Chemlawn/soft ground

[Upstate Mike]

Has anybody had any experiance with mowing lawns treated by Chemlawn? I have a couple customers that have this done and there lawns turned to mush.You cant even walk on the grass because it like a floating bog.I have had to skip these for two weeks now because my mower just sinks.What causes this besides lots of rain? My parents yard is one of them that turned this way and it was always very firm and is all clay.

[Kent Lawns]

Originally posted by Upstate Mike
it was always very firm and is all clay.

Clay has a tremendous water holding capacity. It just takes time to get saturated.

Nothing to do with fert/weed applications.

[Upstate Mike]

But they never had this problem untill they started using Chemlawn.Clay is like a rock and this entire area is named Clay NY because there is so much of it.I have had a few people in this area tell me they never had this problem until Chemalwn sprayed there lawns.Chemlawn said that the yard needed to be aerated and that would fix it.

[Kent Lawns]

I suppose it's possible that the surfactant they use in the herbicide reduces the soil surface tension and allows it to become waterlogged.

[Upstate Mike]

Its like walking on a water bed,I have never seen anything like it.I have missed two weeks mowing on these lawns because they are so soft.

[Michael Fronczak]

Are you sure it's the soil. Not the huge amount of water being retain in the grass plants after an over application of urea.....(what the nationals call fertilizer).
We have had alot of rain up here, it may be just that, good luck.
BTW aerating clay soils makes a world of difference in condition of lawn, not soil drainage though.

[KirbysLawn]

Sounds like another good reason not to do CL/TG lawns. Is the grass thinner or thicker after the applications in question?

[Upstate Mike]

The grass is very thick

[Doc Pete]

Mike,
I'm in upper NJ and me and my neighbor have clay and was not able to mow for a week. I have another lawn with some type of spring running under it and my mower sank up to the rear wheels in the backyard. I think we are getting too much water at one time and the deeper underground is still so dry it doesn't let the water penitrate down.
Pete