Our Lawn Renovation

Another Phase in the Backyard Renovation

Another section of our backyard is getting a face lift   The timing for the lawn renovation is getting critical since the fall planting time is quickly coming to a close.

In our Zone 6 garden, grass seed needs to be planted before September 15.  The seed needs to have time to germinate and the roots need to be well established before a killing freeze.  Normally, here we have a first frost in early October, and the soil temps really drop at that time.   
 As the lawn renovation started, we needed to remove a large area of nimblewill.  That process took a couple of weeks.  The grassy weed really had spread, and we used a non-selective herbicide. 




Here the pathway got a top dressing of topsoil.  This is the base for the seed.  Loose soil is vital for the seed to take root.  Hard compacted areas will not give the seed roots any foundation. 




The seed went down, and we even over seeded the previously seeded areas that were a little thin. 



The next step in the lawn renovation today was to apply an organic fertilizer.  The N-P-K was 5-3-4, and was a combination of bone meal and soybean meal, and compost. 



This organic fertilizer is OMRI listed©. The Organic Materials Review Institute analyzes products that manufacturers submit.  The national organic standards must be met in the creation of the products, and if they meet these standards, the OMRI© label is applied.
 
Generally a three year history of the ingredients is inspected.  For those three years, the fields must not have any chemical herbicides, insecticides, or fertilizers.

The same goes for meat products.  Livestock must not have been fed anything but organic feeds, to qualify as organic. 



The safety of this organic fertilizer is evident in the safe handling of the grain.  There is no strong chemical odor, and the family pets are not going to be harmed if they wander around in the planting area.
  
The final step in today’s lawn renovation, was to water the seed.  This moisture will be maintained 2 – 3 times a day until the grass has been mowed at least twice.
 


These areas were the first seeded in the lawn renovation.  As shown, the grass seed here is starting to fill in.

The garden has made a major transformation in our efforts to scale down the work the garden was requiring.  Thanks for stopping by today. 
What projects are you doing in your yard? 

Nimblewill – Grassy Perennial Weed

Difficult Grassy Weed in the Landscape

As the garden renovations continue in my yard, the lawn has to be renewed too.  The problem is the grassy perennial weed know as nimblewill.  This lawn weed is quite at home in moist, shady locations, but it can tolerate sunny conditions too. 
The plant produces thousands of seeds, and mowing will assist in the spread of this warm season weed.  As this clump grows, the stolons that rest on soil, will root and produce another plant.

Nimblewill does not last in cool temperatures. As the stems and stolons die in the fall, patches of this lawn weed will appear as brown or tan sections in the grass.

Pulling nimblewill is fairly easy, as the roots are shallow.  However, broadleaf weed killers have no effect on this grassy weed.  The active ingredient in Roundup®, glyphosate, is effective. But glyphosate will kill anything it is sprayed on, including your prize perennials or ‘good grass’.  A new product call Tenacity, a herbicide by Syngenta, has been approved for use on cool season lawns.  Tenacity's active ingredient is mesotrione and can control 40 weeds, both grassy types and broadleaf types. 

Due to the wide spread of nimblewill in our lawn, we felt pulling it or even scraping it out was more than we could handle.  So hubby brought out the Roundup® , a non-selective herbicide, and these brown patches are evidence of its effectiveness.  (Yes, this was all nimblewill!)

Nimblewill had become a real eyesore in our lawn. Given a few years of taking over large parts of the yard, this grassy weed had to go.  Had we taken steps earlier, we may have been able to simply pull the small patches. 
As an organic gardener, I have relied on cultural methods to control weeds and insects in the garden.  So I’m really paying for ignoring the spread of nimblewill over the last few years. Before I completely lose any credibility I  have gained as an organic gardener, let me describe the cultural prevention methods and maintenance that will lessen the need for harsh chemicals.
Moist, shady locations are ideal for nimblewill. Removing the moisture by regrading or installing tiles will go a long way to reduce the dampness. Applying organic materials like organic fertilizers or compost to loosen the soil will help to absorb moisture better.



Shade can be reduced by limbing up trees to allow more sun to penetrate the area so soils can dry out.


Lawns that are thick will make weed seeds more difficult to take hold.  Feeding with organic fertilizers and watering deeply are two keys to a healthy lawn. 

Our next step will be to rake in a layer of compost, and then use the same grass seed blend we used on the bare areas. (Here the seed has started to sprout, and is filling in well.)

Nimblewill has been here too long, and I’m happy at its demise. 
Do you have any lawn problems?  Share your conflict with us.  Thanks.