardener at cooperative extension. There is no urban slide like the risk for crabgrass or a Bermuda.So i'm stuck with it after twenty years. Great video.

[@randyumfleet8694]

Great video! Thanks for taking time to pull this video together.

[@TheBarefootedGardener]

Great video. Especially the fertilizer part! I’ve had my mower set to 3.5” even though it goes to 4”. Just a bit better for me. I find that mowing taller as you say, sometimes the grass goes to seed itself, free over seeding. I have a customer who insists on watering every day at 7pm… which I’ve tried saying multiple times that it’s not good to water that often.

[@BSinNH]

3.5" here also. Saves the lawn in the hottest days of summer. Also, regarding watering, 7pm isnt good. Allows for fungus growth. Best to water lawn early in the AM and have it finished by 8-9AM. I start mine at 3:30AM. Some may think that is too early but during summer, whatever is on surface by 10-11AM will be burned off.

[@somethinghandle]

When the grass goes to seed, those seeds aren’t fertile yet so you’re not getting free over seeding.

[@darrengillesdarrengilles8336]

Where I am in Canada we have 100 degree temps in summer and minus 40 in winter with a short growing season I would like to see info on growing grass in this type of region.

[@josephballance2319]

I have a question I hope you will answer. How soon can you water liquid firt after putting it down? Thanks in advance.

[@georgeduarte8627]

Thank You for the video very informative, I’m going to rototiller my backyard to plant grass seed here in southern Oregon what grass seed do you recommend?

[@pokeroohardo6539]

Glad I’ve already been cutting my grass at lvl 3. Had a feeling cutting low and in one direction wasn’t a good idea 🙏🏽.

[@ricktrue8441]

I thought your suppose to cut your grass fairly short before winter to prevent it from folding over and getting snow mold?Should I do this?

[@danvozza3799]

Im in Charlotte,tall fescue,love it,got some creeping Charlie going on,tried some liquid herbicide,still em 2 weeks later,, maybe i should re spray some more?

[@Way.Truth.Life.John14_6]

One of the best times to get rid of ground ivy is in the fall. It is trying to beef up to survive the winter, but you hit it with herbicide and it should die. It’s terrible, though, and extremely tough to get rid of, but not impossible. Also, don’t mow over it! Be careful with even the leaves because it spreads like wildfire even from leaf debris. Get those on your mower blades…forget it…now you’re spreading it all over your lawn. But, yes, to answer your question, hit it again with herbicide. I like the one from Ortho that’s made for clover and ground ivy.

[@gordonwickland574]

I like your channel. Although my lawn is green and healthy, I have a problem on how high or short I should be cutting it during spring, summer, and fall. I have an inground irrigation system that I run on odd days. This was put in in 2018 and I am starting to see that I don't need it to run every other day. I end up mowing the lawn every three days, One issue I have is grass laying over on top of itself. It will kill the grass below it and my Greenworks Pro 80V battery operated lawn mower doesn't have enough power to lift the grass for an even cut. In some spots, I have to rake it up in order to get a better cut. Frustrating!

[@user-ym5io2ul1o]

Set your mower at 3.5

[@gordonwickland574]

@@user-ym5io2ul1o I've tried many settings and have my mower set at its highest. I'll drop it down one notch to see if it will lift the grass.

[@12namleht]

They sell annual blue grass seeds down here in Atlanta...at both the Home Depot & Lowes.. during the fall

[@ianoliverbailey6545]

This is the most sense I've ever heard about lawns and grass in under ten minutes.

[@jeffbaker494]

I live in Canada what is a good product to use to get rid of clover???

[@douglascain6404]

This is your best video to date, lots of good information. Bravo Zulu!

[@TurfMechanic]

Dude, what a cool compliment. Here I was worried about the simple edit and how it would be received. Thanks Douglas!

[@kellyspann9845]

I've been a golf course superintendent for thirty years and I always noticed people and landscape people start out at the beginning of the season cutting the grass way to high starting out. Should cut it low as long as you can and as temps get hotter and as your grass starts to look a little brown after about 3 to 4 weeks raise your mower up one notch higher and keep doing that and your grass will stay beautifully green all summer and survive the hot summer as the grass is cut a little taller every few weeks. I mow my own yard every other day and it looks like thick green carpet and with very little watering. Just keep up with the preemergent and fertilizer.

[@Redtopper02]

You mow your yard every other day? Who has time for that? One a week is normal.

[@ZenonShandro]

​@@Redtopper02Who has time for that? A golf course superintendent, apparently.

[@infinitigrouptv]

, 3:38 ​@@Redtopper02

[@MKultrapdx]

What is considered to low? I feel like the highest setting on my cub cadet rider (6) still cuts lower then the grass would like.

[@lindasines6531]

? 👍 Thank you!!! Learned alot. Where do I go to ask/find out what's the best grass for the area I live in. (lawn & garden& Building homes etc.supplys have NO IDEA WHAT specific PLANT,TREES,DIRT,COMPOST, etc., they will use their cell phones or ask someone else. The soil here is like cement!!

[@TurfMechanic]

where do you live, city/state, I can give you a good start

[@lindasines6531]

@@TurfMechanicTY 😊 wadsworth,Ohio/Medina county

[@valerielock2374]

In Florida ...st.augustine has ti be watered a LOT!

[@someoneoutthere2159]

I’m in California I have St Augustine and I love it! Yes it loves the water but I don’t even bother mowing it October through April but dang it’s a killer when I do mow it the summer months! 😅 it is beautiful grass I do get compliments

[@canonwright8397]

Wow, I knew seven out of the nine things. That's two more than last year! Great video, keep um coming. 😎

[@TurfMechanic]

Alright; maybe I'll have to make a part two to this sometime and see how much weird stuff I can drum up off the top of my hand to stumps some of the diehards out there. :) Do you know the difference between an auricle and a collar? :D

[@canonwright8397]

@@TurfMechanic Nope.

[@TurfMechanic]

@@canonwright8397 😃 nobody but botonists do...and I read up on it too so I guess that puts me in the minority 😆 one day I'll make a video on it, unfortunately topics that narrow will get minimal views but that's the game from my side of the curtain. 🤷‍♂️

[@canonwright8397]

@@TurfMechanic Well, I'm just glad that you share what you do know in a clear and understandable way. Thanks to you, Alen, that Lawncology guy, Lake house lawn care, and many others, for getting my lawn looking realy good. Thank you and may your lawn always be green and weed-free😁.

[@chadderstar6880]

Oh man. Number 8. I was just about to take my deck down a notch because I'm getting seed heads a day or two after mowing. Now I don't know haha.

[@chadderstar6880]

Okay just re-watched your video on seed heads and I feel better now haha. Gonna leave the deck where it is.

[@jeffreygrimm2361]

How would the carbon out gas if dug up? Is it not converted to a sugar or solid during photosynthesis?

[@PrincessCutLawnCare]

Learned a few things myself Brian thanks!

[@TurfMechanic]

Never stop learning George! :D Always love seeing you stop by btw

[@esmeet1]

Excellent video for starters. Agree 💯!

[@claygreen4723]

Leave the clippings on your lawn. Mow it a LOT. In the fall get all your neighbors leaves and spread them over your lawn and chop them up. Healthy dirt is good. Tall grass is a mulch.

[@martinphilips6091]

I've gotta say, I actually agree with most of what you said, especially about feeding the soil. When soil chemistry is balanced, nutrients become available to the plant. I used to aerate and seed lawns in the Fall and made all of my fert apps in Fall as well. In VA, cool season turf grows most of it's roots in Fall. I got away from Spring apps for a couple of reasons. Fertilizers all used P when I started out. Back in the '70s, I heard it at every pesticide recertification: P is one of the main reasons for algae in our waterways. Algae uses the oxygen in the water and eventually kills the fish. They kept telling us, if we kept using P in the Spring, they would regulate it. After 40 years, they did. Another reason I don't fertilize in the Spring: weeds, broadleaf and grassy. Why fertilize Poa Annua? The best way to manage Poa is to not fertilize it. Many people put down fertilizer with pre-emergent for grassy weeds or with a broadleaf weed killer. Herbicides prune roots. What do we need in the drought times? Roots. Spring fertilizing causes excessive top growth. Excessive top growth causes what? Root pruning. Grass already grows like crazy in the Spring! Besides, when you mow properly, the clippings contain nutrients that microbes break down for the plants to reuse. Microbes become more active in the summer. If I used anything in warm weather, it would be organic because it is low N and microbes break it down. I know it works because that's how I did it, and it is environmentally friendlier. Thank you for making a video I can be proud to share!

[@aidab7542]

Great info!!! Although I wonder if I missed how do you amend the soil when the grass is already growing . Just spread amendments on the top or do you need a special tool? Thank you!

[@TurfMechanic]

Spreading amendments over the top works but doing it immediately following core aeration is best practice as more amendments get into the root zone right away. I also like to advise doing a little amendment more often then a lot of amendments infrequently, hope that makes sense

[@aidab7542]

Thank you! I am also thinking of reseeding with clover, since (I am in No CA zone 9a) and it stays green with less water. Do you recommend throwing the seed on top of the existing lawn but waiting till the rainy season? Obviously I am pretty new to this. :))

[@crystalpowers5648]

Great information. How do you amend your soil and how often do you recommend mowing your lawn? 😊

[@omegalamda3145]

Thanks for your tips. Knowledge needs to be shared and al will have happier lives. Thanks Bro. Definitely Subcribed!!!

[@TurfMechanic]

Thanks so much for the love omegalamda! Hope to see you in the comments again! I got at least a couple other vids on the channel you could watch. :D

[@lengeary270]

I am starting a weed garden. It's low maintenance and wildflowers are free. Dandelions are nutritious. 😋

[@williamwaters4506]

Good video. I just like to add that there are organic fertilizers and synthetic. Most people use synthetic which does nothing to improve the soil. Organic fertilizers (such as alfalfa pellets) improves the soil. Synthetic chemicals can cause problems doing heavy rains when run off from the lawn carries the these chemicals down the street in our waterways. Some of our water ways are chocking with aquatic grown due to run off from lawns and farms. Organic fertilizers work more slowly which is something people do not like, they want to see a gold course in front of their house within a week. Organic fertilizers take time but are better for the environment and in the long run improve your soil so you do not need fertilizer every year.

[@Todd.T]

A question I have that doesn't seem to get much attention is how much can a tree effect the lawn? I have a tree that is bigger than the lawn. My neighbors tree in the joined yard is bigger than the lawn. How much does this affect the soil? I've been using Humic and Kelp. The instructions on the fertilizer says "every 4-6 weeks". At 6 weeks the lawn looks like I'm not fertilizing at all. At 4 weeks it looks OK, but not really healthy, then I apply fertilizer and within 3-4 days it looks better, has a good week, has an OK week and then begins to decline until I repeat the cycle. I did a two week application and the lawn went nuts, it grew faster than it would in the hot summer and because there is urea and a shot of iron, it turned a beautiful green. The lawn is very resistant to animal urine. The spots repair very quickly or aren't visible at all. Any damage to the lawn has it bouncing back quickly. I'm mowing every 2-3 days, to cut the tips off. I have KB, Perennial Rye and Fescue. Should I keep and advanced schedule for fertilizer despite the instructions? I figure we will see when the grass visibly fall off and try that schedule. I am probably looking at three weeks. I am applying the humic and kelp between. BTW I had two dry spots I tackled with baby shampoo and got them to go away. I haven't aerated in a few years.

[@christophersonsojka1520]

what is the best way for enriching soil

[@richardr1627]

Will Kentucky blue grass grow in NE FL

[@bigchris0886]

As a bermuda guy... the only thing that applies is soil. But I can see where the average person will get good info.

[@andyh8239]

And now on to cameras. Not everyone knows this, but most cameras have manual focus, which can be used to prevent focus 'breathing.' Cameras also often have manual exposure to override the default metering which may not be ideal.

[@jetcontracting4244]

So have Augustine and have a ring maybe more like a band where it’s practically dead the crop circle will not go away Any idea? Tried a grub solution didn’t work…

[@jaammuay4323]

How much compost I should put on my yard.

[@tomf9292]

What’s a good way to feed the soil? Lime?

[@TurfMechanic]

I need to make a dedicated video from this topic, I get that question a lot in the comments of this video. Lime only helps lawns that have naturally acidic soil. If you run a soil test and see a very low ph number (sub 5.5) then lime will help more than just about anything but if your ph is already in the 7s or upwards of 8 then the lime will make it significantly worse. Here's a vid I made about lime last year if you want to learn more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5mvqIGAmdCSmJo - as for the broader question of feeding the soil lawns will typically do better when more organic matter is incorporated into them. Best way to do that is to rent a core aerator for a day (probably will cost you about $150ish) and then topdressing the entire lawn with soil amendments like worm castings (which is expensive) or a seriously heavy application of alfalfa meal (that's a lot of organic matter that's easy to spread). A dusting of azomite adds trace minerals that most lawns in the US lack and charged biochar if you want to go the extra mile (that aids in grass resiliency during high heat and drought as it holds on to water and nutrients that can be lost. NOT using any herbicides/fungicides/insecticides helps enormously in keeping a higher quality soil and spraying the lawn with biology stimulants helps a ton. This video is not exactly about feeding the soil but it's in the ballpark; in it I made a DIY concoction that feeds the soil and helps break down thatch by energizing the microbial life in the soil; I think it's worth a watch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4Stpq18fc1kpMU

[@cathy9622]

I take exception with mowing high. We had a gorgeous lawn for 25 years when we mowed the grass low ourselves. Then we hired people to mow, who mow high and in no time Creeping Charlie took over the lawn. Any recommendations?

[@TurfMechanic]

I can't know for sure but usually when you start hiring others to come mow it's the fact that their mowers are bringing in weed seeds from other properties that they mow on their equipment. Assuming you aren't overseeding every fall the best option to prevent new weed infestation from hired help is to apply a pre-emergent twice a year (or at least once in the Spring). Shoot for roughly the last week of March to first week of April unless you live in a far north or far south location and then again in October. If you overseed in the fall then skip the fall pre-emergent. There's nothing wrong with having hired lawn care services but you have to expect contamination from their equipment to enter your lawn. These companies just don't have the time to fully clean their equipment between lawns so they don't try. Also, FWIW, I don't like tall cut grass. I always mow mine on the shorter side...but that requires more frequent mowing. The average lawn owner doesn't want to mow more than once a week so for those people mowing high can give a better performing lawn over the course of a full season.

[@PNWLawnGuy]

Thanks! What’s your water bill down there compared to what it was in Oregon? Maybe I should ask this in the summer

[@TurfMechanic]

ask during the summer, we've had a very mild winter and spring and so much rain that I haven't had to irrigate hardly at all. Also, a few weeks ago I found a somewhat major leak in our irrigation lines that I'm getting repairs on so hopefully that will keep the bill down a bit. For me I'm all about using as little water as possible so I'll keep everyone informed as irrigation season really takes off. For the record, In OR I was on a well so there was no water bill...but even still I used as little as possible due to the west coast drought.

[@lisah6076]

We have a summer sprinkler program with the sewer department in Ohio. I still think they don't do the bill accurate or go up come fall.

[@conchoroncho1553]

So how do get switched from frequent watering to once a week or so

[@TurfMechanic]

make soil amendments your best friend. add organic matter, spread Hydretain, aerate and topdress with biochar, spray soluble mycorrhizae while halting applications of chemical herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, and fungicides, and start watering twice as long and half as often. if you currently water every 2-3 days then start by watering 50% longer and every 4-5 days...and let your grass grow twice as long as normal. Mow almost as regularly but don't cut it as short. Longer cut grass will hold moisture in the soil better making it easier to go longer between irrigation sessions. After working on the lawn for a year then it should be easy to move back to every 6-8 days between watering sessions depending on weather cycles. during the transition phase it's ok to see drought stressed grass, trust the process and plan on this taking a full season to make the change. It's worth it in the long run; things that are hard in life are usually worth the effort in the long run. Hope that helps!

[@jackspencer8290]

Well here's the thing about fertilizer. If you have a bare spot (and I've had a LOT of them), sure, there might be soil issues, and probably are. But if you can get grass to grow there using fertilizer, and the grass takes root, then the process has been started in that location. You can then amend the soil by mulch cutting the grass (grass clippings have a significant amount of nutrients). The average homeowner is not going to amend their soil *manually, by using some bag-of-stuff (edit). For that type of homeowner, the most important things are, as you have said, "mowing high", overseeding, overseeding, overseeding (did I mention overseeding?) because weed control is about crowding out weeds, and, if necessary, using fertilizer to get grass plants growing everywhere you want it. Edit: Also, don't kill weeds using herbicide. We don't know what that stuff does to us. Dandelions are your friend - they restore ph balance and aerate the soil.

[@thomasbyrne7770]

Good info. Thanks Tom Byrne

[@TarnishingKnight]

Studying this boss rn, so many people have been talking about touching it

[@jessicatrombley8185]

How do you feed your dirt?

[@schwinnbiking]

Any suggestions on how to remove orchard grass without killing the entire grass?

[@DJDOUBLE077]

I use humic acid... best, most effective thing I've done for a great lawn

[@lduranceau8046]

I have a nice green lawn. However, I seem to have 2 problems: 1) there are a few brown blades of grass 2) the blades of grass are not 'close cropped', but a little further away from each other. This takes away that 'golf course' look. Can you help? Thanks.

[@TurfMechanic]

it's probably dead grass which is normal. Just think of a single grass plant that is always tillering and growing new leaves, the old leaves die off naturally while the new green leaves take over. If you run a power rake (frequently called a dethathcher) over the lawn you can thin out a lot of the dead leaves leaving you with a greener lawn. I haven't updated this web page in a while (I need to) but you can learn more about this topic along with video here: turfmechanic.com/electric-dethatchers/ If you think the problem is different than what I've described let me know; Id' be happy to think through with you a few other possibilities.

[@lduranceau8046]

Tks for the reply, I'm understanding the brown leaves better now. How does the dethatcher 'pluck' out the brown leaves instead of the green leaves?

[@TurfMechanic]

@lduranceau8046 the brown leaves are supposed to fall off on their own, it's nature's way. The machine just speeds the process up and pulls any previously detached brown leaves up to the surface for easy removal. If any green leaves get removed they just grow back as if the lawn was cut with a mower. After using a drthatcher/power rake the lawn usually looks worse for a few days, possibly a week but after 7-10 days it takes off looking way better than it did before.

[@lancef5636]

Great content as always. All good info.

[@TurfMechanic]

Thanks a bunch for the feedback Lance! Ad thanks for your views as well! :)

[@crisrsamuels]

If I mow my yard on the highest height setting, I'll get a letter in the mail from the city. How many inches do you suggest?

[@davidcoyle7125]

Dont know if you would agree with me on this but along with cutting grass twice a week if a mulching mower is used then the cut grass actually feeds the soil and no need to dispose of any cuttings,

[@wally7856]

100%. No need to bag the clippings and often don't have to trim every time. I spend MUCH LESS time cutting my lawn every 3 days then people who cut once a week and bag. No amount of explaining will convince them of that however. They think I'm nuts, here I'm just lazy.

[@AntidoteStar]

I love this delivery. And the nonsense idea.

[@eddieespinosa8743]

Thank you for the good information

[@joepearson4180]

Food for thought, great topic

[@johnduffy6546]

Amen to the deck height!

[@westonwoodbury3011]

Watering once a week, for how long? I’m in Utah high desert I do 45 min 2 times per week but we our the second driest state.

[@TurfMechanic]

Depends on how much water your system delivers per hour. Check that with coffee cups or tuna cans then shoot for an inch per week all at once, inch and a half if you are running kbg most likely though. Also, depending on how thick your lawn is will affect how infrequently you can water as well as what irrigation patterns you have, how much wind you have, and what products you apply to the lawn. My most recent vid about watering better is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pX27f2ulhs2Mo5I - I should point out in 100+ degree weather in Klamath Falls, OR he past two seasons I wasn't able to stick to once a week at peak summer, had to settle for every 4-5 days in the worst of our dry heat waves.

[@valerielock2374]

Most new mowers cut way too low.says 4" ...skins it down . Hard to find a good one anymore.