Does anybody remember Jerry Baker, the Master Gardener? I used to watch his news
segments years ago where he talked about ways to make lawn care easy.

He said to use a hose end sprayer to mix ammonia with water to spray your bushes as a
Spring tonic. He said to wear a pair of golf spikes when mowing to help aerate the lawn.
He also said to water the lawn long enough to soak the roots, but not too often.

In the springtime, if you have a patch of dead grass that has ruts, mix grass seed in with
the black dirt and then simply pour it into the rut. Because the dirt has grass seed all
throughout, it has a better potential to grow.
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In the springtime, if you have a patch of dead grass that has ruts, mix grass s
ed in with
the black dirt and then simply pour it into the rut. Because the dirt has gras
seed all
throughout, it has a better potential to grow.

That is an interesting idea that I may try the next time I have that
problem. Thanks!

Mike

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On 3/2/2021 4:14 PM, Mike Powell wrote to MIKE DIPPEL:

In the springtime, if you have a patch of dead grass that has ruts, mix grass

s

ed in with
the black dirt and then simply pour it into the rut. Because the dirt has gras
seed all
throughout, it has a better potential to grow.

That is an interesting idea that I may try the next time I have that problem. Thanks!

Mike

Growing up in Detroit (where Jerry Baker was from) in the springtime I could always
count on a huge rut on my side of the shared driveway with my neighbor. He never
shoveled it and would miss the driveway and always on my side of it.

I would simply go to the local garden store and purchase Kentucky Blue seed and a bag
of dirt. It worked like a chram!

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On 3/2/2021 4:14 PM, Mike Powell wrote to MIKE DIPPEL:

In the springtime, if you have a patch of dead grass that has ruts, mix grass

s

ed in with
the black dirt and then simply pour it into the rut. Because the dirt has gras
seed all
throughout, it has a better potential to grow.

That is an interesting idea that I may try the next time I have that problem. Thanks!

Mike

One more thing I remember him saying is to fill the hose end sprayer with beer.
Spraying your lawn with it will help dethatch the lawn. It seemed to work.

Mike
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One more thing I remember him saying is to fill the hose end sprayer with beer.
Spraying your lawn with it will help dethatch the lawn. It seemed to work.

Was that so you could drink out of it while spraying? :D

Mike


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On 3/4/2021 1:30 PM, Mike Powell wrote to MIKE DIPPEL:

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One more thing I remember him saying is to fill the hose end sprayer with beer.
Spraying your lawn with it will help dethatch the lawn. It seemed to work.

Was that so you could drink out of it while spraying? :D

Mike

No, but the lawn loved it!

Other Mike

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In the springtime, if you have a patch of dead grass that has ruts, mix g >s
ed in with
the black dirt and then simply pour it into the rut. Because the dirt ha >gras
seed all
throughout, it has a better potential to grow.

That is an interesting idea that I may try the next time I have that problem. Thanks!

Mike

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Just make sure you don't put pre-emergent down in the area of your repairs; as when you remove "crab" from grass prevention, it prevents all grass seed from growing. I typically advise people to do all lawn repair work, and aeration/seeding in the fall, as the rains are lighter and more frequent, temperatures within the cooler range grass germinate and grow (other then southern grasses: buffalo, zoysia grass, etc..) and, pre-emergants aren't being put down by lawn care companies and unknowing home owners. Too often I watch lawn care companies come out to a neighbors lawn in spring, aerate and over seed it, and apply the pre-emergent in one single visit. I just shake my head as they're friends and I've tried to explain the concept to them in the past and try to save them money. But heck, if you have a neighbor driving on your grass during winter, you have to fix it in spring -- just a couple of spring notes:

1. Best to use straw (blanket, bale, or chopped) to help keep the seed from washing away/downhill during heavy downpours.
2. Best to get it down earlier as their are less cool days in spring then fall and most grass seed does not germinate above 80ish degrees.
3. Keep the ground moist, not soaked, until it germinates.
4. Do not put pre-emergent down, flag off the area if you use a lawn care company and ask them not to apply there. Matter of fact, new grass seedlings do best when you don't use weed control until after the third mowing.

-tG

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Just make sure you don't put pre-emergent down in the area of your repairs; as
hen you remove "crab" from grass prevention, it prevents all grass seed from g
wing. I typically advise people to do all lawn repair work, and aeration/seed
g in the fall, as the rains are lighter and more frequent, temperatures within
he cooler range grass germinate and grow (other then southern grasses: buffal
zoysia grass, etc..) and, pre-emergants aren't being put down by lawn care co
anies and unknowing home owners. Too often I watch lawn care companies come o
to a neighbors lawn in spring, aerate and over seed it, and apply the pre-eme
ent in one single visit. I just shake my head as they're friends and I've tri
to explain the concept to them in the past and try to save them money.

LOL, yes. I see a lot of lawns that are treated. Some do look much better than mine, but I think that is because the owner knows what they are doing
and actually take care of it some on their own. Others don't look any
better than mine and I have never used a service.

But hec
k, if you have a neighbor driving on your grass during winter, you have to fix
t in spring -- just a couple of spring notes:

1. Best to use straw (blanket, bale, or chopped) to help keep the seed from w
hing away/downhill during heavy downpours.
2. Best to get it down earlier as their are less cool days in spring then fal
and most grass seed does not germinate above 80ish degrees.
3. Keep the ground moist, not soaked, until it germinates.
4. Do not put pre-emergent down, flag off the area if you use a lawn care com
ny and ask them not to apply there. Matter of fact, new grass seedlings do be
when you don't use weed control until after the third mowing.

Thanks! I had to dig up a dead bush yesterday, so I will have some seeding
to do here soon. I had better do it soon, too! Once May gets here, it
will often be above 80ish.

Mike

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On 3/28/2021 9:21 AM, Mike Powell wrote to DOUG COOPER:

Thanks! I had to dig up a dead bush yesterday, so I will have some seeding to do here soon. I had better do it soon, too! Once May gets here, it
will often be above 80ish.

Mike

I made this point earlier in this conference, but Jerry Baker (the master gardener)
pointed out 2 things: mix grass seed in a bag of black dirt, then spread it as deep as
the rut is. Guaranteed to grow. Also, mixing ammonia with the water in a hose end
sprayer can give your bushes a good spring tonic.

This always worked for me in the past when I had to do the work myself.

Mike

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Thanks! I had to dig up a dead bush yesterday, so I will have some seeding to do here soon. I had better do it soon, too! Once May gets here, it will often be above 80ish.

Not sure what area you're from, but here most lawns are Kentucky Blue Grass / Perennial Rye Blend, or Turf Style Tall Fescue. Both can have a germination rate of 30 days, so if you get in the 80's in May, definitely look at the time it takes for the seed your buying to germinate. I have a few patches to fix as well, I tend to use my sod cuttings from edging my flower beds, and just stomp them into place to fill in any bare areas. One area is too big, from dog we had, that I'll have to wait until fall to fix and will require tilling, adding soil, seeding, straw, starter fertilizer, and fencing it off with temporary fence, to keep the dog and kids off of it. But it's been that way for too many years so I'm kinda getting used to it. I may just throw some spare flagstone down to hide it for this season, since it's the main walk way off our patio to the kids play area. It's been a real pain to get growing, and stay growing. I've been dealing with it yearly and can get grass growing, but it dies off by July/August.

-tG

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I made this point earlier in this conference, but Jerry Baker (the master gard
er)
pointed out 2 things: mix grass seed in a bag of black dirt, then spread it a
deep as
the rut is. Guaranteed to grow. Also, mixing ammonia with the water in a hos

Mike,
It was a deeper hole than just a tire rut. I am going to let the dirt
settle and then put in a layer as you have suggested to see what happens.

Thanks!
Mike


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